Input Device Force-Triggered Touch Sensor Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Peripheral components of computer devices, such as touch pads, continue to consume significant power despite advancements in central components, necessitating optimization of energy efficiency to further improve overall system performance.
Innovation Solution
An input device with integrated force and touch sensors, and a processing system that transitions between idle and active states based on detected force, enabling active touch sensing only when necessary, thereby reducing power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If touch sensing is continuously active to ensure immediate response to user input, then responsiveness is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The touch sensing system dynamically transitions between active and idle states based on detected force levels. When force exceeds a threshold, the system activates touch sensing; when force drops below the threshold, the system enters idle state with reduced or no touch sensing activity, thereby adapting power consumption to actual usage needs while maintaining responsiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic force sensing checks to determine when to activate touch sensing. Instead of continuous touch sensing, the system periodically monitors force and only activates full touch sensing when force is detected, creating a periodic activation pattern that reduces overall power consumption while maintaining system responsiveness.
2Use of energy by moving object
If touch sensing is deactivated in idle state to reduce power consumption, then energy efficiency is improved, but detection speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary force sensing in the dedicated sensing region even when in idle state. This preliminary monitoring of force allows the system to detect when a user is about to interact with the device and activate touch sensing in advance, reducing detection delay while maintaining power savings during true idle periods.
Solution Approach 2:
Force sensing acts as an intermediary mechanism between the user and touch sensing activation. The force sensor detects preliminary user intent and triggers touch sensing activation, serving as a mediator that enables faster response times without requiring continuous touch sensing operation.
3Speed
If force sensing is continuously active to enable rapid state transitions, then transition speed is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies force sensing specifically to a dedicated sensing region rather than the entire touch pad surface. This localized approach concentrates sensing resources where they are most needed for state transition triggering, enabling rapid detection of user intent while consuming less power than full-surface force sensing would require.
Data Source
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AI summary
An input device for a computer system includes a force sensor, disposed in a dedicated sensing region, a touch sensor, disposed in the dedicated sensing region, and a processing system. The processing system detects a presence of a force applied in the dedicated sensing region, using the force sensor, and based on the detection of the presence of the force, changes a state of the input device from an idle state to an active state. When in the idle state, touch sensing by the input device is inactive. When in the active state, the touch sensing by the input device is active.