Touch sensing apparatus and method for assembly

• US 10,437,389 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FlatFrog Laboratories AB
• Original Assignee: FlatFrog Laboratories AB
• Inventors: Skagmo, Daniel, Ehn, Robert, Bergstrom, Hakan
• Primary Examiner(s): Giesy, Adam R.
• Application Number:
  US16/191,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20190196657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04107 Shielding in digitiser, i.e. guard or shielding arrangements, mostly for capacitive touchscreens, e.g. driven shields, driven grounds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421

Abstract

A touch sensing apparatus is disclosed comprising a panel that defines a touch surface, a plurality of light emitters and detectors arranged along a perimeter of the panel. The light emitters are arranged to emit a respective beam of emitted light that travels above the touch surface, wherein the light detectors are arranged to receive detection light from the emitted light. The plurality of light emitters and detectors are arranged above the touch surface and are connected to a substrate extending in a direction parallel with a normal axis of a plane in which the panel extends. A method of assembling a touch sensing apparatus is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A touch sensing apparatus, comprising:

a panel comprising a touch surface, a back surface, and an edge surface;

a support structure comprising a first portion and a second portion;

said first portion extending parallel to the edge surface of the panel, said first portion extending above and below the touch surface;

said second portion extending parallel to the touch surface; and

said first portion comprising a first opening, wherein a fixing element is configured to secure a substrate to the first portion through the first opening,

wherein an emitter is positioned on the substrate and above the touch surface, said emitter configured to transmit light in a plane above the touch surface and perpendicular to a normal of the touch surface; and

an optical element configured to be secured between the touch surface and the second portion of the support structure,

said optical element comprising a first surface configured to receive the transmitted light directly from the emitter and a second surface configured to receive light propagating across a touch interacting portion of the touch surface, wherein the first surface is separated from the emitter by a spacing.

2. The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first surface of the optical element comprises a light collimating surface.

3. The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical element comprises glass or plastic.

4. The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support structure is one element of a frame assembly, wherein the frame assembly comprises a plurality of frame elements.

5. The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support structure further comprises a third portion extending parallel to said first portion, said first and third portions forming a cavity configured to receive the substrate.

6. The touch sensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the third portion comprises a second opening aligned with the first opening, wherein the fixing element is further configured to engage with the second opening.

7. The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second surface is curved.

8. The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second surface is not parallel with a normal of the touch surface.

9. The touch sensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical element is configured to slide through the touch surface and the second portion of the support structure.