Voice and image teleconferencing system including paperless facsimile means

• US 4,827,085 A
• Filed: 01/06/1988
• Issued: 05/02/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: OIS Optical Imaging Systems, Inc. (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Yaniv, Zvi, Catchpole, Clive
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHREYER, STAFFORD
• Application Number:
  US07/141,230
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 379/96, 340/706, 340/758, 340/771, 340/784
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication

Abstract

Disclosed is an image data input and display means, and a voice and data electronic teleconferencing system incorporating the image data input and display means. The image data input and display means includes sensor means for inputting image data integrally with means for displaying both the local input image data and remotely inputted image data.

Claims

1. A teleconferencing system adapted for transmission of speech and image data, said system comprising:

a. speech circuit means adapted to transmit and receive speech acoustical data;

b. touch position sensor image data input means for converting analog image data to first digital image data, and display means substantially integral with said image data input means for displaying said first digital image data;

i. said touch position sensor image data input means comprising;

(a). a transparent conductive surface disposed integrally with said display means;

(b). two pairs of diode controlled current distribution and collection means, each member of a pair being parallel to and spaced from the other member of the pair, the two pairs being orthogonal to each other, and operatively associated with said conductive surface for establishing a uniform electric field on said conducive surface;

(c). resistance means electrically interconnecting said current distribution and collection means and said conductive surface;

(d). control means operatively associated with said current distribution and collection means and adapted to sequentially turn on one set of said current collection and distribution means and simultaneously turn off the other set of current distribution and collection means; and

(e). means for determining the distribution of the electric field across said surface and correlating said field distribution with the location of a touch point on said surface;

(ii). said display means being an active matrix liquid crystal light influencing display means having a plurality of pixels arranged to form pixel rows and columns in an x-y array thereof, so that each pixel belongs to a pixel row and a pixel column, each pixel having non-linear isolation means between individual pixels, and comprising;

(a). an insulative substrate;

(b). a first pixel electrode formed on said substrate;

(c). first address lead means formed on said substrate;

(d). first non-linear isolation means in series between said first address lead means and said first pixel electrode;

(e). second address lead means insulated from said first address lead means;

(f). second non-linear isolation means in series with said first electrode means and said second address lead means;

(g). a second pixel electrode spaced from and substantially parallel to said first pixel electrode; and

(h). light influencing means disposed between at least said electrodes;

c. transmitting means for transmitting outgoing analog image data to a telecommunications network;

d. receiving means for receiving incoming analog image data from the telecommunications network; and

e. processing means for processing analog data and storing digital date to form an image display, including modulating means for converting the first digital image data to outgoing analog image data, said demodulating means for converting incoming analog image to second digital image data; and

f. switch means for switching said teleconferencing system between

(i). transmitting and receiving speech acoustical data; and

(ii). transmitting and receiving modulated image data.

2. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein electrically anisotropic resistance means electrically interconnect said conductive surface to said current distribution and collection means.

3. The teleconferencing system of claim 2, wherein said electrically anisotropic means comprises an electrically resistive polymeric matrix with conductive material distributed therewithin.

4. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said current distribution and collection means comprise elongated distributed diode means.

5. The teleconferencing system of claim 4, wherein said elongated distributed diode means comprise a plurality of vertically superposed, coextensive thin film layers of semiconductor alloy material deposited on a substrate.

6. The teleconferencing system of claim 5, wherein said distributed diode means includes an elongated layer of conductive material disposed on the side of said thin film layers opposite said substrate, said elongated layer of conductive material having a sheet impedance greater than the sheet impedance of the plurality of thin film layers.

7. The teleconferencing system of claim 5, wherein one of a set of said current distribution and collection means include superposed layers of PIN semiconductor alloy material and the other of said set of current distribution and collection means include superposed layers of NIP semiconductor alloy material.

8. The teleconferencing system of claim 1 wherein said conductive surface is formed from a transparent conductive oxide.

9. The teleconferencing system of claim 8, wherein said transparent conductive oxide is selected form the group consisting essentially of indium tin oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, antimony doped tin oxide, and combinations thereof.

10. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said isolation devices are diodes formed from deposited semiconductor material.

11. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said pixel electrodes comprises a transparent conductive material;

said transparent conductive material being indium tin oxide.

12. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said first and second isolation devices each comprise a plurality of series connected diodes.

13. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said isolation devices are transistors.

14. The teleconferencing system of claim 13, wherein said transistors are thin film field effect transistors and said current path terminals are source electrodes and drain electrodes.

15. The data input and display means of claim 14, wherein said thin film transistors have channel regions formed of deposited semiconductor material.

16. The data input and display means of claim 15, wherein said deposited semiconductor material comprises silicon.

17. The data input and display means of claim 16, wherein said semiconductor material is an amorphous alloy of silicon.

18. A teleconferencing system adapted for transmission of speech and image data, said system comprising:

a. speech circuit means adapted to transmit and receive speech acoustical data;

b. touch position sensor image data input means for converting analog image data to first digital image data, and display means substantially integral with said image data input means for displaying said first digital image data;

i. said touch position sensor image data input means comprising;

(a). a transparent conductive surface disposed integrally with said display means;

(b). two pairs of thin film distributed diode controlled current distribution and collection means, each member of a pair being parallel to and spaced from the other member of the pair, the two pairs being substantially orthogonal to each other, and operatively associated with said conductive surface for establishing a uniform electric field across said conductive surface, said thin film distributed diode controlled current distribution and collection means comprising a plurality of vertically superposed, substantially coextensive, thin film layers of semiconductor alloy deposited on a substrate;

(c). electrically anisotropic resistance means electrically interconnecting said current distribution and collection means and said conductive surface;

(d). control means operatively associated with said current distribution and collection means and adapted to sequentially turn on one set of said current collection and distribution means and simultaneously turn off the other set of current distribution and collection means; and

(e). means for determining the distribution of the electric field across said surface and correlating said field distribution with the location of a touch point on said surface;

(ii). said display means being an active matrix liquid crystal light influencing display means having a plurality of pixels arranged to form pixel rows and columns in an x-y array thereof, so that each pixel belongs to a pixel row and a pixel column, each pixel having non-linear isolation means between individual pixels, and comprising;

(a). an insulative substrate;

(b). a first pixel electrode formed on said substrate;

(c). first address load means formed on said substrate;

(d). first non-linear isolation means in series between said first address lead means and said first pixel electrode;

(e). second address lead means insulated from said first address lead means;

(f). second non-linear isolation means in series with said first electrode means and said second address lead means;

(g). a second pixel electrode spaced from and substantially parallel to said first pixel electrode; and

(h). light influencing means disposed between at least said electrodes;

c. transitting means for transmitting outgoing analog image data to a telecommunications network;

d. receiving means for receiving incoming analog image data from the telecommunications network; and

e. processing means for processing analog data and storing digital data to form an image display including modulating means for converting the first digital image data to outgoing analog image data, and demodulating means for converting incoming analog image data to second digital image data; and

f. switch means for switching said teleconferencing system between

(i). transmitting and receiving and receiving speech acoustical data; and

(ii). transmitting and receiving modulated image data.

19. The teleconferencing system of claim 18, wherein said first and second non-linear isolation means are diodes.