Wooden Capacitive Touch Interface for Wireless Loudspeaker Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional capacitive touchscreens and user interfaces lack integration with wireless functionality and natural, aesthetically pleasing materials for controlling wireless-enabled devices, such as loudspeakers, which limits user interaction and design possibilities.

Innovation Solution

A wireless-enabled loudspeaker with a wooden or dielectric capacitive touch user interface, featuring capacitive sense electrodes and a wireless transceiver circuit, allowing users to control audio playback and streaming through capacitive touch controls etched into the wooden surface, enabling wireless connectivity and social media integration.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional capacitive touchscreens use transparent conductors like ITO coated on glass, then the touchscreen provides reliable capacitive sensing, but the design lacks aesthetic appeal and integration with natural materials

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveintegration with natural materialsVSAvoidcapacitive sensing functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining wood (natural dielectric material) with capacitive sensing electrodes and conductive layers. The wood surface serves as both the aesthetic exterior and the dielectric layer for capacitive sensing, while conductive elements are integrated beneath or within the wood structure to maintain sensing functionality. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by achieving both natural material aesthetics and reliable capacitive sensing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Shape

If a wooden exterior surface is used for aesthetic appeal, then design aesthetics are enhanced, but traditional touchscreen functionality cannot be implemented directly on the wood surface

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaesthetic appearanceVSAvoidtouchscreen control functionality

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses an intermediary approach by placing capacitive sensing electrodes and conductive layers beneath or within the wood surface rather than requiring direct conductor coating on the wood. The wood acts as the visible aesthetic layer while the embedded conductive elements mediate the capacitive sensing function. This allows the wooden surface to maintain its aesthetic appearance while enabling touchscreen control functionality through the intermediary conductive structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If capacitive sense electrodes are integrated under the wooden surface, then both aesthetic appeal and capacitive touch functionality are achieved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interface functionalityVSAvoidintegration of electrodes and wireless circuitry

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple functions into integrated components. The capacitive sensing electrodes are combined with the wood structure itself, where the wood serves as both aesthetic covering and dielectric layer. The wireless transceiver circuitry is integrated with the capacitive sensing system, allowing the same electrode structure to serve both touch sensing and wireless communication functions. This merging reduces overall device complexity compared to implementing separate systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

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

Enables seamless wireless audio streaming and user control via a capacitive touch interface on a wooden surface, enhancing user experience and design aesthetics while maintaining robustness and mechanical integrity.

Implementation Method 1

a capacitive touch user interface that includes at least one capacitive sense electrode in communication with the processor, wherein the wooden exterior surface acts a dielectric for the capacitive touch user interface

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Implementation Method 2

the wooden exterior surface acts a dielectric for the capacitive touch user interface

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDielectric: Dielectric

Data Source

PatentUS10291972B2Wooden or other dielectric capacitive touch interface and loudspeaker having same

Publication Date: 2019.05.14 KOSS CORP

AI summary

Wireless-enabled loudspeaker includes a wooden capacitive touch user interface. The loudspeaker may comprise at least one electroacoustic transducer, a processor in communication with the at least one electroacoustic transducer, and a wooden exterior surface comprising a capacitive touch user interface that allows a user to control operation of the loudspeaker. The wooden exterior surface acts a dielectric for the capacitive touch user interface. The loudspeaker may comprise a wireless transceiver circuit for receiving and transmitting wireless communication signals via a wireless network. The wireless transceiver circuit may receive wirelessly audio content from streaming audio content servers that are connected to the Internet. The capacitive touch user interface comprises a plurality of user control icons etched in the wooden exterior surface, and a plurality of capacitive sense electrodes located under the wooden exterior surface.