Conductive electrode arrays and arrays of resistive elements for use in touch panels and for producing electric fields

• US 4,755,634 A
• Filed: 07/12/1983
• Issued: 07/05/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Peptek Incorporated Bethesda MD
• Original Assignee: Peptek Incorporated
• Inventors: Pepper, William Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHREYER, STAFFORD
• Application Number:
  US06/513,133
• Time in Patent Office: 1,820 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 340/365 R, 340/365 UL, 340/365 S, 340/365 C, 340/365 A
• US Class Current: 178/18.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

Selected touch point locating apparatus has an array of two or more electrical touch members constituted by conductive electrodes or impedance elements coupled to a circuit for causing electric current to flow through a selected touch point as the algebraic sum of separate currents through the electrical touch members. The relative amplitudes are translated into at least two signals corresponding to the location in two axes of the selected touch point.

Claims

1. Apparatus for locating a selected touch point physically touched by a human finger and producing an electrical signal corresponding thereof, comprising,

an array of spaced conductive quadrant electrodes, said array of spaced conductive quadrant electrodes being constituted by four quadrant electrodes, a space between each quadrant electrode and its two adjacent quadrant electrodes being bridgable by said human finger such that electrical current through any quadrant electrode is proportional to an area touched by said finger,

means for causing an electric current to flow through said selected touch point as the algebraic sum of separate currents through said conductive electrodes, and

means for translating the amplitudes of said separate currents to at least one signal corresponding to the location of said selected touch point on said array of conductive electrodes.

2. The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said quadrant electrodes constitute a touch surface and including a thin insulating coating on said touch surface of said quadrant electrodes.

3. A method of entering information from a human to a data system comprising,

(1) providing a selected touch point locating apparatus having an array of spaced conductive quadrant electrodes, the space between each quadrant electrode and its respective neighboring quadrant electrodes being bridgable by a human finger such that electrical current through any quadrant electrode is proportional to an area touched by said human finger,

(2) rolling the finger on said quadrant electrodes,

(3) causing an electrical current to flow through a selected touch point as an algebraic sum of separate currents through said quadrant electrodes, and

(4) translating the amplitudes of said separate currents to at least one signal corresponding to location of said selected touch point on said quadrant electrodes.

4. A human-machine interface apparatus comprising:

an impedance surface having at least two electrical connections, said surface so disposed that it can be touched by a portion of a human'"'"'s anatomy;

an electronic circuit means connected to said impedance surface for producing at least one output signal, said output signal corresponding to a location of a point on said impedance surface physically touched by a said portion of the human anatomy, and applying said signal to a utilization device; and

tactile means located at one or more selected points with respect to said impedance surface for conveying information, via said portion of the human anatomy, to said human.

5. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said impedance surface is a resistance element extended along a predetermined path between a pair of fixed points, and said tactile means are located adjacent to said resistance element.

6. The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said impedance surface has three or more connections, said electronic circuitry produces at least two output signals corresponding to the location of the point in two dimensions, and said tactile means is constituted by one or more protuberances and indentations at one or more selected points with respect to said impedance surface.