Touch screen with acoustic mode reflective and conversion arrays

• US 9,658,719 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texzec, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Street Smart Sensors, LLC
• Inventors: Knowles, Terence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castiaux, Brent D
• Application Number:
  US13/709,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20130147769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 345177, 178 1804
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate

Abstract

A touch panel includes a first plurality of echelons arranged on a substrate along a first centerline at a first angle and a second plurality of echelons arranged on a substrate along a second centerline at a second angle. A first wave generator on an end of the substrate is configured to transmit a first wave along the first centerline of the first plurality of echelons and a second wave generator on an end of the substrate is configured to transmit a second wave along the second centerline of the second plurality of echelons. First and second trapping slots are positioned parallel to their respective plurality of echelons.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

a substrate having a thickness;

a first plurality of echelons arranged on the substrate along a first centerline, each echelon in the first plurality of echelons being arranged at a first angle in relation to the first centerline;

a first shear wave generator on an end of the substrate configured to transmit a first shear wave along the first centerline of the first plurality of echelons;

a second plurality of echelons arranged on the substrate along a second centerline, each echelon in the second plurality of echelons being arranged at a second angle in relation to the second centerline;

a second shear wave generator on an end of the substrate configured to transmit a second shear wave along the second centerline of the second plurality of echelons;

a first trapping slot positioned parallel to the first plurality of echelons and spaced from the first and second shear wave generators, the first trapping slot formed in the substrate such that the substrate within the first trapping slot has a thickness less than the thickness of the substrate; and

a second trapping slot positioned parallel to the second plurality of echelons and spaced from the first and second shear wave generators, the second trapping slot formed in the substrate such that the substrate within the second trapping slot has a thickness less than the thickness of the substrate,

and wherein one or both of the first and second trapping slots have at least one reflective side surface to reflect a portion of the first or second shear wave, and wherein the first and second trapping slots are configured to prevent the first or second shear waves directed from the respective first or second echelons from propagating past the respective first or second trapping slots.

2. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the first angle and second angle are set to approximately 45 degrees.

3. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the first angle and second angle are set to approximately 39.1 degrees.

4. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the first centerline is substantially orthogonal to the second centerline.

5. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the first shear wave generator and second shear wave generator are transducers.

6. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein an echelon in the first plurality of echelons furthest from the first shear wave generator is configured to reflect the first shear wave back to the first shear wave generator.

7. The touch panel of claim 6 wherein an echelon in the second plurality of echelons furthest from the second shear wave generator is configured to reflect the second shear wave back to the second shear wave generator.

8. The touch panel of claim 1 including a pair of containment slots positioned parallel to the first centerline on opposing sides of the first plurality of echelons, the containment slots configured to prevent propagation of at least one mode of the first shear wave beyond the containment slots and to allow propagation of at least one mode of the first shear wave beyond the containment slots.

9. The touch panel of claim 1 including a pair of containment slots positioned parallel to the second centerline on opposing sides of the second plurality of echelons, the containment slots configured to prevent propagation of at least one mode of the second shear wave beyond the containment slots and to allow propagation of at least one mode of the second shear wave beyond the containment slots.

10. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein at least one side of the substrate is beveled.

11. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the touch panel is formed as a keyboard.

12. The touch panel of claim 1 wherein the touch panel is formed in a substrate and including an elastomeric overlay on the substrate.

13. The touch panel of claim 12 including ridges formed on the elastomeric overlay.

14. A touch panel comprising:

a first plurality of echelons arranged on a substrate along a first centerline, each echelon in the first plurality of echelons arranged at a first angle in relation to the first centerline;

a second plurality of echelons arranged on the substrate along a second centerline, each echelon in the second plurality of echelons arranged at a second angle in relation to the second centerline;

a shear wave generator on an end of the first plurality of echelons configured to transmit a shear wave along the first centerline of the first plurality of echelons;

a redirecting echelon between the first plurality of echelons and the second plurality of echelons configured to direct a shear wave from the shear wave generator to the second plurality of echelons;

a first trapping slot positioned parallel to the first plurality of echelons and spaced from the shear wave generator, the first trapping slot formed in the substrate such that the substrate within the first trapping slot has a thickness less than the thickness of the substrate; and

a second trapping slot positioned parallel to the second plurality of echelons and spaced from the shear wave generator, the second trapping slot formed in the substrate such that the substrate within the second trapping slot has a thickness less than the thickness of the substrate,

and wherein one or both of the first and second trapping slots have at least one reflective side surface to reflect a portion of the first or second shear wave, and wherein the first and second trapping slots are configured to prevent the first or second shear waves directed from the respective first or second echelons from propagating past the respective first or second trapping slots.

15. The touch panel of claim 14 wherein the first angle and the second angle are set to approximately 45 degrees.

16. The touch panel of claim 14 wherein the first angle and the second angle are set to approximately 39.1 degrees.

17. The touch panel of claim 14 wherein the first centerline is substantially orthogonal to the second centerline.

18. The touch panel of claim 14 wherein an end of the first trapping slot extends beyond an echelon in the second plurality of echelons furthest from the redirecting echelon and reflects the shear wave back to the shear wave generator.

19. The touch panel of claim 14 wherein the shear wave generator is a transducer.

20. The touch panel of claim 14 wherein the redirecting echelon is a trapping slot having a reflective side surface configured to reflect the shear wave from the first plurality of echelons to the second plurality of echelons.

21. The touch panel of claim 14 wherein a plurality of echelons in the first plurality of echelons are positioned at an angle different than the first angle, and a plurality of echelons in the second plurality of echelons are positioned at an angle different than the second angle.

22. The touch panel of claim 14 wherein at least one side of the substrate is beveled.

23. A touch panel comprising:

a first plurality of echelons arranged on a substrate along a first centerline, each echelon in the first plurality of echelons arranged at a first angle in relation to the first centerline;

a second plurality of echelons arranged on the substrate along a second centerline, each echelon in the second plurality of echelons arranged at a second angle in relation to the second centerline;

a shear wave generator affixed to an end of the substrate at an end of the first plurality of echelons configured to transmit a shear wave along the first centerline of the first plurality of echelons;

a first redirecting echelon on the first centerline adjacent to an echelon of the first plurality of echelons furthest from the shear wave generator;

a second redirecting echelon on the second centerline positioned to direct the shear wave from the first redirecting echelon to the second plurality of echelons;

a first trapping slot positioned parallel to the first plurality of echelons and spaced from the shear wave generator, the first trapping slot formed in the substrate such that the substrate within the first trapping slot has a thickness less than the thickness of the substrate;

a plurality of first touch areas positioned between the first trapping slot and the first plurality of echelons;

a plurality of light emitting elements positioned on a side of the first trapping slot opposite the side closest to the first touch areas;

a second trapping slot positioned parallel to the second plurality of echelons and spaced from the shear wave generator, the second trapping slot formed in the substrate such that the substrate within the second trapping slot has a thickness less than the thickness of the substrate;

a plurality of second touch areas positioned between the second trapping slot and the second plurality of echelons; and

a plurality of light emitting elements positioned on a side of the second trapping slot opposite the side closest to the second touch areas, wherein one or both of the first and second trapping slots have at least one reflective side surface to reflect a portion of the first or second shear wave, and wherein the first and second trapping slots are configured to prevent the first or second shear waves directed from the respective first or second echelons from propagating past the respective first or second trapping slots.