DETECTING THE LOCATION OF AN OBJECT ON A TOUCH SURCACE
First Claim
1. An apparatus for detecting a location of at least one object on a touch surface, said apparatus comprising:
- a panel defining the touch surface and an opposite surface;
an input scanner arrangement adapted to introduce at least two beams of radiation into the panel for propagation by internal reflection between the touch surface and the opposite surface, and to sweep the beams along the touch surface across a sensing area of the panel;
an output scanner arrangement which is synchronized with the input scanner arrangement so as to receive the beams from said input scanner arrangement while they are swept across the sensing area and to direct the beams onto at least one radiation detector;
wherein said input and output scanner arrangements are configured to introduce and receive each beam on opposite ends of said sensing area;
said apparatus further comprising a data processor connected to said at least one radiation detector and configured to identify said location based on an attenuation of said beams caused by the object touching the touch surface within said sensing area.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus is controlled to detect a location of an object on a touch surface of a panel. An input scanner arrangement introduces at least two beams of radiation into the panel for propagation by internal reflection, and sweeps the beams inside the panel across a sensing area. An output scanner arrangement is synchronized with the input scanner arrangement so as to receive the beams from the input scanner arrangement while they are swept across the sensing area and to direct the beams onto at least one radiation detector. Thereby, each beam is introduced and received on opposite ends of the sensing area. A data processor is connected to the radiation detector and operated to identify the location based on an attenuation of the beams caused by the object touching the touch surface within the sensing area.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting a location of at least one object on a touch surface, said apparatus comprising:
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a panel defining the touch surface and an opposite surface; an input scanner arrangement adapted to introduce at least two beams of radiation into the panel for propagation by internal reflection between the touch surface and the opposite surface, and to sweep the beams along the touch surface across a sensing area of the panel; an output scanner arrangement which is synchronized with the input scanner arrangement so as to receive the beams from said input scanner arrangement while they are swept across the sensing area and to direct the beams onto at least one radiation detector; wherein said input and output scanner arrangements are configured to introduce and receive each beam on opposite ends of said sensing area; said apparatus further comprising a data processor connected to said at least one radiation detector and configured to identify said location based on an attenuation of said beams caused by the object touching the touch surface within said sensing area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. (canceled)
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20. A method of detecting a location of at least one object on a touch surface, said method comprising:
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introducing at least two beams of radiation into a panel that defines the touch surface and an opposite surface, said beams propagating by internal reflection between the touch surface and the opposite surface; sweeping the beams along the touch surface across a sensing area of the panel; receiving the beams at an opposite end of the sensing area and, synchronously with said sweeping, directing the beams onto at least one radiation detector; and identifying said location based on an attenuation of said beams caused by the object touching the touch surface within said sensing area, said attenuation being identifiable from an output signal of the radiation detector.
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21. A method of operating an apparatus for detecting a location of at least one object on a touch surface, said touch surface being part of a panel that defines the touch surface and an opposite surface, said method comprising:
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operating an input scanner arrangement to introduce at least two beams of radiation into the panel for propagation by internal reflection between the touch surface and the opposite surface, and to sweep the beams along the touch surface across a sensing area of the panel; operating an output scanner arrangement in synchronization with the input scanner arrangement so as to receive the beams at an opposite end of the sensing area while they are swept across the sensing area and to direct the beams onto at least one radiation detector; and identifying said location based on an attenuation of said beams caused by the object touching the touch surface within said sensing area, said attenuation being identifiable from an output signal of the radiation detector. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification