Matrix Surface Contour Detection Using Sequential Cell Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for determining the contour of zones with a given property on a matrix surface, such as in touch sensors or digital images, require significant electronic memory and computing power, and analysis time increases with the size of the surface, making them inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method involving sequential scanning of the matrix surface to detect the activated or deactivated state of cells, using a library of tracing instructions based on the states of the current and neighboring cells to define the contour, which is stored efficiently, reducing the number of operations and memory requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sequential scanning of the entire matrix surface is performed to detect contact zones, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases because analysis time increases with the surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The matrix surface is divided into subsets of cells, and contour determination is performed independently on each subset rather than scanning the entire surface. This segmentation allows parallel or sequential processing of smaller regions, reducing total analysis time while maintaining detection precision for each contact zone.
Solution Approach 2:
The method performs preliminary scanning to identify activated cells and their states before performing the actual contour determination. By pre-identifying which cells are activated and organizing them into subsets, the system prepares the data structure in advance, enabling faster contour calculation without re-scanning the entire matrix.
2Measurement precision
If all data from the entire matrix surface is recorded to determine contact zones, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to large electronic memory requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The method extracts only the necessary data for contour determination by identifying and processing only the activated cells and their immediate neighbors. Instead of recording all matrix data, the system extracts minimal subsets containing the contact zone information, significantly reducing memory requirements while preserving detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different processing strategies to different regions of the matrix based on their activation state. Activated cells receive detailed contour analysis while deactivated regions are skipped or processed minimally. This local quality approach ensures precision where needed while reducing overall data storage and processing complexity.
3Ease of operation
If iterative star-shaped detection method is used to find contours from maximum points, then ease of operation is improved, but productivity decreases because the number of operations increases with the size of the zone
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification of activated cells and organizes them into ordered subsets before contour determination. This pre-organization eliminates the need for iterative star-shaped searches from multiple maximum points, as the contour can be directly determined from the pre-processed cell states, significantly improving processing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The method skips unnecessary iterative operations by using the pre-identified activated cell states to directly determine contours. Instead of radiating outward from maximum points and checking each surrounding cell iteratively, the system rushes through the contour determination by leveraging the already-organized activation data, reducing the number of operations regardless of zone size.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for determining a contour of at least one area having a given property on a matrix surface comprising sequentially scanned cells, comprises, for each scanned cell, the following steps: • detection (E1) of the activated or deactivated state of the currently scanned cell, • determining (E2) the activated or deactivated state of three previously scanned cells, adjacent to the currently scanned cell; • choosing (E3) a tracing instruction, on the basis of the state of the currently scanned cell and the three adjacent cells; • applying (E4) the tracing instruction; and • storing (E5) data from the tracing instruction, said data defining the contour during the sequential scanning of the cells of the matrix surface. Application to a touch-sensitive sensor comprising a matrix array of cells, and system for acquiring data from an associated touch-sensitive sensor.