Touch Panel Thermoelectric Tactile Feedback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electronic devices with touch panels lack the ability to provide tactile sensations associated with the information displayed on the screen, limiting the user's experience to purely visual and auditory feedback.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device incorporating a display section, a touch panel with thermoelectric elements for temperature control and vibrating sections to simulate tactile sensations, allowing users to feel temperatures and vibrations corresponding to the displayed information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If heating elements are provided in a matrix pattern to form braille characters, then tactile sensation for reading braille is achieved, but device complexity increases due to the large number of heating elements required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetactile sensation capabilityVSAvoidnumber of heating elements

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The touch panel surface is divided into multiple temperature control zones, with thermoelectric elements strategically positioned at boundary regions between zones. This segmentation approach allows different regions to be controlled at different temperatures independently, creating tactile sensations without requiring heating elements across the entire matrix pattern.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Thermoelectric elements are used as intermediary components between the display control section and the touch panel. These elements convert electrical signals into localized temperature changes at boundary regions, serving as a mediator that creates tactile sensations without requiring direct heating of the entire panel surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the entire touch panel is heated to provide tactile feedback, then tactile sensation is enhanced, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetactile feedback capabilityVSAvoidenergy consumption for heating

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of heating the entire touch panel uniformly, the invention applies heating or cooling only to specific boundary regions between temperature control zones. This localized temperature control provides the necessary tactile feedback while minimizing energy consumption by affecting only the minimal necessary areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses partial action by controlling temperature changes only at boundary regions rather than across the entire panel. This partial temperature control is sufficient to create tactile sensations at touch points without the excessive energy consumption that would result from heating the whole surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Measurement precision

If multiple temperature control zones are implemented, then tactile precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional thermoelectric elements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetemperature control precisionVSAvoidnumber of thermoelectric elements

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The touch panel is segmented into multiple temperature control zones with boundaries positioned at strategic locations. Thermoelectric elements are placed only at these boundary regions, allowing precise temperature control for different zones while minimizing the total number of elements required compared to a fully matrix-patterned approach.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The thermoelectric elements at boundary regions serve multiple functions: they control the temperature boundaries between zones and create tactile sensations for multiple different touch points. This multi-functionality allows precise temperature control across multiple zones without proportionally increasing the number of thermoelectric elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

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

Enables users to experience tactile sensations associated with displayed information, enhancing the device's usability and user interaction by providing a more immersive and realistic interface.

Implementation Method 1

a thermoelectric element for cooling or heating the panel member

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermoelectric effect: Peltier Effect

Implementation Method 2

vibrating sections to simulate tactile sensations

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical vibration: Vibration

Data Source

PatentUS9310906B2Electronic device

Publication Date: 2016.04.12 PANASONIC AUTOMOTIVE SYST CO LTD

AI summary

The user is allowed to simulatively experience a tactile sensation that would be felt when actually touching on the object being displayed on a screen. An electronic device 100 includes a display device 160 for displaying displayed information, a touch panel 130 to be touched by the user, a displayed information control section 32 for controlling display of the displayed information, thermoelectric element sections 190 for cooling or heating the touch panel 130, and a temperature control section 195 for controlling the temperature of the touch panel 130 in accordance with the displayed information displayed on the display device 160.