Vehicle Touch Control With Intermeshing Capacitive Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Operator control devices with capacitive sensor systems face challenges in accurately identifying user inputs on touchscreens, particularly in safety-relevant systems, due to potential false triggers from unintentional contacts, which can lead to misidentification and safety issues.
Innovation Solution
The use of comb-like or meanderous capacitive sensor structures arranged in intermeshing fashion beneath the user interface, combined with a method that involves charging and shorting reference and measurement capacitances to register changes in capacitive coupling, and the inclusion of a pressure-sensitive sensor for redundant identification, enhances the accuracy and reliability of user input detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a capacitive sensor device is used to identify user inputs on a touchscreen, then the user interface becomes more versatile and modern, but false triggers from unintentional contacts occur leading to reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is divided into multiple independent capacitive sensor devices (first sensor device and second sensor device) with separate sensor structures. Each sensor device independently detects user inputs, and their signals are evaluated separately before being combined for final determination. This segmentation allows the system to cross-validate signals and filter out false triggers from unintentional contacts while maintaining modern touchscreen functionality.
2Reliability
If redundant sensor devices are added to improve reliability, then false triggers are reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple capacitive sensor devices are combined within a single integrated sensor system that shares common evaluation electronics and control logic. The first and second sensor devices are integrated into one system with unified signal processing, allowing redundant detection without proportionally increasing overall system complexity. The merged architecture enables cross-validation of signals while maintaining manageable system design.
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 configuration allows for precise and redundant identification of user inputs, reducing the likelihood of false triggers and improving the safety and reliability of controlling safety-relevant functions by enhancing the accuracy and sensitivity of sensor systems.
Implementation Method 1
capacitive sensor devices for identifying a user input, wherein a user input is identified on the basis of what is known as the capacitive principle, which involves an approach by a human hand or a finger, particularly contact with the user interface, in the detection area of the associated sensor structures causing a change in the capacitive coupling of the relevant sensor structure to the surroundings
Data Source
AI summary
An operator control device for a vehicle, and a method for operating such an operator control device is disclosed. The operator control device is for controlling safety-relevant functions. To this end, the operator control device has at least one user interface having at least one user input panel for user input and a sensor system for identifying a user input in the area of the user input panel, wherein the sensor system has at least one capacitive sensor device having a first, electrically conductive sensor structure and a second, capacitive sensor device having a second, electrically conductive sensor structure, the sensor structures being arranged beneath the user interface in the area of the user input panel. The first sensor structure and the second sensor structure are each configured in comb-like and/or meanderous fashion and arranged in intermeshing fashion at least in a subarea of the user input panel.