Touchpad Distance Sensor Integration for Gesture Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laptop touchpads provide a single input mode, limiting user experience as they only allow touch control functions and do not support additional input methods, leading to a restrictive interaction with the device.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a first sensor to collect distance sensing parameters and a second sensor to collect touch control sensing parameters, with the first sensor positioned above the touch control sensing area, allowing for enriched input methods by recognizing gestures and processing touch control parameters to generate operation instructions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional touchpad is arranged at the center position below the keyboard to implement touchpad function, then the touch control function is provided, but the input mode remains single and user experience is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The touch control area is enhanced with a distance sensor that enables multiple input modes including contactless gestures and traditional touch operations. The same physical area serves both as a touchpad and a gesture recognition zone, allowing the device to respond to both finger touches and hand movements without contact, thereby providing universal input capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new dimension of interaction by adding vertical distance measurement capability above the touch control area. Instead of only detecting horizontal touch positions, the system now detects the vertical distance of hands or fingers from the surface, enabling contactless gestures and expanding the interaction space from 2D touch to 3D spatial recognition
2Adaptability or versatility
If a distance sensor is integrated into the touch control area to enable gesture recognition, then multiple input methods are enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The distance sensor is integrated within the existing touch control area structure, merging the gesture recognition functionality with the touchpad. The sensor is positioned to work within the same physical footprint, combining multiple input capabilities (touch and gesture) into a single unified component rather than adding separate devices
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated sensor system serves multiple functions: it detects traditional finger touches for touchpad operations and simultaneously detects contactless hand gestures for gesture recognition. This multi-functional approach enables diverse input methods while using a single integrated sensor assembly, reducing overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provides an electronic apparatus and a data processing method. The electronic apparatus includes a first sensor (101), configured to collect a distance sensing parameter, and a second sensor (102), configured to collect a touch control sensing parameter. A touch control area of the second sensor (102) covers a specific area of a first surface of the electronic apparatus. The first sensor collects the distance sensing parameter in a space above the touch control sensing area. The distance sensing parameter may be collected in the space above the touch control sensing area by arranged a distance sensor. Thus, the electronic apparatus may realize a touch control input and an input through the distance, which enriches input manners of the electronic apparatus and improves the user experience.