Capacitive Touch Screen Waterproof State Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing capacitive touch screens struggle to accurately differentiate between water-affected and water-free regions, leading to incorrect touch detection and operational issues when exposed to liquid.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for recognizing and processing the waterproof state of a capacitive touch screen, involving scanning the screen to obtain data, determining if it reaches specific thresholds for water or touch presence, and performing corresponding processes to manage these states effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hardware is used to prevent water from influencing the capacitive touch screen, then waterproof reliability is improved, but device cost increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces hardware-based waterproof mechanisms with a software-based detection and processing system. The capacitive touch screen uses its existing sensing capability to detect water presence through capacitance value changes, and a control system processes these changes to identify water states and trigger appropriate responses, eliminating the need for additional hardware waterproofing components
Solution Approach 2:
The capacitive touch screen utilizes its own sensing function to detect water presence. The existing electrode structure and capacitance sensing mechanism are repurposed to identify water contamination, allowing the system to self-diagnose water states without requiring separate detection hardware
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If software and hardware are used to detect water and perform waterproof process, then detection capability is improved, but the system cannot accurately identify and quarantine water-affected regions while preventing water-free regions from being influenced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the touch screen into multiple independent detection channels, each corresponding to specific electrode groups. By analyzing capacitance changes in individual channels, the system can identify the precise location of water contamination and apply waterproof processing only to affected regions, leaving water-free regions unaffected
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements region-specific waterproof processing by identifying water-affected channels and applying protective measures only to those specific regions. The control system adjusts touch detection parameters locally for affected areas while maintaining normal operation in unaffected areas, ensuring precise spatial differentiation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively differentiates water-affected and water-free regions, allowing for accurate touch detection and preventing water-free regions from being influenced, while also determining when liquid has been wiped off.
Implementation Method 1
one or more ITO layer(s) are etched to form a set of horizontal electrodes and a set of vertical electrodes, and the overlaps of the two sets of electrodes form internal capacitors, which means that the two sets of electrodes function as the positive and negative electrodes of the internal capacitors. The capacitance sensing chip generates drive signals periodically, wherein the drive signals are inputted to one of the two sets of electrodes and outputted from the other one of the two sets of electrodes. Accordingly, the measurement of the variation in the drive signals can be used to determine whether and where finger touches occur.
Data Source
AI summary
A waterproof-state recognition and processing method and device is applicable to a capacitive touch screen. The method and device can differentiate a water-affected region from a water-free region, and allow a touch-responding operation for the water-free region when the water-affected region exists. The method includes: scanning the screen to obtain data of multiple channels of the screen; determining whether any of the data reaches a waterproof threshold; when any of the data reaches the waterproof threshold, performing a waterproof-state process; when none of the data reaches the waterproof threshold, determining whether any of the data reaches a finger-touch threshold; when any of the data reaches the finger-touch threshold, performing a finger-touch-state process; and when none of the data reaches the finger-touch threshold, performing an idle-state process.