Two-Level Touch Button for Fast Context Sensing With Lower Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch-sensitive buttons in computing systems often consume excessive power when continuously scanning for touch events, especially in battery-powered devices, as they require time to switch from a low-power state to a sensing state upon depression, which can delay providing an immediate touch context.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds, where the touch sensor switches to a sensing state at a first imperceptible threshold and fully senses at a second perceivable threshold, allowing for timely and efficient context determination and power conservation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the touch sensor continuously scans for touch events, then the touch context can be immediately determined when the button is depressed, but the power consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The touch sensor operates in periodic cycles, switching between a low-power non-sensing state and a sensing state. The sensor remains in the non-sensing state during normal operation and only transitions to the sensing state when the button is depressed, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining immediate touch context determination capability when needed.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the touch sensor switches from low-power state to sensing state upon button depression, then power is conserved during idle time, but the switching process takes time that delays immediate touch context provision
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-configuring the button structure with a depression threshold mechanism that physically triggers the state transition. When the button is depressed to the threshold, the mechanical action immediately initiates the sensing state transition, eliminating software-based detection delays and ensuring the touch sensor switches states as quickly as possible.
3Device complexity
If a single depression threshold is used, then the button structure is simple, but the button can only generate one type of input and lacks versatility
Solution Approach 1:
The button structure is segmented into multiple depression thresholds: a first threshold that triggers initial input generation and a second threshold that triggers different input generation. This segmentation allows a single button to provide multiple input types (e.g., click vs. press-and-hold) without requiring multiple separate buttons, thereby increasing versatility while maintaining relatively simple structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds is provided. When the button is depressed to a first depression threshold, the touch sensor can be switched from a low-power, non-sensing state to a sensing state. When the button is depressed to a second depression threshold, the touch sensor can sense the touch context and input can be generated based on the depression and the touch context. In this way, the touch-sensitive depressible button with multiple depression thresholds can facilitate timely switching of the touch sensor to a sensing state.