Touchscreen NFC Antenna Zone Mapping for Multi-Device Pairing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Storing, maintaining, and transporting a wide collection of tabletop games and collectible game pieces is challenging due to their physical nature, which limits their portability and storage efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A computing device with a processor and touchscreen, logically partitioned into zones overlaying a 3D antenna with multiple NFC antennae, allowing simultaneous pairing with multiple NFC devices for peer-to-peer connections, enabling virtualization of games and reducing the need for physical game pieces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple NFC devices are used simultaneously for virtual games, then the number of games that can be played increases, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The touchscreen is divided into multiple zones, each corresponding to a specific NFC antenna. This segmentation allows the system to handle multiple NFC devices simultaneously by directing each to a dedicated zone, reducing the complexity of managing multiple connections without limiting the number of games that can be played.
Solution Approach 2:
The computing device is designed with multiple NFC antennas and zone mapping capabilities that can serve various gaming scenarios. The same hardware infrastructure supports different game types and configurations, making the device universally applicable to numerous games without requiring separate dedicated systems for each game type.
2Adaptability or versatility
If physical game pieces are collected and stored, then gameplay variety increases, but storage and transportation effort increases
Solution Approach 1:
Physical game pieces are replaced with digital representations stored on NFC tags. These lightweight NFC tags contain all the necessary game data and can be easily transported, while still providing access to a wide variety of games through the virtual console system.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical mechanical system of storing and handling game pieces is replaced with an electronic system using NFC technology. The NFC tags store game information digitally, eliminating the need for physical storage space and reducing transportation effort while maintaining gameplay variety.
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
This solution allows for the virtualization of hundreds of games, significantly reducing the costs and effort involved in storing, maintaining, and transporting games, while enabling seamless gameplay with NFC game pieces.
Implementation Method 1
near-field communication (NFC) devices
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed embodiments relate to computing devices simultaneously pairing with multiple near-field communication (NFC) devices. In one example, a system includes a processor and a touchscreen having a top layer logically partitioned into N zones overlaying a three-dimensional antenna having multiple layers together including at least N NFC antennae, and wherein the processor is configured to: map each of the N zones to one or more closest NFC antennae, display a user interface on the top layer, and when each of two or more NFC devices touches a respective touchscreen zone, select an NFC antenna to establish a peer-to-peer connection with the NFC device, read NFC tag data from the NFC device, and pass the NFC tag data to the application.