Hover Angle Detection Using Capacitive Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touch-sensitive and hover-sensitive screens face ambiguities in estimating object positions and angles due to inference-based systems, which limits their accuracy and flexibility, especially in portable devices where external sensors are often required.
Innovation Solution
The system detects the pitch of an object in a hover space using actual measurements from sensors within a portable device, determining the hover point and intersection point based on (x,y,z) coordinates and angle information, allowing for dynamic hit-target resizing and improved user interface management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If external sensors (e.g., cameras) are used to detect object angle, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases and portability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the angle detection function from external sensors and relocates it to the touch-sensitive display itself. The display uses its existing capacitive sensing layers to detect not only touch position but also angle information by analyzing the distribution of conductive properties across multiple sensing nodes, eliminating the need for external cameras or sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch-sensitive display is designed to perform multiple functions: it detects touch position (x,y coordinates), determines object angle (pitch angle), and identifies hover states. By making the display multi-functional, the system avoids adding separate external sensors while maintaining comprehensive detection capabilities.
2Device complexity
If inference-based systems are used to estimate touch parameters, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to ambiguities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces inference-based estimation with direct measurement using capacitive sensing. Instead of inferring angle from touch position and shape assumptions, the system directly measures angle by detecting the distribution of capacitive signals across multiple sensing nodes, providing accurate angle information without complex inference algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension to touch sensing by incorporating angle measurement into the traditional x,y coordinate system. By detecting capacitive variations in the z-dimension (depth) and using trigonometric relationships, the system transforms 2D touch detection into 3D spatial understanding, enabling direct measurement of pitch angle alongside position.
3Ease of operation
If fixed hit targets are used on the screen, then user interface simplicity is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates due to occlusion by hovering objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic hit target resizing that responds to hover state and angle detection. When an object is detected hovering above the display at a certain angle, the system dynamically adjusts the size and position of interactive elements (hit targets) to compensate for the occlusion effect, ensuring that targets remain accessible and visible despite the hovering object's presence.
Data Source
AI summary
Example apparatus and methods concern detecting an angle at which an object is interacting with a hover-sensitive input/output interface. An example apparatus may include a proximity detector configured to detect an object in a hover-space associated with the hover-sensitive input/output interface. The proximity detector may provide three dimensional position information for the object (e.g., x,y,z). The angle may be determined from a first (x,y,z) measurement associated with a first portion (e.g., tip) of the object and a second (x,y,z) measurement associated with a second portion (e.g., end) of the object. The position of the object may determine a hover point on the interface while the position and angle may determine an intersection point on the interface. User interface elements or other information displayed on the interface may be manipulated based, at least in part, on the intersection point. Multiple objects interacting at multiple angles may be detected and responded to.