Dynamic Touch Sensor Scanning for False Border Input Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing size of touch screens in consumer electronics leads to accidental or false touches due to the thin display borders, where users' hands or fingers can inadvertently interact with the screen, causing unwanted inputs.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a mutual capacitance scan followed by a self capacitance scan of a subset of rows and columns of capacitive touch sensors to identify and differentiate between intentional and accidental touches, using dynamic sensor row and column selection based on the results of the mutual capacitance scan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the display border is made thinner to increase screen size, then the screen area increases, but false touch inputs increase due to accidental contact from user's hand or fingers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the touch sensor array into multiple rows and columns, performing mutual capacitance scans on all sensors to identify regions of interest near the border. This segmentation allows the system to focus additional self capacitance scans only on specific subset of sensors that detected potential touches, rather than uniformly scanning all sensors, thereby improving detection accuracy for false touches while maintaining large screen area
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different scanning strategies to different regions of the touch sensor array. Border region sensors undergo both mutual and self capacitance scans to detect false touches, while interior sensors only undergo mutual capacitance scans. This local differentiation in scan intensity allows the system to maintain high sensitivity at the vulnerable border regions while preserving overall system performance and reducing false touch inputs
2Measurement precision
If mutual capacitance scan is performed on all rows and columns, then touch detection coverage is comprehensive, but processing time and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs mutual capacitance scans on all rows and columns first as a preliminary step to identify potential touch regions. Based on the results of this initial comprehensive scan, the system then selectively performs self capacitance scans only on the subset of sensors that showed touch activity. This preliminary action approach ensures comprehensive touch detection coverage while minimizing processing time by avoiding unnecessary scans on sensors that did not detect touches
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a two-stage scanning approach where mutual capacitance scanning covers all sensors (excessive action for initial detection), followed by selective self capacitance scanning on only the necessary subset of sensors (partial action for confirmation). This combination ensures comprehensive detection while reducing overall processing time by limiting the more time-consuming self capacitance scans to only those sensors that actually detected potential touches
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
This approach effectively reduces false touch inputs by enhancing sensitivity and detecting smaller objects or lighter touches, thereby improving the accuracy of touch input detection and reducing accidental interactions.
Implementation Method 1
A touch screen (or touch panel, or touch panel display) may detect the presence and location of a touch within the area of the display
Data Source
AI summary
A device, having a touch screen display, performs a mutual capacitance scan of rows and columns of an array of capacitive touch sensors associated with the touch screen display. The device selects a subset of the rows, and a subset of the columns, of the array of capacitive touch sensors, and performs a self capacitance scan of the selected subset of the rows, and the selected subset of the columns, of the array of capacitive touch sensors based on results of the mutual capacitance scan. The device identifies an accidental or false touch input on the touch screen display based on results of the self capacitance scan.