Touch Panel Control Unit Invalidates Peripheral Regions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Hand-held information processing devices with touch panels often experience false detection issues due to accidental user touches, leading to suboptimal user interface operability.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a control unit that sets a second region on the touch panel, which is designated as invalid for input detection, based on user interface analysis, attitude sensors, and finger position detection, to reduce false detection occurrences.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the entire touch panel area is made detectable for user input, then the ease of operation is improved, but false detection occurs when users accidentally touch the panel while holding it

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidfalse detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The touch panel detection area is segmented into multiple regions: a first region for valid user input detection and a second region where touches are invalidated. This segmentation allows the system to distinguish between intentional user inputs and accidental touches during device holding, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the touch panel are assigned different functional qualities: the first region (central area) maintains full detectability for user inputs, while the second region (peripheral area) has invalidated detection to prevent false touches. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by preserving ease of operation in the input area while eliminating false detection in the holding area.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If a second region is invalidated for detection to reduce false touches, then reliability is improved, but the area available for user input is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefalse detectionVSAvoidinput area

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of invalidating detection across the entire touch panel, only a partial region (the second region in peripheral areas) is invalidated. This partial action approach maintains reliability by preventing false touches in holding areas while preserving sufficient input area in the central first region for normal user operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If the sensor panel is extended to detect finger positions for holding detection, then the ability to reduce false detection is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefalse detection reductionVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor panel is designed with multi-functionality: it serves both as the primary touch input detection surface for user interactions and as a holding detection surface for identifying when the device is being held. This universal use of the existing sensor panel improves reliability by enabling false touch prevention without adding separate detection hardware, thus avoiding increased device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10007382B2Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Publication Date: 2018.06.26 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

This information processing apparatus includes: a display panel; a sensor panel that is superimposed on the display panel and detects coordinates designated by a user; and a control unit that sets, with a region detectable by the sensor panel being a first region, a second region in at least a part of the first region and invalidates the coordinates detected in the second region.