ESD Detection Sensors for Touch Input Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch input devices are susceptible to electrostatic discharge (ESD) events, which can cause false touches or ignore actual touches, degrading the user experience by misinterpreting ESD signals as touch events.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating dedicated ESD sensors on touch input devices to detect ESD events and communicate this information to the processor, allowing the device to ignore or compensate touch data during ESD occurrences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If touch sensor panels use mutual capacitance with drive and sense lines, then touch detection capability is improved, but susceptibility to ESD events causing false touches increases
Solution Approach 1:
A dedicated ESD sensor is introduced as an intermediary component between the ESD event and the touch sensor panel. The ESD sensor detects ESD events separately and communicates this information to the processor, which then compensates or ignores touch data during ESD occurrences. This mediator approach allows the touch sensor panel to maintain its high measurement precision while the ESD sensor protects against harmful ESD interference.
2Reliability
If ESD sensors are added to detect ESD events, then false touch prevention is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ESD sensor can be integrated into existing sensor infrastructure where applicable. The processor handles multiple functions including both touch event detection and ESD event detection, consolidating control logic rather than adding completely separate processing paths. This multi-functionality approach improves reliability through dedicated ESD detection while minimizing the increase in device complexity by leveraging existing components.
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
Prevents false touch registrations and ensures accurate detection of intended touches by distinguishing ESD events from genuine user inputs, thereby enhancing user experience and device reliability.
Implementation Method 1
one or more ESD sensors configured to detect an ESD event on the touch sensitive device
Data Source
AI summary
A touch sensitive device that detects the occurrence of an electrostatic discharge event on the device by analyzing one or more ESD sensors located in various locations on the touch sensitive device is provided. A touch controller can scan touch nodes on the touch sensitive device while simultaneously scanning one or more ESD sensors to detect if a possible ESD event has occurred during the acquisition of a touch image. If an ESD event has occurred during the acquisition of touch data, the touch controller can act to either ignore the data, or compensate the data to account for effects on the touch data caused by the ESD event.