Shared-Electrode Touch and Transducer Sensing for Lower Complexity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing combination touch sensor-digitizer devices face challenges due to high cost, complexity, and spatial requirements, limiting their applicability and integration with standard displays.
Innovation Solution
A combination touch and transducer input system that uses a transducer, an array of electrodes, and a controller to simultaneously or alternately detect the position of both fingers and transducers by capacitively sensing objects and measuring electric field attributes, enabling bi-directional digital data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a combination touch sensor-digitizer system is implemented, then position detection accuracy and resolution are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines touch sensor and digitizer functionalities into a single integrated system that uses one array of electrodes to perform both capacitive touch sensing and transducer position detection. The controller alternates between touch mode and transducer mode, merging what were traditionally separate systems into one unified device, thereby reducing overall complexity while maintaining high measurement precision for both functions
Solution Approach 2:
The array of electrodes serves multiple functions: it detects capacitive touches from fingers, detects electromagnetic signals from transducers, and enables bidirectional digital data transmission. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate sensor arrays for touch and digitizer operations, reducing device complexity while preserving accurate position detection for both input methods
2Measurement precision
If a combination touch sensor-digitizer system is implemented, then position detection accuracy and resolution are improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges touch sensor and digitizer components into a single manufactured unit with one array of electrodes and one controller handling both functions. This consolidation reduces the total component count and assembly requirements compared to implementing separate touch sensor and digitizer systems, thereby lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining high position detection accuracy for both input methods
Solution Approach 2:
The controller is designed to perform both capacitive touch sensing and transducer signal detection, eliminating the need for separate controller units. This multi-functional design simplifies the bill of materials and reduces manufacturing complexity, making high-precision position detection more cost-effective
3Measurement precision
If a combination touch sensor-digitizer system is implemented, then position detection accuracy and resolution are improved, but the three-dimensional space required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines touch sensor and digitizer layers into a single integrated sensing structure where one array of electrodes performs both functions. This eliminates the need for separate sensor layers and reduces the overall thickness and three-dimensional space required, while maintaining accurate position detection for both finger touches and transducer positions
Solution Approach 2:
The single array of electrodes serves dual purposes: detecting capacitive changes from finger touches and detecting electromagnetic-induced charges from transducers. This multi-functionality within a single layer structure minimizes the spatial footprint and eliminates the need for additional z-axis space that would be required for separate touch and digitizer layers
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
Facilitates user input with both fingers and transducers, providing enhanced position detection accuracy and resolution while reducing complexity and cost, and allowing integration with standard displays.
Implementation Method 1
capacitive touch sensors determine the position of proximate objects by determining a change in capacitance that occurs due to the presence of proximate objects
Implementation Method 2
the transducer emits an electromagnetic signal, which is detected by the sensing surface. The electromagnetic signal detected by the sensing surface is then used and processed to determine the position of the transducer
Implementation Method 3
as the transducer (an antenna) and each of the array of electrodes are capacitively coupled, the controller determines the position of the transducer by measuring a charge induced at each of the array of electrodes
Data Source
AI summary
A combination touch and transducer input system is provided, which facilitates user input into an electronic system with a finger and/or a transducer (e.g., a stylus). The system includes a transducer configured to generate an electric field, and a sensor including an array of electrodes and a controller. The transducer is configured to transmit digital data, such as pen pressure data and switch status data, to the sensor. For example, the transducer comprises electronic circuitry configured to encode the digital data in a signal for transmission to the sensor. The sensor controller is configured to operate both in a touch sensing mode and in a transducer sensing mode. During the touch sensing mode, the controller determines a position of a proximate object (e.g., a finger) by capacitively sensing the object with the array of electrodes. During the transducer sensing mode, the controller determines a position of the transducer based on a signal received by the array of electrodes from the transducer, and also receives and decodes the digital data encoded in the received signal. Digital data can be encoded in a signal using any suitable digital modulation techniques, such as a Frequency-Shift Keying (FSK) technique.