Virtual Touchscreen Using Optical Acoustic Sensor Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional touchscreens, particularly in large appliances, are costly and space-constrained due to their need for sensing and protective layers, and existing virtual touch solutions like infrared systems require multiple elements, making them unsuitable for all applications.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing both optical and acoustic sensors to detect user inputs, where optical proximity sensing determines if an object is within a threshold distance and acoustic position sensing determines the object's position, allowing for a virtual touchscreen without the need for a physical display, thus reducing costs and design constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a physical touchscreen with capacitive sensor array is used, then user interface functionality is improved, but device cost and physical space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the touch sensing functionality from the physical display structure. Instead of using a capacitive sensor array integrated with the display, the system uses a separate camera to capture touch positions by detecting changes in reflected light patterns, thereby eliminating the need for complex sensing layers while maintaining user interface functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual representation of the touchscreen interface using a camera-based system. The camera captures images of the display surface and processes them to determine touch positions, effectively copying the touch detection function without requiring physical sensing elements on the display
2Measurement precision
If infrared touch sensors with multiple elements are used, then touch sensing capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the camera serve multiple functions: it displays visual information to the user and simultaneously detects touch positions by analyzing light reflections. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate infrared light emitters and sensor arrays, reducing device complexity while maintaining touch sensing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The display surface itself serves as the sensing element by reflecting light in a pattern that encodes touch position information. The camera captures this reflected light pattern and processes it to determine where the user is touching, making the display self-sufficient for both visual output and touch detection without requiring additional specialized sensors
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 cost-effective virtual touchscreens that conserve power by only activating sensors when a user is interacting, providing accurate input detection without the need for multiple optical sensors or a physical display, making it suitable for a wider range of applications.
Implementation Method 1
an optical proximity sensing arrangement configured to produce touch information relating to whether an input object is within a threshold distance of the surface
Implementation Method 2
an acoustic position sensing arrangement configured to produce position information relating to a position of the input object on the surface
Data Source
AI summary
A system for detecting a user input to a device comprises a display arrangement (4) arranged to provide a display (20) on a surface. An optical proximity sensing arrangement (6, 8) is configured to produce touch information relating to whether an input object is within a threshold distance of the surface. An acoustic position sensing arrangement (10, 12, 14, and 16) configured to produce position information relating to a position of the input object on the surface. A processing arrangement configured to determine an input to the device from the position information only when it determines from the touch information that the input object is within the threshold distance of the surface.