Touch Sensor User Identification and Blocking via Drive-Sense Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor systems face challenges in efficiently and accurately identifying and managing multiple user interactions, particularly in touch-sensitive devices, leading to potential interference and reduced functionality.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing drive-sense circuits to manage sensor and actuator interactions, enabling simultaneous sensing and actuation through a unified drive-signal approach, which includes capacitive touch sensors and actuators to enhance user identification and blocking capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional sensor systems are used to detect multiple user interactions, then the system can identify user presence, but the system experiences interference and reduced functionality in accurately managing multiple users
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the touch sensor surface into multiple independently controllable regions or zones, each capable of detecting touch events separately. This segmentation allows the system to distinguish between multiple users by analyzing which specific zones are activated, thereby improving measurement precision while reducing interference from overlapping touch events.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces additional sensing dimensions beyond simple touch detection, such as measuring capacitance values, touch duration, pressure levels, or spatial distribution patterns across the sensor array. By analyzing touches across multiple dimensions simultaneously, the system can differentiate between multiple users more accurately and filter out interference signals.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system attempts to manage multiple user interactions simultaneously, then user identification capability is enhanced, but system complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the sensor array with multiple independently addressable sensing zones and establishing baseline characteristics for different user interaction patterns before actual multi-user scenarios occur. This preliminary setup enables the system to handle multiple users more efficiently without requiring complex real-time processing of every touch event.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts its operation by selectively activating or deactivating specific sensor zones based on detected user presence and interaction patterns. Rather than continuously monitoring all zones at full resolution, the system adapts its sensing strategy in real-time, reducing processing complexity while maintaining multi-user management capability.
3Measurement precision
If the touch sensor system uses separate drive and sense circuits for each sensor element, then sensing accuracy is improved, but the number of connections and device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the drive and sense functions into shared circuitry that can operate in different modes. The same physical connections and circuit elements are used for both driving the sensor elements and sensing their output, depending on the operational phase. This merging reduces the number of required connections and simplifies the overall device architecture while maintaining sensing accuracy through proper timing and signal processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit design implements universal components that perform multiple functions: the same circuitry serves as both drive circuits during the excitation phase and sense circuits during the measurement phase. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of circuit elements and connections required, thereby reducing device complexity while preserving measurement precision through phase-separated operation.
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 system effectively distinguishes between single and multiple users, reducing interference and enhancing the operational efficiency and responsiveness of touch-sensitive devices.
Implementation Method 1
A first group of one or more drive-sense circuits is implemented to drive and simultaneously to sense a first signal to a capacitive touch sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A touch sensor system includes touch sensors, drive-sense circuits (DSCs), memory, and a processing module. A DSC drives a first signal via a single line coupling to a touch sensor and simultaneously senses, when present, a second signal that is uniquely associated with a user. The DSC processes the first signal and/or the second signal to generate a digital signal that is representative of an electrical characteristic of the touch sensor. The processing module executes operational instructions (stored in the memory) to process the digital signal to detect interaction of the user with the touch sensor and to determine whether the interaction of the user with the touch sensor compares favorably with authorization. When not authorized, the processing module aborts execution of operation(s) associated with the interaction of the user with the touch sensor. Alternatively, when authorized, the processing module facilitates execution of the operation(s).