Patent · US Expired

Touch input device

US4761637A · kind A · utility

51Cited by
7References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 5, 1986
Grant dateAug 2, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 5, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F3/0421
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An infrared touch input system is taught. Briefly stated, the system comprises a four-sided frame having an infrared transparent bezel along the inside thereof and having infrared emitters along the top and one side of the frame with infrared detectors along the sides opposite the emitters. Darlington transitor arrays are used as source and sink drivers for driving the LED's in an array. The I/O lines of a microprocessor in conjunction with the source and sink drivers are used to selectively energize each LED. Additional I/O lines of the microprocessor in conjunction with BCD decoders are used to selectively energize corresponding infrared detecting phototransistors before, during and after LED turn-on. A host computer supplies a clocking signal for the microprocessor with programming in the microprocessor thereby automatically performing the selection and deselection of emitters and detectors. A serial data stream is outputted from the microprocessor which indicates to the host computer the location of any broken light beams thereby indicating a stylus hit.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.