Touch panel display system with illumination and detection provided from a single edge

• US 20050248540A1
• Filed: 05/07/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Next Holdings Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Newton, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,538,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate

Abstract

A touch panel that has a front surface, a rear surface, a plurality of edges and an interior volume. An energy source is positioned in proximity to a first edge of the touch panel and is configured to emit energy that is propagated within the interior volume of the touch panel. A diffusing reflector is positioned in proximity to the front surface of the touch panel for diffusively reflecting at least a portion of the energy that escapes from the interior volume. At least one detector is positioned in proximity to the first edge of the touch panel and is configured to detect intensity levels of the energy that is diffusively reflected across the front surface of the touch panel. Preferably, two detectors are spaced apart from each other in proximity to the first edge of the touch panel, to allow calculation of touch locations using simple triangulation techniques.

Claims

1. A touch panel display system, comprising:

a touch panel having a front surface, a rear surface, a plurality of edges and an interior volume;

an energy source positioned in proximity to a first edge of the touch panel and configured to emit energy that is propagated within the interior volume of the touch panel;

a diffusing reflector positioned in proximity to the front surface of the touch panel for diffusively reflecting across the front surface at least a portion of the energy that escapes from the interior volume of the touch panel; and

at least one detector positioned in proximity to the first edge of the touch panel and configured to detect intensity levels of the energy that is diffusively reflected across the front surface of the touch panel.

2. The touch panel display system of claim 1, wherein the touch panel is positioned in front of a display screen so that objects on the display screen can be seen through the touch panel.

3. The touch panel display system of claim 1, wherein the energy is selected from the group consisting of:

non-visible light energy, visible light energy, microwave energy, and acoustic energy.

4. The touch panel display system of claim 1, wherein the energy source comprises a plurality of energy emitters positioned at spaced intervals in proximity to the first edge of the touch panel.

5. The touch panel display system of claim 4, wherein the energy emitters are embedded are least partially within the first edge of the touch panel.

6. The touch panel display system of claim 1, wherein the diffusing reflector comprises a reflective component applied to an edge of a translucent or transparent bezel.

7. The touch panel display system of claim 1, further comprising a reflector positioned and configured to guide the energy emitted by the energy source into the interior volume of the touch panel.

8. The touch panel display system of claim 1, further comprising a reflector configured and positioned to guide the energy outward from within the interior volume of the touch panel toward the front surface of the touch panel.

9. The touch panel display system of claim 1, further comprising a reflector positioned and configured to guide the energy reflected across the front surface of the touch panel toward the detector.

10. The touch panel display system of claim 1, wherein the at least one detector comprises a first detector and a second detector spaced apart from each other in proximity to the first edge of the touch panel.

11. The touch panel display system of claim 9, wherein the first detector and the second detector are optical imaging devices of sufficient sensitivity to detect variations in the intensity levels of the energy that is diffusively reflected across the front surface of the touch panel.

12. The touch panel display system of claim 1, further comprising a reflective component applied to at least one edge of the touch panel for controlling the direction of the energy propagated within the interior volume of the touch panel.

13. The touch panel display system of claim 1, wherein a touch on or near the front surface of the touch panel results in a variation in the intensity levels of the energy that is diffusively reflected across the front surface.

14. The touch panel display system of claim 1, wherein the touch panel comprises a transparent material selected from the group consisting of:

glass, plastic and thermoplastic.

15. A touch panel display system, comprising:

a touch panel having at least a front surface, a rear surface, a plurality of edges and an interior volume;

an energy source positioned in proximity to a first edge of the touch panel and configured to emit energy that is propagated within the interior volume of the touch panel;

a diffusing reflector positioned in proximity to a second edge of the touch panel for diffusively reflecting across the front surface at least a portion of the energy that escapes from within the interior volume;

a first detector positioned in proximity to the first edge of the touch panel and configured for detecting the energy reflected across the front surface of the touch panel; and

a second detector positioned in proximity to the first edge of the touch panel spaced apart from the first detector and configured for detecting the energy reflected across the front surface of the touch panel.

16. The touch panel display system of claim 15, wherein the touch panel is positioned in front of a display screen so that objects on the display screen can be seen through the touch panel.

17. The touch panel display system of claim 15, wherein the energy is selected from the group consisting of:

non-visible light energy, visible light energy, microwave energy, and acoustic energy.

18. The touch panel display system of claim 15, wherein the energy source comprises a plurality of energy emitters positioned at spaced intervals in proximity to the first edge of the touch panel.

19. The touch panel display system of claim 18, wherein the energy emitters comprise infrared light emitting diodes.

20. The touch panel display system of claim 15, further comprising a reflector positioned and configured to guide the energy emitted by the energy source into the interior volume of the touch panel.

21. The touch panel display system of claim 15, further comprising a reflector configured and positioned to guide the energy outward from within the interior volume of the touch panel toward the front surface of the touch panel.

22. The touch panel display system of claim 15, further comprising a first reflector positioned and configured to guide the energy reflected across the front surface of the touch panel toward the first detector;

and

a second reflector positioned and configured to guide the energy reflected across the front surface of the touch panel toward the second detector.

23. The touch panel display system of claim 15, wherein the first detector and the second detector comprise optical imaging devices of sufficient sensitivity to detect variations in the intensity levels of the energy that is diffusively reflected across the front surface of the touch panel.

24. The touch panel display system of claim 15, further comprising a reflective component applied to at least one edge of the touch panel for controlling the direction of the energy propagated within the interior volume of the touch panel.

25. The touch panel display system of claim 15, wherein a touch on or near the front surface of the touch panel results in a variation in the intensity levels of the energy that is diffusively reflected across the front surface.

26. The touch panel display system of claim 15, wherein the touch panel comprises a transparent material selected from the group consisting of:

glass, plastic and thermoplastic.

27. The touch panel display system of claim 15, wherein the diffusing reflector comprises a reflective component applied to an edge of a translucent or transparent bezel.