Acoustic touchscreen having waveguided reflector arrays
US6636201B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 26, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 21, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 26, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F3/0436
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An acoustic touchscreen (1a) has transmitting transducers (23a, 23b) for generating acoustic signals which are deflected across a touch-sensitive area (2) by an array 13 of partially acoustically reflective elements 14. A touch on the touch-sensitive area causes a perturbation in the acoustic signals. After traversing the touch-sensitive area, the acoustic signals are redirected by another array 13 of partially acoustically reflective elements 14, towards receiving transducers (26a, 26b), where the signals (and any perturbations) are sensed. To accommodate touchscreens having narrow border regions (15a), the acoustic signals are propagated across the border regions using acoustic waveguides (18). The waveguide confines the acoustic signals to traveling along a narrow path width, but yet permit them to be deflected across the touch-sensitive area. In this manner, the transducers and reflective elements can in turn be of narrower construction and can fit within narrow border regions.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.