Electrically Isolated Touch Regions for Avionics Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current resistive touch sensors lack the necessary redundancy to ensure continuous operation in applications requiring high reliability, such as avionics, where a single failure could impair the entire system.
Innovation Solution
The touch sensor is electrically partitioned into multiple physically connected and independently operable regions, each with its own digital resistive matrix or 5-wire configuration, allowing each region to function independently even if one region fails, thereby providing redundancy and ensuring continuous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a resistive touch sensor is designed as a single integrated unit, then the device structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the reliability is insufficient because a single failure impairs the entire system
Solution Approach 1:
The touch sensor is divided into multiple electrically isolated touch regions (first touch region, second touch region, etc.) that are physically connected but electrically independent. Each region has its own digital resistive matrix and can operate independently, so that a failure in one region does not affect the others, thereby providing redundancy and improving system reliability.
2Reliability
If electrically isolated touch regions are implemented, then redundancy and reliability are improved, but the device complexity increases due to multiple independent digital resistive matrices
Solution Approach 1:
The touch sensor is segmented into multiple electrically isolated regions, each with its own digital resistive matrix, allowing independent operation and failure isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
Each electrically isolated touch region is designed with the same functional capabilities (digital resistive matrix or 5-wire configuration), making them universally interchangeable and simplifying the overall system design despite the increased number of components.
Data Source
AI summary
Touch sensors with multiple electrically isolated touch regions are disclosed. A touch sensor may be electrically partitioned into a first touch region and a second touch region. The first touch region and the second touch region may be physically connected and electrically isolated from each other. The first touch region and the second touch region may each independently define an independently operable portion of the touch sensor such that a failure in one of the first touch region or the second touch region does not impair operations in another one of the first touch region or the second touch region. A touch sensor configured in this manner may be implemented as a standalone touch sensing device, or as a component of other devices such as electronic displays or the like.