Floating Touch Display Optical Sensing Extension
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing floating touch technologies have limited detection distance and cannot detect touch objects made of insulating materials, resulting in a poor user experience due to the decrease in electric field strength with increasing distance, typically limited to within 20 mm.
Innovation Solution
A floating touch display device and method utilizing a protective cover with light emitting and receiving units arranged around a display layer, emitting optical signals inclined at specific angles to detect touch objects above the cover, allowing for extended touch range and multi-point detection without requiring electrical conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If self-capacitance sensing method is used for floating touch, then touch device structure is simple, but detection distance is limited to within 20 mm due to electric field strength decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electrical field-based self-capacitance sensing method with an optical sensing method. Light emitting units emit light that reflects off touch objects, and light receiving units detect the reflected light to determine touch position and distance. This optical substitution eliminates the 20mm detection distance limitation while maintaining structural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces light as an intermediary medium between the touch device and touch objects. Instead of directly measuring electrical field changes, the system uses light emission and reflection to indirectly detect touch object position and distance, enabling extended detection range without increasing device complexity.
2Reliability
If self-capacitance sensing method is used, then detection is achievable, but insulator materials cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical field-based detection with optical detection. Since optical detection does not rely on electrical conductivity, it can detect both conductive and insulating materials, significantly improving material compatibility while maintaining reliable touch detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the detection parameter from electrical field strength to optical reflection characteristics. By measuring the reflection intensity and time of light instead of electrical capacitance changes, the system can detect insulator materials that are invisible to electrical field-based methods.
3Length of stationary object
If light emitting and receiving units are arranged around display layer, then touch range is extended, but device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates light emitting units and light receiving units into the existing display structure, where these optical components serve dual purposes: extending touch range functionality and potentially contributing to display functions. This multi-functionality approach extends touch range while minimizing additional structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the optical sensing components with the display layer structure. By arranging light emitting and receiving units around the display layer in an integrated configuration, the system achieves extended touch range while consolidating structures rather than adding separate independent systems.
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
Enables a wider touch range and improved user experience by detecting touch objects at greater distances and supporting both conductive and insulative materials, enhancing the interaction capabilities of floating touch devices.
Implementation Method 1
the light receiving unit is configured to receive a reflected optical signal generated by its corresponding light emitting unit and reflected by a touch object above the protective cover
Data Source
AI summary
A floating touch display device and a floating touch method are provided. The floating touch display device includes a display layer, a protective cover, light emitting units, and light receiving units; the protective cover includes a first region and a second region surrounding the first region; the display layer is disposed under the first region; the light emitting units and the light receiving units are sequentially arranged under the second region. Each of the light emitting units corresponds to one light receiving unit. The floating touch is realized, by a light emitting unit transmitting an optical signal toward a direction above the protective cover and a corresponding light receiving unit of the light emitting unit that receives the optical signal reflected by a touch object above the protective cover. Such a design can extend a touch range of the floating touch and improve user experience.