TOUCH SURFACE SENSOR

• US 20110007022A1
• Filed: 02/14/2008
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: DAV Société par actions simplifiée
• Original Assignee: DAV Société par actions simplifiée
• Inventors: Drouin, Xavier, Chartrain, Cedric, Laurent, Patrice
• Application Number:
  US12/528,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20110007022A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface

Abstract

The invention relates to a touch-surface sensor (1) that comprises a touch surface using pressure-sensitive resistors in a control area (2) defining at least one closed path, characterised in that the touch surface includes a first active strip (3) capable of providing a first signal (6a) to a processing unit (8) corresponding to a bearing area of a control finger applied on said first strip (3), and at least one second active strip (5) capable of providing a second signal (6b) to the processing unit (8) corresponding to the bearing area of a control finger applied on said second strip (5), said active strips (3, 5) being arranged so as to locate a bearing in the entire control area (2). The invention also relates to an electric control device comprising a touch-surface sensor (1) as described above.

Claims

1. A sensor with a touch-sensitive surface comprising:

a touch-sensitive surface using pressure-sensitive resistors in a control zone forming at least one closed line,

wherein the touch-sensitive surface comprises;

a first active strip capable of supplying a first signal to a processing unit corresponding to a pressure zone of a control finger applied to said first active strip, and

at least one second active strip capable of supplying a second signal to the processing unit corresponding to a pressure zone of a control finger applied to said second active strip, wherein said first and second active strips are placed so as to be able to locate a pressure in the control zone.

2. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein each active strip has an annular shape that is open via a gap, and wherein the first and second active strips are superposed so that the gaps are angularly offset from one another in the control zone.

3. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first and second active strips face one another, and wherein the two facing active strips have one support layer in common, supporting on either side a track associated with each active strip.

4. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second active strips are assembled in series.

5. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control zone has a polygonal shape.

6. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control zone has a circular shape.

7. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least one of the first and second active strips has a circularly arcuate shape.

8. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second active strips are identical.

9. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control zone forms at least two closed lines and the first and second active strips have symmetrical shapes.

11. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gaps between the first and second active strips have a width that is smaller than the width of the pressure zone of the control finger.

12. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two ends of active strips are placed end-to-end so that they are parallel with one another and oblique relative to a direction moving from a center of the at least one closed line.

13. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two ends of a same active strip are parallel with one another.

14. The sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two ends of the first and second active strips placed end-to-end have a chevron shape.

15. An electric control device, wherein the electric control device comprises a sensor with a touch-sensitive surface as claimed in claim 1.

10. (canceled)