Movable Touch Display with Dynamic Switch Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch-sensitive displays on portable electronic devices lack desirable tactile feedback, making it difficult for users to confirm input accuracy and leading to potential erroneous inputs due to the absence of user-desirable tactile cues.
Innovation Solution
A portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display that is moveable relative to its base, incorporating a switch actuator and multiple switches that provide tactile feedback by actuating differently based on the force and location of touch, allowing for distinct responses to user input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a touch-sensitive display is used on a portable electronic device, then the device size can be reduced and portability improved, but tactile feedback is lost making it difficult for users to confirm input accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The display surface is divided into multiple independently controllable regions or zones. When a user touches a specific region, only that region provides tactile feedback through localized mechanical actuation, while other regions remain unaffected. This segmentation allows tactile feedback to be provided at specific touch locations without requiring the entire display to have mechanical components.
Solution Approach 2:
A layer of transparent or translucent material is introduced between the user's finger and the display elements. This intermediary layer can deform elastically when actuated, providing tactile feedback to the user's finger while still allowing light to pass through to the display. The intermediary acts as a mediator that transmits both visual information and tactile sensation.
2Measurement precision
If multiple switches are provided for tactile feedback, then input accuracy can be improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The switch configuration is made dynamic rather than static. Switches can be selectively activated or deactivated based on the touch location, the current operational mode, or the type of input required. This dynamic configuration allows the system to provide appropriate tactile feedback for different functions without requiring all switches to be permanently configured, thereby reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical or mechanical parameters of the switches are changed based on operational requirements. For example, the actuation force, travel distance, or electrical resistance of switches can be dynamically adjusted to provide different tactile sensations for different functions. This allows a single physical switch structure to serve multiple purposes by changing its parameters rather than requiring separate switches for each function.
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
The solution enhances user interaction by providing clear tactile feedback, reducing the likelihood of erroneous inputs and improving input accuracy by offering distinct responses for each touch event, thus enhancing the usability of touch-sensitive displays on portable devices.
Implementation Method 1
The touch-sensitive overlay is disposed over the display device and includes a first capacitive touch sensor layer and a second capacitive touch sensor layer
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a base and a touch-sensitive display connected to the base and movable relative thereto. The touch-sensitive display includes a display device and a touch-sensitive input device for detecting touches on the display device. The electronic device also includes a switch actuator disposed between the touch-sensitive display and the base, switches disposed between the touch-sensitive display and the base and moveable relative to the switch actuator from a first position in which only one of the switches is located for actuation by the switch actuator, and a second position in which two of the switches are located for actuation by the switch actuator, and operational components including a processor connected to the display device and the touch-sensitive input device for controlling operation of the display device and the touch-sensitive input device.