Touch screen

• US 6,072,475 A
• Filed: 08/22/1997
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: van Ketwich, Johan Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Henry N.
• Application Number:
  US08/916,400
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.07, 245/156, 245/157, 245/179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/702 with contacts carried by or formed from layers in a multilayer structure, e.g. membrane switches
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/807 characterised by the spatial arrangement of the contact sites, e.g. superimposed sites
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2215/00 Tactile feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/026 Pencil operated
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/028 on planes with different or alterable inclination, e.g. convex plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/012 programmable
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/014 Slide selector
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2221/016 Lever; Rocker
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2223/022 Adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2225/022 other then row-column disposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/022 Telephone handset

Abstract

A touch screen 1111 having an active surface area 1112 which extends in three physical dimensions (x-, y- and z-dimensions) is provided. In the figure the active surface area has an U-shaped form. When a user slides his finger over the active surface area the tactile feedback gives him information about the position of the finger. The touch screen is activated when the active surface area senses a certain pressure from the finger. The use of the touch screen is facilitated especially when the user is on the move or when the touch screen is out of sight. Such use is common when operating hand-held terminals.

Claims

1. A touch screen device comprising:

a touch screen having one common active surface area which extends in three physical dimensions, said touch screen produces an output signal when said active surface area is activated by the positioning of an object at the surface of said active surface area, said output signal comprises information about the position of said object within said active surface area, said touch screen is characterized in that at least a part of said active surface area has a form in said three physical dimensions such that, when a user slides the object over the active surface area, the tactile feedback gives information to said user about the position of the object within said active surface area;

the touch screen including a ridge shaped screen portion; and

a pivot button for interaction between the tip of a finger of a user and said active surface area of said touch screen wherein the form of the pivot button is tied to the form of the active surface area of said touch screen such that the pivot button is slidable along said screen portion and is locked-on to the touch screen.

2. A touch screen device according to claim 1 wherein said pivot button is made of a resilient material.

3. A touch screen device according to claim 1 wherein said pivot button is assembled with said touch screen by a snap-on operation.

4. A touch screen device according to claim 1 wherein said active surface area comprises at least one region in which the active surface area extends in substantially two physical dimensions only.

5. A cursor control device comprising a touch screen device according to claim 1.

6. An input device comprising a touch screen device according to claim 1.

7. A mobile phone comprising a touch screen device according to claim 1.

8. Use of a touch screen device according to claim 1 for entering information to a system wherein said system executes at least one function in response to a signal from said touch screen initiated by the activation of said touch screen.

9. Use of a touch screen device according to claim 8 wherein said system is connected to a display and wherein said at least one function of said system is executed on the activation of a predetermined sensitive region of said touch screen when a predetermined symbol, icon or text is displayed by said system on said display.

10. Use of a touch screen device according to claim 9 wherein said display is located adjacent to said touch screen.

11. Use of a touch screen device according to claim 9 wherein said touch screen is located above said display such that the user of said touch screen views at least a part of said display through said touch screen.

12. A touch screen device, comprising:

a touch screen having an active surface area adapted to produce an output signal when pressure is applied to a portion of said touch screen, said output signal comprising information about the position of said pressure applied to said active surface area;

said touch screen including a ridge shaped screen portion extending in three physical dimensions; and

a pivot button slidably engaged with said ridge shaped screen portion for applying pressure to a portion of said active surface to cause the device to generate an output signal.

13. A touch screen device according to claim 12, wherein:

the pivot button is made of a resilient material.

14. A touch screen device according to claim 12, wherein:

the pivot button is adapted to be connected to the ridge shaped portion using snap-fit techniques.

15. A touch screen device according to claim 12, wherein:

a portion of the active surface area extends solely in two dimensions.

16. A cursor control device comprising a touch screen device according to claim 12.

17. An input device comprising a touch screen device according to claim 12.

18. A mobile phone comprising a touch screen according to claim 12.