Pressure, rotation and stylus functionality for interactive display screens

An apparatus comprising:

• an electronic display, having a front surface that includes a viewing area;
• a planar light guide disposed proximate to and behind the front surface;
• a light source that emits one or both of visible and infrared light;
• and
• at least one photo sensing element coupled with the first planar light guide and disposed outside of or proximate to a periphery of the viewing area;
• wherein:
• the planar light guide is configured to receive scattered light, the received scattered light resulting from interaction between light emitted by the light source and an object in optical contact with the front surface;
• the photo sensing element is configured to detect at least some of the received scattered light and to output, to a processor, image data;
• and
• wherein the light source emits light in a direction substantially orthogonal to the front surface.

An apparatus comprising:

• an interactive display, having a front surface that includes a viewing area;
• a light source that emits one or both of visible and infrared light;
• at least one photosensing element disposed outside of or proximate to a periphery of the viewing area;
• and
• means, disposed proximate to and behind the front surface, coupled with the at least one photosensing element, for receiving light, the received light resulting from one or both of:
• interaction between light emitted by the light source and an object in optical contact with the front surface, and light emitted by the object;
• and
• wherein:
• the photosensing element is configured to detect at least some of the received light and to output, to a processor, image data;
• and
• the processor is configured to recognize, from the image data, one or both of a contact pressure and a rotational orientation of the object.

A method comprising:

• detecting, with a photosensing element, received light, the received light resulting from one or both of:
• interaction between light emitted by the light source and an object in at least partial optical contact with a front surface of a display cover glass of an interactive display, and light emitted by the object;
• outputting image data from the photosensing element to a processor;
• and
• recognizing, with a processor, from the image data, one or both of a contact pressure and a rotational orientation of the object.