Touch Display Backlight Adaptation via Optical Sensor Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing operating devices with touch-sensitive display panels face challenges in adapting to varying ambient light conditions without increasing hardware components and space, leading to inefficiencies in readability and energy usage.
Innovation Solution
The integration of optical sensors within the display panel to detect changes in light intensity, allowing for automatic adjustment of backlighting based on ambient brightness, distinguishing between touch inputs and ambient light changes using software evaluation, and implementing criteria for adjusting lighting levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If separate photosensors are integrated into the control unit to detect ambient brightness, then the display readability is improved, but the device complexity and installation space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reuses existing optical sensors that were originally designed solely for touch detection and gives them a dual function: they now serve both touch input detection and ambient light sensing. This eliminates the need for separate photosensors while maintaining display readability adaptation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the functionality of touch detection and ambient light sensing into a single sensor system. By merging these two functions into the existing optical sensors, the device reduces hardware complexity while achieving both touch responsiveness and automatic brightness adjustment.
2Illumination intensity
If the display backlight is increased to ensure readability in high ambient brightness, then the display readability is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the optical sensors continuously monitor ambient light conditions and automatically adjust the backlight intensity accordingly. This closed-loop system ensures the display remains readable while consuming only the necessary amount of energy, avoiding unnecessary power consumption in varying light conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the backlight intensity dynamic rather than static. The system continuously adapts the backlight level based on real-time ambient light measurements, increasing brightness only when necessary for readability and reducing it when ambient light is sufficient, thereby optimizing energy consumption.
3Device complexity
If the optical sensors are used to detect both touch inputs and ambient light changes, then the hardware requirements are reduced, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality analysis by examining the spatial distribution and temporal characteristics of light changes across different sensor elements. Touch inputs produce localized, rapid changes at specific sensor locations, while ambient light changes affect all sensors uniformly and gradually. This local differentiation enables the system to distinguish between touch and ambient light events.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary classification of sensor signals based on established patterns. By pre-defining characteristics of touch events (localized, rapid intensity changes) versus ambient light changes (global, gradual changes), the system can quickly differentiate between these inputs without complex real-time analysis, reducing the difficulty of detection.
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 enables seamless adaptation of display panel brightness to ambient conditions, enhancing readability in both bright and dark environments, reducing hardware requirements, and promoting energy efficiency by using existing sensors, while preventing errors and conserving energy.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of optical sensors for detecting the intensity of light falling on the display field in the visible and/or ultraviolet spectrum
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The operating device has a touch-sensitive display panel (2) with a lighting device (5) for backlighting of the display panel and multiple optical sensors for the detection of the intensity of light in the visible or ultraviolet range falling on the display panel. The operating device is configured such that contact of the display panel by a finger (F) of a user is detected by changing the detected light intensity. The backlighting is changed by the lighting device. The backlighting is increased when the change in detected light intensity corresponds to an increase of the light intensity. The backlighting is decreased when the variation of the detected light intensity corresponds a reduction of the light intensity.