Optical touchscreens comprising removably connected optical members

• US 7,751,671 B1
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Next Holdings Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Next Holdings Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bridger, Simon James, Newton, John David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lepisto; Ryan
• Application Number:
  US12/643,234
• Time in Patent Office: 197 Days
• Field of Search: 385/134, 385/136, 385/147, 385/901, 345/173, 345/175
• US Class Current: 385/134
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0091 of the light source relative to the light guide G02B6/0021 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 385/901 Illuminating or display apparatus

Abstract

A mounting assembly for mounting an optical member to a panel can comprise a mounting portion configured to contact a top surface of the panel when mounted to the panel and a receiving portion to receive optical hardware such as an optical detector so that a field of view of the optical detector substantially encompasses the top surface of the panel when the mounting assembly is mounted thereto. The assembly can include an attachment member to attach the mounting portion to the panel and to limit axial movement along or about an axis parallel to an edge of the panel when the mounting assembly is mounted to the panel. The body of the mounting portion may also be shaped to limit axial movement, such as by including a lip in contact with edges of the panel and/or a base portion that contacts the top surface of the panel when mounted.

Claims

1. A mounting assembly for mounting an optical member to a panel, comprising:

a mounting portion configured to contact a top surface of the panel when the mounting assembly is mounted to the panel;

an optical member receiving portion comprising an opening to receive an optical member, the optical member comprising at least an optical detector, the optical member receiving portion configured to position the optical member so that a field of view of the optical detector substantially encompasses the top surface of the panel when the mounting assembly is mounted thereto;

an attachment mechanism configured to attach the mounting portion to the panel and to limit axial movement of the mounting portion along or about an axis parallel to an edge of the panel when the mounting assembly is mounted to the panel.

2. The mounting assembly of claim 1,

wherein the mounting portion comprises a first extension extending therefrom in a first direction and a second extension extending therefrom in a second direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are substantially perpendicular to each other;

and

wherein the first extension contacts the top surface of the panel along a first edge and the second extension contacts the top surface of the panel along a second edge when the mounting assembly is mounted thereto.

3. The mounting assembly of claim 2, wherein the optical member receiving portion is mounted to the mounting portion substantially between the first extension and the second extension.

4. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a clip.

5. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the mounting portion comprises a lip extending from the mounting portion in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the top surface of the panel when the mounting assembly is mounted to the panel.

6. The mounting assembly of claim 1, wherein the optical member further comprises at least one optical emitter configured to emit energy across the top surface of the panel when the mounting assembly is mounted thereto.

7. The mounting assembly of claim 1, mounted to a panel.

8. The mounting assembly of claim 7, wherein the panel comprises:

a display device;

or

an at least partially transparent material overlaid on a display device.

9. An optical member mounting assembly comprising:

a main body having a first extension member and a second extension member, the first and second extension members substantially perpendicular to one another in a plane defined by a first axis and a second axis, the first and second extension members joined by a connecting member;

a recess in the connecting member, the recess adapted to receive an optical component; and

an attachment mechanism configured to attach the mounting portion to a panel and to limit axial movement of the mounting portion along or about an axis parallel to an edge of the panel when the mounting assembly is mounted to the panel,

wherein each of the first and second extension members comprises an outer surface opposite a bottom surface, the bottom surface including a first portion substantially parallel to the plane and a lip portion protruding from the bottom surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane,

wherein a contact surface of the mounting assembly is defined by the first portion or a base portion parallel to and in contact with the first portion,

wherein the recess in the connecting member is formed so that, when the connecting member is positioned at a corner of the panel with the contact surface in contact with a top surface of the panel, the optical component is positioned at or near the top surface of the panel, and

wherein the lip portion of the first extension member extends along the first axis and the lip portion of the second extension member extends along the second axis.

10. The optical member mounting assembly set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

at least one recess formed in each of the first and second extension members; and

the panel, wherein the panel has a body with a top surface opposite a bottom surface, the top and bottom surface separated by an edge at a perimeter of the panel, each surface of the panel substantially parallel to the plane and the edge substantially perpendicular to the plane,

wherein the first and second extension members are positioned on the panel so that the contact surface contacts the top of the panel and the lip portion contacts the edges of the panel, and

wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a plurality of clips and each clip is positioned in a recess of an extension member so that a first member of the clip applies pressure in a direction toward the top of the panel and a second member of the clip applies pressure in a direction toward the bottom of the panel to hold the main body in engagement with the panel.

11. The optical member mounting assembly set forth in claim 9, further comprising the panel,

wherein the panel has a body with a top surface opposite a bottom surface, the top and bottom surface separated by an edge at a perimeter of the panel, each surface of the panel substantially parallel to the plane and the edge substantially perpendicular to the plane;

wherein the first and second extension members are positioned on the panel so that the mounting assembly contacts the top surface of the panel at the contact portion, the lip portions contact respective panel edges, and the connecting member is positioned at or near a corner of the panel, and

wherein the lip portion of the first extension member limits axial movement along the second axis and the lip portion of the second extension member limits axial movement along the first axis.

12. The optical member mounting assembly set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

a resilient assembly having a first resilient member and a second resilient member perpendicular to one another in the plane, the first and second resilient members each having a body defining an interior surface and an exterior surface, the interior surface and exterior surface each substantially perpendicular to the plane;

wherein the body each of the first and second resilient members comprises a tip extending perpendicular to the body from the interior surface, and

wherein the main body is adapted to receive the resilient assembly positioned so that the interior surface of each resilient member of the resilient assembly contacts the outer surface of the lip portion of each extension member of the main body.

13. The optical member mounting assembly set forth in claim 12, further comprising the panel,

wherein the panel has a body with a top surface opposite a bottom surface, the top and bottom surface separated by an edge at a perimeter of the panel, each surface of the panel substantially parallel to the plane and the edge substantially perpendicular to the plane,

wherein the first and second extension members are positioned on the panel so that the optical assembly contacts the top surface of the panel at the contact portion, the edges of the panel at the lip portion, and the connecting member is positioned at or near a corner of the panel, and

wherein the resilient assembly is positioned with the interior surface of each resilient member of the resilient assembly in contact with the outer surface of the lip portion of each extension member of the main body, the tip of each resilient member embedded in an edge of the panel.

14. The optical member mounting assembly set forth in claim 13, wherein the panel is comprised in a display device.