Controller for an acoustic touch panel

• US 5,380,959 A
• Filed: 06/15/1992
• Issued: 01/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: Carroll Touch Incorporated
• Inventors: Knowles, Terence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US07/898,281
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18, 178/19, 178/20, 340/706, 340/712, 345/177
• US Class Current: 178/18.04
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate

Abstract

A controller for an acoustic wave touch panel includes a signal conditioning circuit that can generate X-axis and Y-axis burst drive signals for a touch panel as well as receive and process X-axis and Y-axis sense signals from a touch panel that can be configured with either one or two transducers per sense axis. The signal conditioning circuit includes a differential amplifier to which simultaneously received X-axis and Y-axis sense signals are applied to provide common mode rejection. The signal conditioning circuit includes a resonant circuit, in each of the X and Y channels, that forms a series resonant circuit through which a burst signal is applied to generate the transducer drive signal. The resonant circuit further forms a parallel resonant circuit of high impedance.

Claims

1. A signal conditioning circuit for an acoustic wave touch panel having a substrate, X axis transducer means for imparting acoustic waves into said substrate for propagation therein relative to an associated X axis, said X axis transducer means receiving acoustic waves incident thereto to generate an X axis signal representing sensed acoustic waves from which an X axis coordinate of a touch on said panel can be determined and a Y axis transducer means for imparting acoustic waves into said substrate for propagation therein relative to an associated Y axis said Y axis transducer means receiving acoustic waves incident thereto to generate a Y axis signal representing sensed acoustic waves from which a Y axis coordinate of a touch on said panel can be determined, said circuit comprising:

means for applying a drive signal to one of said X-axis or Y-axis transducer means to impart an acoustic wave in said substrate with respect to the axis associated with the driven transducer;

means for simultaneously receiving a sensed X axis signal and a sensed Y axis signal from said respective X axis and Y axis transducer means; and

differential means coupled to said receiving means for providing a signal representing the difference between said simultaneously received signals, said difference signal corresponding to said sensed acoustic waves propagating relative to the axis associated with said one driven transducer to allow a touch coordinate for said axis to be determined.

2. A signal conditioning circuit for a touch panel is recited in claim 1 wherein each of said X axis and Y axis transducer means includes a transmitting transducer and a receiving transducer, said X axis and Y axis receiving transducers being disposed adjacent to each other on said substrate.

3. A signal conditioning circuit for a touch panel as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said X axis and Y axis transducer means includes a transceiver for imparting acoustic waves into said substrate and for receiving acoustic waves incident thereto, said X axis and Y axis transceivers being mounted adjacent to each other on said substrate.

4. A signal conditioning circuit for a touch panel as recited in claim 3 including a resonant circuit disposed between said X axis transceiver and said means for receiving said sensed X axis signal, said resonant circuit forming a series resonant circuit through which said drive signal is applied to said X axis transceiver and said resonant circuit forming a parallel resonant circuit when said receiving means receives said sensed X axis signal.

5. A signal conditioning circuit for a touch panel as recited in claim 4 including means for switching said resonant circuit to form said series resonant circuit or said parallel resonant circuit.

6. A signal conditioning circuit for a touch panel as recited in claim 3 including a resonant circuit disposed between said Y axis transceiver and said means for receiving said sensed Y axis signal, said resonant circuit forming a series resonant circuit through which said drive signal is applied to said Y axis transceiver and said resonant circuit forming a parallel resonant circuit when said receiving means receives said sensed Y axis signal.

7. A signal conditioning circuit for a touch panel as recited in claim 6 including means for switching said resonant circuit to form said series resonant circuit or said parallel resonant circuit.