Touch screen overlay apparatus

• US 6,667,738 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: VTech Telecommunications Limited (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Murphy, Paul Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osorio, Ricardo
• Application Number:
  US10/036,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/173, 178/18-1-
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1675 Miscellaneous details related to the relative movement between the different enclosures or enclosure parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2217/018 Indication of switch sites
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/23 Construction or mounting of dials or of equivalent devices; Means for facilitating the use thereof by improving visibility H04M1/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A touch screen overlay apparatus for use in association with a touch screen having a rigid contact surface. The touch screen overlay apparatus comprises a flexible membrane that covers at least a portion of the rigid contact surface. This flexible membrane is removably maintained in a predetermined position over the rigid contact surface to provide a more tactually desirable surface for manual actuation than the rigid contact surface. Furthermore, the flexible membrane may include one of said one or more raised dome-shaped regions which are disposed on the membrane so as to be in substantial registration with input regions on the rigid contact surface to provide tactile landmarks for the user.

Claims

1. A touch screen overlay apparatus for use in association with a user input apparatus having a touch screen with a rigid contact surface with one or more indicia displayed thereon, said contact surface having a periphery with a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge and a right edge, said touch screen being disposed within a housing, said touch screen overlay apparatus comprising:

a membrane of a size sufficient to cover one or more desired ones of said one or more indicia displayed on said rigid contact surface, said membrane being formed of a flexible material, said membrane has a left edge region and a right edge region; and

means for removably maintaining said membrane in a predetermined position in which said membrane is superimposed on at least said desired ones of said one or more indicia, said means for removably maintaining said membrane in a predetermined position comprising;

a first series of holes located in said left edge region of said membrane;

a second series of holes located in said right edge region of said membrane;

a left sprocket having teeth that engage said first series of holes;

a right sprocket having teeth that engage said second series of holes; and

means for rotating said left and right sprockets simultaneously at the same rate of rotation.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said left and right edge regions are formed of a semi-rigid material.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said rotating means includes a reversible electric motor.

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said rotating means includes a manually actuated knob.

5. A touch screen overlay apparatus for use in association with a user input apparatus having a touch screen with a rigid contact surface with one or more indicia displayed thereon, said contact surface having a periphery with a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge and a right edge, said touch screen being disposed within a housing, said touch screen overlay apparatus comprising:

a membrane of a size sufficient to cover one or more desired ones of said one or more indicia displayed on said rigid contact surface, said membrane being formed of a flexible material; and

means for removably maintaining said membrane in a predetermined position in which said membrane is superimposed on at least said desired ones of said one or more indicia, wherein said means for removably maintaining said membrane in a predetermined position in which said membrane comprises;

a membrane storage chamber disposed within said housing, said membrane storage chamber having an opening extending substantially parallel and proximate to one of said edges of said contact surface;

a pair of opposing slots, each of said opposing slots being positioned substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to said membrane storage chamber opening, each of said opposing slots extending from said membrane storage chamber opening to a location proximate an opposite edge of said contact surface; and

means for slidably restraining said membrane within said pair of slots.

6. The invention according to claim 5 wherein said membrane is biased to retract into said membrane storage chamber, said touch screen overlay apparatus further comprising means for fastening said membrane in its touch screen registration position.

7. The invention according to claim 5 wherein said membrane has a left edge region and a right edge region, said means for removably maintaining said membrane in a predetermined position comprises:

a first series of holes located in said left edge region of said membrane;

a second series of holes located in said right edge region of said membrane;

a left sprocket having teeth that engage said first series of holes;

a right sprocket having teeth that engage said second series of holes; and

means for rotating said left and right sprockets simultaneously at the same rate of rotation.

8. The invention according to claim 7 wherein said left and right edge regions are formed of a semi-rigid material.

9. A touch screen overlay apparatus for use in association with a user input apparatus having a touch screen with a rigid contact surface encompassing one or more input regions, said rigid contact surface having a periphery with a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge and a right edge, said touch screen being disposed within a housing, said touch screen overlay apparatus comprising:

a flexible membrane of a size sufficient to cover at least a portion of said rigid contact surface, said flexible membrane including one or more raised dome-shaped regions, said flexible membrane has a left edge region and a right edge region; and

means for removably maintaining said flexible membrane in a predetermined position in which at least one of said one or more raised dome-shaped regions is in substantial registration with one of said one or more input regions, wherein said means for removably maintaining said flexible membrane in a predetermined position comprising;

a first series of holes located in said left edge region of said flexible membrane;

a second series of holes located in said right edge region of said flexible membrane;

a left sprocket having teeth that engage said first series of holes;

a right sprocket having teeth that engage said second series of holes; and

means for rotating said left and right sprockets simultaneously at the same rate of rotation.

10. The invention according to claim 9 wherein said left and right edge regions are formed of a semi-rigid material.

11. The invention according to claim 9 wherein said rotating means includes a reversible electric motor.

12. The invention according to claim 9 wherein said rotating means includes a manually actuated knob.

13. A touch screen overlay apparatus for use in association with a user input apparatus having a touch screen with a rigid contact surface encompassing one or more input regions, said rigid contact surface having a periphery with a top edge, a bottom edge, a left edge and a right edge, said touch screen being disposed within a housing, said touch screen overlay apparatus comprising:

a flexible membrane of a size sufficient to cover at least a portion of said rigid contact surface, said flexible membrane including one or more raised dome-shaped regions; and

means for removably maintaining said flexible membrane in a predetermined position in which at least one of said one or more raised dome-shaped regions is in substantial registration with one of said one or more input regions, wherein said means for removably maintaining said flexible membrane in a predetermined position comprising;

a membrane storage chamber disposed within said housing, said membrane storage chamber having an opening extending substantially parallel and proximate to one of said edges of said contact surface;

a pair of opposing slots, each of said opposing slots being positioned substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to said membrane storage chamber opening, each of said opposing slots extending from said membrane storage chamber opening to a location proximate an opposite edge of said contact surface; and

means for slidably restraining said membrane within said pair of slots.

14. The invention according to claim 13 wherein said flexible membrane is biased to retract into said membrane storage chamber, said touch screen overlay apparatus further comprising means for fastening said flexible membrane in its touch screen registration position.

15. The invention according to claim 13 wherein said flexible membrane has a left edge region and a right edge region, said means for removably maintaining said flexible membrane in a predetermined position comprises:

a first series of holes located in said left edge region of said flexible membrane;

a second series of holes located in said right edge region of said flexible membrane;

a left sprocket having teeth that engage said first series of holes;

a right sprocket having teeth that engage said second series of holes; and

means for rotating said left and right sprockets simultaneously at the same rate of rotation.

16. The invention according to claim 15 wherein said left and right edge regions are formed of a semi-rigid material.