Smart Ring Gesture Control Using Rotational Input and Flexible PCB
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional smart ring devices face challenges with voice recognition impracticality in noisy environments, hardware complexity from physical buttons, limited capacitive touch resolution, and rigid-flex PCB constraints that limit component placement and increase size.
Innovation Solution
A smart ring system utilizing rotational motion gestures, optical and capacitive touch inputs, haptic feedback, and color indications, combined with a flexible printed circuit board design that overcomes these limitations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If physical buttons are added to enable application switching, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity and hardware requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical buttons with capacitive touch sensors that detect touch inputs through the ring surface. This substitution eliminates mechanical components while maintaining the ability to switch applications through user interaction, thereby reducing hardware complexity while preserving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The capacitive touch surface serves multiple functions including application switching, navigation, and control, replacing what would traditionally require separate physical buttons for each function. This multi-functionality reduces the overall hardware complexity while maintaining comprehensive operational capability.
2Ease of operation
If capacitive touch systems are used for interaction, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision (touch resolution) is insufficient for two-dimensional trackpad-like features
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional two-dimensional capacitive touch detection to three-dimensional motion sensing by detecting the rotation angle of the ring itself. This dimensional change enables precise control and interaction without requiring high-resolution two-dimensional touch tracking, thereby achieving both ease of operation and sufficient precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring's curved geometry enables rotational motion detection that provides a natural and precise interface for control. The curvature allows users to interact through rotation gestures that translate into precise commands, achieving high measurement precision through the ring's geometric properties rather than requiring high-resolution flat touch surfaces.
3Measurement precision
If optical touch systems are used to increase touch resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to false positive touches from gloves and pockets
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces optical touch detection with capacitive touch detection that measures electrical charge changes. This substitution provides reliable touch detection that distinguishes between actual user contact and proximity objects like gloves or pockets, thereby improving reliability while maintaining sufficient measurement precision for interaction control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the detection parameter from optical signals to electrical charge detection. This parameter change enables the system to distinguish between conductive contact (user finger) and non-conductive proximity (gloves, pockets), thereby eliminating false positives while maintaining precise touch detection for intended interactions.
4Ease of manufacture
If traditional rigid-flex PCBs are used, then ease of manufacture is maintained, but device complexity increases due to minimum flex section length requirements that limit component placement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible PCB design that can be conformally mounted on the curved inner surface of the ring. This flexible shell approach eliminates the need for rigid flex sections with minimum length requirements, allowing components to be placed anywhere on the curved surface while maintaining ease of manufacture through conformal mounting processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adapts the PCB to the curved geometry of the ring's inner surface, allowing components to be positioned optimally for both functionality and manufacturing. This curvature adaptation eliminates the constraints of flat rigid-flex PCB designs, providing greater component placement flexibility while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through conformal mounting techniques.
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
Enables intuitive application switching and interaction with connected devices without traditional touch screens or physical buttons, maintaining a compact form factor and improving user comfort.
Implementation Method 1
optical and capacitive touch inputs
Implementation Method 2
optical and capacitive touch inputs
Implementation Method 3
haptic feedback
Data Source
AI summary
A smart ring system for changing applications and methods for making and using the same. The smart ring system comprises a wearable smart ring equipped with input mechanisms for user interaction, wireless communication devices for interfacing with a variety of electronic devices and/or a power management system for efficient energy use. The smart ring system advantageously can allow users to seamlessly switch between and control applications on connected devices, such as smartphones, cameras, televisions, smart home devices, mixed-reality devices, via a combination of rotational motion gestures, optical and capacitive based touch inputs, haptic feedback and color indications on the smart ring system. The smart ring system advantageously can be manufactured with one or more flexible printed circuit boards that can be encased via an over molding process, which allows for thinner and more compact device profile for improved wearability.