Method and apparatus for improved electronic touch mapping
First Claim
1. An improved human touch-sensitive panel for use in a touch-responsive apparatus for determining the location of a current-drawing human touch to said panel, said panel having extending thereon an electrically conductive layer of known spatial impedance properties, the panel further comprisinga first electrode network means disposed on said pannel at a selected location along a first panel axis, said electrode network means having at least three elongated electrode elements disposed along a direction transverse to the first axis, each said electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and an electrical voltage source signal;
- a second electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a second panel axis, said second electrode network means having at least three elongated electrode elements disposed along a direction transverse to the second axis, each said second electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and an electrical voltage source signal;
said first and second electrode network means defining, in part, a touch-effected region of said panel; and
interface means in electrical communication with said resistive layer and with at least three of said electrode elements for effecting substantially linear impedance mapping characteristics to a touch-effected region of said panel.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved touch-panel and method of increasing the percentage of useful area of a touch-sensitive panel include electrode elements in electrical communication with an electrically conductive layer of known spatial impedance characteristics. The touch-panel structure incorporates improved electrode structure and electrode to impedance layer interfacing elements which impart a more linear mapping function within an expanded touch-sensitive region of the resistive layer. The touch-panel can be utilized in a general touch-mapping system without resort to extensive mapping coordinate correction apparatus of earlier systems.
113 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An improved human touch-sensitive panel for use in a touch-responsive apparatus for determining the location of a current-drawing human touch to said panel, said panel having extending thereon an electrically conductive layer of known spatial impedance properties, the panel further comprising
a first electrode network means disposed on said pannel at a selected location along a first panel axis, said electrode network means having at least three elongated electrode elements disposed along a direction transverse to the first axis, each said electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and an electrical voltage source signal; -
a second electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a second panel axis, said second electrode network means having at least three elongated electrode elements disposed along a direction transverse to the second axis, each said second electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and an electrical voltage source signal; said first and second electrode network means defining, in part, a touch-effected region of said panel; and interface means in electrical communication with said resistive layer and with at least three of said electrode elements for effecting substantially linear impedance mapping characteristics to a touch-effected region of said panel. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a touch-responsive apparatus for determining the location of a current-drawing touch to a panel, said panel having extending thereon an electrically conductive layer of known spatial impedance properties and an electrode configuration in electrical contact with said layer, said apparatus having a source means for generating an electrical signal to establish in said impedance layer a designated electrical state, said apparatus further having means for determining the effective impedance from an electrode, of said electrode configuration, in contact with said layer to a said touch, for mapping the relative location of the touch, the improvement comprising
a first electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a first panel axis, said electrode network means having at least three elongated electrode elements disposed along a direction transverse to the first axis, each said electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer; -
a second electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a second panel axis, said second electrode network means having at least three elongated electrode elements disposed along a direction transverse to the second axis, each said second electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer; said first and second electrode network means defining, in part, a touch-effected region of said panel; a switching means having at least a first and a second mode and connected for selectively electrically connecting, in the first mode, the source means with at least one of the electrode elements of the first and second electrode network means, and for electrically isolating, in the second mode, at least some of the electrode elements of the first and second electrode network means from said source means; and interface means in electrical communication with said impedance layer and with at least three of said electrode elements for effecting substantially linear impedance mapping characteristics to a touch-effected region of said panel. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. In a human touch-responsive apparatus for determining the location of a current-drawing human touch to a touch-sensitive panel means, said panel means having extended thereon an electrically conductive layer of known spatial impedance properties and further having an electrode configuration in electrical contact with the layer, said apparatus having a source means for generating a signal to establish in said impedance layer a designated electrical state, said apparatus further having measuring means for determining the effective impedance from an electrode, of said electrode configuration, in contact with said layer, to said touch, for mapping the relative location of the touch, the improvement comprising
a first electrode network means disposed on said panel means at a selected location along a first panel axis, said electrode network means having at least three elongated electrode elements spaced-apart along a direction transverse to the first axis, each said electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer; -
a second electrode network means disposed on said panel means at a selected location along a second panel axis, said electrode network means having at least three elongated electrode elements spaced-apart along a direction transverse to the second axis, each said second electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer; said first and second electrode network means defining, in part, a touch-effected region of said panel means; and a switching means for selectively electrically connecting, in a first mode, the source means with at least some of the electrode elements of the first and second electrode network means and for electrically isolating in a second mode, at least some of the electrode elements of the first and second electrode network means from said source means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An improved human touch-sensitive panel for use in a touch-responsive apparatus for determining the location of a current-drawing human touch to said panel, said panel having extending thereon an electrically conductive layer of known spatial impedance properties, said panel comprising
a first electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a first panel axis, said electrode network means having at least one elongated electrode element along a direction transverse to the first axis, said electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and an electrical voltage source signal; -
a second electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a second panel axis, said second electrode network means having at least one elongated electrode element along a direction transverse to the second axis, said second electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and an electrical voltage source signal; said first and second electrode network means defining, in part, a touch-effected region of said panel; interface means in electrical communication with said resistive layer and with at least one of said electrode elements for effecting substantially linear impedance mapping characteristics to a touch-effected region of said panel; said interface means including resistive network means in electrical communication with at least one of said electrode elements and with said resistive layer for providing said electrical communication; and said resistive network means including an etched portion of said resistive layer. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. An improved human touch-sensitive panel for use in a touch-responsive apparatus for determining the location of a current-drawing human touch to said panel, said panel having extending thereon an electrically conductive layer of known spatial impedance properties, said panel comprising
a first electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a first panel axis, said electrode network means having at least one elongated electrode element along a direction transverse to the first axis, said electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and with a source of electrical potential; -
a second electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a second panel axis, said second electrode network means having at least one elongated electrode element along a direction transverse to the second axis, said second electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and with a source of electrical potential; said first and second electrode network means defining, in part, a touch-effected region of said panel; and interface means in electrical communication with said resistive layer and with at least one of said electrode elements for effecting substantially linear impedance mapping characteristics to a touch-effected region of said panel; wherein at least one of said first and second electrode network means includes a shaped electrode element disposed on, and in electrical communication with, said resistive layer, said shaped electrode element having at least a non-linear side facing an interior portion of said impedance layer.
