Integrated Capacitive and Resistive Sensor for Touch and Strain Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Capacitance touch sensors struggle to differentiate between user touch and other parameters such as strain, chemical presence, or contortion, as they primarily rely on capacitance changes, lacking integration with variable resistance sensors to provide comprehensive sensing capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating at least one variable resistor sensor within the capacitance touch sensor arrangement, which varies resistance based on sensed parameters, allowing for a single output signal that combines capacitance and resistance data to differentiate touch, hover, pressure, bending, twisting, and stretching inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If only capacitance sensing is used, then the sensor structure remains simple, but the sensor cannot differentiate between user touch and other parameters such as strain, chemical presence, or contortion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines capacitance sensing and resistance sensing into a single integrated sensor arrangement. The capacitance touch sensor arrangement includes at least one variable resistance sensor integrated within it, allowing simultaneous measurement of both capacitance and resistance changes from the same sensor structure rather than using separate sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated sensor arrangement serves multiple functions: it detects user touch through capacitance changes, strain through resistance changes, and can differentiate between various input types (touch, hover, pressure, bending, twisting, stretching) by analyzing the combined signals from both sensing mechanisms.
2Adaptability or versatility
If capacitance and resistance sensors are integrated, then comprehensive sensing capabilities are achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the variable resistance sensor within the capacitance touch sensor arrangement, sharing common structural elements and processing circuitry. This merging approach enables comprehensive sensing capabilities while minimizing the increase in device complexity through shared components and unified signal processing.
3Ease of operation
If a single output signal combines both capacitance and resistance data, then signal processing is simplified, but the ability to differentiate between multiple parameters may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The signal processing circuitry analyzes the combined output signal by extracting information from both the capacitance component and resistance component. The system uses feedback mechanisms to differentiate between various parameters (touch, hover, pressure, bending, twisting, stretching) by pattern recognition and signal analysis, maintaining measurement precision while simplifying the output to a single processed signal.
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 accurate detection and differentiation of user interactions and device contortion by processing orthogonal real and imaginary components of the output signal, enhancing the sensor's ability to provide detailed information on touch location, force, and deformation.
Implementation Method 1
A capacitance touch sensor arrangement may be used to detect a user touch. When a user touches the touch sensor arrangement charge is sourced from or sunk at the user changing the capacitance of the touch sensor arrangement.
Implementation Method 2
at least one variable resistor sensor integrated within the capacitance touch sensor arrangement wherein the variable resistor sensor has a variable resistance that varies with a sensed parameter
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5
Figure 6~7
AI summary
An apparatus including a capacitance touch sensor arrangement configured to have a variable capacitance that varies when a user finger touches the capacitance touch sensor arrangement; and at least one variable resistor sensor integrated within the capacitance touch sensor arrangement wherein the variable resistor sensor has a variable resistance that varies with a sensed parameter; the apparatus including an input configured to receive an input signal including a time varying component and an output configured to provide an output signal that depends upon both the capacitance of the capacitance touch sensor arrangement and the resistance of the variable resistance sensor.