Force Sensor Integrated Touch Display for Tactile Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices face challenges in providing effective user interaction due to their limited screen size, necessitating improvements in touch screen technology to enhance usability and functionality.
Innovation Solution
Integration of force sensors into the touch-sensitive display to generate force signals and provide tactile feedback based on user input, allowing for more precise interaction and feedback mechanisms, such as actuators that move the display relative to the device housing, and a processor that determines the location and duration of touches to decide on feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If the screen size of portable electronic devices is decreased to improve portability, then device portability is improved, but the area available for user input and output is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor functions (touch detection and force sensing) into a single integrated sensor layer structure. The force sensor is formed using the same conductive material and manufacturing process as the touch sensor, merging what would traditionally be separate functional layers into one unified structure, thereby maximizing the use of limited screen space.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor layer serves multiple functions: it detects touch location, determines touch force, and provides tactile feedback through integrated actuators. This multi-functionality allows the limited screen area to handle both input detection and output feedback without requiring additional separate components.
2Measurement precision
If force sensors are integrated into the touch-sensitive display to provide tactile feedback, then user interaction precision is improved, but device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The force sensor and touch sensor are merged into a single integrated structure using the same conductive material (ITO) and manufacturing process. The force sensor utilizes the same transparent conductive oxide layer that forms the touch sensor, eliminating the need for separate sensor layers and reducing overall device complexity despite adding force detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the existing touch sensor layer to enable force sensing. By measuring changes in electrical resistance or capacitance of the same conductive material under applied force, the system gains force detection precision without adding new materials or complex structures.
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 solution enables more accurate and intuitive user interaction by providing tactile feedback when necessary, improving the usability of portable electronic devices with limited screen space, enhancing the overall user experience.
Implementation Method 1
at least one force sensor integrated into the touch-sensitive display and configured to determine a location of a touch on the touch-sensitive display
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A portable electronic device comprises at least one force sensor configured to generate a force signal based at least in part on a force applied to a touch-sensitive display and a processor configured to receive the force signal and to provide a feedback signal when the force exceeds a force threshold. The at least one force sensor may be integrated into the touch-sensitive display.