High transparency integrated enclosure touch screen assembly for a portable hand held device

• US 6,992,659 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2001
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gettemy, Shawn R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Dennis-Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Srilakshmi K.
• Application Number:
  US09/863,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20020175901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-176, 385 12- 14, 349/58, 361/681, 361/729
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen

Abstract

An integrated enclosure/touch screen assembly. A touch screen assembly consisting of a display mechanism and optical sensor mechanism are enclosed within a single piece cover. The optical sensor mechanism consists of lens structure and optical sensor couple to the lens structure. The single piece cover includes a transparent top surface and the lens structure is embedded within the transparent top surface. The transparent top surface of the single piece cover provides an enclosure that is both dust free and waterproof.

The lens structure of the single piece cover functions by columnating light across the transparent surface. The optical touch sensor is coupled to the lens structure to register contact with the transparent surface via the lens structure by detecting disturbances in the columnated light. In one embodiment, the single piece cover is constructed by embedding the lens structure directly into the transparent surface. This process forms the single piece cover and also may be used to provide various shapes for the outer edges of the cover. The single piece cover eliminates exposed seams of the touch screen assembly. Additionally, the transparent surface is disposed directly above the display without any intervening layers, thereby improving the transmission of light to the display.

Claims

1. A touch screen display for a personal information device, comprising:

an optical touch sensor;

a display; and

a single piece device enclosure integrated with the optical touch sensor, the single piece device enclosure having a transparent surface for viewing the display disposed beneath the transparent surface, the single piece device enclosure encasing the personal information device and including a lens structure for columnating light across the transparent surface, the optical touch sensor coupled to the lens structure to register contact with the transparent surface via the lens structure while the single piece device enclosure prevents contaminants from entering the personal information device.

2. The touchscreen display of claim 1 wherein the single piece device enclosure includes in mold decoration along a periphery of the single piece device enclosure.

3. The touchscreen display of claim 1 wherein the lens structure included within single piece device enclosure is coupled to the optical touch sensor to provide columnated light for detecting and registering contact with the transparent surface.

4. The touchscreen display of claim 3 wherein a plurality of waveguides are coupled to the lens structure and embedded within the single piece device enclosure.

5. The touchscreen display of claim 1 wherein the optical touch sensor detects and registers contact from a finger on the transparent surface.

6. The touchscreen display of claim 1 wherein the optical touch sensor detects and registers contact from a stylus on the transparent surface.

7. The touch screen display of claim 1 wherein the single piece device enclosure comprises a mylar polycarbonate material.

8. The touch screen display of claim 1 wherein the single piece device enclosure is bezel-less.

9. The touchscreen display of claim 1 wherein the transparent surface transmits more than 90 percent of light impinging upon the transparent surface to the display.

10. An integrated enclosure/touch screen assembly comprising:

a display mechanism;

an optical sensor;

a lens structure coupled to the optical sensor;

a single piece device enclosure that is bezel-less; and

a supporting structure for supporting the display mechanism, the optical sensor, the lens structure, and the single piece device enclosure, wherein the lens structure and the single piece device enclosure form a single mechanical structure encasing for a personal information device and wherein the optical sensor can be activated by touching the external surface of the single piece device enclosure to disturb light received by the lens structure.

11. The integrated enclosure/touch screen assembly according of claim 10 wherein the single piece device enclosure includes a transparent surface and the display mechanism is disposed beneath the transparent surface.

12. The integrated enclosure/touch screen assembly according of claim 10 wherein finger contact on the transparent surface of the single piece device enclosure may be used to activate the optical sensor via the lens structure.

13. The integrated enclosure/touch screen assembly according of claim 10 wherein stylus contact on the transparent surface of the single piece device enclosure may be used to activate the optical sensor via the lens structure.

14. The integrated enclosure/touch screen assembly according of claim 10 wherein the single piece device enclosure includes a periphery area for in-mold decoration.

15. The integrated enclosure/touch screen assembly according of claim 10 wherein the optical lens structure is disposed along a periphery of the transparent surface of the single piece device enclosure.

16. A single piece portable electronic device comprising:

a flat panel display screen;

an optical sensor;

a lens structure coupled to the optical sensor;

a bezel-less transparent surface wherein the lens structure is embedded within the transparent surface to form a single mechanical device enclosure encasing the portable electronic device and wherein contact with the transparent surface is detected by the optical sensor detecting a shadow from the contact via the lens structure, and wherein the transparent surface is a single layer transparent surface configured to transmit more than 90 percent of light impinging upon the transparent surface to the display screen.

17. The display assembly from claim 16 wherein a wave guide structure couples the lens structure to the optical sensor.

18. The display assembly from claim 16 wherein the bezel-less transparent surface includes a peripheral area for in-mold decoration.