Segmented Light Guide Touch Panel for Independent Button Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional touch devices with complex interfaces suffer from degraded readability due to light interference between button icons, and the direct-type lighting design increases thickness and reduces sensitivity.
Innovation Solution
A touch device with a light guide divided into blocks by isolating gaps, each containing a light-emitting module and a touch sensing module, allowing independent light emission and control, reducing thickness and improving sensitivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If direct-type lighting design is used with a light source disposed under each button icon, then each button icon can emit light independently, but the thickness of the touch device increases and sensitivity of the touch sensor decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from vertical light emission (direct-type lighting from below) to lateral light emission (edge-type lighting from the sides). The light source is positioned at the edges of the light guide plate rather than underneath the buttons, changing the dimensional approach from z-axis illumination to x-y axis illumination. This allows light to travel through the light guide plate horizontally and emit from the top surface, reducing the required thickness while maintaining independent button illumination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a light guide plate as an intermediary component between the light source and the button icons. The light source emits light that is guided through the light guide plate to the button icons, allowing indirect illumination. This intermediary structure enables light distribution across multiple buttons without requiring a light source under each button, thereby reducing thickness while maintaining independent illumination capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a light guiding plate is used with multiple button icons, then the touch device can display complex interfaces, but light interference between button icons degrades readability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the light guide plate into multiple independent light guiding blocks, each corresponding to a specific button icon. These blocks are separated by isolating gaps that prevent light from one block from interfering with adjacent blocks. This segmentation allows complex interfaces with multiple buttons to be displayed while maintaining clear, interference-free illumination for each button, thereby preserving readability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different optical properties to different regions of the light guide plate by creating isolated light guiding blocks. Each block has localized light guidance characteristics that are optimized for its specific button icon, with isolating gaps preventing light leakage to adjacent regions. This local quality approach ensures that each button icon receives focused, interference-free light while the overall device maintains complex interface display capability.
3Productivity
If a light guiding plate is used to transmit light to button icons, then the touch device can function with multiple buttons, but the light blending distance increases making it difficult to reduce thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the light guide plate into separate light guiding blocks with isolating gaps between them. This segmentation eliminates the need for light blending across the entire plate, as each block independently guides light to its corresponding button. The isolating gaps act as barriers that prevent light from traveling between blocks, thereby eliminating the light blending distance requirement and enabling thickness reduction while maintaining multi-button functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the light blending function from the overall light guide plate by introducing isolating gaps that remove the continuous light path. Each light guiding block operates independently without requiring light to blend with adjacent areas. This extraction of the blending requirement allows for shorter light transmission paths and reduced thickness while preserving the ability to support multiple buttons.
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
Enhances user identification and operation of touch devices by constraining light transmission between blocks, reducing thickness and improving sensitivity while maintaining independent light control.
Implementation Method 1
a light guiding block has an incident surface, an emissive surface, and a bottom surface, and has at least an isolating gap between any two adjacent light guiding blocks. Each light-emitting module is disposed adjacent to the incident surface of a corresponding light guiding block for emitting light that is guided to the corresponding light guiding block, and the light is guided out of the emissive surface of the corresponding light guiding block.
Data Source
AI summary
A touch device includes a light guide having a plurality of light guiding blocks, a plurality of light-emitting modules, and a plurality of touch sensing modules. Each light guiding block includes an incident surface, an emissive surface, and a bottom surface. An isolating gap is disposed between any two adjacent light guiding blocks. Each light-emitting module is disposed adjacent to the incident surface of a corresponding light guiding block for emitting light that is guided thereto, and the light is guided out of the emissive surface thereof. Each touch sensing module is disposed on the bottom surface of the corresponding light guiding block. Any one of the plurality of touch sensing modules generates a driving signal to control a corresponding light-emitting module for emitting light when sensing a corresponding light guiding block is touched. Therefore, each light guiding block can emit light independently.