Light-based touch screen using elongated light guides

A touch screen comprising:

• a housing;
• a display mounted in said housing;
• a light guide mounted in said housing along a first edge of said display, the light guide comprising a reflective strip that reflects light pulses received at one end of the light guide;
• a light pulse emitter mounted in said housing near the one end of said light guide, for transmitting light pulses through said light guide, wherein said reflective strip reflects the light pulses over said display;
• a plurality of collimating lenses mounted in said housing along the edge of said display opposite the first edge;
• a plurality of light pulse receivers mounted in said housing that are spaced apart from and receive light pulses through said collimating lenses;
• and
• a calculating unit, mounted in said housing and connected to said receivers, for determining a location of a pointer on said display that partially blocks the light pulses transmitted by said emitter, based on outputs of said receivers.

A touch screen comprising:

• a housing;
• a display mounted in said housing;
• a light guide mounted in said housing along a first edge of said display, the light guide comprising a reflective strip that reflects light pulses received at either end of the light guide;
• a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in said housing near each end of said light guide, for transmitting light pulses through said light guide, wherein said reflective strip reflects the light pulses over said display;
• a plurality of collimating lenses mounted in said housing along the edge of said display opposite the first edge;
• a plurality of light pulse receivers mounted in said housing that are spaced apart from and receive light pulses through said collimating lenses;
• and
• a calculating unit, mounted in said housing and connected to said receivers, for determining a location of a pointer on said display that partially blocks the light pulses transmitted by said emitters, based on outputs of said receivers.