Touch sensor display

• US 6,362,815 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1999
• Issued: 03/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Flat Panel Display (FPD) B.V.
• Inventors: Leenhouts, Frans
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US09/288,404
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/102, 345/104, 178/18.01, 178/18.1
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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

Abstract

In a touch panel display, a substrate (11) of the touch panel (10) or the touch panel itself is used as an optical guide for lighting a reflective display (20).

Claims

1. A device comprising a sensor device with a detection device for determining information of at least a part of a surface of the sensor device, a display device comprising an electro-optical medium between two substrates, and a driver for driving the display device in dependence upon the information obtained via the detection device, characterized in that the sensor device comprises an optical guide of optically transparent material having a plurality of end faces, at least one of which is an entrance face for light, while light can be coupled in at said end face, and the side of the optical guide facing the electro-optical medium constitutes an exit face for the light.

2. A device comprising a sensor device with a detection device for determining information of at least a part of a surface of the sensor device, a display device comprising an electro-optical medium between two substrates, and a driver for driving the display device in dependence upon the information obtained via the detection device, characterized in that the device comprises, between the sensor device and the electro-optical medium, an optical guide of optically transparent material having a plurality of end faces, at least one of which is an entrance face for light, while light can be coupled in at said end face, and the side of the optical guide facing the electro-optical medium constitutes an exit face for the light.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that a substrate of the sensor device comprises the optical guide.

4. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the surface of the optical guide is roughened on the side of the electro-optical medium.

5. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the surface of the optical guide is provided with a sawtooth structure or a substantially hemispheric structure on the side of the electro-optical medium.

6. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the device is provided with a light source opposite the end face.

7. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the substrate also comprises a substrate of the display device.

8. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the substrate of the display device remote from the optical guide comprises a silicon substrate.