Infrared touchscreen electronics

• US 8,373,679 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Gepner, Joseph E., Dixon, David M., Komer, Joseph L.
• Primary Examiner(s): CERULLO, LILIANA P
• Application Number:
  US12/787,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20110084939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-184, 178 1801- 1902, 3404071-4072, 2503361-395, 353/42, 341 22- 31
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

Touchscreen electronics for detecting touches on a display screen broadly comprises a plurality of transmitters, a plurality of receivers, and a controller. Each transmitter may transmit at least one beam across the display screen, wherein the beam may be switched on and off in a repeated pattern. The receivers may detect the beams from the transmitters, and each receiver may generate an “on” value that corresponds to the beam being switched on and an “off” value that corresponds to the beam being switched off. The controller communicates with the transmitters and the receivers and may be configured to determine that a touch has occurred when the “on” value generated by one of the receivers transitions in a sequence from greater than an upper level to less than a lower level.

Claims

1. Touchscreen electronics for detecting touches on a display screen, the touchscreen electronics comprising:

a plurality of transmitters for transmitting beams across the display screen, each beam being switched on and off in a repeated pattern;

a plurality of receivers configured to detect the beams from the transmitters, each receiver operable to generate an on value that corresponds to the beam being switched on and an off value that corresponds to the beam being switched off; and

a controller in communication with the transmitters and the receivers and configured to;

register an interrupted beam when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions in a sequence from an on value greater than a lower level to a subsequent on value less than the lower level,

register an uninterrupted beam when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions in a sequence from an on value less than an upper level to a subsequent on value greater than the upper level, wherein the upper level is greater than the lower level, and

determine that a touch event has occurred based on at least one of the registered interrupted beam and the registered uninterrupted beam.

2. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that a touch has been initiated when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions from an on value greater than the upper level to a subsequent on value less than the lower level.

3. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that a touch has been terminated when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions from an on value less than the lower level to a subsequent on value greater than the upper level.

4. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a location on the display screen where the touch occurred by calculating an intersection of two or more beams that are interrupted.

5. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the transmitters are positioned adjacent opposing edges of the display screen such that each transmitter is aligned with another transmitter across the display screen.

6. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the upper level is less than a lowest value of the on values from all of the receivers when none of the beams is interrupted.

7. The touchscreen electronics of claim 1, wherein the lower level is greater than a largest value of the off values from all of the receivers when all of the beams are interrupted.

8. A touchscreen display comprising:

a display screen on which information is displayed; and

touchscreen electronics for detecting touches on the display screen, the touchscreen electronics comprising—

a plurality of transmitters for transmitting beams across the display screen, each beam being switched on and off in a repeated pattern,

a plurality of receivers configured to detect the beams from the transmitters, each receiver operable to generate an on value that corresponds to the beam being switched on and an off value that corresponds to the beam being switched off, and

a controller in communication with the transmitters and the receivers and configured to;

register an interrupted beam when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions in a sequence from an on value greater than a lower level to a subsequent on value less than the lower level,

register an uninterrupted beam when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions in a sequence from an on value less than an upper level to a subsequent on value greater than the upper level, wherein the upper level is greater than the lower level, and

determine that a touch event has occurred based on at least one of the registered interrupted beam and the registered uninterrupted beam.

9. The touchscreen display of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that a touch has been initiated when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions from an on value greater than the upper level to a subsequent on value less than the lower level.

10. The touchscreen display of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that a touch has been terminated when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions from an on value less than the lower level to a subsequent on value greater than the upper level.

11. The touchscreen display of claim 8, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the location on the display screen where the touch occurred by calculating an intersection of two or more beams that are interrupted.

12. The touchscreen display of claim 8, wherein the transmitters are positioned adjacent to opposing edges of the display screen such that each transmitter is aligned with another transmitter across the display screen.

13. The touchscreen display of claim 8, wherein the upper level is less than a lowest value of the on values from all of the receivers when none of the beams is interrupted.

14. The touchscreen display of claim 8, wherein the lower level is greater than a largest value of the off values from all of the receivers when all of the beams are interrupted.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a processing element for performing logical functions; and

a touchscreen display comprising—

a display screen on which information is displayed, and

touchscreen electronics for detecting touches on the display screen, the touchscreen electronics comprising—

a plurality of transmitters positioned adjacent to opposing sides of the display screen for transmitting beams across the display screen, each beam being switched on and off in a repeated pattern,

a plurality of receivers positioned adjacent to opposing sides of the display screen for detecting the beams from the transmitters, each receiver operable to generate an on value that corresponds to the beam being switched on and an off value that corresponds to the beam being switched off, and

a controller in communication with the transmitters and the receivers and configured to;

register an interrupted beam when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions in a sequence from an on value greater than a lower level to a subsequent on value less than the lower level,

register an uninterrupted beam when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions in a sequence from an on value less than an upper level to a subsequent on value greater than the upper level, wherein the upper level is greater than the lower level, and

determine that a touch event has occurred based on at least one of the registered interrupted beam and the registered uninterrupted beam.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the location on the display screen where the touch occurred by calculating the point where an interrupted beam transmitted from one side of the display screen intersects an interrupted beam transmitted from an orthogonal side of the display screen.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that a touch has been initiated when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions from an on value greater than the upper level to a subsequent on value less than the lower level.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to determine that a touch has been terminated when the on value generated by one of the receivers transitions from an on value less than the lower level to a subsequent on value greater than the upper level.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the upper level is less than a lowest value of the on values from all of the receivers when none of the beams is interrupted.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the lower level is greater than a largest value of the off values from all of the receivers when all of the beams are interrupted.