Touch display

• US 20040100448A1
• Filed: 11/25/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Moshrefzadeh, Robert S.
• Application Number:
  US10/303,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20040100448A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate

Abstract

A thin display of a touch user interface is disclosed. The display includes a thin, emissive touch element such as an electroluminescent display panel. Force sensors are disposed in such a way to determine a location of a touch on an emissive display.

Claims

1. A touch display comprising:

an electroluminescent (EL) display viewable through a touch surface; and

a plurality of sensors disposed to sense a location of a force applied to the touch surface based on forces passed through the touch surface to the sensors.

2. A touch display as recited in claim 1, wherein the touch surface comprises an emitting surface of the EL display.

3. A touch display as recited in claim 2, wherein the force sensors are disposed on a side of the EL display opposite the touch surface.

4. A touch display as recited in claim 1, wherein the touch surface comprises a transparent touch element disposed on an emitting surface of the EL display.

5. A touch display as recited in claim 4, wherein the plurality of force sensors are disposed between the emitting surface of the EL display and the transparent touch element.

6. A touch display as recited in either of claims 4 or 5, wherein the transparent touch element comprises a contrast enhancement layer.

7. A touch display as recited in claim 6, wherein the contrast enhancement layer comprises a circular polarizer.

8. A touch display as recited in claim 6, wherein the contrast enhancement layer comprises a color filter.

9. A touch display as recited in claim 1, further comprising an inertial sensor disposed to sense inertial forces applied to the display.

10. A touch input display comprising:

an electroluminescent (EL) display element having a touch surface;

a plurality of sensors configured to output signals representative of forces applied to the sensors, the sensors being arranged to receive a force representative of a force applied to the touch surface;

a processor coupled to the force sensors to determine a location of a touch on the touch surface based on the output signals and for altering information displayed on the EL display element in response to the touch.

11. A touch input display as recited in claim 10, wherein the touch surface comprises an emitting surface of the EL display element.

12. A touch input display as recited in claim 10, wherein the touch surface comprises transparent overlay disposed on an emitting surface of the EL display element.

13. A touch input display as recited in claim 12, where in the force sensors are disposed between the emitting surface of the EL display element and the transparent overlay.

14. A touch input display as recited in claim 13, wherein the force sensors comprise two conductive elements spaced apart to form a capacitor and the output signals of the force sensors represents relative movement of the two conductive elements.