Data processing device comprising a touch screen and a force sensor
AssigneeU.S. Philips Corporation
InventorsKofi A. A. Makinwa, Theunis S. Baller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A data processing device comprises a touch screen with a touch position sensor. The position sensor is suitable to detect a touch position on the screen from a change in a current pattern in a conductive panel. The device also comprises a touch force sensor provided with a second conductive panel which extends substantially parallel to the touch screen. The screen is at least partly movable relative to the second panel in a direction transversely of the second panel. The force sensor is suitable to determine a force from a capacitance value between the touch screen and the second panel. The device is suitable for the combined processing of the position and force detected in response to touching.
Claims13
A touch screen data processing device comprising:
- a touch screen having a first conductive panel, said first panel comprising a touch position sensor for detecting a touch position on said screen from a change in a current pattern in said first panel;
- a second conductive panel parallel to said first panel and coextensive therewith, the second panel being spaced from the first panel in a direction transverse thereto, the second panel constituting portion of an image display;
- resilient support means situated between the peripheries of said first and second panels for permitting partial movement of said screen toward said second panel, so that a touch force on said screen causes at least partial narrowing of the spacing between said screen and said second panel and a resulting change in electrical capacitance therebetween over an area substantially coextensive with said screen;
- a touch force sensor comprising said second panel, for determining the value of a touch force on said screen by detection of the resulting change in capacitance between said screen and said second panel;
- and
- means for performing combined processing of data produced by both the position sensor and the force sensor in response to a touch force on said screen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.