Wooden Capacitive Touch Surface for Streaming Loudspeaker Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional capacitive touchscreens lack a wireless-enabled interface for controlling audio devices, limiting user interaction and functionality in a seamless and intuitive manner.

Innovation Solution

A wireless-enabled loudspeaker with a wooden or dielectric capacitive touch user interface, incorporating electroacoustic transducers, a processor, and a wireless transceiver circuit, allowing users to control audio playback and streaming through capacitive touch controls etched into the surface, which communicate via a WiFi network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional capacitive touchscreens use transparent conductors like ITO, then the touchscreen can detect touch input, but the interface lacks wireless connectivity and cannot directly control audio devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewireless control capabilityVSAvoidinterface functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines a capacitive touchscreen interface with wireless communication capabilities (WiFi, Bluetooth) into a single integrated device. The touchscreen controller is merged with wireless transceiver circuits and audio processing functions, allowing the interface to both detect touch input and wirelessly transmit control commands to audio devices without requiring separate control components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The touchscreen interface is designed to perform multiple functions: detecting touch position, determining touch gesture type (tap, swipe, pinch), processing audio control commands (play, pause, skip), and managing wireless connectivity. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate physical buttons or remote controls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Shape

If a wooden or dielectric exterior surface is used for aesthetic purposes, then the device appearance is improved, but capacitive touch sensing becomes more difficult to implement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexterior surface appearanceVSAvoidcapacitive touch detection

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a transparent conductive coating (such as ITO - indium tin oxide) applied over the wooden or dielectric exterior surface. This intermediary layer serves as the actual capacitive sensing element while remaining visually transparent, allowing the aesthetic wood grain or dielectric pattern to show through while providing the necessary electrical properties for touch detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The exterior surface is constructed as a composite structure combining aesthetic materials (wood or dielectric) with functional materials (transparent conductive coating). This composite design allows the bottom layer to provide visual appeal while the top transparent layer enables capacitive sensing, merging aesthetic and functional requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

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 users to control audio playback, switch streaming sources, and provide feedback on tracks, enhancing user interaction and experience with a seamless, intuitive interface that integrates capacitive touch technology with wireless connectivity.

Implementation Method 1

a wooden (or other dielectric) exterior surface 102 comprising a capacitive touch user interface 420 that allows a user to control operation of the loudspeaker 100. The capacitive touch user interface 420 comprises at least one capacitive sense electrode 502 in communication with the processor 402, and the wooden exterior surface 102 acts a dielectric for the capacitive touch user interface.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Implementation Method 2

the wooden exterior surface 102 acts a dielectric for the capacitive touch user interface

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDielectric: Dielectric

Data Source

PatentUS11950033B2Wooden or other dielectric capacitive touch interface and loudspeaker having same

Publication Date: 2024.04.02 KOSS CORP

AI summary

Wireless-enabled loudspeaker includes a wooden capacitive touch user interface. The loudspeaker may comprise at least one electroacoustic transducer, a processor in communication with the at least one electroacoustic transducer, and a wooden exterior surface comprising a capacitive touch user interface that allows a user to control operation of the loudspeaker. The wooden exterior surface acts a dielectric for the capacitive touch user interface. The loudspeaker may comprise a wireless transceiver circuit for receiving and transmitting wireless communication signals via a wireless network. The wireless transceiver circuit may receive wirelessly audio content from streaming audio content servers that are connected to the Internet. The capacitive touch user interface comprises a plurality of user control icons etched in the wooden exterior surface, and a plurality of capacitive sense electrodes located under the wooden exterior surface.