Pressure-Sensing Touch Input With Vibration Click Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch sensors lack the ability to provide a realistic 'click' sensation when operated, leading to potential erroneous inputs and a feeling of strangeness, especially when the threshold for touch input is low, causing unintended actions and discomfort for the user.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves detecting the pressure load on the touch sensor and providing a tactile sensation by vibrating the touch face when the standard pressure load is met, mimicking the sensation of a push-button switch by stimulating both pressure and tactile sensations through specific frequency, cycle, and waveform of the drive signal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a touch sensor is used to receive input operations, then the device can be operated without physical displacement, but the operator cannot obtain feedback to the input
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanical vibration to the touch sensor surface when an input is detected, generating tactile feedback that simulates a button press sensation. This vibration provides the operator with tactile information about the input being registered, resolving the feedback loss issue while maintaining the touch-based operation advantage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements tactile feedback by vibrating the touch sensor in response to detected inputs. This feedback mechanism informs the operator that their input has been registered, preventing erroneous inputs while maintaining the ease of touch operation.
2Loss of information
If visual or auditory feedback is used to confirm input operations, then input confirmation is provided, but visual feedback may be blocked by a finger and auditory feedback is difficult to confirm in noisy environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual and auditory feedback mechanisms with tactile feedback through vibration. This substitution eliminates the problems of visual blocking by fingers and auditory interference from noise, providing reliable input confirmation through the sense of touch that is not affected by these external factors.
3Ease of operation
If the threshold for touch sensor input is low, then the sensor is easy to operate, but erroneous operations occur when a finger lightly touches the sensor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses vibration feedback to distinguish between intentional presses and accidental light touches. When a sufficient press is detected, vibration is activated to confirm the input, preventing erroneous operations from light touches while maintaining ease of operation for intentional inputs.
Solution Approach 2:
The tactile feedback mechanism provides confirmation that an input threshold has been meaningfully met. The vibration only activates for sufficient presses, giving the operator feedback that distinguishes intentional inputs from accidental light touches, thereby improving reliability while maintaining ease of use.
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 approach effectively provides a realistic 'click' sensation to the user, reducing erroneous inputs and enhancing the operational experience by simulating the button depression sensation of a push-button switch, thus preventing unintended actions and improving user satisfaction.
Implementation Method 1
the touch face of the touch sensor vibrates, so that a realistic click sensation, similar to that obtained when a push-button switch is operated, is provided to an operator
Data Source
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AI summary
An input apparatus has a touch sensor 11 configured to receive an input, a load detection unit 12 configured to detect a pressure load on a touch face 11a of the touch sensor 11, a tactile sensation providing unit 13 configured to vibrate the touch face 11a, and a control unit 15 configured to control drive of the tactile sensation providing unit 13, when the pressure load detected by the load detection unit 12 satisfies a standard to provide a tactile sensation, such that a click sensation is provided to an object (means) pressing the touch face 11a. Thereby, a realistic click sensation similar to that obtained when a push-button switch is operated is provided when an operator operates the touch sensor.