Microphone Touch Input Recognition via Audio Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current robots require additional sensors for touch input recognition, increasing manufacturing and maintenance costs, and there is a need to recognize both speech and touch inputs simultaneously without adding extra sensors beyond the microphone for voice recognition.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device equipped with multiple microphones and a controller that can determine touch input characteristics such as location, pattern, strength, and duration through audio analysis, allowing for operation based on these inputs and enabling voice recognition without additional sensors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If additional sensors are added for touch input recognition, then touch input recognition capability is improved, but manufacturing costs and maintenance costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch input recognition capabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing costs

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The microphone is designed to perform multiple functions: both voice recognition and touch input recognition. By analyzing different audio characteristics (continuous sound patterns for voice vs. impulsive sound patterns for touch), the single microphone component serves dual purposes, eliminating the need for separate touch sensors and reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining versatility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If additional sensors are added for touch input recognition, then touch input recognition capability is improved, but maintenance costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch input recognition capabilityVSAvoidmaintenance costs

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of repair

Solution Approach 1:

The microphone serves as a universal sensor for both voice and touch inputs, reducing the total number of components that require maintenance. The controller is programmed to differentiate between voice and touch inputs through audio pattern analysis, eliminating the need for separate touch sensor maintenance while maintaining full functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If audio analysis is used to determine touch input characteristics, then touch input recognition is enabled without additional sensors, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch input recognitionVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical touch sensing systems with acoustic field analysis. By substituting physical touch sensors with audio-based detection, the system achieves touch recognition functionality while reducing mechanical complexity. The controller processes audio signals to extract touch characteristics, transforming a mechanical sensing problem into an acoustic signal processing problem that can be solved with existing microphone technology

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Ease of manufacture

If the microphone is used for both touch input and speech input, then hardware costs are reduced, but it becomes difficult to distinguish between touch audio and speech audio

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehardware costsVSAvoidinput type differentiation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts its analysis approach based on the detected audio pattern characteristics. For touch inputs, it analyzes impulsive sound patterns with specific temporal and frequency characteristics, while for speech inputs, it processes continuous audio streams with different patterns. This dynamic differentiation allows accurate distinction between touch and speech inputs using the same microphone hardware

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 the recognition of touch inputs and voice commands using a single microphone setup, reducing hardware costs and enhancing interaction capabilities in intimate spaces like homes without the need for separate touch sensors.

Implementation Method 1

a microphone within proximity of the fabricated surface to analyze and associate the acoustical sound signature

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic energy conversion:

Implementation Method 2

analyze and associate the acoustical sound signature with a user interface control

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic analysis: Acoustics

Data Source

PatentEP3452889B1Electronic device and controlling method thereof

Publication Date: 2023.10.04 LG ELECTRONICS INC

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AI summary

An electronic device including a plurality of the microphones and operating method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes obtaining an audio according to a touch input of touching at least one of a plurality of the microphones, determining at least one selected from the group consisting of a location, a touch pattern, a touch strength, a touch duration time and a touch periodicity of the touch input based on the obtained audio, and performing an operation corresponding to the touch input based on a result of the determination.