Touch sensing technology

• US 20100090973A1
• Filed: 10/06/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cherif Atia Algreatly
• Original Assignee: Cherif Atia Algreatly
• Inventors: Algreatly, Cherif Atia
• Granted Patent: US 8,711,109 B2
• 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

The present touch sensing technology enables detecting the position of touch between an object and a surface, and the direction of this object in three dimensions while touching the surface. Said object can be a user'"'"'s finger, a pen, or the like, while said surface can be a touchpad, a touch screen, a computer mouse, a button of a computer keyboard, a 3D computer input device, or the like.

Claims

1. A touch sensing system to detect the position and the value of a force that is exerted perpendicular to a surface, wherein said touch sensing system is comprised of;

a surface 110 which is a rectangular surface that transfers said force from said position to the four corners of said surface;

four force sensors 120 where each one of said four force sensors is positioned at a corner of said surface parallel to said force to detect the exerted force at said corner and generate a signal representing the value of said exerted force at said corner, and

a microprocessor that receives the signals of said four force sensors and provides the computer system with an immediate input representing the position and the value of said force.

4. The touch sensing system of claim 1 wherein said surface is a touchpad and said force is an object such as a user'"'"'s finger, a pen, or the like.

5. The touch sensing system of claim 1 wherein said surface is a portable touch screen which is a flexible transparent sheet that can be attached to a computer display from its four corners, and said force is a user'"'"'s finger, a pen, or the like

6. The touch sensing system of claim 1 wherein said four force sensors are more than four force sensors to detect the positions and the values of more than one force.

2. A touch sensing system to detect the value and the direction of a force that is exerted parallel to a surface, wherein said touch sensing system is comprised of;

a surface 110 which is a rectangular surface that transfers said force from said position to the four sides of said surface;

four force sensors 150 where each one of said four force sensors is positioned at a side of said surface parallel to said force to detect the exerted force at said side and generate a signal representing the value of said exerted force at said side, and

a microprocessor that receives the signals of said four force sensors and provides the computer system with an immediate input representing the value and the direction of said force.

7. The touch sensing system of claim 2 wherein said surface is a computer mouse, and said force is a user'"'"'s hand.

8. The touch sensing system of claim 2 wherein said four force sensors are more than four force sensors to detect the value and the direction of more than one force.

14. The touch sensing system of claim 7 wherein the direction of said force represents the same direction of moving an object on the computer display, and the value of said force represents the speed of moving said object on the computer display.

3. A touch sensing system to detect the position, the value, and the direction of a force that is exerted on a surface, wherein said touch sensing system is comprised of;

a surface 110 which is a rectangular surface that transfers said force from said position to the four corners and the four sides of said surface;

a first group of four force sensors 120 where each one of said four force sensors is positioned at a corner of said surface to detect the exerted force at said corner and generate a signal representing the value of said exerted force at said corner;

a second group of four force sensors 150 where each one of said four force sensors is positioned at a side of said surface to detect the exerted force at said side and generate a signal representing the value of said exerted force at said side, and

a microprocessor that receives the signals of said first group of four force sensors and said second group of four force sensors, and provides the computer system with an immediate input representing the position, the value, and the direction of said force.

9. The touch sensing system of claim 3 wherein said touch surface is a touchpad, and said force is an object such as a user'"'"'s finger, a pen, or the like.

10. The touch sensing system of claim 3 wherein said surface is a keyboard button, and said force is a user'"'"'s finger.

11. The touch sensing system of claim 3 wherein said touch surface is a cube 290 where each face of said cube is connected to a force sensors 300.

12. The touch sensing system of claim 3 wherein said touch surface is a sphere 310 where said sphere is connected to six force sensors 340 positioned identically apart from each other.

13. The touch sensing system of claim 3 wherein said first groups of sensors and said second group of sensors are more than four force sensors to detect the positions, the values, and the directions of more than one force.

15. The touch sensing system of claim 9 wherein the direction of said force in three dimensions represents the same direction of moving an object in three dimensions on the computer display, and the value of said force represents the speed of moving the object in three dimensions on the computer display.

16. The touch sensing system of claim 10 wherein each unique direction of said force provides the computer system with a unique keyboard shortcut.

17. The touch sensing system of claim 11 wherein the direction of said force in three dimensions represents the same direction of moving an object in three dimensions on the computer display, and the value of said force represents the speed of moving the object in three dimensions on the computer display.

18. The touch sensing system of claim 12 wherein said interior sphere has an opening to enable the user to insert his/her finger inside it where said interior sphere moves with the finger movement to exert a force on said six force sensors.