Variable Impedance Touch Sensor Array for Indirect Force Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current touch sensor systems face challenges in accurately detecting proximity, contact, and pressure with high resolution while maintaining cost-effectiveness and practicality for consumer electronics, as they require a large number of electrodes and complex electronics, leading to high power consumption and memory requirements.
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 the impedance values, allowing for accurate detection of touch proximity and pressure with a lower resolution scanning, thereby reducing the number of electrodes and electronics required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a high-resolution touch sensor array is used to accurately detect proximity, contact, and pressure, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and cost increase due to requiring a large number of electrodes and complex electronics
Solution Approach 1:
The touch sensor array is segmented into multiple zones or regions, where each zone can be independently scanned and processed. This allows the system to achieve high overall resolution by combining data from multiple lower-resolution segments, reducing the complexity of individual electrode circuits while maintaining total system precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temporal dimension through sequential scanning of touch sensor zones. Instead of requiring all electrodes to operate simultaneously at high resolution, the system scans different zones at different time intervals, achieving high-resolution detection through time-multiplexed measurement that reduces the number of simultaneously active electronics.
2Measurement precision
If a large number of electrodes are used to achieve high resolution touch detection, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The touch sensor array employs periodic scanning of different zones rather than continuous monitoring of all electrodes simultaneously. By dividing the array into multiple zones and sequentially scanning them over time periods, the system achieves high-resolution detection capability while significantly reducing average power consumption compared to continuous full-array monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The touch sensor array is divided into multiple independently scannable zones. Each zone can be activated and scanned only when needed, allowing the system to reduce power consumption by keeping inactive zones in a low-power state while maintaining the ability to achieve high resolution through coordinated scanning of active zones.
3Measurement precision
If a large number of electrodes and complex electronics are used for high-resolution touch detection, then measurement precision is improved, but memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The touch sensor array is divided into multiple zones that can be scanned and processed independently. This segmentation allows the system to store and process touch data from smaller zone subsets at any given time, reducing the peak memory requirements compared to storing data from all electrodes simultaneously, while still achieving high overall resolution through combination of zone data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes temporal sequencing to reduce memory requirements. By scanning zones sequentially over time and processing data in time-ordered batches rather than requiring all electrode data to be stored simultaneously, the system achieves high-resolution detection with reduced memory footprint through time-multiplexed data acquisition and processing.
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 efficient and accurate detection of touch gestures and pressure patterns with reduced hardware complexity, enabling scanning at higher rates and lower memory consumption, making it suitable for consumer electronics applications.
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
Implementation Method 2
electrically drive the interlinked impedance columns using a column driving source
Implementation Method 3
electrically senses the interlinked impedance rows state based on a row switching register
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to touch sensor systems and methods incorporating an interpolated variable impedance touch sensor array and specifically to such systems and methods for indirect force-aware touch control. An exemplary method for receiving an adjustment gesture formed on or about a plurality of sensor panels on a plurality of faces of a device includes detecting two or more touches at a first time at the plurality of sensor panels and determining that the touches at the first time are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined gesture. The method further includes determining a relative pressure between the touches, associating the gesture with a user interface element (that accepts an adjustment input based on the relative pressure between the two or more touches) and providing an input to the user interface element based on the gesture and relative pressure between the touches.