Touch panel device

• US 20060181524A1
• Filed: 04/11/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsuda, Takashi, Satoh, Yoshio, Sano, Satoshi, Nakazawa, Fumihiko
• Application Number:
  US11/401,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20060181524A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate

Abstract

Surface acoustic waves are transmitted from a respective plurality of excitation elements to a non-piezoelectric substrate, and the surface acoustic waves propagating in the non-piezoelectric substrate are received by a respective receiving elements, thus a position of an object in contact with the non-piezoelectric substrate is detected based on received results in the receiving elements. An indicated direction is detected based on a reception level of surface acoustic waves in the receiving elements. A direction of a vector starting at the center of a range (contact range) in which a reception level is not higher than a predetermined level and ending at a position obtained based on the reception level is detected as a direction indicated by a user. The indicated direction can be detected even when the object stays at a position.

Claims

1. A touch panel device comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of excitation elements, disposed on said substrate, for respectively exciting surface acoustic waves; and

a plurality of receiving elements, disposed on said substrate to face said excitation elements respectively, for respectively receiving surface acoustic waves,

said touch panel device being characterized by propagating surface acoustic waves across said substrate, between the facing excitation elements and receiving elements, and detecting a direction of a vector starting at a center position of a range in which a reception level of surface acoustic waves in said receiving elements is not higher than a predetermined level and ending at a position which is obtained based on the reception level of surface acoustic waves in said receiving elements.