Resistive-Inductive-Capacitive Sensor Scanning for Wear-Free Virtual Buttons
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional mobile devices with mechanical buttons face issues such as aging, wear, and difficulty in achieving waterproof design, prompting a need for sensitive, power-efficient sensors to detect user interaction for virtual button interfaces.
Innovation Solution
A system incorporating resistive-inductive-capacitive sensors and a control circuit that maintains and varies timing parameters to control the sensor's activity and current usage spectrum, enabling effective detection of user interaction and providing haptic feedback through a resonant phase sensing system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mechanical buttons are used in mobile devices, then user interaction detection is reliable, but device durability decreases due to aging and wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical buttons with a capacitive sensing system that uses electrical fields to detect user interactions. The mechanical contact system is substituted with a field-based sensing mechanism that has no moving parts, eliminating wear and aging issues while maintaining interaction detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the mechanical button interface through capacitive sensing. The sensing system replicates the functional behavior of mechanical buttons by detecting changes in electrical capacitance caused by finger contact, providing the same user interaction detection without physical mechanical components.
2Measurement precision
If mechanical buttons are used in mobile devices, then user interaction detection is accurate, but device water resistance becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical buttons that require physical openings and seams with a seamless capacitive sensing system. The electrical field-based sensing can be implemented within the sealed device enclosure, allowing the device to maintain water resistance while still detecting user interactions through changes in capacitance caused by finger proximity or contact.
3Ease of operation
If traditional force or pressure sensors are used to detect user interaction, then interaction detection is achieved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The capacitive sensing system leverages the device's existing electrical fields and circuitry to detect user interactions. Instead of requiring separate powered sensors, the system uses the natural capacitance changes in the device's electrical fields when a finger approaches or contacts the surface, enabling detection with minimal additional power consumption.
4Measurement precision
If sensitive sensors are used to detect user interaction, then interaction detection sensitivity improves, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The capacitive sensing system uses the device's existing electrical fields and conductive structures for multiple purposes: power distribution, signal routing, and interaction detection. The same electrical traces and conductive elements that serve functional purposes also act as sensing elements, eliminating the need for separate dedicated sensor components and reducing overall device size.
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 detection sensitivity, power efficiency, and size reduction, effectively mimicking mechanical button feedback in virtual interfaces while maintaining device durability and water resistance.
Implementation Method 1
resonant phase sensing of a resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor... impedance of the sensor changes in response to displacement of the mechanical member
Implementation Method 2
resonant phase sensing system... driver is configured to drive the sensor with a sinusoidal signal at a frequency that maintains the sensor at a resonant state
Data Source
AI summary
A system may include at least one resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor and a control circuit configured to maintain timing parameters for operation of the at least one resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor and vary at least one of the timing parameters to control a spectrum associated with the at least one resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor, wherein the spectrum comprises one of a sensor activity spectrum of the at least one resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor and a current usage spectrum associated with electrical current delivered to the at least one resistive-inductive-capacitive sensor from a source of electrical energy.