Back to results
US 2010/0245288 A1Published application
Touch Tunnels
AssigneeHarris Technology, LLC
InventorScott C Harris
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A touch screen that operates by conducting an environmental change—e.g heat, radiation such as light, or RF environment, to the other side where it can be detected. The shape of the actuating device can also be detected and used for analyzing whether to allow the actuation. One embodiment uses nano fibers or nano tubes to conduct the environmental change from the front side to the back side.
Claims24
A sensing system that senses an actuation in a specific area, comprising:
- a screen having an actuatable surface defining a front side, and also having a rear side, wherein said actuatable surface includes a plurality of areas, any of said areas which can be actuated to request a function associated with said any of said areas;
- and
- a sensor, adjacent the rear side of said screen detecting a change in environment on the front side of the screen, wherein said screen conducts said change in environment from said front side to said rear side.
A system of detecting actuations, comprising:
- a surface defining a front surface adjacent an area at which actuations will be sensed, said actuations being sensed by a selection of an area of said front surface by an interaction between an item and an area of said front surface, where different areas on said front surface represent different commands being actuated;
- and
- a sensor that detects an actuation via said interaction, before said item actually touches said front surface.
A method comprising:
- detecting a change of environment at a front side of an actuatable surface, using a sensor that is on a rear side of said actuatable surface, by conducting said change of environment from said front side to said rear side;
- detecting an area at which said change of environment occurred, using said sensor;
- and
- commanding an actuating of a function associated with said area, based on said detecting an area.
1 more element
A touch screen comprising;
- a surface with actuable areas, that is actuated by interacting with said surface using an item to interact with an area of said surface, to command a function from at least one of said areas that were interacted with by said item, without deforming the surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.