Touch panel system and method
First Claim
1. In a video game system having a visual display, electronic game generating means for generating control signals for said visual display according to the game being played including at least one player controlled game element, at least one player controlled signal generator, said electronic game generating means having input means for receiving control signals from said player controlled signal generator and controlling the position of said player controlled game element in said visual display, at least one player touchable electrically conductive surface, said at least one player touchable electrically conductive surface being adapted to be touched by one or more player'"'"'s fingers, and means for electrically sensing the position of said player'"'"'s finger on said electrically conductive player touchable surface and producing a position signal corresponding thereto which position signal is applied to said at least one player control signal input means of said electronic game generator so as to control the position of the player'"'"'s game element in said visual display, the improvement in said means for electrically sensing the position of said player'"'"'s finger on said electrically conductive player touchable surface comprising,said at least one player touchable surface having at least a pair of current collecting means on said surface through which separate currents flow,means for causing an electrical current to flow through the point touched on said player touchable surface as the sum of the separate currents passing through said electrically conductive surface between the point touched and each boundary of said at least a pair of current collecting means, andratiometric means for translating said separate currents to an electrical signal corresponding to the position of the point touched on said player touchable surface and constituting said position signal applied to said at least one player control signal input means of said electronic game generator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A general method is disclosed for accurately determining the location or position of a source or sink of electric current on the surface of a resistance element or impedance layer. Touch panels are described that detect the presence of a user'"'"'s finger on such surface, and produce output signals corresponding to the position of the finger in one or more axes. A preferred embodiment discloses a touch panel that includes a signal generator and determines the position of the user'"'"'s finger from current flowing through the user'"'"'s body to ground. Another touch panel embodiment determines the position of the user'"'"'s finger from currents caused by ambient electrical noise. A pressure-sensitive touch panel, a transparent touch panel for use with a video display, a touch-panel-controlled audio mixer, and a video game incorporating touch panels are also disclosed.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. In a video game system having a visual display, electronic game generating means for generating control signals for said visual display according to the game being played including at least one player controlled game element, at least one player controlled signal generator, said electronic game generating means having input means for receiving control signals from said player controlled signal generator and controlling the position of said player controlled game element in said visual display, at least one player touchable electrically conductive surface, said at least one player touchable electrically conductive surface being adapted to be touched by one or more player'"'"'s fingers, and means for electrically sensing the position of said player'"'"'s finger on said electrically conductive player touchable surface and producing a position signal corresponding thereto which position signal is applied to said at least one player control signal input means of said electronic game generator so as to control the position of the player'"'"'s game element in said visual display, the improvement in said means for electrically sensing the position of said player'"'"'s finger on said electrically conductive player touchable surface comprising,
said at least one player touchable surface having at least a pair of current collecting means on said surface through which separate currents flow, means for causing an electrical current to flow through the point touched on said player touchable surface as the sum of the separate currents passing through said electrically conductive surface between the point touched and each boundary of said at least a pair of current collecting means, and ratiometric means for translating said separate currents to an electrical signal corresponding to the position of the point touched on said player touchable surface and constituting said position signal applied to said at least one player control signal input means of said electronic game generator.
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5. An electronic game having a visual display including at least one player controlled game element,
electronic game generating means including at least one player controlled signal generator and means for generating signals for operating said display, the improvement comprising: -
said player controlled signal generator including a touch panel having a player touchable impedance surface, electronic means for sensing the position touched by a player on said impedance surface and producing an electrical signal corresponding to the position touched and supplying said electrical signal to said player controlled signal generator to control the action of said player controlled game element in said visual display, said means for sensing the position touched including said touch panel having two pairs of spaced boundaries defining said impedance surface with an X line passing through one boundary pair being orthogonal to a Y line passing through the other of said pair of spaced boundaries, means along said boundaries for linearizing current flow to said boundaries, means for causing an electrical current to flow through the point on said touch panel touched by the player as the sum of separate linearized currents passing through each of said boundaries and ratiometric means for translating said separate currents to at least one signal corresponding to the coordinates along said X and Y lines, respectively, from one boundary of each axis. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification