Touch-sensitive device and method

• US 8,786,575 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Miller, Seth Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): EURICE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/467,943
• Publication Number:
  US 20100289772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 345/175, 345/173, 600/549, 382/116
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3144 for oxymetry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/6419 Excitation at two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/13 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1341 Sensing with light passing through the finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/14 Vascular patterns

Abstract

Techniques are generally described for touch-sensitive devices with biometric information determination capabilities. The touch-sensitive device may include one or more of a transmitter, a receiver, and a processor. The transmitter may be configured to emit light towards a surface of the touch-sensitive device and the receiver may be configured to receive reflected light from a touch to the touch-sensitive device. The processor may be arranged to receive signals from the receiver and determines biometric information, and in some examples location of touch, based on the signals.

Claims

1. A touch sensitive device having spectroscopy components, the touch sensitive device comprising:

a display;

a touch panel arranged to generate a signal responsive to a touch, wherein the display is viewable through the touch panel;

a transmitter operable to transmit optical energy at a first wavelength to the touch panel, the first wavelength being useful for spectroscopically detecting an analyte;

a receiver operable to receive optical energy reflected responsive to the touch; and

a processor coupled to the receiver and arranged to analyze the reflected optical energy to determine, responsive to the touch and using spectroscopy, concentration of the analyte in blood determined from the reflected optical energy using chemometric algorithms.

2. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a charge-coupled device.

3. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the touch is initiated by a user, wherein the receiver is operable to split the received optical energy into a first portion and a second portion, and wherein the processor is configured to determine a location of the touch on the touch panel with the first portion and further configured to determine the concentration of the analyte in the blood of the user with the second portion.

4. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to emit optical energy in the range of approximately 800 nanometers to approximately 2500 nanometers.

5. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises one or more light emitting diodes.

6. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive device comprises a portable hand held device.

7. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the concentration of the analyte in blood is the glucose level of a user creating the touch.

8. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the determined concentration of the analyte in blood to the display, where the display is configured for presenting the concentration of the analyte in blood.

9. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the touch panel is infrared transparent.

10. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the touch event is initiated by contact of the touch panel with a finger of the user.

11. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is provided along a periphery of the touch panel.

12. The touch sensitive device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is further configured to emit light at a second wavelength.

13. The touch sensitive device of claim 12, further comprising a second receiver operable to receive reflected optical energy at the second wavelength wherein the processor may analyze additional spectroscopic information from reflected energy at the second wavelength.

14. A method for determining a concentration of an analyte in blood, the method comprising:

transmitting optical energy having a first wavelength to a touch panel of a display, wherein the display is viewable through the touch panel;

receiving optical energy at the first wavelength responsive to a touch event initiated by a user;

using the received optical energy to provide location information about the touch event; and

determining, from the received optical energy using spectroscopy, a concentration of analyte in blood of the user responsive to the touch event.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the optical energy illuminates the touch panel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first wavelength is between approximately 900 nm and approximately 2500 nm.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating an infrared absorbance spectra for an analyte of interest, wherein the first wavelength is based on the infrared absorbance spectra.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the concentration of the analyte in blood includes applying chemometric algorithms to the received optical energy.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a visual display of the determined concentration of the analyte in blood.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the determined concentration of the analyte in blood.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising contacting the touch panel with a finger of the user to initiate the touch event.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the transmitting includes transmitting optical energy from a periphery of the touch panel.