Bezel-less Acoustic Touch Apparatus

• US 20110234545A1
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Yoshikazu, Avery, Timothy O., Gao, Ting, Haller, Jeffrey T., Kent, Joel C., Scharff, Daniel H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,576,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate

Abstract

An acoustic touch apparatus is provided that includes a substrate capable of propagating surface acoustic waves, such as Rayleigh-type or Love-type waves. The substrate has a front surface, a back surface, and a curved connecting surface formed between the front surface and the back surface. The apparatus also includes at least one acoustic wave transducer and at least one reflective array, the acoustic wave transducer and the reflective array behind the back surface of the substrate. The acoustic wave transducer is capable of transmitting or receiving surface acoustic waves to or from the reflective array. The reflective array is capable of acoustically coupling the surface acoustic waves to propagate from the back surface and across the front surface via the curved connecting surface. Various types of acoustic touch apparatus with edge sensitive touch functions can be provided, according to specific embodiments.

Claims

1. An acoustic touch apparatus, comprising:

a substrate capable of propagating surface acoustic waves, said substrate having a front surface, a back surface, and a curved connecting surface formed between said front surface and said back surface; and

at least one acoustic wave transducer and at least one reflective array, said acoustic wave transducer and said reflective array behind said back surface, said acoustic wave transducer capable of transmitting or receiving surface acoustic waves to or from said reflective array, and said reflective array is capable of acoustically coupling said surface acoustic waves to propagate between said back surface and said front surface via said curved connecting surface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said front surface includes a nominal touch region and a peripheral region external to said nominal touch region;

and said apparatus further comprising;

a controller determining a coordinate of a touch on said nominal touch region, on said peripheral region or on said curved connecting surface, based on detected waveform perturbations of said surface acoustic waves, said controller electrically coupled to said acoustic wave transducer;

a display behind said back surface; and

wherein said peripheral region is not covered by a bezel.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controller upon determining said coordinate of said touch on said peripheral region or on said curved connecting surface generates touch coordinate data for said peripheral region or said curved connecting surface.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said touch coordinate data initiates an edge sensitive touch function of said apparatus.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said apparatus is provided with a plurality of edge sensitive touch functions corresponding to different coordinates on said peripheral region or on said curved connecting surface.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one beam splitter.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said beam splitter is behind said back surface.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said substrate has a thickness T and said curved connecting surface joins said front surface and said back surface via at least one curved section having a radius R ranging between about T/3 and about T/16.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said acoustic wave transducer and said reflective array are coupled to said back surface via an acoustically benign layer on said back surface.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said acoustically benign layer comprises an inorganic material.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said acoustically benign layer is opaque or translucent.

12. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said acoustic wave transducer and said reflective array are coupled to said back surface via an acoustically benign layer on said back surface, said acoustically benign layer providing an icon indicating said edge touch sensitive function.

13. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said acoustic wave transducers, said reflective arrays and said beam splitter are coupled to said back surface via an acoustically benign layer on said back surface.

14. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said edge sensitive touch function comprises an input action initiated by determining a gesture is occurring.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one conductive electrode disposed near said peripheral region or said curved connecting surface.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said at least one conductive electrode is behind said back surface.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said at least one conductive electrode comprises reflective elements of said reflective array and a conductive lead coupling said reflective elements, wherein said at least one conductive electrode and said reflective elements are formed on said back surface via an acoustically benign layer.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second reflective array, wherein said second reflective array and said at least one reflecting array share a common reflector element.

21. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said display is mounted behind said back surface via a bracket and within a housing, said housing not having said bezel.

22. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said substrate has a thickness T and at least said curved connecting surface is coupled between said front surface and said back surface, said curved connecting surface having a radius R of about 2.7λ

.

23. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said curved connecting surface is coupled between said front surface or said back surface via at least one flat portion.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, wherein said at least one flat portion forms an angle of less than 8 degrees from either said front surface or said back surface.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said curved connecting surface comprises two curved portions coupled with at least one flat portion between said two curved portions.

26. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said housing is coupled to said back surface of said substrate via a gasket with a wiper blade cross section.

27. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising first bracket, a spring bracket, and a gasket with a wiper blade cross section and having a minimal portion in contact with said substrate, said first bracket coupled between said back surface and a first side of said gasket, said spring bracket coupled to a second side of said gasket and a bottom surface of said first bracket such that said gasket provides a pressure seal between said substrate and a frame surrounding said substrate.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said display is mounted behind said back surface using a third bracket connected to a fourth bracket, said third bracket connected to said frame, said fourth bracket fastened to said spring bracket and said first bracket.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28, wherein a portion of said gasket is above of a perimeter of said frame.

19. An acoustic touch apparatus, comprising:

a substrate capable of propagating surface acoustic waves, said substrate having a front surface, a back surface, and a curved connecting surface formed between said front surface and said back surface, wherein said front surface includes a nominal touch region and a peripheral region external to said nominal touch region, said peripheral region not covered by a bezel;

at least one acoustic wave transducer and at least one reflective array, said acoustic wave transducer and said reflective array coupled to said back surface via an acoustically benign layer on said back surface, said acoustic wave transducer capable of transmitting or receiving surface acoustic waves to or from said reflective array, and said reflective array is capable of acoustically coupling said surface acoustic waves to propagate between said back surface and said front surface via said curved connecting surface;

a controller determining a coordinate of a touch on said nominal touch region, on said peripheral region or on said curved connecting surface, based on detected waveform perturbations of said surface acoustic waves, said controller electrically coupled to said acoustic wave transducer; and

a display disposed behind said back surface.

30. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein an acoustically attenuating and optically transparent layer is disposed between said back surface and said display.

20. An acoustic touch apparatus, comprising:

a substrate capable of propagating surface acoustic waves, said substrate having a front surface, a back surface, and a curved connecting surface formed between said front surface and said back surface, wherein said front surface includes a nominal touch region and a peripheral region external to said nominal touch region, said peripheral region not covered by a bezel;

at least one acoustic wave transducer and at least one reflective array, said acoustic wave transducer and said reflective array coupled to said back surface via an acoustically benign layer on said back surface, said acoustic wave transducer capable of transmitting or receiving surface acoustic waves to or from said reflective array, and said reflective array is capable of acoustically coupling said surface acoustic waves to propagate between said back surface and said front surface via said curved connecting surface;

a controller determining a coordinate of a touch on said nominal touch region, on said peripheral region or on said curved connecting surface, based on detected waveform perturbations of said surface acoustic waves, said controller electrically coupled to said acoustic wave transducer, wherein said controller upon determining said coordinate of said touch on said peripheral region or on said curved connecting surface generates touch coordinate data for said peripheral region or said curved connecting surface.