Touch Circuit Ear Detection for Display Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

In electronic devices with touch screens, accidental activation of functions occurs when a user's ear or cheek contacts the screen during a call, leading to reduced touch screen area and potential performance degradation of proximity sensors, which can affect image quality and cause burn-in issues.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device equipped with a touch circuit that detects touch sensitivity across its nodes, identifies ear touches, and controls the display to switch between on and off states based on this information, eliminating the need for a separate proximity sensor and enhancing user interaction during calls.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a proximity sensor is mounted under the display panel to detect user contact, then the available area for the touch screen is not decreased, but the performance of the proximity sensor is degraded and image quality deteriorates due to opto-electric effects

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailable area for touch screenVSAvoidperformance of proximity sensor

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The proximity sensing function is extracted from a separate proximity sensor and integrated into the touch circuit that already exists under the display panel. The touch circuit's nodes are used to detect both touch input and proximity of body parts, eliminating the need for a dedicated proximity sensor that would cause opto-electric effects and image quality degradation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The touch circuit is given multiple functions: it serves both as the standard touch input detection system and as the proximity sensing system. By analyzing the electrical characteristics and sensitivity changes of the touch circuit nodes, the system can distinguish between deliberate touch input and proximity of body parts like ear or cheek during calls.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If the touch screen is controlled to be in an off state when body contact is detected, then accidental function activation is prevented, but the touch screen area available for user interaction is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprevention of accidental activationVSAvoidtouch screen area

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The touch screen is divided into different functional zones with different sensitivity thresholds. Areas more likely to be contacted during calls (such as edges or specific regions) have higher thresholds that distinguish between accidental body contact and deliberate user input. This allows the screen to remain fully operational while preventing accidental activations in specific locations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the touch sensitivity and response behavior based on the detected state. When proximity of body parts is detected, the system modifies how touch inputs are interpreted in that region, rather than simply turning the screen off. This dynamic adjustment maintains screen availability while preventing false activations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If a separate proximity sensor is used to detect body contact, then accidental function activation is prevented, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection of body contactVSAvoidnumber of sensors

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The proximity sensing capability is merged with the existing touch circuit infrastructure. The same electrical nodes and signal processing pathways used for touch input detection are also used for proximity detection. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate proximity sensors and reduces overall device complexity while maintaining reliable body contact detection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

This solution prevents accidental function activation, optimizes screen area usage, and maintains image quality by using the touch circuit to manage display states, thereby improving user experience and reducing potential burn-in risks.

Implementation Method 1

The touch circuit may include a plurality of nodes, and each node of the touch circuit may have a different sensitivity to an input object

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Data Source

PatentUS11874986B2Electronic device including touch circuit and operating method therefor

Publication Date: 2024.01.16 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

Electronic devices including touch circuits and method of operating the electronic devices are provided. An electronic device includes a display; a touch circuit configured to detect a touch put on the display; a processor; and a memory. The touch circuit is further configured to acquire touch sensing information representing the sensitivity levels of inputs to respective multiple nodes of the touch circuit, identify information associated with a user's ear touching the electronic device, on the basis of the touch sensing information; and transfer, to the processor, the information associated with the ear touching. The memory stores instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to control the display to an on-state and to control the display to switch the display from the on-state to an off-state based on the information associated with the ear touching, which is obtained from the touch circuit.