Variable Impedance Touch Sensor Arrays for Non-Planar Controls
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch sensor technologies face challenges in accurately detecting gestures and pressure on non-planar surfaces due to the complexity of routing numerous electrodes and the high resource requirements for processing and memory, making them impractical for consumer electronics applications.
Innovation Solution
The use of an interpolated variable impedance touch sensor array with interlinked impedance columns and rows, which reduces the number of external components needed by interpolating signals, allowing for efficient detection of touch proximity, pressure, and spatial location through a processor-driven system that recognizes patterns and gestures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional touch sensor arrays are used on non-planar surfaces, then touch detection coverage is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The touch sensor array is segmented into multiple independent sensor panels that can be independently manufactured and then assembled onto the non-planar surface. Each panel contains a subset of the total electrodes, simplifying the routing and manufacturing process while maintaining comprehensive coverage when panels are combined.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple sensor panels are nested or assembled together to form the complete touch detection system on the non-planar surface. The panels can be layered or positioned in a nested configuration that adapts to the curved or irregular geometry, reducing individual panel complexity while achieving full surface coverage.
2Measurement precision
If high-resolution touch sensor arrays are implemented, then measurement precision is improved, but memory requirements and processing resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The high-resolution sensor array is divided into multiple lower-resolution sensor panels, each processing a portion of the total detection area. This segmentation reduces the memory and processing requirements for each individual panel while maintaining overall high-resolution detection capability through coordinated processing of all panels.
Solution Approach 2:
Each sensor panel processes only the portion of touch data relevant to its specific region, performing partial processing rather than handling the complete high-resolution dataset. This approach reduces memory consumption while maintaining detection accuracy for each local area.
3Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive gesture recognition is implemented, then adaptability is improved, but processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Gesture recognition is segmented into multiple processing stages, with each sensor panel performing initial local gesture analysis independently. This allows parallel processing of different gesture features across multiple panels, reducing overall processing time while maintaining comprehensive gesture recognition capability through aggregation of results.
Solution Approach 2:
Basic gesture features are preliminarily processed and identified at the sensor panel level before being passed to higher-level processing. This preliminary action filters and prepares data in advance, reducing the computational burden on the main processor and enabling faster comprehensive gesture recognition.
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 enables accurate gesture recognition and pressure detection on non-planar surfaces with reduced hardware requirements, enabling faster scan rates and lower memory consumption, making it suitable for consumer electronics.
Implementation Method 1
a variable impedance array electrically coupling interlinked impedance columns coupled to an array column driver and interlinked impedance rows coupled to an array row sensor
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to touch sensor detectors incorporating interpolated variable impedance touch sensor arrays and specifically to detectors for non-planar touch controls. Variable impedance touch sensor arrays are applied to the surface of objects, inside objects, or other objects such that touches are detected directly or indirectly from the non-planar touch controls. An exemplary system includes a plurality of sensor panels on a plurality of device and a processor communicatively coupled to the sensor panels. The sensor panels include a plurality of physical VIA columns connected by interlinked impedance columns and a plurality of physical VIA rows connected by interlinked impedance rows. The processor detects touches at a first time at the sensor panels, determines that the two or more touches at the first time are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined gesture, and determines a relative pressure between the two or more touches.