Interactive Surface Optical System
First Claim
1. A pressure-responsive optical system comprising:
- a first optical waveguide configured to convey electromagnetic radiation, the first optical waveguide being deformable in response to pressure;
a second optical waveguide for receiving electromagnetic radiation positioned in proximity to the first optical waveguide such that pressure applied to the optical system causes the electromagnetic radiation to be coupled from the first optical waveguide to the second optical waveguide;
one or more electromagnetic radiation detectors configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation coupled from the first optical waveguide to second optical waveguide and to determine the position at which the electromagnetic radiation is coupled from the first optical waveguide to the second optical waveguide.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A device capable of obtaining information about objects both in contact with a surface and near to, but not in contact with, a surface of the device. The information may include position relative to the surface, pressure when in contact with the surface, shape of the object or objects, and many other properties. Certain embodiments make use of optical waveguides comprising a photoluminescent material which responds to first electromagnetic radiation of a first spectrum propagated through the system by emitting second electromagnetic radiation of a second spectrum. The distribution of the first electromagnetic radiation is altered by pressure on the surface or by the presence of objects near the surface of the device. The distribution of the second electromagnetic radiation is measured using photosensors and processed to determine desired information.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A pressure-responsive optical system comprising:
-
a first optical waveguide configured to convey electromagnetic radiation, the first optical waveguide being deformable in response to pressure; a second optical waveguide for receiving electromagnetic radiation positioned in proximity to the first optical waveguide such that pressure applied to the optical system causes the electromagnetic radiation to be coupled from the first optical waveguide to the second optical waveguide; one or more electromagnetic radiation detectors configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation coupled from the first optical waveguide to second optical waveguide and to determine the position at which the electromagnetic radiation is coupled from the first optical waveguide to the second optical waveguide. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. An optical system comprising:
-
a source of electromagnetic radiation which interacts with an object to be detected by the optical system; an optical waveguide configured to convey at least a portion of electromagnetic radiation following interaction with the object to be detected, the optical waveguide having one or more photoluminescent regions, each of the one or more photoluminescent regions having a an excitation spectrum, at least a part of the excitation spectrum of the photoluminescent region overlapping the spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation conveyed by the optical waveguide, an imager receiving the stimulated emission from the one or more photoluminescent regions to determine the location of the object to be detected by the optical system.
-
Specification