Touch screen adapter for monitor

• US 8,537,122 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Geiger, Avi
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYD, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/145,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315837A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,911 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 361/679.21
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1607 Arrangements to support accessories mechanically attached to the display housing G06F1/1603, G06F1/1605 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position

Abstract

A touchscreen adapter may fit between a display and a display mount and may resolve the presence and position of a touch to the surface of the display. In some embodiments, the touchscreen adapter may sense using a strain gage sensor mechanism. The touchscreen adapter may have a male mechanical interface to the display and a female mechanical interface to the display mount. In some embodiments, the two mounts may be the same size and format, enabling the touchscreen adapter to be inserted between a display and display mount for a given display. The touchscreen adapter may provide an electronic interface to a computer system to transmit a presence and position of a touch made to the display.

Claims

1. A touchscreen adapter for converting a monitor to a touchscreen input device, said monitor having a horizontal display axis and a vertical display axis, said monitor having a monitor-side mechanical interface for coupling to a matched mount-side mechanical interface on a monitor mount, the touchscreen adapter comprising:

a monitor-facing mechanical interface for coupling to said monitor-side mechanical interface of said monitor, said monitor-facing mechanical interface having the same gender as said mount-side mechanical interface;

a mount-facing mechanical interface for coupling to said mount-side mechanical interface on said monitor mount, said mount-facing mechanical interface having the same gender as said monitor-side mechanical interface; and

a mechanical framework situated between said monitor-facing mechanical interface and said mount-facing mechanical interface, the mechanical framework including a monitor-side plate closer to said monitor-facing mechanical interface and a mount-side plate closer to said mount-facing mechanical interface, and further including;

one or more components configured to resolve a position of a touch on said monitor with respect to said horizontal display axis and said vertical display axis based on a difference in sensed force between said monitor-side plate and said mount-side plate when said touch is detected; and

an output interface configured to transmit said position of said touch.

2. The touchscreen adapter of claim 1, said monitor-facing mechanical interface being configured to articulate with respect to said mount-facing mechanical interface.

3. The touchscreen adapter of claim 2, said measurement sensor comprising a plurality of strain gages.

4. The touchscreen adapter of claim 2, said measurement sensor comprising at least one displacement sensor.

5. The touchscreen adapter of claim 4, said measurement sensor comprising a first displacement sensor configured to measure along said horizontal display axis and a second displacement sensor configured to measure along said vertical display axis.

6. The touchscreen adapter of claim 1, said monitoring-facing mechanical interface conforming at least in part to a first standard interface.

7. The touchscreen adapter of claim 6, said first standard interface conforming at least in part to a Video Electronics Standards Association standard.

8. The touchscreen adapter of claim 6, said mount-facing mechanical interface conforming at least in part to a second standard interface.

9. The touchscreen adapter of claim 8, said first standard interface and said second standard interface being the same standard.

10. The touchscreen adapter of claim 8, said first standard interface and said second standard interface being a different standard.

11. The touchscreen adapter of claim 1, said mount-facing mechanical interface being larger than said monitor-facing mechanical interface.

12. The touchscreen adapter of claim 1, said mount-facing mechanical interface being smaller than said monitor-facing mechanical interface.

13. The touchscreen adapter of claim 1, said mount-facing mechanical interface being the same size as said monitor-facing mechanical interface.

14. The touchscreen adapter of claim 1, said monitor-facing mechanical interface comprising a male connection.

15. The touchscreen adapter of claim 1, said monitor-facing mechanical interface having a horizontal interface size, said monitor having a horizontal monitor size at least two times larger than said horizontal interface size.

16. A touchscreen adapter for converting a monitor to a touchscreen input device, said monitor having a display surface with a horizontal display axis and a vertical display axis, said monitor having a monitor-side mechanical interface for coupling to a matched mount-side mechanical interface on a monitor mount, the touchscreen adapter comprising:

a monitor-facing mechanical interface for coupling to said monitor-side mechanical interface of said monitor, said monitor-facing mechanical interface having the same gender as said mount-side mechanical interface;

a mount-facing mechanical interface for coupling to said mount-side interface of said monitor mount, said mount-facing mechanical interface having the same gender as said monitor-side mechanical interface; and

a mechanical framework situated between said monitor-facing mechanical interface and said mount-facing mechanical interface, the mechanical framework including a monitor-side plate closer to said monitor-facing mechanical interface and a mount-side plate closer to said mount-facing mechanical interface, said monitor-side plate and said mount-side plate mechanical joined together, said monitor-side plate including fasteners for connecting to the monitor, and further including;

one or more electronic components configured to resolve a position of a touch on said display surface with respect to said horizontal display axis and said vertical display axis based on a difference in sensed force change between said monitor-side plate and said mount-side plate when said touch is detected; and

an output interface configured to transmit said position of said touch.

17. The touchscreen adapter of claim 16, said output interface being a hardwired communications interface.

18. The touchscreen adapter of claim 16, said output interface being a wireless communications interface.

19. A touchscreen adapter for converting a monitor to a touchscreen input device, said monitor having a horizontal display axis and a vertical display axis, said monitor having a female monitor-side mechanical interface for coupling to a matched male mount-side mechanical interface on a monitor mount, the touchscreen adapter comprising:

a monitor-facing mechanical interface for coupling to said monitor-side mechanical interface of said monitor, said monitor-facing mechanical interface having the same gender as said male mount-side mechanical interface;

a mount-facing mechanical interface for coupling to said mount-side interface of said monitor mount, said mount-facing mechanical interface having the same gender as said female monitor-side mechanical interface; and

a mechanical framework situated between said monitor-facing mechanical interface and said mount-facing mechanical interface, the mechanical framework including a monitor-side plate closer to said monitor-facing mechanical interface and a mount-side plate closer to said mount-facing mechanical interface, said monitor-side plate and said mount-side plate mechanical joined together, said monitor-side plate including fasteners for connecting to the monitor, said monitor-side plate also including a plurality of arms, and further including;

a strain gauge mounted on each of said plurality of arms for capturing a deflection between said monitor-side plate and said mount-side plate in response to a touch on said monitor;

a one or more electronic components configured to resolve a position of said touch on said monitor with respect to said horizontal display axis and said vertical display axis based on said captured deflection when said touch is detected; and

an output interface configured to transmit said position of said touch.

20. The touchscreen adapter of claim 19, wherein said monitor-facing mechanical interface further includes one or more tabs for engaging with recesses on said monitor;

and

wherein said mount-facing mechanical interface further includes one or more tab receptacles for engaging with tabs similar on said monitor mount, said tabs on said monitor mount similar to the one or more tabs.