Data processing system with a touch screen and a digitizing tablet, both integrated in an input device

• US 5,231,381 A
• Filed: 10/01/1990
• Issued: 07/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Duwaer, Arne L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weldon, Ulysses
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US07/590,985
• Time in Patent Office: 1,030 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 340/712, 340/708, 340/706, 367/907, 367/129, 341/34
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate

Abstract

A data processing system includes a multipurpose data input device formed by a touch screen and a digitizing tablet integrated with one another which are activatable independently of each other by proper stimuli. The input device is integrated with a flat panel display in order to establish a visual feedback to the user or to present information pertaining to the entered data after processing. The flat panel display, touch screen and digitizing tablet take a variety of forms and a variety of techniques are utilized to determine which of the touch screen and digitizing tablet is activated at any time.

Claims

1. Data processing system comprising an input device with a touch screen for inputting data into the system by activating an operative touch screen area thereof by a first stimulus comprising a presence and location of a touch, the input device also comprising a digitizing tablet for unpitying data into the system by activating the tablet by a second stimulus comprising a presence and location of a stylus near an operative tablet area thereof, the touch screen area and the tablet area at least partially overlapping, the touch screen and the digitizing tablet being coupled to a data handling means for processing the data, wherein the touch screen comprises a first sensing means for converting said first stimulus into a first signal feeding the data handling means, said first sensing means comprising all components of said input device involved in converting said first stimulus into said first signal, and wherein the digitizing tablet comprises a second sensing means for converting said second stimulus into a second signal feeding the data handling means in parallel with said first signal, said second sensing means comprising all components of said input device involved in converting said second stimulus into said second signal, the first and second sensing means being physically distinct from each other by sharing no component of said input device involved in converting the respective first and second stimuli to the respective first and second signals.

2. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch screen and the digitizing tablet are stacked in the input device.

3. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the touch screen or the digitizing tablet can be disabled by means of a switch.

4. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, comprising touch disabling means for disabling touch location sensing in response to stylus presence detection.

5. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch screen and the digitizing tablet are integrated with a data display means.

6. Data processing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the data display means comprises a liquid crystal display, a polarizer whereof being integrated with at least the touch screen or the digitizing tablet.

7. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch screen comprises:

a surface being provided with source means for transmitting surface accoustic waves across the surface and being provided with receiver means for receiving the surface accoustic waves;

a processing means coupled to the receiver means for on the basis of an absorption of the surface accoustic waves at the surface determining a location of the absorption.

8. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch screen comprises:

a resistive layer;

means for determining a location of a capacitive coupling between the resistive layer and earth via the user.

9. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch screen comprises:

a rigid surface coupled to a rigid frame by means of stress or strain sensitive elements;

means for upon monitoring the stress or strain in the elements determining if and where an external force is applied to the rigid surface.

10. Data processing system as claimed in claim 9, wherein filter means are provided for discriminating the stress or strain that is due to the intended activation of the input device by the user as contrasted with the stress or strain due to the input device'"'"'s inertia when it is moved.

11. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch screen comprises:

grid means for generating a grid of light beams in front of and in parallel to a front panel of the input device;

detection means for upon detecting an obstruction of at least one light beam processing data associated with the particular beam as an indication of a position of the obstruction relative to the input device.

12. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digitizing tablet comprises:

means for determining a location of the stylus with respect to the input device by means of an ultrasonic coupling between the digitizing tablet and the stylus.

13. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digitizing tablet comprises:

a resistive layer;

means for establishing a time-dependent electromagnetic field across the resistive layer which electromagnetic field has a phase or amplitude that is dependent on a position in the field, the stylus being provided with a detector sensitive to the electromagnetic field;

processing means coupled to said detector for upon sensing the electromagnetic field determining a location of the stylus with respect to the input device.

14. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digitizing tablet comprises:

a resistive layer, the stylus being provided with source means for inducing currents in the resistive layer;

sensing means for sensing aggregated currents flowing in two antiparallel directions across the resistive layer;

processing means coupled with the sensing means or upon sensing the aggregated currents determining a location of the stylus with respect to the input device.

15. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digitizing tablet comprises:

a first layer comprising a first set of conductive conductors in a first orientation;

a second layer parallel to the first layer, comprising a second set of conductive conductors in a second orientation electrically isolated from the first set, the stylus being provided with source means for generating inductive currents in said sets of conductors;

sensing means for sensing the inductive currents;

processing means coupled to said sensing means for sensing the inductive currents determining a location of the stylus with respect to the input device.

16. Data processing system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the touch screen and the digitizing tablet are integrated with a data display means comprising a liquid crystal display, a polarizer thereof being disposed between the first and the second layer.

17. Data processing system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the touch screen and the digitizing tablet are integrated with a data display means comprising a passive, reflective liquid crystal display, the digitizing tablet being disposed underneath an active portion of the liquid crystal display.

18. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, the input device being suspended by means of stress or strain sensitive elements for detecting an external force applied to the input device, comparator means being provided for comparing the applied force with a predetermined threshold, for in case of exceeding the threshold activating the input device.

19. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stylus incorporates a pressure sensor for enabling a cooperation between the stylus and the input device upon the sensor sensing a pressure exceeding a predetermined threshold.

20. Data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the touch screen or the digitizing tablet is electrically activatable, there being provided a conductive sheet at a predetermined potential for protecting the touch screen or the digitizing tablet against electromagnetic radiation originating in control circuitry of the data processing system.

21. Data processing system as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the data processing system is provided with mouse means for displaying a cursor to be operated via at least the touch screen or the digitizing tablet either by pointing to and pressing on a relevant location for repositioning the cursor or by pointing to a segmented compass-card with virtual "click"-buttons, a segment of the compass-card being indicative of a direction of movement of the cursor upon activation of the segment.

22. Data processing system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the touch screen and the digitizing tablet are integrated with a data display means.

23. Data processing system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the data display means comprises a liquid crystal display, a polarizer whereof being integrated with at least the touch screen or the digitizing tablet.