Infrared touch screen device for a video monitor
First Claim
1. An infrared touch screen device that is externally adaptable to a video monitor for serving as an input device to an electronic device connected to the monitor, comprising:
- a bezel adapted to be releasably secured over a viewing end of a video monitor, said bezel defining an interior space through which a screen of a monitor to which said bezel is attached can be viewed;
eams in said interior space when said emitters are activated, wherein said emitters are semiconductor devices which emit infrared light when an activating current is passed therethrough;
a plurality of infrared sensors disposed along said bezel, each said sensor being optically aligned with an oppositely disposed one of said emitters;
activating means mounted on said bezel for activating said emitters in a predetermined sequence, said activating means includes means for passing an activating current through respective ones of said emitters in said predetermined sequence;
scanning means mounted on said bezel for scanning said sensors in a sequence corresponding to said predetermined sequence and lagging said predetermined sequence by a predetermined time delay, said sensors each producing output signals corresponding to the presence and absence, respectively, of infrared light emitted by an oppositely disposed infrared emitter; and
communication means for coupling the output signals of said sensors to an input port of an electronic device connected to the monitor.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An infrared touch screen device that is externally adaptable to a video monitor for serving as an input device to a computer connected to the monitor. A bezel is adapted to be releasably secured over a viewing end of a video monitor. A plurality of infrared emitters are disposed along the bezel to form a grid of vertical and horizontal infrared beams in the interior space of the bezel when the emitters are activated. A plurality of infrared sensors are disposed along the bezel. Each sensor is optically aligned with an oppositely disposed one of the emitters. An activating circuit is mounted on the bezel for sequentially activating, in a predetermined sequence, respective ones of the emitters. A scanning circuit is mounted on the bezel for sequentially scanning the sensors in a sequence corresponding to the predetermined sequence, the sensors each producing output signals corresponding to the presence and absence, respectively of an infrared beam emitted by an oppositely disposed infrared emitter. A communication device couples the output signals of the sensors to an input port of a computer connected to the monitor.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An infrared touch screen device that is externally adaptable to a video monitor for serving as an input device to an electronic device connected to the monitor, comprising:
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a bezel adapted to be releasably secured over a viewing end of a video monitor, said bezel defining an interior space through which a screen of a monitor to which said bezel is attached can be viewed;
eams in said interior space when said emitters are activated, wherein said emitters are semiconductor devices which emit infrared light when an activating current is passed therethrough;a plurality of infrared sensors disposed along said bezel, each said sensor being optically aligned with an oppositely disposed one of said emitters; activating means mounted on said bezel for activating said emitters in a predetermined sequence, said activating means includes means for passing an activating current through respective ones of said emitters in said predetermined sequence; scanning means mounted on said bezel for scanning said sensors in a sequence corresponding to said predetermined sequence and lagging said predetermined sequence by a predetermined time delay, said sensors each producing output signals corresponding to the presence and absence, respectively, of infrared light emitted by an oppositely disposed infrared emitter; and communication means for coupling the output signals of said sensors to an input port of an electronic device connected to the monitor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An infrared touch screen for a video monitor for serving as an input device to an electronic device connected to the monitor, the monitor having a viewing screen and a bezel surrounding the screen, comprising:
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a plurality of infrared emitters disposed along said bezel to form a grid of vertical and horizontal infrared beams in front of the screen of the monitor when said emitters are activated by an activating current; a plurality of infrared sensors disposed along said bezel, each said sensor being optically aligned with an oppositely disposed one of said emitters; activating means for activating said emitters in a predetermined sequence, said activating means including means for passing no activating current through said emitters in said predetermined sequence; scanning means for scanning said sensors in a sequence corresponding to said predetermined sequence, said sensors each producing output signals corresponding to the presence and absence, respectively of an infrared beam emitted by an oppositely disposed infrared emitter, the corresponding sequence by which said scanning means scans the oppositely disposed sensors lagging said predetermined sequence by a predetermined time delay; and communication means for coupling the output signals of said sensors to an input of an electronic device connected to the monitor. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An infrared touch screen device that is externally adaptable to a video monitor for serving as an input device to an electronic device connected to the monitor, comprising:
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a bezel adapted to be releasably secured over a viewing end of a video monitor, said bezel defining an opening through which a screen of a monitor to which said bezel is attached can be viewed; a planar transparent screen secured to said bezel and covering said opening; infrared beam generating means, including a plurality of infrared emitters mounted on said bezel, for generating a grid of infrared beams adjacent said planar transparent screen on a side of said planar transparent screen remote from a screen of a video monitor to which said bezel is to be attached, said infrared beam generating means including activating means for activating said emitters in a predetermined sequence; sensing means, including a plurality of infrared sensors mounted on said bezel, for sensing the presence and absence of respective beams in said grid and producing output signals corresponding to the presence and absence, respectively, of the infrared beams, said sensing means including scanning means for scanning said sensors in a sequence corresponding to said predetermined sequence which lags behind said predetermined sequence so that a currently scanned sensor scans a previously activated emitter; and communication means for communicating the output signals of said sensing means to an electronic device connected to the monitor to which said bezel is attached. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A touch screen for a video monitor for producing inputs signals to an electronic device connected to the monitor, comprising:
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a bezel for surrounding a viewing screen of a video monitor; a plurality of light emitters mounted on said bezel for generating a grid of light beams in front of the screen of the monitor; activating means coupled to said light emitters for activating said light emitters in a predetermined sequence; a plurality of light sensors mounted on said bezel oppositely disposed from respective one of said light emitters for sensing the presence and absence of respective light beams in said grid and producing output signals corresponding to the presence and absence, respectively, of the light beams; scanning means coupled to said sensors for scanning said sensors in a sequence corresponding to and lagging behind said predetermined sequence so that a currently scanned sensor scans a previously activated emitter; and communication means for communicating the output signals of the scanned sensors to an electronic device connected to the monitor.
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Specification