Elastomeric Bezel Touch Screen Stabilization Under Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch screens in vehicles, such as aircraft flight decks, face challenges in precision and accuracy due to vibration and turbulence, which hinder multi-touch operations as current designs lack effective hand stabilization and damping mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A touch screen system with an elastomeric bezel that provides ergonomic stabilization edges and a thin touchpad for finger detection, along with sensors to adjust inputs based on turbulence, ensuring stable and accurate user interactions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If touch screens are anchored to the flight deck to provide stable mounting, then device stability is improved, but vibration and turbulence are transmitted directly to the display, worsening input precision and accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mounting mechanism between the touch screen and the flight deck that absorbs and dampens vibration and turbulence. This mediator allows the display to remain securely mounted while isolating it from harmful vibrations, thereby maintaining both device stability and input precision simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The mounting system incorporates vibration-damping materials and shock-absorbing elements in advance, before vibration and turbulence occur. This beforehand cushioning prepares the system to absorb upcoming vibrations, preventing them from being transmitted to the display during turbulent flight conditions.
2Ease of operation
If current generation cursor control devices incorporate a turbulence hump for wrist resting, then hand stabilization is improved, but the design is not suitable for multi-touch operations, worsening operational versatility
Solution Approach 1:
The touch screen device integrates multiple functions into a single unified design. The display surface serves both as the primary touch interface for multi-touch operations and as a stabilized support surface for hand resting during turbulence. This universal design eliminates the need for separate cursor control devices while providing both stabilization and multi-touch capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of the turbulence hump and the touch screen surface into a single integrated structure. The raised portion of the display housing that provides wrist support is combined with the capacitive touch sensing surface, allowing users to rest their hands on the stabilized surface while maintaining full multi-touch functionality across the entire surface.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the touch screen surface is made larger to accommodate multi-touch gestures, then operational capability is improved, but the device becomes more susceptible to vibration-induced false inputs, worsening input accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The touch screen system dynamically adjusts its sensitivity and input threshold based on detected vibration levels. During turbulent flight conditions, the system automatically raises the threshold for registering touch inputs, preventing false inputs caused by vibration while maintaining full sensitivity for intentional multi-touch gestures when the aircraft is stable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates vibration sensors that continuously monitor the level of turbulence and provide feedback to the touch input processing algorithm. This feedback loop allows the system to distinguish between vibrations caused by turbulence and deliberate user gestures, maintaining input accuracy across the entire large touch surface regardless of flight conditions.
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 unintentional hand and finger movements during turbulence, enabling precise multi-touch operations and enhancing usability in vehicle environments.
Implementation Method 1
improving touch screen display use during vibration and turbulence conditions
Implementation Method 2
seal assembly may be formed of an elastomeric material
Data Source
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AI summary
A vehicle control system (100) includes a sensor (102,206) configured to transmit a first input signal relative to a measured parameter of the vehicle, a touch screen input and display system (104) configured to transmit a second input signal relative to a manual input by a user, the touch screen input and display system including a planar input and viewing surface having a plurality of edges (108) and a bezel (110) at least partially surrounding the surface proximate at least some of the plurality of edges, the bezel including a surface (112) configured to engage one or more digits of one or more hands of a user, the surface formed of an elastomeric material, and an input unit (118) configured to receive the transmitted first and second input signals.