Tap-and-Touch Activation for Electronic Apparatus Sleep Mode
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic apparatuses with touch panels require users to perform complex operations, such as mechanical button presses, to exit sleep mode, which is inconvenient and inefficient in terms of power consumption.
Innovation Solution
An electronic apparatus equipped with a contact detector, acceleration detector, and a dual-controller system that allows activation by a simple tap and subsequent touch sequence, enabling the device to exit sleep mode and display images without continuous power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electronic apparatus uses a mechanical switch to exit sleep mode, then the activation is reliable, but the operation becomes complex and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical switch system with a touch panel-based detection system. The touch panel detects contact and acceleration signals to activate the apparatus, eliminating the need for mechanical buttons or switches. This substitution reduces structural complexity while maintaining reliable activation through software-based detection of user intent.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the mechanical switching function from the apparatus structure and replaces it with sensor-based detection. By removing the mechanical switch component entirely and using only touch and acceleration sensors, the system achieves simpler structure while preserving the activation function through digital signal processing.
2Productivity
If the electronic apparatus remains in active state to detect touch operations, then the responsiveness is improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent keeps the touch panel and acceleration detector in a ready state even when the main controller is in sleep mode. These components can detect contact and acceleration signals without full system activation, allowing the apparatus to remain responsive to activation commands while consuming minimal power. The main controller only wakes up when these preliminary detection components signal a valid activation pattern.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic sampling or event-triggered detection where the touch panel and acceleration detector monitor for activation signals at intervals or upon detecting specific patterns. This allows the system to maintain detection capability without continuous full-power operation, reducing energy consumption while preserving responsiveness to user activation attempts.
3Ease of operation
If the electronic apparatus activates on any contact, then the ease of operation is improved, but erroneous activations from vibrations increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple detection modalities - touch panel contact detection and acceleration detector - to validate activation commands. A single contact signal is insufficient for activation; the system requires both contact detection and a corresponding acceleration pattern that matches predetermined characteristics. This merging of detection methods ensures that only intentional user actions (which produce characteristic acceleration patterns) trigger activation, while excluding spurious contacts from vibrations or accidental touches.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the acceleration detector to verify whether a contact signal represents a valid activation command. When the touch panel detects contact, the acceleration detector's signal is evaluated against predetermined patterns to confirm intentional activation. This feedback mechanism allows the system to distinguish between deliberate user actions and environmental disturbances, maintaining high activation accuracy while preserving simplicity.
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 users to easily activate electronic apparatuses with touch panels by a simple tap and touch sequence, reducing power consumption and preventing erroneous activations due to vibrations, thus enhancing user convenience and power efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
an acceleration detector for detecting acceleration
Implementation Method 2
a contact detector for detecting a contact
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic apparatus that may be enabled by a user's simple operation to a touch panel, a control method of the electronic apparatus, and a control program of the electronic apparatus are provided. An electronic apparatus includes a contact detector, an acceleration detector, a display, a sub-controller for controlling the acceleration detector to detect predetermined acceleration caused by a first tap, and a main controller for controlling the contact detector to detect a contact caused by a second touch and also controlling the display to display the image, wherein the sub-controller activates the main controller when the acceleration detector detects the predetermined acceleration caused by the first tap during non-operation of the main controller, and the main controller, when the acceleration detector detects the predetermined acceleration caused by the first tap and, within a predetermined period therefrom, the contact detector detects the contact caused by the second touch, controls the display to start displaying the image.