Sensor device

• US 6,507,772 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2000
• Issued: 01/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sonicsense Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: EDEN Worth Pty., Ltd., Perdec Pty Limited
• Inventors: Gomes, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US09/582,818
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 700/257, 700/258, 700/259, 700/80, 700/81, 700/82, 700/39, 367/16, 367/76, 318/640, 736/49, 73/52
• US Class Current: 700/258
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/94 characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated

Abstract

A sensor device comprising an interface medium having an outer layer for interaction by a user, at least two transducers located on or in the interface medium and spaced from the outer layer, and each adapted to generate a signal in response to interaction by the user, and a processor to receive the signal and determine the location on the outer layer at which the user has interacted with the outer layer.

Claims

1. A sensor device comprising:

(a) an interface medium having an outer layer;

(b) at least two acoustic transducers located on or in the interface medium and spaced from the outer layer, wherein each of said transducers is adapted to generate a signal in response to noise propagating through the interface medium as a result of a user interacting with the outer layer of said interface medium; and

(c) a processor to receive and analyze the signals generated by the at least two acoustic transducers and to determine a location on the outer layer corresponding to the user interaction, wherein the physical characteristics of the interface medium remain substantially unchanged as a result of the user interaction.

2. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the transducers are arranged in an array.

3. The sensor device of claim 2 wherein the transducers are arranged in a two dimensional array.

4. The sensor device of claim 2 wherein the transducers are arranged in a three dimensional array.

5. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the processor includes an amplifier and appropriate computer software.

6. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the processor is a microcomputer.

7. The sensor device of claim 5, wherein said appropriate computer software comprises digital sequence programming.

8. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein said at least two acoustic transducers are passive devices.

9. A method for determining the location of a user interaction with a rigid outer layer of a sensing device, where the sensing device includes first and second acoustic transducers and a processor, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a first signal, by way of said first acoustic transducer, in response to noise propagating through the interface medium as a result of the user interacting with the outer layer of the interface medium;

generating a second signal, by way of said second acoustic transducer, in response to the noise propagating through the interface medium;

differentially analyzing said first and said second signals; and

determining, based on the result of the differential analysis, the location on the outer layer which corresponds to the user interaction.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of differentially analyzing said first and said second signals comprises the step of:

comparing the amplitude of the first signal and the second signal.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of differentially analyzing said first and said second signals comprises the step of:

determining a time delay between the first signal and the second signal.