Touch panel device

• US 7,324,096 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Matsuda, Takashi, Satoh, Yoshio, Sano, Satoshi, Nakazawa, Fumihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): Beck; Alexander S.
• Application Number:
  US10/277,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20030038789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,924 Days
• Field of Search: 310/313.A, 345/173, 345/177
• US Class Current: 345/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate

Abstract

A plurality of excitation elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, for exciting, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each having a unique center frequency, are formed on one end of a non-piezoelectric substrate, a plurality of receiving elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, for receiving, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each having a unique center frequency, are formed on the other end of the non-piezoelectric substrate to face the excitation elements, respectively, the center frequencies of the IDTs of the facing excitation element and receiving element are equal, the center frequencies of the IDTs of the excitation elements next to each other are different, and surface acoustic waves are propagated across the non-piezoelectric substrate, between the facing excitation elements and receiving elements so as to detect the position of an object in contact with the non-piezoelectric substrate, based on received results in the receiving elements.

Claims

1. A touch panel device comprising:

a non-piezoelectric substrate;

a plurality of excitation elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate, for exciting, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency; and

a plurality of receiving elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate to face said excitation elements respectively, for receiving, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency,

said touch panel device being characterized by propagating surface acoustic waves across said non-piezoelectric substrate, between the facing excitation elements and receiving elements, and detecting a position of an object in contact with said non-piezoelectric substrate, based on received results in said receiving elements,

wherein the center frequencies of the IDTs of the excitation element and receiving element facing each other are substantially equal, and the center frequencies of the IDTs of the excitation elements and the receiving elements next to each other are different.

2. A touch panel device comprising:

a non-piezoelectric substrate;

a plurality of excitation elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate, for exciting, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency; and

a plurality of receiving elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate to face said excitation elements respectively, for receiving, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency,

said touch panel device being characterized by propagating surface acoustic waves across said non-piezoelectric substrate, between the facing excitation elements and receiving elements, and detecting a position of an object in contact with said non-piezoelectric substrate, based on received results in said receiving elements,

wherein the center frequencies of the IDTs of the excitation element and receiving element facing each other are substantially equal, the center frequencies of the IDTs of the excitation elements and the receiving elements next to each other are different, and, before a surface acoustic wave excited by one excitation element is received by the facing receiving element, the excitation element next to said one excitation element excites a surface acoustic wave.

3. A touch panel device comprising:

a non-piezoelectric substrate;

a plurality of excitation elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate, for exciting, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency; and

a plurality of receiving elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate to face said excitation elements respectively, for receiving, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency,

said touch panel device being characterized by propagating surface acoustic waves across said non-piezoelectric substrate, between the facing excitation elements and receiving elements, and detecting a position of an object in contact with said non-piezoelectric substrate, based on received results in said receiving elements,

wherein the center frequency of the IDT of each of said receiving elements is shifted from the center frequency of the IDT of the facing excitation element by a predetermined amount equal to or less than a bandwidth.

4. A touch panel device comprising:

a non-piezoelectric substrate; and

two sets of excitation element/receiving element units including;

a plurality of excitation elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate for exciting, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency; and

a plurality of receiving elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate to face said excitation elements respectively, for receiving, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency,

said touch panel device being characterized by propagating surface acoustic waves across said non-piezoelectric substrate, between the facing excitation elements and receiving elements of each of said sets of excitation element/receiving element units, and detecting a two-dimensional position of an object in contact with said non-piezoelectric substrate, based on received results in said receiving elements,

wherein, in each of said sets of excitation element/receiving element units, the center frequencies of the IDTs of the facing excitation element and receiving element are substantially equal, and the center frequencies of the IDTs of the excitation elements and the receiving elements next to each other are different.

5. A touch panel device comprising:

a non-piezoelectric substrate;

a plurality of excitation elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate, for exciting, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency; and

a plurality of receiving elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate to face said excitation elements respectively, for receiving, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency,

said touch panel device being characterized by propagating surface acoustic waves across said non-piezoelectric substrate, between the facing excitation elements and receiving elements, and detecting a position of an object in contact with said non-piezoelectric substrate and pressure exerted by said object, based on amounts of attenuation of the surface acoustic waves of received results in said receiving elements.

6. A touch panel device comprising:

a non-piezoelectric substrate;

a plurality of excitation elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate, for exciting, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency; and

a plurality of receiving elements, each including an IDT and a piezoelectric film, disposed on said non-piezoelectric substrate to face said excitation elements respectively, for receiving, respectively, surface acoustic waves, each surface acoustic wave having a unique center frequency,

said touch panel device being characterized by propagating surface acoustic waves across said non-piezoelectric substrate, between the facing excitation elements and receiving elements, and detecting a position of an object in contact with said non-piezoelectric substrate, based on received results in said receiving elements,

wherein a distance between the facing excitation element and receiving element differs according to each pair thereof.