Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display peripheral interface input device – Touch panel
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-15
2003-10-14
Shankar, Vijay (Department: 2673)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display peripheral interface input device
Touch panel
C345S179000, C345S177000, C178S019020, C178S018020, C178S018040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06633280
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a touch panel device in which information are input by an input pen onto a touch panel that is provided in front of a flat display such as a plasma display panel, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, the touch panel device has been spread as the inputting means for various information processing devices.
This touch panel device senses a coordinate of a touch position on the touch panel, and inputs various information into the information processing device in response to the touch position. Various systems have been proposed.
Out of the touch panel devices, there is the ultrasonic surface acoustic wave system that senses the coordinate of the touch position on the touch panel by utilizing the ultrasonic wave.
FIG. 25
is a schematic view showing the touch panel device in the conventional art utilizing the ultrasonic surface acoustic wave system.
In
FIG. 25
, the touch panel device comprises an X-side reflection array
2
A on the transmitter side, which is provided horizontally to a lower edge portion of a touch panel
1
; an X-side transmitter
2
B arranged on the lower right-hand corner of the touch panel
1
and connected to the X-side reflection array
2
A; an X-side reflection array
3
A on the receiver side, which is provided horizontally to an upper edge portion of the touch panel
1
so as to oppose to the X-side reflection array
2
A; an X-side receiver
3
B arranged on the upper right-hand corner of the touch panel
1
and connected to the X-side reflection array
3
A; a Y-side reflection array
4
A on the transmitter side, which is provided vertically to a left-side edge portion of the touch panel
1
; a Y-side transmitter
4
B arranged on the upper left-hand corner of the touch panel
1
and connected to the Y-side reflection array
4
A; a Y-side reflection array
5
A on the receiver side, which is provided vertically to a right-side edge portion of the touch panel
1
so as to oppose to the Y-side reflection array
4
A; and a Y-side receiver
5
B arranged on the upper right-hand corner of the touch panel
1
and connected to the Y-side reflection array
5
A.
In this touch panel device, the ultrasonic wave that is output from the X-side transmitter
2
B is oscillated upward in the vertical direction from respective positions, which are provided along the axis direction (X direction) of the X-side reflection array
2
A on the transmitter side, to the X-side reflection array
3
A on the receiver side. Then, the ultrasonic wave that is received at respective positions, which are provided along the axis direction (X direction) of the X-side reflection array
3
A on the receiver side, is input into the X-side receiver
3
B.
Also, the ultrasonic wave that is output from the Y-side transmitter
4
B is oscillated rightward in the horizontal direction from respective positions, which are provided along the axis direction (Y direction) of the Y-side reflection array
4
A on the transmitter side, to the Y-side reflection array
5
A on the receiver side. Then, the ultrasonic wave that is received at respective positions, which are provided along the axis direction (Y direction) of the Y-side reflection array
5
A on the receiver side, is input into the X-side receiver
5
B.
Then, identification of the touch position on the touch panel
1
is carried out as follows. For example, when any position P′ on the touch panel
1
is touched as shown, the ultrasonic waves that are oscillated respectively from the X-side reflection array
2
A and the Y-side reflection array
4
A on the transmitter side are blocked by the finger, the input pen, or the like, that touches the touch panel
1
. Therefore, the positions (x coordinate and y coordinate) on the X-side reflection array
3
A and the Y-side reflection array
5
A on the receiver side can be detected based on change (attenuation) of the ultrasonic signals that are input into the X-side receiver
3
B and the X-side receiver
5
B.
This ultrasonic surface acoustic wave system touch panel device has the characteristic such that it is less affected by the temperature and the humidity and is excellent in the durability.
However, the ultrasonic surface acoustic wave system touch panel device in the conventional art has problems such that, as shown in
FIG. 25
, the transmitter-side reflection array and the receiver-side reflection array must be arranged on four sides of the touch panel respectively and in addition, in order to reduce the detection error by increasing the detection precision of the touch position, the size of the device is increased and the detection precision has a limit since acoustic transmitter portions and receiver portions must set finely in the transmitter-side reflection array and the receiver-side reflection array respectively.
Also, the ultrasonic surface acoustic wave system touch panel device in the conventional art identifies the touch position P′ by sensing the vibration caused by the acoustic wave and propagated over the touch panel
1
. Therefore, if this touch panel device is fitted to the plasma display panel (PDP), for example, there is such a possibility that the vibration generated in the touch panel
1
by driving the PDP is sensed as the noise and thus the error is caused in the detection result.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to overcome the problem that is included in the above touch panel device in the conventional art.
That is, it is an object of the present invention to provide a touch panel device capable of sensing a touch position by a simple configuration with high precision.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the first invention, there is provided a touch panel device for sensing a touch position on a touch panel provided in front of the flat display device, comprising sound collecting members arranged at least any two different locations of edge portions of the touch panel, for sensing a sound signal propagated through a space; an input pen containing a signal oscillating member, for oscillating an oscillated signal that is output from the signal oscillating member from a top end portion; and a coordinate position calculating member for calculating a coordinate of the touch position of the input pen on the touch panel by calculating distances between the sound collecting members and the touch position of the input pen on the touch panel, based on the sound signal oscillated from the input pen to be sensed by the sound collecting members; wherein the sound collecting members have a sound collecting directivity characteristic that can cover an overall surface of the touch panel in response to fitted positions of the edge portions of the touch panel.
According to the touch panel device of the first invention, when the top end portion of the input pen touches the touch panel, the sound signal such as the acoustic wave output from the signal oscillating member built in the input pen is oscillated from the top end portion of the input pen to propagate through the space along the front surface of the touch panel, and then is sensed by the sound collecting members, that are fitted to at least two different locations of the edges portions of the touch panel, respectively.
Then, the coordinate position calculating member calculates the distances between the sound collecting members and the touch position on the touch panel, at which the sound signal is oscillated, based on the sound signal sensed by the sound collecting members and then calculates the X, Y coordinate values on the touch position of the touch panel based on respective calculated distances to identify the touch position of the input pen.
Then, the sound collecting members that sense the sound signal oscillated from the input pen to identify the touch position have the sound collecting directivity characteristic to cover the overall surface of the touch panel, for example, 90 degree if the sound collecting members are arranged at the corner positions of the edge portions of the
Matsumoto Kanya
Nakazono Jiro
Pioneer Corporation
Said Mansour M.
Shankar Vijay
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