Method and apparatus of electrotactile panel with pointing system

• US 20040095330A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ownway Biotronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Ownway Biotronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Ling, Shou-Hung Welkin, Lin, Wan-Chih, Liao, Wei-Chih, Chang, Chi-Chia
• Granted Patent: US 7,190,352 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electro-tactile panel (ETP) apparatus for a display panel is disclosed. The ETP apparatus is composed of three major parts: a controller, a panel, and a holder. The panel consists of four layer made of transparent material. The first layer is an insulating substrate, the second layer is a conductive layer formed of a plurality of horizontal electrodes on the first layer. The third layer is an insulating layer having holes formed therein, which corresponding to the electrodes on the second layer. The fourth layer is a conductive layer formed of a plurality of vertical electrodes on the third layer. The panel is attached to the display panel by means of the holder apparatus. The electro-tactile signal and cursor position is process by the controller when the skin touches the panel so that some positions of the vertical electrodes and horizontal electrodes are electrically connected through the holes.

Claims

1. An electro-tactile panel apparatus for a display panel, said electro-tactile panel comprising:

a first insulating substrate;

a second conductive layer formed on said first insulating substrate, wherein said second conductive layer is formed of n piece of first electrodes arranged in parallel, and each is like having m piece of disks arranged in a line and with edges thereof connected by a slat;

a third insulating layer having an array of n×

m second holes formed therein, wherein said first holes locate at positions one to one corresponding to said disks;

a fourth conductive layer formed on said third insulating layer, wherein said fourth conductive layer is composed of m piece of second electrodes arranged in parallel each other and in perpendicular to said first electrodes furthermore, each said second electrode is a slat like and has an array of 1×

n second holes formed therein, which one to one corresponding to said disks;

said fourth conductive layer has n×

m second holes corresponding to said first holes, wherein said first insulating substrate, said second conductive layer, said third insulating layer, and said fourth conductive layer are made of transparent material;

a holder bound said third insulating layer at an outer plane and said first insulating substrate at inner plane together to said display; and

a controller installed on a sidewall position of said display, wherein said controller receiving display information and electrically coupled with said first electrodes and said second electrodes to provide a skin stimulated current when a person touches said fourth conductive layer thereto connect at least one of said first electrodes and one of said second electrodes simultaneously with his or her skin.

2. The electro-tactile panel apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said holder comprises two sets of fixed mechanisms for said holder fixed on said display panel.

3. The electro-tactile panel apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of said two sets of fixed mechanisms comprises a first bar, a first gear, a second gear, and a second bar, furthermore, said first bar has a first pin and a second pin and said first gear has a first slot and a second slot, and still said first bar couples with said first gear by fastening with a first axis and putting said first, and second pin, respectively, into said first slot and said second slot so that said first and second pin can slide, respectively, along said first and second slot, moreover said second gear is fixed on or formed on one end terminal of said second bar as an unity.

4. The electro-tactile panel apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said two sets of fixed mechanisms are, respectively, fastened at a left corner and a right corner of said display panel.

5. The electro-tactile panel apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first gear clenches said second gear with teeth thereof.

6. The electro-tactile panel apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said first bar normally is set along vertical side of said display panel and said second bar normally is set along horizontal side of said display panel.

7. The electro-tactile panel apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said second gear isn'"'"'t in response to said first gear until said first bar moves outward a first angle with respect to said first axis, as a result, said second bar moves downward a second angle with respect to said second axis.

8. The electro-tactile panel apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first bar moves outward a first angle and said second bar moves downward a second angle are to install said holder on sidewalls of said display.

9. The electro-tactile panel apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a data receiver to retrieve the same image display data as the computer output to said display.

11. The electro-tactile panel apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said controller comprises a tactile scanning controller, which generates tactile sensation data in response to the mapped display data by said location mapping table.

10. The electro-tactile panel apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said controller comprises a location mapping table controller to map the display data into cross-points of said first electrodes and said second electrodes of said electro-tactile panel.