Integrated liquid crystal display and optical touch panel
AssigneeTektronix, Inc.
InventorRobert D. Meadows
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flat panel liquid crystal display (12) with an integrated touch panel has a multitude of pixels (28) arranged in multiple columns and multiple rows. The pixels (28) of the first column (54) and last column (66), and of the first row (60) and of the last row (72) are controlled in conjunction with emitters (52, 58) and detectors (64, 70) with associated mirrors (74, 80, 82, 84) to create a sequence of light beams that extend across the display panel (12) in both the X and Y directions. Whenever a stylus (86) is placed near the display panel, two orthogonal light beams are interrupted corresponding to the X and Y positions of the stylus (86) relative to the display panel (12).
Claims5
An integrated display and optical touch panel apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a display panel having a plurality of elements arranged in a matrix of multiple columns and multiple rows;
- (b) emitter means associated with a first column of elements for projecting light toward those elements, the first column of elements being controllable for assuming a transparent state and an opaque state, the light propagating through any one of the first column of elements that is in the transparent state;
- (c) reflection means for directing across the surface of the display panel light propagating through any element in the first column of elements;
- and
- (d) detection means for detecting the light reflected by the reflection means and for providing a signal indicative thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.