Cover Glass Touch Control Unit for Display Position Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

The arrangement of a display behind a cover glass prevents direct user interaction, necessitating an improved touch control mechanism that adjusts to the user's angle and orientation relative to the cover glass.

Innovation Solution

A control unit with position sensors and processing circuitry determines the active area of the cover glass for touch control, adjusts the display orientation based on user feedback, and corrects touch gestures to ensure accurate interaction with the display.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a display is mounted behind a cover glass, then the display is protected and integrated into the seat structure, but the user cannot directly touch the display for control

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay protectionVSAvoiddirect touch control
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces the cover glass as an intermediary layer between the user and the display. The cover glass is equipped with touch sensors that detect user touches and transmit these inputs to the display control system, enabling indirect touch control while maintaining display protection behind the glass barrier

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of moving object

If the display is arranged behind a cover glass, then the overall structure is more compact, but the touch control accuracy deteriorates due to the separation distance

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructure compactnessVSAvoidtouch position detection accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces direct mechanical contact between user finger and display surface with an optical/electromagnetic field-based touch detection system. Sensors in the cover glass detect touches through electromagnetic fields that penetrate the glass, eliminating the need for direct mechanical contact while maintaining detection accuracy despite the separation distance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent compensates for the separation distance effect by calibrating and adjusting the touch detection parameters. The system measures the actual touch position on the cover glass and applies correction algorithms to map these positions accurately to the corresponding display coordinates, accounting for the optical path differences introduced by the glass layer

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of manufacture

If the active area of the cover glass is fixed, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the touch control accuracy deteriorates when user viewing angle or display orientation changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveactive area definitionVSAvoidtouch control accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic active area definition system that automatically adjusts the touch-sensitive region based on the detected user viewing angle and display orientation. Sensors monitor the relative positions and orientations, and the system dynamically recalibrates the active area boundaries and touch coordinate mappings to maintain accuracy across different usage scenarios

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where touch detection results are continuously monitored and used to adjust the active area parameters. When deviations in touch control accuracy are detected due to angle or orientation changes, the system receives feedback and automatically recalibrates the active area definition to restore precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4152128B1Control unit for improving a user touch control, method and computer program
Publication Date: 2024.01.03 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG
  • EP4152128B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2b
  • EP4152128B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4152128B1 patent drawing

AI summary

A control unit 30 for improving a user touch control of a display arranged behind a cover glass is provided. The control unit 30 comprises one or more interfaces 32 configured to communicate with at least one position sensor and processing circuitry 34 configured to control the one or more interfaces 32. Further, the processing circuitry 34 is configured to obtain information about a relative position of the display to the cover glass and to determine an active area of the cover glass for touch control of the display based on the relative position of the display for improving the user touch control.