Optical touch panel

• US 8,023,778 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nitto Denko Corporation
• Inventors: Juni, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Petkovsek; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/473,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 385/14, 385/33, 385129-132, 345/173, 345/175, 345/176
• US Class Current: 385/14
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12004 Combinations of two or more optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1221 made from organic materials
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/138 by using polymerisation
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/42 Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

An optical touch panel 10 has means 20 for generating a signal to provide an operator with input operational feeling. The center of a light-emitting sided-core 17 is positioned lower than the center of a light-emitting sided-optical waveguide 14 and the center of a light-receiving sided-core 19 is positioned lower than the center of a light-receiving sided-optical waveguide 15, thereby light beams 22 are situated close to a transparent panel 21, and this enables to obtain natural input operational feeling having a minimal time lag between input operation and a signal generation to provide input operational feeling.

Claims

1. An optical touch panel comprising:

a coordinate input region;

a light-emitting element;

a light-receiving element;

a light-emitting sided-optical waveguide connected to the light-emitting element and having an output end; and

a light-receiving sided-optical waveguide connected to the light-receiving element and having an input end, wherein the output end of the light-emitting sided-optical waveguide and the input end of the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide are located on opposite sides of the coordinate input region,

wherein the light-emitting sided-optical waveguide comprises a light-emitting sided-cladding layer, and a light-emitting sided-core embedded in the light-emitting sided-cladding layer, and

the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide comprises a light-receiving sided-cladding layer, and a light-receiving sided core embedded in the light-receiving sided-cladding layer, and

the light-emitting sided-cladding layer has a lower refractive index than the light-emitting sided-core and the light-receiving sided-cladding layer has a lower refractive index than the light-receiving sided-core, and the center height of the light-emitting sided-core is lower than that of the light-emitting sided-optical waveguide and the center height of the light-receiving sided-core is lower than that of the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide, and

the optical touch panel further comprising means for generating a signal to provide input operational feeling using a detection signal received from the light-receiving element as a result of coordinate inputting.

2. The optical touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting sided-optical waveguide and a cladding layer of the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide respectively comprises an under-cladding layer;

and an over-cladding layer; and

at least one of the output end of the over-cladding layer of the light-emitting sided-optical waveguide and the input end of the over-cladding layer of the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide has a lens shape.

3. The optical touch panel according to claim 2, wherein the lens-shaped portion of the output end of the over-cladding layer of the light-emitting sided optical waveguide and the lens-shaped portion of the input end of the over-cladding layer of the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide are each a long lens having a side sectional shape of substantially a quarter of a circle.

4. The optical touch panel according to any one of claim 1 to 3, wherein the signal for providing the input operational feeling is at least one of light, a voice, and vibration.

5. The optical touch panel according to any one of claim 1 to 3, wherein the means for generating a signal comprises means for generating vibration.

6. The optical touch panel according to claim 5, wherein the means for generating a signal is at least one of a vibration motor, a vibration actuator, and a piezo element.

7. An optical touch panel comprising:

a coordinate input region;

a light-emitting element;

a light-emitting sided-optical waveguide connected to the light-emitting element and having an output end; and

a light-receiving sided-optical waveguide having an input end, wherein the output end of the light-emitting sided-optical waveguide and the input end of the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide are located on opposite sides of the coordinate input region,

a light-receiving element connected to the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide, the light-receiving element receiving an optical signal from the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide and generating a detection signal indicating an intensity of the received optical signal;

wherein the light-emitting sided-optical waveguide comprises a light-emitting sided-cladding layer, and a light-emitting sided-core embedded in the light-emitting sided-cladding layer, and

the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide comprises a light-receiving sided-cladding layer, and a light-receiving sided core embedded in the light-receiving sided-cladding layer, and

the light-emitting sided-cladding layer has a lower refractive index than the light-emitting sided-core and the light-receiving sided-cladding layer has a lower refractive index than the light-receiving sided-core, and the center height of the light-emitting sided-core is lower than that of the light-emitting sided-optical waveguide and the center height of the light-receiving sided-core is lower than that of the light-receiving sided-optical waveguide, and

a signal generating device that generates one of sound, light, or vibration in response to the detection signal generated by the light-receiving element as a result of coordinate inputting, the sound, light or vibration providing an input operational feeling to a user.