Gesture Input Device Rib Control for Slipping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing input devices face issues with preventing wrong operations due to finger slipping, particularly in applications requiring precise physical rotation, such as in health-related products and vehicles, where accurate gesture recognition is crucial.
Innovation Solution
An input device incorporating a gesture input device with a concave, downwardly inclined shape, a rotation sensor, and a controller that includes a touch sensor and a rib structure to prevent slipping, which raises or lowers the rib based on user input and rotation detection, and optionally uses a light emitter for feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a smooth surface is used for the input device, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to finger slipping
Solution Approach 1:
The input device has different surface properties in different regions: the first region has a smooth surface for easy operation, while the second region has a rough surface to prevent finger slipping. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing the appropriate surface quality in each specific area rather than using a uniform surface throughout.
Solution Approach 2:
The input device surface is divided into multiple regions with different characteristics - a first region with smooth surface and a second region with rough surface. This segmentation allows each region to serve its specific function: the smooth region for ease of operation and the rough region for preventing slips, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
2Reliability
If a rib structure is added to prevent slipping, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding a complex rib structure throughout the device, the invention applies a rough surface treatment only in the second region where it is needed to prevent slipping. This localized approach improves reliability without significantly increasing device complexity, as the modification is confined to a specific area rather than requiring structural additions.
3Reliability
If the entire surface is made rough to prevent slipping, then reliability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The input device surface is segmented into a first region with smooth surface for ease of operation and a second region with rough surface for preventing slips. This segmentation allows the device to provide both ease of operation and reliability by ensuring each region has the appropriate surface property for its intended function.
Solution Approach 2:
The rough surface treatment is applied locally only in the second region where it is needed for preventing finger slips, while the first region maintains its smooth surface for ease of operation. This local quality differentiation resolves the contradiction by providing the rough surface only where necessary rather than making the entire surface rough.
Data Source
AI summary
An input device for an electronic device includes a gesture input device enabling a user to input a gesture by touching, and physically rotating, a rotation sensor sensing the physical rotation of the gesture input device, and a controller controlling the gesture input device. The gesture input device has a concave, downwardly inclined shape, and includes a curved section in a center portion of the gesture input device, and an inclined section around the curved section, and the inclined section includes a touch sensor configured to sense a user's touch input, and at least one rib raised or lowered according to a control signal from the controller.