Touch Input Calibration via Multi-Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch input detection systems in devices like mobile phones often suffer from false detections due to device flexing, environmental factors, and user conditions such as wearing gloves, leading to inaccurate identification of touch inputs.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a combination of force sensors, touch sensors, and temperature sensors, with a processor to differentiate between touch inputs and other physical disturbances, employing piezoresistive and piezoelectric elements to provide accurate detection by correlating force measurements and correcting for temperature and user conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single touch sensor is used to detect touch inputs, then the device structure remains simple, but false detections occur due to device flexing and environmental factors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the touch detection function into multiple independent sensor types: force sensors detect applied force, touch sensors detect touch events, and temperature sensors detect thermal changes. Each sensor type independently monitors a specific aspect, allowing the system to segment the detection task and cross-validate results to eliminate false detections while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular sensor integration.
2Measurement precision
If touch detection threshold is lowered to detect gentle touches, then sensitivity to user input improves, but false detections from device flexing increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces temperature sensors as intermediary elements that detect thermal changes associated with both genuine touches and false detections from device flexing. The temperature data serves as a mediator that helps distinguish between real touch events and false positives by providing an additional validation layer, allowing the system to maintain low detection thresholds while filtering out spurious signals through thermal correlation analysis.
3Reliability
If multiple sensor types are combined to improve detection accuracy, then false detections are reduced, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a unified processing system that handles multiple sensor types through a single integrated architecture. The processor receives and correlates data from force sensors, touch sensors, and temperature sensors using a common algorithmic framework, enabling multi-functional sensor integration without proportionally increasing system complexity. This universal processing approach allows accurate touch detection while keeping the overall system design manageable through shared control logic.
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 system effectively distinguishes genuine touch inputs from false detections, accounting for device bending, temperature changes, and user conditions, ensuring reliable touch input recognition even when users wear gloves.
Implementation Method 1
a component mounted on a portion of the mobile phone may detect an expansion or flexing of the portion to which the component is mounted and provide an output signal
Implementation Method 2
employing piezoresistive and piezoelectric elements to provide accurate detection
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for detecting touch inputs are described. A system for detecting touch inputs includes force sensors, touch sensors, one or more processors and one or more memories coupled to the processor(s) and configured to provide the processor(s) with instructions. The processor(s) receive force measurements from the force sensor(s) and receive imputed force measurements from the touch sensor(s). Based on at least the imputed force measurements, the processor(s) identify touch inputs. One or more touch input criteria are calibrated based upon the force measurements and the imputed force measurements.