Device and method for locating a locally deforming contact on a deformable touch-sensitive surface of an object
First Claim
1. A device for locating a locally deforming contact on a deformable touch-sensitive surface of an object, comprising:
- at least one pair of transducers, wherein each pair includes one transmitting transducer and one receiving transducer arranged at opposite ends of one and the same straight line that is characteristic of the deformable touch-sensitive surface, the transmitting transducer of each pair configured in transmitter mode to transmit elastic mechanical waves propagating in the deformable touch-sensitive surface of the object, and the receiving transducer of each pair configured in receiver mode to capture elastic mechanical waves propagating in the deformable touch-sensitive surface of the object; and
circuitry, connected to the transmitting and receiving transducers, configured todetect a frequency offset of at least one natural mode of a resonant vibration of the touch-sensitive surface due to presence of the locally deforming contact, the vibration being produced by propagation of the waves transmitted in the touch-sensitive surface,locate the locally deforming contact by analyzing a frequency offset, andswitch the transmitting transducer into receiver mode and the receiving transducer into transmitter mode when the locally deforming contact is detected closer to the receiving transducer than to the transmitting transducer based on a presupposed approximate prior location of the locally deforming contact.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for locating a locally deforming contact on a deformable touch-sensitive surface of an object includes at least one transmitting transducer and at least one receiving transducer configured to respectively transmit and capture elastic mechanical waves propagating in the deformable touch-sensitive surface of the object. Further, an electronic central processing unit is connected to the transmitting and receiving transducers and is programmed to detect a frequency offset of at least one natural mode of a resonant vibration of the touch-sensitive surface due to presence of the locally deforming contact, the vibration being produced by the propagation of the waves transmitted in the touch-sensitive surface, and to locate the locally deforming contact by analyzing the frequency offset.
25 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A device for locating a locally deforming contact on a deformable touch-sensitive surface of an object, comprising:
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at least one pair of transducers, wherein each pair includes one transmitting transducer and one receiving transducer arranged at opposite ends of one and the same straight line that is characteristic of the deformable touch-sensitive surface, the transmitting transducer of each pair configured in transmitter mode to transmit elastic mechanical waves propagating in the deformable touch-sensitive surface of the object, and the receiving transducer of each pair configured in receiver mode to capture elastic mechanical waves propagating in the deformable touch-sensitive surface of the object; and circuitry, connected to the transmitting and receiving transducers, configured to detect a frequency offset of at least one natural mode of a resonant vibration of the touch-sensitive surface due to presence of the locally deforming contact, the vibration being produced by propagation of the waves transmitted in the touch-sensitive surface, locate the locally deforming contact by analyzing a frequency offset, and switch the transmitting transducer into receiver mode and the receiving transducer into transmitter mode when the locally deforming contact is detected closer to the receiving transducer than to the transmitting transducer based on a presupposed approximate prior location of the locally deforming contact. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A communicating object comprising:
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a shell with a deformable touch-sensitive surface; and a device that includes; at least one transmitting transducer configured to transmit elastic mechanical waves propagating in the deformable touch-sensitive surface of the object, at least one receiving transducer configured to capture elastic mechanical waves propagating in the deformable touch-sensitive surface of the object, and circuitry, connected to the transmitting and receiving transducers, configured to detect a frequency offset of at least one natural mode of a resonant vibration of the touch-sensitive surface due to presence of the locally deforming contact, the vibration being produced by propagation of the waves transmitted in the touch-sensitive surface, and locate the locally deforming contact by analyzing a frequency offset, wherein the deformable touch-sensitive surface of the shell comprises at least one locally delineated zone which is a portion of the deformable touch-sensitive surface located along the propagation path of the elastic mechanical waves between the transmitting transducer and the receiving transducer, the locally delineated zone being configured with a specific deformability in a direction perpendicular to the propagation path of the elastic mechanical waves, such as monostability or asymmetric bistability, such that the locally delineated zone is formed by stamping when it has a specific deformability of monostability and the locally delineated zone is formed by injection molding to have a local reduction in thickness at its periphery when it has a specific deformability of bistability, and such that when pressed, the locally delineated zone is configured to generate frequency offsets greater than frequency offsets generated at a point in the touch sensitive surface other than the locally delineated zone. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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9. A method for locating a locally deforming contact on a deformable touch-sensitive surface of an object, comprising:
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transmitting, by a transmitting transducer of at least one pair of transducers elastic mechanical waves propagating in the deformable touch-sensitive surface of the object wherein the pair of transducers includes the transmitting transducer and a receiving transducer arranged at opposite ends of one and the same straight line that is characteristic of the deformable touch-sensitive surface, the transmitting transducer being configured in transmitter mode, and the receiving transducer of each pair being configured in receiver mode; receiving, by the receiving transducer, the elastic mechanical waves propagating in the deformable touch-sensitive surface of the object; detecting a frequency offset of at least one natural mode of a resonant vibration of the touch-sensitive surface due to presence of the locally deforming contact, the vibration being produced by propagation of the waves transmitted in the touch-sensitive surface; locating the locally deforming contact by analyzing a frequency offset; and switching the transmitting transducer into receiver mode and the receiving transducer into transmitter mode when the locally deforming contact is detected closer to the receiving transducer than to the transmitting transducer based on a presupposed approximate prior location of the locally deforming contact. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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Specification