Touch Sensor Haptic Click Feedback Using Pressure Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch sensors lack the tactile feedback of a 'click' sensation when pressed, leading to potential erroneous inputs and a feeling of strangeness, especially when the threshold for input is low, causing unintended actions and discomfort for the operator.
Innovation Solution
An input apparatus with a touch sensor, a load detection unit, and a tactile sensation providing unit that vibrates the touch face when a standard pressure load is detected, mimicking the button depression sensation of a push-button switch by stimulating both pressure and tactile sensations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If touch sensors are used to receive input operations, then the device can accept user input without physical displacement, but the operator cannot obtain tactile feedback and is likely to input erroneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by generating tactile sensations through vibration when the touch sensor receives input. The vibration unit vibrates the touch sensor surface to provide tactile feedback to the operator's fingertip, confirming that the input has been received and preventing erroneous inputs through this sensory feedback mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses mechanical vibration to generate tactile feedback. The vibration unit causes the touch sensor surface to vibrate at specific frequencies and patterns, creating perceptible tactile sensations that simulate the feeling of button depression or other physical interactions, thereby providing operational feedback without mechanical displacement.
2Loss of information
If visual or auditory feedback is used to confirm input operations, then input confirmation is provided, but visual feedback may be blocked by finger and auditory feedback is difficult to confirm in noisy environment or silent mode
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual and auditory feedback systems with a tactile feedback mechanism. Instead of relying on display changes or sound outputs, the system uses vibration to generate tactile sensations that directly communicate input confirmation to the operator through touch, eliminating the limitations of visual blocking and auditory environment dependencies.
3Ease of operation
If tactile sensation is generated by vibrating the touch sensor, then tactile feedback is provided, but only a throbbing sensation is generated without realistic button depression sensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting vibration frequency, amplitude, and temporal patterns to differentiate between various interaction states. By varying these vibration parameters based on the type of contact (light touch vs. deliberate push) and operational state, the system generates more realistic and context-appropriate tactile sensations that reduce the feeling of strangeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses dynamics by making the vibration characteristics adaptive and variable rather than static. The vibration unit can change its vibration patterns dynamically based on the detected input characteristics, providing different tactile feedback for different operations (e.g., selection, confirmation, scrolling) to create more natural and less artificial sensations.
4Productivity
If the threshold for touch sensor input is low, then input responsiveness is improved, but tactile sensation is provided for light touches causing erroneous operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses feedback to differentiate between intended and unintended inputs. By providing immediate tactile feedback through vibration when the threshold is met, the operator can distinguish between deliberate input actions and accidental light touches, thereby maintaining high responsiveness while reducing erroneous operations through enhanced sensory confirmation.
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
Provides a realistic click sensation to the operator, reducing erroneous inputs and enhancing the user experience by simulating the tactile feedback of a push-button switch, thus preventing unintended actions and improving operational comfort.
Implementation Method 1
a load detection unit configured to detect a pressure load on a touch face of the touch sensor
Implementation Method 2
a tactile sensation providing unit configured to vibrate the touch face
Data Source
AI summary
An input apparatus has a touch sensor 11 configured to receive an input, a load detection unit 12 configured to detect a pressure load on a touch face 11a of the touch sensor 11, a tactile sensation providing unit 13 configured to vibrate the touch face 11a, and a control unit 15 configured to control drive of the tactile sensation providing unit 13, when the pressure load detected by the load detection unit 12 satisfies a standard to provide a tactile sensation, such that a click sensation is provided to an object (means) pressing the touch face 11a. Thereby, a realistic click sensation similar to that obtained when a push-button switch is operated is provided when an operator operates the touch sensor.