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US 12,737,054 B2Granted
Touch control system and method
AssigneeI-Interactive LLC
InventorDavid L. Henty
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for providing a touch control system are disclosed. In one aspect a touch screen interface on a mechanical keyboard is disclosed. A touch sensing area on a keyboard having mechanical key mechanisms also provides a touch sensing surface. Touch position on the keyboard is detected and used to control a user interface. Unique touch sensing systems are also disclosed.
Claims13
A method for position sensing, comprising the steps:
- providing one or more IR light sources configured about at least a portion of a position sensing region to provide plural IR beams;
- providing a plurality of IR detectors configured along at least one edge of the position sensing region, wherein at least some of the IR detectors are configured to be illuminated by plural IR beams when active;
- and
- sequentially pulsing the one or more IR light sources to sequentially illuminate at least some of the IR detectors with plural IR beams, determining the detector signal strength at said detectors for a timing window for an IR pulse and correlating the time of the detector window signal to a specific IR beam, and employing a series of time correlated detected signal strengths to determine the position of a freely movable object in the position sensing region employing one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers.
1 more element
A position sensing system, comprising:
- one or more IR light sources configured about at least a portion of a position sensing region;
- a plurality of IR detectors configured along at least one edge of the position sensing region, wherein at least some of the IR detectors are configured to be illuminated by plural IR beams when one or more IR light sources are active;
- and
- one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers coupled to the one or more IR light sources and plurality of IR detectors, the one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers having programmed instructions and circuitry adapted to sequentially pulse the one or more IR light sources to sequentially illuminate at least some of the IR detectors with plural IR beams, determine the detector signal strength at said detectors for a timing window for an IR pulse and correlating the time of the detector window signal to a specific IR beam, and employing a series of time correlated detected signal strengths to determine the position of a freely movable object in the position sensing region.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.