Device-to-Device Tap Detection for Secure Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional keyboard and keypad interfaces in computer and communication devices are cumbersome and inconvenient, and touch screen emulations do not provide significant improvements.
Innovation Solution
A method involving detecting physical contacts between devices, determining if they correspond to taps, initiating a discovery request, and establishing a communication link for data transmission based on tapping patterns, force, location, and duration of contacts, allowing for convenient, safe, and economical device-to-device interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If physical contact detection is used to initiate communication, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases due to sensor integration and tap pattern recognition algorithms
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses its own sensors (accelerometer, touch sensor) to detect physical contact and automatically initiates communication without requiring manual activation. The system self-determines whether a tap pattern occurred and autonomously starts the discovery phase, eliminating the need for users to navigate menus or press buttons.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations (keyboard input, button pressing) with automated sensor-based detection. The accelerometer and touch sensor detect physical contact patterns, and the system automatically interprets these signals to initiate communication, substituting mechanical user interaction with electronic sensing and automated processing.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If discovery requests are transmitted at limited power levels, then security against unwanted network data is improved, but communication range is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The discovery request is transmitted at a limited power level (excessive action for the immediate need) to ensure security by restricting communication to very close proximity. This partial transmission is sufficient because the physical tap already ensures the devices are in direct contact or extremely close, making the reduced range acceptable and secure.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical contact itself acts as an intermediary that guarantees proximity. Since devices must be physically touched to initiate communication, the need for high transmission power is eliminated - the physical intermediary ensures the receiver is already at the correct location, allowing secure low-power transmission.
3Reliability
If tap patterns are analyzed based on multiple parameters (force, location, duration), then reliability of tap detection is improved, but difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a multi-functional sensor system where the accelerometer and touch sensor serve multiple purposes: detecting tap occurrence, determining tap pattern, measuring force, and verifying physical contact. This universal approach allows reliable tap detection using existing sensors already present in mobile devices, avoiding the need for specialized single-purpose detectors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors sensor data during the tap event and uses feedback from multiple parameters (force, location, duration) to confirm whether a valid tap pattern occurred. The feedback mechanism allows the system to distinguish intentional taps from accidental drops or vibrations by analyzing the consistency of multiple measured parameters.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method includes detecting one or more physical contacts between the device and another device and determining whether the one or more physical contacts correspond to one or more taps. The method further includes initiating a discovery request to the other device, when it is determined that the physical contact corresponds to the one or more taps, and communicating to the other device when a communication link is established between the device and the other device based on the discovery request.