Capacitive Touchscreen Board Game Piece Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for using touchscreens as boards for board games, such as those employing RFID tags, face limitations due to signal congestion and the need for multiple RF readers, making them unsuitable for large-size tablets and unstable with high-density piece placement.
Innovation Solution
A board game system utilizing an electrostatic-capacitance-based touchscreen that detects changes in capacitance to identify game pieces, allowing for multiple touched positions by using conductive sections with non-conductive gaps on the pieces, enabling recognition and tracking of piece positions and movements without requiring additional hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If RFID tags are used to identify game pieces on a touchscreen, then piece identification and position recognition are achieved, but a large number of RF readers must be installed on the back of the touchscreen and the method cannot be applied to existing terminals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identification function from the game pieces themselves and transfers it to the touchscreen. The touchscreen displays graphical representations of game pieces with unique patterns, and the recognition unit identifies physical pieces by matching their captured images against these displayed patterns. This eliminates the need for RFID tags and readers, applying the solution to existing terminals without additional hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates visual copies of game pieces on the touchscreen display, showing graphical representations that mirror the appearance and patterns of physical pieces. The recognition system captures images of physical pieces and compares them against these displayed copies to identify matching pieces. This copying approach enables identification without requiring specialized hardware tags.
2Quantity of substance
If RFID passive tags are disposed densely to support high-density piece placement, then more pieces can be identified, but signal congestion occurs and operation stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electromagnetic field-based RFID system with an optical/image-based recognition system. Instead of using radio frequency signals that congest in dense environments, the system captures images of game pieces using the touchscreen's camera or image sensor and identifies them through pattern matching. This substitution eliminates signal congestion issues and maintains reliability even with high-density piece placement.
3Measurement precision
If the touchscreen detects all contact positions of game pieces, then piece position is accurately recognized, but the detection exceeds the maximum multi-touch limit of about ten points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identification task from multi-touch detection and assigns it to the piece recognition unit. Instead of relying on the touchscreen's native multi-touch capability to detect all contact points of game pieces, the system captures an image of the entire piece, processes it to identify the piece type and position, and determines placement based on the graphical representation displayed. This approach bypasses the ten-point detection limit while maintaining accurate position recognition.
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
Enables the use of existing electrostatic-capacitance-based touchscreens as game boards, supporting multiple pieces beyond the typical multi-touch limit and maintaining stability even with high-density piece placement, enhancing gameplay experience.
Implementation Method 1
an electrostatic-capacitance-based touchscreen that is capable of detecting a plurality of touched positions by detecting changes in electrostatic capacitance
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a board game system in which an electrostatic-capacitance-based touchscreen that is capable of detecting a plurality of touched positions by detecting changes in electrostatic capacitance is used as a board. The board game system includes an electronic device equipped with the touchscreen; and game pieces that are used while being placed on the touchscreen and that are constituted at least partially of a conductive section. The conductive section is laid out so as to be intervened by a non-conductive section or gaps on the contact face. In the case where the game piece is placed on the touchscreen, the conductive section causes the predetermined or greater amount of change in the electrostatic capacitance at the contact positions of the conductive section on the contact face in the case where the conductive section is touched by the user. The electronic device recognizes the game piece.