Conductive Traces and Pads for Multi-Touch Surface Extension
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a shortage of inexpensive, hybrid game play experiences that combine traditional physical board games with electronic elements on touch screen devices, failing to fully leverage the potential of multi-touch surfaces for enhanced interaction.
Innovation Solution
A multi-touch surface extension using conductive traces and pads that allow for interactive board games by enabling user input recognition through capacitive coupling, where conductive ink or materials on a board communicate inputs to a touch screen device, allowing for recognition of game pieces and gestures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional board games are integrated with electronic elements on touch screen devices, then gameplay interaction is enhanced, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex electronic components with simple conductive ink traces and pads printed directly on the board game components. This substitution of mechanical/electronic systems with a simpler printing-based system reduces manufacturing complexity and cost while maintaining touch interaction capabilities through capacitive sensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the electrical parameters by using conductive ink with specific resistance values and trace geometries to create functional circuits. By adjusting trace width, length, and pattern, the system achieves appropriate capacitance values for touch sensing without requiring expensive electronic components, thus lowering manufacturing costs while preserving interaction quality.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If conductive traces and pads are used for multi-touch detection, then touch input recognition is enabled, but trace resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from point-contact traces to planar pad structures with multiple contact points. By distributing the electrical connection across multiple pads and traces in a two-dimensional arrangement, the system reduces the effective resistance through parallel conduction paths while maintaining the ability to detect touch inputs at multiple locations simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite conductive ink formulations that combine multiple conductive particles or materials to achieve optimal electrical conductivity. This composite approach lowers trace resistance by creating more conductive pathways within the ink layer, improving signal reliability for touch detection while maintaining the printed circuit board game structure.
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 a cost-effective integration of electronic elements into traditional board games, providing a hybrid experience that enhances gameplay interaction and usability on touch screen devices while maintaining the physical board game experience.
Implementation Method 1
enabling user input recognition through capacitive coupling, where conductive ink or materials on a board communicate inputs to a touch screen device
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an interactive board for use with a plurality of game pieces and a user device having a touch screen. The interactive board has a space for placing one of the plurality of game pieces thereon. The space includes a rotation code sense pad array connected to a first plurality of conductive traces connectable to the touch screen of the user device for identifying one of a plurality of rotation positions of the one of the plurality of game pieces placed in the space, by the user device, a ground for grounding the one of the plurality of game pieces placed in the space, and an identification code sense pad array connected to a second plurality of conductive traces connectable to the touch screen of the user device for identifying the one of the plurality of game pieces placed in the space, by the user device.