Disinfecting touch-based screen automatically
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorIlya Tumanov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A UV and visible light transparent film material is secured onto or within a touch-based screen to automatically disinfect the external surface. UV light is emitted from a UV light source into an edge of the transparent film material in order to transfer the UV light through the transparent film material while remaining in the transparent film material through total internal reflection effect. Some UV light exits the transparent film material at points of contact to disinfect fingertips and immediate surrounding areas through the frustrated total internal reflection effect.
Claims22
-11. (canceled)
A computing device configured to automatically disinfect a touch-based screen, the computing device comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- a processor coupled to the touch-based screen and the memory, the processor adapted to execute a disinfection controller that is configured to:
- detect a predetermined event to trigger disinfection of the touch-based screen;
- activate an ultra violet (UV) light source located on an edge of a transparent film material substantially covering a surface of the touch-based screen, the UV light source configured to emit UV light through the transparent film material to disinfect an external surface of the transparent film material, wherein
- an optical index matching gel applied between the UV light source and the edge of the transparent film material allows additional UV light to enter the transparent film material at a low power to maximize safety, and
- the UV light exits the transparent film material and disinfects fingertips of a user and immediate surrounding areas of the fingertips in response to one of:
- a contact of the fingertips of the user on the external surface of the transparent film material and a near proximity of the fingertips of the user to the external surface of the transparent film material;
- and
- disengage the UV light source based on another predetermined event to maintain safe exposure limits.
(canceled)
A computer-readable memory device with instructions stored thereon to automatically disinfect a touch-based screen, the instructions comprising:
- detecting a predetermined event to trigger disinfection of the touch-based screen;
- activating an ultra violet (UV) light source located on at least one edge of a transparent film material substantially covering a display surface of the touch-based screen, the UV light source configured to emit UV light through the transparent film material to disinfect an external surface of the transparent film material, wherein
- an optical index matching gel applied between the UV light source and the at least one edge of the transparent film material allows additional UV light to enter the transparent film material at a low power to maximize safety, and
- the UV light exits the transparent film material and disinfects fingertips of a user and immediate surrounding areas of the fingertips in response to one of:
- a contact of the fingertips of the user on the external surface of the transparent film material and a near proximity of the fingertips of the user to the external surface of the transparent film material;
- and
- disengaging the UV light source based on another predetermined event.
An apparatus to automatically disinfect a touch-based screen, the apparatus comprising:
- a transparent film material substantially covering a display surface of the touch-based screen;
- an ultra violet (UV) light source located on an edge of the transparent film material, wherein UV light from the UV light source is emitted through the transparent film material to disinfect the transparent film material such that when a user touches the transparent film material at a contact point, the UV light exits the transparent film material and disinfects fingertips of the user and immediate surrounding areas of the fingertips at the contact point;
- and
- an optical index matching gel applied between the UV light source and the edge of the transparent film material to allow additional UV light to enter the transparent film material at a low power to maximize safety.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.