Touch Feedback Control for Light-Press Touch Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch sensors lack physical feedback, leading to potential erroneous inputs due to unintentional touches and varying pressure loads applied by users, which can impair the operation feeling, especially with light pressure loads.
Innovation Solution
A tactile sensation providing apparatus that includes a touch sensor, a load detection unit to measure pressure loads, and a control unit that adjusts the standard for providing tactile feedback, ensuring the sensation is delivered at the appropriate time to maintain user operation feeling, even with light pressure loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the touch sensor has a low threshold to receive input, then the touch sensor can detect light touches, but it triggers erroneous operations by responding to unintentional motions before the operator pushes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of touch position and pressure magnitude before triggering input. The touch sensor detects the touched position and the control unit determines whether the pressure magnitude meets a threshold, preventing erroneous inputs from unintentional light touches while maintaining sensitivity for intentional presses
2Ease of operation
If tactile sensation is provided when the touch sensor receives input, then the operator receives feedback, but the timing varies with pressure load causing impaired operation feeling
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the tactile feedback timing based on detected pressure load characteristics. The control unit determines appropriate feedback timing by analyzing the pressure magnitude and its rate of change, providing consistent operation feeling across different pressing speeds and forces
3Loss of information
If visual or auditory feedback is used to confirm input, then the operator receives confirmation, but visual feedback may be blocked by the finger and auditory feedback is ineffective in noisy environments or silent mode
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the touched position as an intermediary to deliver tactile feedback directly to the operator's fingertip. By vibrating the touch sensor at the detected touch position, the system provides reliable feedback that is independent of visual blocking issues and auditory environment limitations
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 apparatus effectively prevents erroneous inputs by providing tactile feedback at the right time, enhancing the operation feeling for users by adjusting the standard load and time based on individual pressure patterns, thus improving user interaction with touch-sensitive interfaces.
Implementation Method 1
a piezoelectric element (17) provided on the touch sensor (11)；detect a pressure load on a touch face of the touch sensor based on an output signal of the piezoelectric element
Implementation Method 2
control, when the detected pressure load satisfies a standard, drive of the piezoelectric element (17) such that the tactile sensation is provided to an object pressing the touch face
Data Source
AI summary
A tactile sensation providing apparatus capable of providing a tactile sensation to a user at timing maintaining an operation feeling of the user, even when a light pressure load is applied, is provided. The tactile sensation providing apparatus includes a touch sensor configured to detect a touch input, a load detection unit configured to detect a pressure load on a touch face of the touch sensor, a tactile sensation providing unit configured to vibrate the touch face, and a control unit configured to adjust a standard for providing a tactile sensation and, when the pressure load detected by the load detection unit satisfies the standard, to control drive of the tactile sensation providing unit such that the tactile sensation is provided to an object pressing the touch face.