TOUCH-SENSITIVE DEVICE AND COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20120262383A1
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kleverman, Mats, Moran, Jonas
• Granted Patent: US 8,711,114 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9631 using a light source as part of the switch

Abstract

Touch-sensitive device (10) that comprises a substrate (12) comprising a first set of holes extending in a first direction (14) through said substrate (12) whereby each hole forms an opening at a first side (12a) of said substrate (12) and a second set of holes extending in a second direction (16) through said substrate (12) whereby each hole forms an opening at said first side (12a) of said substrate (12), where said second direction (16) intersects said first direction (14). A transmitter (18) arranged to transmit electromagnetic radiation through said first set of holes, and a receiver (20) is arranged to receive electromagnetic radiation transmitted through said second set of holes, whereby the touch-sensitive device (10) is arranged to detect the presence and/or position of an object (22) on or above said first side (12a) of said substrate (12).

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive device comprising:

substrate comprising a first set of holes extending in a first direction through said substrate, wherein each hole forms an opening at a first side of said substrate,

a second set of holes extending in a second direction through said substrate, wherein each hole forms an opening at said first side of said substrate, where said second direction intersects said first direction,

a transmitter arranged to transmit electromagnetic radiation through said first set of holes, and

a receiver arranged to receive electromagnetic radiation transmitted through said second set of holes, wherein the touch-sensitive device is arranged to detect the presence and/or position of an object on or above said first side of said substrate by detecting electromagnetic radiation reflected from said object.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said second direction is arranged to intersect said first direction at a distance of 0 mm, 0-1 mm, 1-2 mm, 2-5 mm or 5-20 mm above said first side of the substrate.

3. The device according to claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a third set of holes extending in a third direction through said substrate, wherein each hole forms an opening at said first side of said substrate, and a light source is arranged to transmit light through the third set of holes.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said third direction is arranged to intersect said first direction and said second direction.

5. The device, of claim 1, wherein said transmitter and said receiver are arranged to respectively transmit/receive at least one of the following:

infrared (IR), near infrared, visible, or ultraviolet radiation.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said first set of holes, said second set of holes and/or said third set of holes are at least partly filled with transparent material.

7. The device, of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises non-transparent material or electrically conducting material.

8. The device, of claim 1, wherein said first set of holes, said second set of holes and/or said third set of holes have a maximum transverse dimension of 1-100 μ

m.

9. The device of claim 3, wherein at least one of said openings of said first, second or third set of holes is arranged to have a shape, size, colour and/or texture that is different to at least one other opening of said first, second or third set of holes.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said openings of said first set of holes and said second set of holes cover only part of said first side of said substrate.

11. A communication device, comprising a touch-sensitive device according to claim 1.

12. The communication device according to claim 11, wherein the communication device comprises a mobile telephone, media player, Personal Communications System (PCS) terminal, Personal Data Assistant (PDA), laptop computer, palmtop receiver, camera, television, radar or any appliance that includes a transducer designed to transmit and/or receive radio, television, telephone and/or radar signals.