TOUCH-SENSITIVE DEVICE AND DETECTION METHOD
First Claim
1. A touch-sensitive detecting device comprising a sensor associated with a control circuit,said sensor comprising a layer with at least an interface suitable for defining a detection area for at least one object in contact with said detection area, a number N of emitters and a number M of receivers coupled with said layer, said N emitters being suitable for emitting a beam of detection signals at a wavelength in said layer and said M receivers being suitable for receiving at least a detection signal of said beam of detection signals emitted by said emitters and for generating an output signal, said layer being transparent at the wavelength of said detection signals emitted by said N emitters and defining a waveguide for said detection signals, whereinsaid emitters and said receivers are arranged alternating with one another along at least one peripheral portion of said detection area;
- said control circuit is suitable for associating a subset of M receivers with each of said N emitters;
said control circuit is suitable for actuating said N emitters in a predefined sequence and for activating said subset of M receivers,said control circuit is also suitable for detecting for each active emitter of said predefined sequence said output signals of said associated subset of receivers to define a sequence of output signals;
said control circuit comprising a processing unit that is suitable for processing said sequence of output signals for determining at least a signal representative of said at least one object in contact with said detection area.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention refers to a touch-sensitive detecting device (1) comprising a sensor (10) associated with a control circuit (50), the sensor (10) comprising a layer (5) with at least an interface (6) suitable for defining a detection area (11) for at least one object (51) in contact with said detection area (11), a number N of emitters (15) and a number M of receivers (20) coupled with said layer (5), said N emitters (15) suitable for emitting a beam (Pn) of detection signals (30) at a wavelength in said layer (5) and said M receivers (20) being suitable for receiving at least a detection signal of said beam (Pn) of detection signals (30) emitted by said emitters (15) and for generating an output signal, said layer (5) being transparent at the wavelength of said detection signals (30) emitted by said N emitters (15) and defining a waveguide for said detection signals (30); the control circuit (50) is suitable for associating a subset of M receivers (20) with each of said N emitters (15), and is suitable for activating said N emitters (15) in a predefined sequence and for activating said M receivers (20); the control circuit (50) is also suitable for detecting for each active emitter (15) of the predefined sequence said output signals of said associated subset of receivers (20), for defining a sequence of output signals; the control circuit (50) comprising a processing unit (55) suitable for processing said sequence of output signals for determining at least one signal representative of said at least one object (51) in contact with said detection area (11).
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A touch-sensitive detecting device comprising a sensor associated with a control circuit,
said sensor comprising a layer with at least an interface suitable for defining a detection area for at least one object in contact with said detection area, a number N of emitters and a number M of receivers coupled with said layer, said N emitters being suitable for emitting a beam of detection signals at a wavelength in said layer and said M receivers being suitable for receiving at least a detection signal of said beam of detection signals emitted by said emitters and for generating an output signal, said layer being transparent at the wavelength of said detection signals emitted by said N emitters and defining a waveguide for said detection signals, wherein said emitters and said receivers are arranged alternating with one another along at least one peripheral portion of said detection area; -
said control circuit is suitable for associating a subset of M receivers with each of said N emitters; said control circuit is suitable for actuating said N emitters in a predefined sequence and for activating said subset of M receivers, said control circuit is also suitable for detecting for each active emitter of said predefined sequence said output signals of said associated subset of receivers to define a sequence of output signals; said control circuit comprising a processing unit that is suitable for processing said sequence of output signals for determining at least a signal representative of said at least one object in contact with said detection area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A detection method for a touch-sensitive device comprising a sensor controlled by a control circuit comprising a processing unit, said sensor comprising a layer having at least an interface suitable for defining a detection area for at least one object in contact with said detection area, a number N of emitters and a number M of receivers coupled with said layer, each of said N emitters suitable for emitting a beam of detection signals at a wavelength in said layer, said M receivers suitable for receiving at least a detection signal of said beam of detection signals emitted by said N emitters and for generating an output signal, said layer being transparent to the wavelength of said detection signals emitted by said N emitters and suitable for defining a waveguide for said detection signals;
-
wherein the method comprises; an association step, wherein said N emitters and said M receivers we associated alternating with one another along at least a peripheral portion of said detection area and wherein each of said N emitters is associated with a subset of said M receivers; actuating said N emitters in a predefined sequence and actuating said M receivers; detecting for each active emitter of said predefined sequence said output signals of said associated subset of receivers to define a sequence of output signals, the method further comprising a reconstruction step wherein said sequence of output signals is processed and compared with a suitable sequence of reference signals for generating at least a signal representative of said at least one object in contact with the detection area. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification