METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TOMOGRAPHIC TOUCH IMAGING AND INTERACTIVE SYSTEM USING SAME

• US 20090153519A1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Victor Manuel Suarez Rovere
• Original Assignee: Victor Manuel Suarez Rovere
• Inventors: SUAREZ ROVERE, Victor Manuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,803,848 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A touch screen in the form of a panel is capable of conducting signals and a tomograph including signal flow ports is positioned adjacent the panel with the signal flow ports arrayed around the border of the panel at discrete locations. Signals are introduced into the panel to pass from each discrete border location to a plurality of other discrete border locations for being detected and tomographically processed to determine if any change occurred to signals due to the panel being touched during signal passage through the panel, and therefrom determine any local area on the panel where a change occurred. The tomograph computes and outputs a signal indicative of a panel touch and location, which can be shown on a display.

Claims

1. A touch screen comprising a panel capable of conducting signals and a tomograph adjacent the panel including signal flow ports arrayed around the border of the panel at discrete locations whereby signals can be introduced into the panel to pass from each discrete border location to a plurality of other discrete border locations for being detected and tomographically processed to determine if any change occurred to signals due to the panel being touched during signal passage through the panel, and therefrom determine any local area on the panel where a change occurred, said tomograph computing and outputting a signal indicative of a panel touch and location.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the signal flow ports are arrayed around the edges of the panel.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the panel is transparent.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein a display is operatively coupled to the tomograph for displaying a response to the outputted signal indicative of panel touch and location.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein the emitters emit a signal comprised of energy of one of electrical, electromagnetic, magnetic, light, sonic and vibration.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein each signal flow port includes one of an emitter and a detector.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein the tomograph further includes a controller that establishes patterns for each emitter with a set of detectors, and a multiplexer for serially energizing the emitters.

8. The invention of claim 1 wherein the tomograph can determine simultaneous touching of the panel at a plurality of local areas.

9. The invention of claim 1 wherein said tomograph further includes each signal flow port having one of an emitter and a detector, a controller for controlling the emitters to activate an emitter to emit signals into the panel, a signal sampler for sampling signals detected by detectors and a data processor operatively coupled to said controller and said signal sampler whereby signals introduced by an emitter into the panel pass from one discrete border location to a plurality of other discrete border locations whereat the signals are detected by detectors at said other discrete border locations and tomographically processed by the data processor to determine if any change occurred to the signal due to the panel being touched during passage from said one discrete border location to said plurality of other discrete border locations and thereby determine a local area on the panel where a change occurred.

10. An interactive system comprising a transparent panel, a display located behind the panel visible through the panel, a tomograph adjacent the panel including signal flow ports arrayed around the border of the panel at discrete locations whereby signals can be introduced into the panel to pass from each discrete border location to a plurality of other discrete border locations for being detected and tomographically processed to determine if any change occurred to signals due to the panel being touched during signal passage through the panel, and therefrom determine any local area on the panel where a change occurred, said tomograph computing an output indicative of panel touches and location, and controlling the display responsive to said output.

11. The invention of claim 10 wherein the signals are comprised of energy of one of electrical, electromagnetic, magnetic, light, sonic and vibration.

12. The invention of claim 10 wherein each signal flow port includes one of an emitter and a detector, said tomograph further includes a controller for controlling the emitters to emit signals into the panel, a signal sampler for sampling signals detected by detectors and a data processor operatively coupled to said controller and said signal sampler, said tomograph correlated with the panel to define reconstruction regions over the panel surface, the tomograph defining sets of emission patterns and for each emission pattern an associated set of detectors, the tomograph receiving from associated sets of detectors measured values from which to compute a tomogram indicative of a panel touch is computed, and in response thereto the display indicates a panel touch.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein the controller that establishes patterns for each emitter with an associated set of detectors, and a multiplexer serially energizes the emitters.

14. A method for determining touch on a screen comprising the steps of establishing a panel capable of conducting signals, associating a tomograph having signal flow ports adjacent the panel, arraying the signal flow ports around the border of the panel at discrete locations, introducing signals into the panel via the signal flow ports to pass from each discrete border location to a plurality of other discrete border locations, detecting and tomographically processing signals passed through said panel to determine if any change occurred in the panel by being touched during signal passage through the panel, and therefrom determining any local area on the panel where a change occurred, and outputting a signal indicative of panel touch and location.

15. A method according to claim 14 including the further step of displaying in response to said outputted signal an indication of panel touch and location.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the signal is comprised of energy of one of electrical, electromagnetic, magnetic, light, sonic and vibration.

17. A method for operating an interactive system comprising the steps of providing a transparent panel, locating a display behind the panel visible through the panel, arranging a tomograph including signal flow ports adjacent the panel, arraying the signal flow ports around the border of the panel at discrete locations, introducing signals into the panel to pass from each discrete border location to a plurality of other discrete border locations, detecting and tomographically processing signals passed through the panel to determine if any change occurred to signals due to the panel being touched during signal passage through the panel, and therefrom determining any local area on the panel where a change occurred, generating an output indicative of panel touch and location, and controlling the display responsive to said output.

18. The invention of claim 17 wherein the signals are comprised of energy of one of electrical, electromagnetic, magnetic, light, sonic and vibration.

19. The invention of claim 17 comprising the further steps of including in each signal flow one of an emitter and a detector, tomographically processing said signals further including controlling the emitters to emit signals into the panel, sampling signals detected by detectors, defining reconstruction regions over the panel surface, defining sets of emission patterns and for each emission pattern an associated set of detectors, receiving measured values from associated sets of detectors, computing a tomogram indicative of a panel touch, and in response thereto displaying an indication thereof.

20. The invention of claim 19 including the further steps of establishing patterns for each emitter with an associated set of detectors, and multiplexing by serially energizing the emitters.