Conductive Ink Packaging Pattern for Capacitive Touch Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current packaging solutions for tobacco products and smoking devices lack effective and cost-efficient methods for forgery protection and user interaction, particularly in terms of authenticity verification and tamper indication.
Innovation Solution
A package with an information encoding pattern comprising areas of different conductive or dielectric properties, detectable by capacitive touch screens, which encodes unique identifiers and status information, serving as both an authenticity feature and seal, and can be produced at low cost using conductive ink on non-conductive materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If RFID tags are used for authenticity verification and tamper indication, then security and reliability are improved, but manufacturing cost and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive RFID tags with a disposable, printed conductive pattern that can be applied to packaging. This pattern uses inexpensive conductive ink printed on non-conductive material, eliminating the need for costly electronic components while maintaining authenticity verification functionality through capacitive touch screen detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes electronic RFID technology with a passive printed pattern system that interacts with capacitive touch screens. The conductive pattern creates detectable signal changes when contacted by a finger or touch screen, replacing active electronic identification with a passive mechanical/electrical interaction system.
2Reliability
If RFID tags are used for authenticity verification, then security is improved, but the packaging becomes less user-friendly and interactive
Solution Approach 1:
The conductive pattern serves multiple functions: it provides authenticity verification, enables tamper indication, and creates an interactive user experience with touch screens. The same pattern that verifies authenticity also engages with smartphone touch screens to provide product information, reviews, and other consumer communications, eliminating the need for separate authentication and interaction systems.
3Ease of manufacture
If conductive ink patterns are printed on packaging, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but detection precision and reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies conductive ink in specific localized patterns (lines, dots, or geometric shapes) rather than uniform coatings. These strategically placed conductive elements create distinct capacitive signatures that enable reliable detection and authentication, while using minimal material to achieve the required detection precision.
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 provides reliable protection against forgery, supports automatic authenticity testing, and enables interactive consumer communication, while maintaining a non-invasive design that is not visible to the naked eye and remains functional even after the package is opened.
Implementation Method 1
The information encoding pattern is configured to be detectable by a capacitive touch screen, e.g. a touch screen of a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet computer, when the information encoding pattern interacts with the touch screen
Implementation Method 2
The detection of the pattern is based on the differences in the dielectric or conductive properties of the first area and second area, which differences can be sensed by the capacitive touch screen. A well known dielectric property in the present context is permittivity (the measure of resistance that is encountered when forming an electric field in a medium)
Implementation Method 3
The second areas are formed from a conductive material, in particular from a conductive ink, which is printed to the first area
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3~4B
Figure 5~6
AI summary
There is provided a package for tobacco products or tobacco related commodities or smoking devices (20; 120; 220; 320), wherein the package (20; 120; 220; 320) includes an information encoding pattern (10; 110). The information encoding pattern comprises at least one first area (12) having a first conductive or dielectric property and at least one second area (14; 14a, 14b, 14c) having a second conductive or dielectric property. The first conductive property is different from the second conductive property and the first dielectric property is different from the second dielectric property. The information encoding pattern is configured to be detectable by a capacitive touch screen (24), e.g. a touch screen of a mobile device (22), such as a smartphone or tablet computer, when the information encoding pattern interacts with the touch screen, i.e. when the information encoding pattern approaches and/or touches the touch screen.