Touch Sensor Overlap Resolution via Profile Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional touch sensors experience significant location errors when two external objects are close to each other, leading to overlapping touch-related sensing information, which exceeds the error tolerance limit of the system.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves designating a relative minimum as a division value to identify sub-profiles in 1D or 2D sensing information, determining proportions based on adjacent values, and reassigned these values to reduce errors in determining the centroid locations of overlapping objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional centroid calculation methods are used for overlapping touch profiles, then the calculation process is simple, but the location precision deteriorates significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the overlapping touch profile into multiple sub-profiles by identifying local maxima and minima points. Each sub-profile corresponds to a separate touch object, allowing independent centroid calculation for each object. This segmentation resolves the overlap issue by creating distinct calculation regions, thereby improving location precision without excessive complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate processing steps including profile differentiation, local extremum detection, and sub-profile identification as mediators between the raw overlapping signal and the final centroid calculation. These intermediary operations separate the mixed signal components before final position determination, enabling accurate location measurement.
2Measurement precision
If direct centroid calculation is performed on overlapping sensing information, then the processing time is short, but the location accuracy deteriorates beyond error tolerance
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the overlapping profile into distinct sub-profiles through local extremum detection, the patent enables parallel or sequential processing of separate touch events. This approach improves location accuracy by treating each touch independently while managing processing time through efficient algorithms that identify key feature points rather than processing entire profiles uniformly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by focusing computational effort only on critical regions of the profile where local maxima and minima occur, rather than processing every data point uniformly. This selective processing maintains high location accuracy for overlapping touches while reducing overall processing time by concentrating computational resources on decision-critical areas.
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
This approach effectively reduces errors in determining the locations of closely positioned objects by reassigning values based on ratios, ensuring accuracy within the system's error tolerance limits.
Implementation Method 1
capacitive coupling signals at intersections between the driven first conducting strip and the respective second conducting strips
Data Source
AI summary
When at least one external object approaches or touches a touch sensor, profiles in a scanning signal corresponding to each external object will appear. The smallest value between the profiles corresponding to a first and a second external object is designated as a division value when the profiles corresponding to the first and the second external objects overlap. The overlapping profiles can be divided into the portion of the first external object and the portion of the second external object, respectively.