Capacitive Touch Overlay with Charge Discharge Pads
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data entry solutions for touch screens, particularly for visually impaired users, face challenges such as interference from contact pads, compatibility issues with different terminal types, and security concerns, leading to inefficient and insecure data entry processes.
Innovation Solution
A data entry device with a substantially parallelepipedal plate affixed to a touch panel, featuring a matrix of entry areas forming a keyboard and at least two independent electrically conductive contact pads. These contact pads are connected to evacuation means that discharge electric charges towards the outside of the screen, preventing interference and ensuring detection by all terminal types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contact pads are used to detect the data entry form on the touch panel, then the terminal can detect the affixing and orientation of the form, but the contact pads generate interference and are not detected by all terminal types
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful capacitive effect from the contact pads by connecting them to ground through resistors. This removes the interference that prevents detection on certain terminals while preserving the useful function of detecting the form's position and orientation through the same contact pads.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces resistors as intermediary components between the contact pads and ground. These resistors act as mediators that allow the contact pads to function for detection purposes while simultaneously eliminating the capacitive interference that causes compatibility issues with different terminal types.
2Ease of operation
If a physical keyboard is provided for visually impaired users, then data entry is possible, but the manufacturing cost increases and security risks arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy of a physical keyboard layout on the touch screen that can be seen by users. This allows visually impaired users to locate keys by touch while maintaining the simplicity and low cost of the touch screen interface, avoiding the need for expensive physical keyboards.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the touch screen serve multiple functions: it acts as both the display interface and the input interface through the overlay form. This eliminates the need for separate physical keyboards while maintaining accessibility for visually impaired users through tactile feedback from the form elements.
3Reliability
If contact pads are placed on the lower face of the entry form, then detection by the terminal is enabled, but electric charges accumulate causing interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful electric charges that accumulate on the contact pads by providing a discharge path to ground through resistors. This removes the interference caused by charge accumulation while maintaining the contact pads' ability to detect the form's presence and orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of charge accumulation into a beneficial situation by using the same contact pads for both detection and charge dissipation. The resistors enable the contact pads to safely discharge charges, transforming a potential failure mode into a reliable detection mechanism.
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 solution enables visually impaired users to securely and efficiently enter data on touch screens, ensuring compatibility with all terminal types and maintaining a low manufacturing cost, while enhancing ergonomic handling and security.
Implementation Method 1
the touch panel being capacitive... at least two contact pads independent of each other, which are electrically conductive and arranged on the lower face
Implementation Method 2
These contact pads are connected to evacuation means that discharge electric charges towards the outside of the screen
Data Source
AI summary
A data input device intended to be affixed to a capacitive touch screen of a terminal includes: a substantially parallelepipedal plate including a lower surface, which is substantially planar, for affixing the device to the touch screen, and an upper surface including an array of input zones that form a keyboard and are configured to enable a finger of a user to be detected by the touch screen when the device is affixed thereto; and at least two contact pads, which are electrically conductive and arranged on the lower surface, and each electrically connected to means for discharging, towards the outside of the touch screen, electric charges concentrated at the contact pads when the device is affixed to and held on the touch screen.