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17. An improved touch-sensitive panel for use in a touch-responsive apparatus for determining the location of a current-drawing touch to said panel, said panel having extending thereon an electrically conductive layer of known spatial impedance properties, said panel comprising
a first electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a first panel axis, said electrode network means having at least one elongated electrode element along a direction transverse to the first axis, said electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer; -
a second electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a second panel axis, said second electrode network means having at least one elongated electrode element along a direction transverse to the second axis, said second electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer;
said first and second electrode network means defining, in part, a touch-effected region of said panel;
interface means in electrical communication with said resistive layer and with at least one of said electrode elements for effecting substantially linear impedance mapping characteristics to a touch-effected region of said panel;said first and second electrode network means each including a corner electrode element disposed on the panel in proximity to a region of intersection of axes of said first and second electrode networks, and a diode means for electrically connecting an electrode element of each said first and second electrode network means with the respective corner electrode element of said first and second electrode network means.
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18. In a human touch-responsive apparatus for determining the location of a current-drawing human touch to a panel, said panel having extending thereon an electrically conductive layer of known spatial impedance properties and an electrode configuration in electrical contact with said layer, said apparatus having a source means for generating a signal to establish in said impedance layer a designated electrical state, said apparatus further having means for determining the effective impedance from an electrode, of said electrode configuration, in contact with said layer to a said touch, for mapping the relative location of the touch, the improvement comprising
a first electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a first panel axis, said electrode network means having at least one elongated electrode element along a direction transverse to the first axis, said electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and an electrical voltage source; -
a second electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a second panel axis, said second electrode network means having at least one elongated electrode element along a direction transverse to the second axis, said second electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and an electrical voltage source; said first and second electrode network means defining, in part, a touch-effected region of said panel; a switching means for selectively electrically connecting, in a first mode, the source means with at least one of the electrode elements of the first and second electrode network means and for electrically isolating in a second mode, at least some of the electrode elements of the first and second electrode network means from said source means; interface means in electrical communication with said impedance layer and with at least one of said electrode elements for effecting substantially linear impedance mapping characteristics to a touch-effected region of said panel; and said switching means comprises a diode means in a series electrical connection between said source means and at least one said electrode element, said diode means having a circuit configuration for applying the same potential to selectively one of the first and third, or second and fourth, electrode network means.
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19. In a human touch-responsive apparatus for determining the location of a current-drawing human touch to a panel, said panel having extending thereon an electrically conductive layer of known spatial impedance properties and an electrode configuration in electrical contact with said layer, said apparatus having a source means for generating a signal to establish in said impedance layer a designated electrical state, said apparatus further having means for determining the effective impedance from an electrode, of said electrode configuration, in contact with said layer to a said touch, for mapping the relative location of the touch, the improvement comprising
a first electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a first panel axis, said electrode network means having at least three elongated electrode elements along a direction transverse to the first axis, each said electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and an electrical voltage source; -
a second electrode network means disposed on said panel at a selected location along a second panel axis, said second electrode network means having at least three elongated electrode elemenets along a direction transverse to the second axis, each said second electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer and an electrical voltage source; a third electrode network means disposed at a selected location along said first axis, said third electrode network means having at least three elongated electrode elements space apart along a direction transverse to said first axis, and spaced apart from said first electrode means, each said third electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer; a fourth electrode network means disposed at a selected location along said second axis spaced apart from said second electrode network means, said fourth electrode means having at least three elongated electrode elements spaced apart along a direction transverse to said second axis, each said fourth electrode element being in electrical communication with said impedance layer;
said four electrode network means defining between them said touch-effected region of said panel;a switching means for selectively electrically connecting, in a first mode, the source means with at least one of the electrode elements of the first and third or second and fourth electrode network means and for electrically isolating in a second mode, at least some of the electrode elements of the electrode network means from said source means; and said switching means comprises a parallel combination of a diode means and a resistive means in a series electrical connection between said source means and at least one said electrode element, said diode means having a circuit configuration for applying the same potential to selectively one of the first and third, or second and fourth, electrode network means. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification