Touch panel and operating system

• US 4,186,392 A
• Filed: 07/28/1978
• Issued: 01/29/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Burroughs Corp (Unisys Corporation)
• Inventors: Holz, George E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trafton, David L.
• Application Number:
  US05/928,958
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 340/365 C, 340/712
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer

Abstract

The disclosure is of a display device having a face plate for displaying information and carrying an electrode assembly which is coupled to the face plate of the display device. The electrode assembly includes an insulating support sheet having an inner surface and an outer surface, on each of which an array of rows and columns of conductive areas is formed. On the inner surface, the rows of conductive areas are electrically connected together to output contact pads at a side edge of the sheet, and, on the outer surface, the columns of conductive areas are electrically connected together to output contact pads along the lower edge of the sheet. Each outer conductive area overlies and is capacitively coupled to an inner conductive area. A column conductor which extends from a contact pad at an edge of the outer surface of the sheet is intimately capacitively coupled to each column of outer conductive areas.

The system of the invention includes a microprocessor which drives the columns of conductive areas sequentially and senses the energization of one of these areas to provide display information on the display device.

Claims

1. A touch panel display system comprising

a display device for displaying information,

a touch panel in operative relation with said display device,

said touch panel including

(1) an insulating support plate having an inner surface and an outer surface,

(2) an array of rows and columns of first conductive areas on the inner surface of said support plate, each row of said first conductive areas being connected by a row conductor to a row terminal,

(3) an array of rows and columns of second conductive areas on the outer surface of said support plate, each second area overlying a first area and being capacitively coupled thereto, each column of said second conductive areas being connected by a column conductor to a column terminal,

electronic circuit means coupled to said touch panel including

first means coupled to said column conductors for applying a strobe signal to each in turn and continuously,

second means coupled to each row conductor for receiving an output signal when one of said second conductive areas is touched by an operator,

third means for generating coordinate information from said output signal, and

fourth means for coupling said coordinate information to a display system wherein information is stored for display on said display device.

2. A touch panel display system comprising

a touch panel, coupled to the viewing screen of a display device, and having an array of rows and columns of first transparent conductive electrodes on its outer surface and a similar array of second transparent conductive electrodes on its inner surface,

a column conductor coupled to the columns of outer first electrodes and a row conductor coupled to the rows of inner second electrodes,

a microprocessor,

first means in said microprocessor coupled to said column conductors for applying a signal to each in turn and continuously for strobing said columns of first electrodes sequentially,

second means in said microprocessor for receiving an output signal when one of said first electrodes is touched by an operator,

a multiplexer coupled between all of said row conductors and second means in said microprocessor for providing said output signal for said second means,

third means in said microprocessor for generating coordinate information from said output signal and identifying said one touched first electrode, and

fourth means for coupling said coordinate information to a display system wherein information is stored for display on said device and the selected stored information is coupled to and displayed on said display device.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 and including a latch circuit between said microprocessor and said display system.

4. The system defined in claim 2 wherein said microprocessor includes fifth means for strobing said columns of first electrodes to strobe only the electrodes adjacent to the one electrode selected by an operator.