Transparent Touch Panel with Integrated Strain Gauges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch-sensitive panels with vibrational sensors on the housing experience signal quality deterioration and reliability issues due to the interface between the cover and housing, leading to undetectable inputs over time.
Innovation Solution
A touch-sensitive panel with a single, transparent interaction means featuring a first and second interaction area, where the interaction means is made of a smooth surface material like glass or plastic, incorporating transforming means such as strain gauges or piezoelectric transducers to convert mechanical excitations into signals, and processing means to identify positions without relying on the interface between the cover and housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If vibrational sensors are placed on the housing to detect contacts on the display cover, then the display becomes touch-sensitive, but the signal quality deteriorates and reliability decreases over time due to the interface between cover and housing
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the sensors from the housing structure and integrates them directly into the display cover. This removes the problematic interface between housing and cover from the signal path, eliminating the source of signal deterioration and reliability issues while maintaining touch-sensitive functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the sensor integration directly into the display cover structure itself, combining the cover and sensor functions into a single integrated component. This eliminates the need for separate housing-mounted sensors and the problematic interface between housing and cover.
2Ease of manufacture
If the housing extends across the cover to mount sensors, then sensor placement is enabled, but the surface becomes difficult to clean and dust accumulates in edge regions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the sensor mounting function directly into the cover structure, eliminating the need for a separate housing extension. This maintains sensor placement capability while preserving the smooth, continuous surface that is easy to clean and free of dust-trapping edges.
3Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate components are used for cover and housing, then manufacturing flexibility is improved, but the visual aspect becomes less attractive and cleaning becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges the cover and housing functions into a single integrated component structure. This creates a smooth, continuous surface that is visually attractive and easy to clean, while the integration of sensors into the cover maintains manufacturing flexibility through modular sensor assembly.
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 solution provides a reliable and durable touch-sensitive panel with improved signal quality, easy cleaning, and an attractive design, as signals do not need to cross an interface, maintaining stability and enhancing input flexibility with additional input areas on the side surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
The transforming means can be a transducer like, for example, a strain gauge or a piezoelectric transducer capable of sensing acoustic signals being the result of an excitation.
Implementation Method 2
The transforming means can be a transducer like, for example, a strain gauge or a piezoelectric transducer capable of sensing acoustic signals being the result of an excitation.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a touch sensitive panel comprising a single interaction means with at least a first and a second interaction area, wherein the interaction means is transparent in the first interaction area, at least one transforming means for transforming a mechanical, in particular pressure, excitation of the at least first and/or second interaction area of the interaction means into respective signals, and a processing means configured to identify the position of the excitation based on the signals. It furthermore relates to a device comprising such touch sensitive panel. It furthermore relates to an improved drag and drop method.