Multiple-touch sensor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A multiple touch sensor which requires a conductive coupling internal of the sensor to effect a touch of the sensor, the multiple touch sensor comprising:
- an electrically insulating substrate having two sides and a touch region on one of the two sides;
a plurality of electrically-conducting band segments coupled to and traversing the touch region and wherein the band segments are insulated from one another;
a cover layer overlying the touch region and having two opposite sides;
a controller providing an electrical means of sequentially energizing a plurality of the segments and an electrical means for monitoring the electrical characteristics of the touch sensor and for identifying the locations at which touch positions on the touch sensor are touched from the monitored electrical characteristics; and
the cover layer has an electrically-conductive surface on one of its two opposite sides wherein the electrically-conductive surface is supported in an insulated relationship with the touch region but is capable of being moved into contact with the touch region and the band segments coupled thereto when external pressure is applied to the side of the cover layer opposite the electrically-conductive surface so that a touch of the sensor is effected by the conductive coupling between the touch region and the band segments when the touch region is moved into contact with the band segments; and
wherein the controller is adapted to identify multiple locations on the touch region which are simultaneously touched upon movement of the cover layer into contact with the touch region at the multiple locations.
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Abstract
A touch sensor method and device are described that allow one or more simultaneous touches to be sensed and mapped to Cartesian coordinates. The device utilizes closely spaced multiple conducting strips to provide digital location of a touch position according to the position strip and analog location along the length of the strip. When the strips are energized individually and in coordinated ways, multiple touches are individually sensed and their positions are reported.
37 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A multiple touch sensor which requires a conductive coupling internal of the sensor to effect a touch of the sensor, the multiple touch sensor comprising:
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an electrically insulating substrate having two sides and a touch region on one of the two sides; a plurality of electrically-conducting band segments coupled to and traversing the touch region and wherein the band segments are insulated from one another; a cover layer overlying the touch region and having two opposite sides; a controller providing an electrical means of sequentially energizing a plurality of the segments and an electrical means for monitoring the electrical characteristics of the touch sensor and for identifying the locations at which touch positions on the touch sensor are touched from the monitored electrical characteristics; and the cover layer has an electrically-conductive surface on one of its two opposite sides wherein the electrically-conductive surface is supported in an insulated relationship with the touch region but is capable of being moved into contact with the touch region and the band segments coupled thereto when external pressure is applied to the side of the cover layer opposite the electrically-conductive surface so that a touch of the sensor is effected by the conductive coupling between the touch region and the band segments when the touch region is moved into contact with the band segments; and wherein the controller is adapted to identify multiple locations on the touch region which are simultaneously touched upon movement of the cover layer into contact with the touch region at the multiple locations. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A multiple touch sensor system which requires a conductive coupling internal of the sensor system to effect a touch of the sensor system, the multiple touch sensor system comprising:
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an electrically insulating substrate having a touch region; a cover coupled to the touch region and having two opposite sides; a plurality of electrically-conducting band segments coupled to and traversing the touch region; wherein the cover has an electrically-conductive surface on one of its two opposite sides and the electrically-conductive surface is supported in an insulated relationship with the touch region but is capable of being moved into contact with the touch region and the band segments coupled thereto when external pressure is applied to the side of the cover layer opposite the electrically-conductive surface so that a touch of the sensor system is effected by the conductive coupling between the touch region and the band segments when the touch region is moved into contact with the band segments; and a means whereby touches upon the side of the cover opposite the electrically-conductive surface are used to encode information that is transmitted to an external system and whereby multiple locations on the touch screen which are simultaneously touched are identified upon movement of the cover layer into contact with the touch region at the multiple locations. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A multiple touch sensor system which requires a conductive coupling internal of the sensor system to effect a touch of the sensor system, the multiple touch sensor system comprising:
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an electrically insulating substrate having two sides and a touch region on one of the two sides; a plurality of electrically-conducting band segments coupled to and traversing the touch region and wherein the band segments are insulated from one another; a cover with an electrically-conductive surface that is supported in an insulated relationship with the touch region but is able to be moved into contact with the touch region upon application of external pressure to the side of the cover opposite the electrically-conductive surface so that a touch of the sensor system is effected by the conductive coupling between the touch region and the band segments when the touch region is moved into contact with the band segments; and a controller providing an electrical means of sequentially energizing a plurality of the segments and an electrical means for monitoring the electrical characteristics of the touch region and for identifying the locations of a plurality of touch positions on the touch region from the monitored electrical characteristics; and a means by which the weight of an object left on the cover will cause contact between the electrically-conductive surface of the cover and the electrically conducting band segments so that the shape of the object in contact with the touch region can be determined; and wherein the controller is adapted to identify multiple locations on the touch region which are simultaneously touched upon movement of the cover layer into contact with the touch region at the multiple locations. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for identifying the locations at which multiple touch positions on a touch sensor are touched, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a touch screen which requires a conductive coupling internal of the touch sensor to effect a touch of the sensor including; (a) an electrically insulating substrate having two sides and a touch region on one of the two sides; (b) a plurality of electrically-conductive band segments coupled to and traversing the touch region and wherein the band segments are insulated from one another; (c) a cover layer overlying the touch region and having two opposite sides; and (d) a controller providing an electrical means of sequentially energizing a plurality of the segments and an electrical means for monitoring the electrical characteristics of the touch sensor and for identifying the locations at which touch positions on the touch sensor are touched from the monitored electrical characteristics, and the cover layer has an electrically-conductive surface on one of its two opposite sides and wherein the electrically-conductive surface is supported in an insulated relationship with the touch region but is capable of being moved into contact with the touch region when an external pressure is applied to the side of the cover layer opposite the electrically-conductive surface so that a touch of the sensor is effected by the conductive coupling between the touch region and the band segments when the touch region is moved into contact with the band segments and wherein the controller is adapted to identify multiple locations on the touch region which are simultaneously touched upon movement of the cover layer into contact with the touch region at the multiple locations; sequentially energizing a plurality of the segments; monitoring the electrical characteristics of the touch sensor, and identifying the locations at which multiple touch positions on the touch region are touched from the monitored electrical characteristics. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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Specification