Edge Touch Sensor Orientation-Adaptive Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing touch sensors struggle to accurately determine whether a button is depressed on a terminal device, as the relationship between the button position and the finger changes based on how the device is held, leading to false recognition of touch operations when orientation is not considered.

Innovation Solution

A touch sensor system that includes an electrostatic sensor and an acceleration sensor to detect touch operations on multiple regions along the outer edge of a terminal device, determining the device's orientation and adjusting the criteria for button depression based on whether the device is held in portrait or landscape mode, thereby reducing false recognition.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the touch sensor uses fixed detection criteria for button depression regardless of device orientation, then the detection logic is simple, but false recognition occurs when the device is held in different orientations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of button depression detectionVSAvoidcomplexity of detection logic

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by making the detection criteria adaptive rather than fixed. The system dynamically adjusts which surrounding regions (first, second, third regions) are monitored for false depression detection based on the identified device orientation. When the device is in portrait mode, different regions are monitored compared to landscape mode, allowing accurate detection across orientations without requiring complex universal logic

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter of detection criteria based on device orientation. The processor identifies whether the device is in portrait or landscape orientation and switches between different sets of detection regions. This parameter change allows the system to maintain high reliability across different usage scenarios while keeping the underlying detection mechanism relatively simple

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the touch sensor monitors multiple regions around the button, then false depression detection improves, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefalse depression detection accuracyVSAvoidsensor region structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the sensor region into multiple distinct areas: a central button region and surrounding first, second, and third regions. Each segment has a specific function - the button region detects intentional presses while the surrounding regions detect accidental touches. This segmentation allows the system to distinguish between true button presses and false detections by analyzing the spatial pattern of touched regions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extends the detection from a single-point button press to a two-dimensional spatial analysis by adding surrounding regions. Instead of only detecting touch at the button location, the system monitors adjacent areas to identify false depression patterns. This dimensional expansion enables more sophisticated false detection prevention while maintaining a relatively simple sensor structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

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 reduces false recognition of button depressions by adapting the detection criteria to the device's orientation, ensuring accurate operation intended by the user regardless of how the device is held.

Implementation Method 1

a sensor that detects touch operations on first, second, and third regions

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrostatic capacity detection: Capacitance

Implementation Method 2

identifies the orientation of the terminal device as a first orientation where the sensor region is located at the top or bottom of the terminal device or a second orientation where the sensor region is located at the right or left of the terminal device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravitation detection: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS10558304B2Touch sensor and terminal device

Publication Date: 2020.02.11 FUJITSU CLIENT COMPUTING LTD

AI summary

A touch sensor includes a sensor and a processor. The sensor detects touch operations on first, second, and third regions of a sensor region disposed along a longitudinal direction of an outer edge portion of a terminal device. The second and third regions are on opposite sides of the first region. The processor identifies the orientation of the terminal device as a first orientation where the sensor region is located at the top or bottom of the terminal device or a second orientation where the sensor region is located at the right or left of the terminal device, and makes a different determination as to whether the first region is depressed based on whether the identified orientation is the first or second orientation, in response to detection of the touch operation on at least one of the second and third regions together with the touch operation on the first region.