On a substrate formed or resting display arrangement

• US 20040263482A1
• Filed: 04/29/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neonode Smartphone LLC (Aequitas Technologies, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Neonode, Inc.
• Inventors: Goertz, Magnus
• Granted Patent: US 7,880,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• 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: H04M 1/0266 for a display module assembly

Abstract

A touch screen arrangement fitted to a mobile telephone apparatus and built-on or resting on a substrate. The touch screen includes a display unit and a number of light pulse emitting units and a number of light pulse receiving units, said units being edge-related to said display unit. The light pulse emitting units and the light pulse receiving units are orientated adjacent said display unit, with the directions of said emitted and received light pulses being at right angles, or at least generally at right angles, to a planar surface on the display unit. The touch screen also includes four light pulse deflecting devices positioned close to the display surface.

Claims

1. A touch screen built onto or resting on a substrate and adapted for a mobile telephone apparatus or set that includes a display unit, characterised in that a number or light pulse emitting units and a number of light pulse receiving units are edge-related to said display unit, wherein said light pulse emitting units are adapted to send light pulses through a distance over an upper surface of said display unit, either sequentially or in groups, through the medium of pulse generating circuits, wherein said upper surface is able to present in rows and columns graphic symbols, such as letters, numbers and/or corresponding graphics;

in that said light pulse receiving units are adapted to receive said light pulses, either sequentially or in groups, via pulse receiving circuits, wherein each of the pulse generating circuits and the pulse receive circuits is connected to a calculating unit in a co-ordinated fashion, wherein said calculating unit is allocated calculating circuits, which function to evaluate a position representative of the geographic position on the upper surface of the display unit, depending on the position of one or more light pulse receiving units, which include associated pulse receiving circuits and which are co-ordinate orientated, wherein said pulse receiving circuits are expected to indicate the presence of a light pulse but fail to do so, therewith enabling a position representative of the geographic position on the upper surface of the display unit at which light pulses are shadowed by a pointer and generate a corresponding signal.

2. A touch screen according to claim 1, characterised in that the light pulse emitting units and the light pulse receiving units are orientated adjacent said display unit such as to send and receive the light pulses in directions perpendicular to, or at least generally perpendicular to, a planar surface on the display unit;

and in that mutually opposing light pulse deflecting devices are placed close to the display unit.

3. A touch screen according to claim 1, characterised in that said substrate is comprised of a circuit board or printed circuit board adapted to the mobile telephone apparatus.

4. A touch screen according to claim 1, characterised in that said substrate is adapted to carry said light pulse emitting and light pulse receiving units, in addition to carrying said display unit.

5. A touch screen according to claim 3, characterised in that said light pulse emitting units and said light pulse receiving units are connected to pulse generating circuits and to pulse receiving circuits by means of connecting wires or corresponding means.

6. A touch screen according to claim 2, characterised in that the light pulse deflecting device is comprised of a number of mirror units or a number or mirror surfaces.

7. A touch screen according to claim 2, characterised in that said light pulse deflecting device is comprised of four mirror units, that have mirror surfaces orientated at 45 degrees in relation to a light pulse propagation direction from said light pulse emitting units.

8. A touch screen according to claim 2, characterised in that said light pulse deflecting device is comprised of at least one right-angled equilateral three-sided and right-angled prism-formed unit.

9. A touch screen according to claim 3, characterised in that said circuit board or printed circuit board also includes electronic circuits and components adapted to carry out functions related to the mobile telephone apparatus.

10. A touch screen according to claim 1, characterised in that said light pulse emitting units and said light pulse receiving units are orientated in opposing rows and columns and in mutually perpendicular orientations, wherein the distance between said units only slightly exceeds the dimensions allocated to said display unit.

11. A touch screen according to claim 1, characterised in that said circuit board or printed circuit board, including, inter al. said display unit, light pulse emitting units, light pulse receiving units and fixed components necessary for said mobile telephone apparatus, is adapted to be fastened to a part of the telephone casing.

12. A touch screen according to claim 2, characterised in that four light pulse deflecting devices are disposed along the edge of a raised rim, for co-action with a replaceable lid or cover, wherein said raised rim co-acts with a transparent protective element, such as a plastic or glass sheet.

13. A touch screen according to claim 1, characterised in that in the case of conditions, in which two or more side-related light pulse receiving units and their associated pulse receiving circuits indicate simultaneously the absence of expected light pulses, the calculating unit functions to interpret this information, with the aid of internal calculating circuits, as meaning that the intended geographical position shall be considered to be located between points or the like representative of said pulse receiving circuits.

14. A touch screen according to claim 13, characterised in that when two or more angled and side-related light pulse receiving units, with their associated pulse receiving circuits, simultaneously indicate the absence of light pulses, the calculating unit functions to interpret this information, with the aid of internal calculating circuits, as meaning that the intended two-dimensional geographical position shall be considered to be located between points or the like representative of said pulse receiving circuits.

15. A touch screen according to claim 1, characterised in that said light pulse emitting units are activated, via associated pulse generating circuits, sequentially or are selectively positioned in a predetermined order and during selected time slots;

and in that the corresponding pulse detecting circuits are also activatable in said predetermined order and during said selected time slots.

16. A touch screen according to claim 1, characterised in that a plurality of light pulse emitting units are adapted to send light pulses consecutively during a selected time duration and with the aid of said pulse generating circuits;

and in that one light pulse receiving unit is adapted to be activated to receive expected light pulses during said selected time duration and therewith allow registration of occurring light pulses and/or the absence of light pulses via associated pulse receiving circuits.

17. A touch screen according to claim 1, characterised in that a plurality of light pulse receiving units function to receive consecutively emitted light pulses from a light pulse emitting unit during a selected time duration;

and in that each of said light pulse receiving units is adapted to be activated, via associated receiving circuits, to receive expected light pulses during said chosen time duration and therewith allow registration of occurring light pulses and/or the absence of light pulses.

20. A touch screen according to claim 1, characterised in that said front related casing part consists of a two coordinated parts, one enclosing said rim.

18. A touch screen built onto or resting on a substrate and adapted for a mobile telephone apparatus or set that includes a display unit, characterised in that the light pulse emitting units and light pulse receiving units are orientated adjacent said display unit such as to send and receive the light pulses in directions perpendicular to, or at least generally perpendicular to, a planar surface on the display unit;

that mutually opposing light pulse deflecting devices are placed close to the display unit and in that said light detected devices are adapted to transmit light pulses through cover related sections.

19. A touch screen according to claim 18, characterised in that a front related casing part has a rim and is made of a transparent material.

21. A touch screen according to claim 18, characterised in that an inner casing part is formed with an opening exposing the complete display-surface.

22. A touch screen according to claim 18, characterised in that said light pulse deflecting devices are formed as a frame, arranged within an outer casing part.

23. A touch screen according to claim 18, characterised in that said light pulse deflecting devices are fixed to said outer casing part and are edge-related said opening.

24. A touch screen according to claim 18, characterised in that the material is transparent for IR-radiation.

25. A touch screen according to claim 18, characterised in that four light pulse deflecting devices are disposed along the edge of a raised rim, for co-action with a replaceable lid or cover, wherein said raised rim co-acts with a transparent protective element, such as a plastic or glass sheet.