Acoustic touchscreen having waveguided reflector arrays

• US 6,636,201 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2000
• Issued: 10/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Elo Touchsystems Incorporated (Elo Touch Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aroyan, James L., Gomes, Paulo Irulegui, Kent, Joel, Kambara, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Application Number:
  US09/579,584
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 178/18.04, 178/18.01
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate

Abstract

An acoustic touchscreen (1a) has transmitting transducers (23a, 23b) for generating acoustic signals which are deflected across a touch-sensitive area (2) by an array 13 of partially acoustically reflective elements 14. A touch on the touch-sensitive area causes a perturbation in the acoustic signals. After traversing the touch-sensitive area, the acoustic signals are redirected by another array 13 of partially acoustically reflective elements 14, towards receiving transducers (26a, 26b), where the signals (and any perturbations) are sensed. To accommodate touchscreens having narrow border regions (15a), the acoustic signals are propagated across the border regions using acoustic waveguides (18). The waveguide confines the acoustic signals to traveling along a narrow path width, but yet permit them to be deflected across the touch-sensitive area. In this manner, the transducers and reflective elements can in turn be of narrower construction and can fit within narrow border regions.

Claims

1. A touchscreen comprising

(a) a substrate capable of propagating acoustic waves, having

(i) a touch-sensitive area and

(ii) a border region along the touch-sensitive area;

(b) an array of partially acoustically reflective elements having a transverse dimension, the array located in a portion of the border region and positioned to transmit or receive an acoustic signal into or out of the touchsensitive area;

(c) an acoustic waveguide located in the portion of the border region, the acoustic waveguide having a transverse dimension less than the array transverse dimension.

2. A touchscreen as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a second array of partially acoustically reflective elements located in a second portion of the border region and positioned to receive an acoustic signal after the acoustic signal has traveled across the touch-sensitive area; and

wherein the first array is positioned to transmit the acoustic signal into the touch sensitive region and the waveguide is located in either the first portion or the second portion of the border region.

3. A touchscreen according to claim 2, further comprising a first transducer acoustically coupled to the surface of the substrate and positioned to transmit an acoustic signal along the first portion of the border region and a second transducer acoustically coupled to the surface of the substrate and positioned to receive an acoustic signal traveling along the second portion of the border region.

4. A touchscreen according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first and second transducers is a focusing transducer.

5. A touchscreen according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide is an overlay waveguide.

6. A touchscreen according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide is a segmented waveguide.

7. A touchscreen according to claim 1, wherein the waveguide is a topographical waveguide.

8. A touchscreen comprising:

a substrate capable of propagating acoustic waves having a touch sensitive area and a border region along the touch sensitive area;

an array of partially acoustically reflective elements attached to a first surface of the substrate, located in a portion of the border region, and positioned to transmit or receive an acoustic signal into or out of the touch sensitive area; and

an acoustic waveguide attached to a second surface of the substrate and located in the portion of the border region to direct an acoustic signal along the linear array.