CONTACTLESS USER INTERFACE

• US 20140362051A1
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Published: 12/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation), ISORG SA
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation), ISORG SA
• Inventors: Gomez, Jean-Yves, Jamet, Laurent, Guerineau, Emmanuel, Premont, Christophe
• Application Number:
  US14/347,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20140362051A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

The invention relates to a user interface device (10) comprising a matrix of photon sensors (12), adapted for detecting variations in the shadow of an actuation member (16) and for deducing therefrom an item of information representative of a variation of position of the actuation member.

Claims

1. A user interface device comprising an array of photon sensors, capable of detecting variations of the shadow of an actuating element and of deducing therefrom information representative of a distance variation between the actuating element and the sensor array.

2. The device of claim 1, capable of detecting variations of the light intensity level received by the sensors, and of deducing said information therefrom.

3. The device of claim 1, capable of deducing from the shadow variations information representative of a variation of the position of the actuating element parallel to the array of sensors.

4. The device of claim 1, comprising no optical system between the sensor array and the actuating element.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein a translucent protection layer coats the sensor array.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the surface area of the sensor array is larger than the surface area of the actuating element opposite to said array.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the actuating element is at a distance greater than ten centimeters away from the sensor array.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a light display pixel array.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the photon sensors are made of transparent materials.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising an infrared emitter array.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising a darkness sensor and means for activating the infrared emitters when the brightness is lower than a threshold.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the photon sensors are organic sensors formed by deposition of organic conductive and semiconductive materials in liquid form on a dielectric support.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the dielectric support is made of a material from the group comprising glass, plastic, paper, cardboard, and fabric.

14. An interactive display surface comprising the user interface device of claim 12, and display means formed by deposition of organic conductive and semiconductive materials in liquid form on said dielectric support.

15. The method of manufacturing a device of claim 12, wherein said sensors are formed at a temperature smaller than 150°

C. and at the atmospheric pressure.

16. An interactive display surface comprising the user interface device of claim 13, and display means formed by deposition of organic conductive and semiconductive materials in liquid form on said dielectric support.

17. The method of manufacturing a device of claim 13, wherein said sensors are formed at a temperature smaller than 150°

C. and at the atmospheric pressure.