MEMS Accelerometer Control Surface for Multi-Touch Cursor Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touchpads rely on conductive or capacitive sensing, which may not provide sensitive and efficient multi-dimensional touch and multi-touch detection, limiting their capability in accurately tracking finger positions and movements on control surfaces.
Innovation Solution
The use of Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) sensors, capable of detecting linear and angular acceleration, is employed to create a touch and multi-touch sensing interface. These sensors are integrated into control surfaces that pivot or flex, allowing for accurate detection of touch positions and movements by processing acceleration vectors, enabling single, dual, and multi-touch tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional conductive or capacitive sensing is used in touchpads, then the device can detect touch input, but the sensitivity and efficiency for multi-dimensional touch and multi-touch detection is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional conductive or capacitive sensing systems with a mechanical sensing system based on MEMS accelerometers. The control surface is designed to pivot or flex mechanically in response to touch forces, and MEMS sensors detect the resulting acceleration vectors. This mechanical substitution enables more sensitive and efficient multi-dimensional touch detection while reducing the complexity of the sensing system architecture.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a matrix of sensing elements is used in conventional touchpads, then touch position can be detected, but multi-touch detection capability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal sensing approach where a single MEMS accelerometer sensor performs multiple functions: detecting single-touch position, multi-touch positions, touch force, and multi-dimensional motion. The control surface is designed to pivot or flex in response to any touch configuration, and the MEMS sensor captures the resulting acceleration vectors that encode all touch information. This multi-functional design enables superior multi-touch detection capability without requiring complex arrays of sensing elements.
3Measurement precision
If conventional touchpad sensing is used, then basic cursor control is achieved, but accurate tracking of finger positions and movements is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional electrical field-based sensing with a mechanical acceleration-based sensing system. The control surface is designed to pivot or flex mechanically in response to touch forces and finger movements. MEMS accelerometers mounted on the control surface detect the resulting acceleration vectors with high precision. This mechanical substitution provides accurate tracking of finger positions and movements by directly measuring the physical motion of the control surface, overcoming the limitations of conventional sensing methods.
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
MEMS sensors provide a sensitive and effective means to detect and track finger positions and movements, enabling precise control of cursors and scroll functions on graphical user interfaces, supporting single, dual, and multi-touch operations without interference, and allowing for advanced interactions like 3D object manipulation.
Implementation Method 1
The control surface is configured to pivot or flex in response to a force applied at a first position on the control surface. Acceleration of the control surface is sensed at a sensing position on the control surface using a micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) based sensor.
Implementation Method 2
These sensors are integrated into control surfaces that pivot or flex, allowing for accurate detection of touch positions and movements by processing acceleration vectors
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for touch detection, multi-touch detection and cursor control in which the acceleration of a control surface is sensed to provide sensed signals. The control surface is supported at one or more support positions and moves in response to a force applied by a user at a touch position. The sensed signals are received in a processing unit where they are used to estimate a change in the position of force application. A touch control signal is generated from the estimated change in touch position. The touch control signal may be output to a graphical user interface, where it may be used, for example, to control various elements such as mouse clicks, scroll controls, control of single or multiple cursors, or manipulation of views of an object on a visual display unit, or remote control manipulation of objects themselves.