Touch panel and method of manufacturing the same

• US 20060197749A1
• Filed: 03/04/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Popovich, David Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,696,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

A touch panel includes an input registration structure comprising a biasable medium layer. A generally inflexible cover is disposed on the input registration structure and defines a touch surface. A pointer biases the biasable medium layer at a position adjacent the pointer when the pointer is positioned proximate the touch surface. The input registration structure generates a position signal corresponding to the position of the pointer in relation to the touch surface.

Claims

1. A touch panel, comprising:

an input registration structure comprising a biasable medium layer;

a generally inflexible cover disposed on said input registration structure and defining a touch surface; and

a pointer for biasing said biasable medium layer at a position adjacent said pointer when said pointer is positioned proximate said touch surface, said input registration structure generating a position signal corresponding to said pointer position.

2. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein said input registration structure further comprises a pressure-sensitive layer arrangment adjacent said biasable medium layer for registering biasing of said biasable medium layer.

3. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein said pressure-sensitive layer arrangement includes two spaced, conductive resist layers, said resist layers being brought into contact upon biasing of said biasable medium layer.

4. The touch panel of claim 2, wherein said pointer magnetically biases said biasable medium layer.

5. The touch panel of claim 4, wherein said pressure-sensitive layer arrangement is positioned between said cover and said biasable medium layer and wherein said pointer magnetically attracts said biasable medium layer.

6. The touch panel of claim 5, wherein said biasable medium layer is ferromagnetic.

7. The touch panel of claim 6, wherein said biasable medium layer comprises a layer of ferrous paint applied to a flexible layer.

8. The touch panel of claim 7, wherein said layer of ferrous paint is discontinuous across said flexible layer.

9. The touch panel of claim 8, wherein said layer of ferrous paint is applied to said flexible layer in a repeating pattern.

10. The touch panel of claim 7, wherein said biasable medium layer is disposed on a support panel.

11. The touch panel of claim 4, wherein said biasable medium layer comprises an array of magnetically biasable objects.

12. The touch panel of claim 11, wherein said magnetically biasable objects are ferromagnetic.

13. The touch panel of claim 12, wherein said magnetically biasable objects are ball bearings.

14. The touch panel of claim 11, wherein said biasable medium layer further comprises a separator for maintaining said magnetically biasable objects in a desired distribution.

15. The touch panel of claim 14, wherein said separator is a grid separator.

16. The touch panel of claim 14, wherein said separator is a channel separator.

17. The touch panel of claim 4, wherein said pointer comprises a permanent magnet.

18. The touch panel of claim 4, wherein said pointer comprises an electromagnet.

19. The touch panel of claim 18, wherein said pointer comprises a circuit that, when closed, activates said electromagnet.

20. The touch panel of claim 1, wherein said pointer comprises a tip switch.

21. The touch panel of claim 20, wherein said touch panel is conditioned to a touch mode when said tip switch is activated.

22. The touch panel of claim 21, wherein said touch panel is conditioned to a hover mode when said tip switch is unactivated.

23. The touch panel of claim 1, further comprising a display panel intermediate said generally inflexible cover and said input registration structure.

24. The touch panel of claim 23, wherein said display panel is an LCD display panel.

25. A method of manufacturing a touch panel, comprising:

providing a generally inflexible cover defining a touch surface;

coupling an input registration structure to one side of said generally inflexible cover, said input registration structure comprising a biasable medium layer, said input registration structure being operable to register the location of biasing of said biasable medium layer.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

coupling a pressure-sensitive layer arrangement to said biasable medium layer, said pressure-sensitive layer arrangement registering biasing of said biasable medium layer.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said pressure-sensitive layer arrangement includes two spacial, conductive resistive layers.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said biasable medium layer is magnetically biasable.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said biasable medium layer is ferromagnetic.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said biasable medium layer comprises a flexible layer having a layer of ferrous paint applied thereto.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said layer of ferrous paint is applied discontinuously across said flexible layer.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said layer of ferrous paint is applied in a repeating pattern across said flexible layer.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein, during coupling of said input registration structure, said pressure-sensitive layer arrangement is placed intermediate said generally inflexible layer and said biasable medium layer.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

coupling a support panel to said generally inflexible layer and said input registration structure.

35. The method of claim 27, wherein said biasable medium layer comprises an array of magnetically biasable objects.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said magnetically biasable objects are ball bearings.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said magnetically biasable objects are accommodated by a separator for maintaining said magnetically biasable objects in a desired distribution.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said separator comprises a grid separator.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said separator comprises a channel separator.

40. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

interposing a display panel intermediate said generally inflexible layer and said input registration structure.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said display panel is an LCD display panel.

42. A touch panel, comprising:

an input registration structure comprising a magnetically biasable medium layer; and

a generally inflexible cover disposed on said input registration structure, the surface of said cover opposite said input registration structure defining a touch surface.

43. The touch panel of claim 42, wherein said input registration structure further comprises a pressure-sensitive layer arrangement adjacent said magnetically biasable medium layer for registering biasing of said biasable medium layer.

44. The touch panel of claim 43, wherein said pressure-sensitive layer is intermediate said input registration layer and said generally inflexible layer.

45. The touch panel of claim 44, wherein said magnetically biasable medium layer comprises a layer of ferrous paint applied to a flexible layer.

46. The touch panel of claim 44, wherein said biasable medium layer comprises a plurality of magnetically biasable objects.