Augmented Optical Waveguide for use in an Optical Touch Sensitive Device

摘要

An optical touch-sensitive device is able to determine the locations of multiple simultaneous touch events. The optical touch-sensitive device includes multiple emitters and detectors coupled with an optical coupler assembly through a waveguide on the surface on the optical-touch sensitive device. Each emitter produces optical beams which propagate in the waveguide via total internal reflection and are received by the detectors. Touch events disturb the optical beams, and are determined based on the disturbances. The waveguide has at least one dead zone on its surface. The dead zone is formed with a cover layer having a top surface and a bottom surface where the bottom surface of the cover layer is directly coupled to the top surface of the waveguide. The cover layer preserves optical beam propagation in the waveguide and makes the dead zone insensitive to touches on the top surface of the cover layer.

主权项

1. An optical touch-sensitive device for use with a display, the touch-sensitive device comprising:
a planar optical waveguide extending over a surface of the display, the waveguide having a top surface and a bottom surface; emitters and detectors arranged along a periphery of the display; an optical coupler assembly positioned along the periphery of the display, the optical coupler assembly coupling optical beams produced by the emitters into the waveguide and out of the waveguide to the detectors, wherein touches on the top surface of the waveguide disturb the optical beams, the touch-sensitive device determining touch events based on the disturbances; at least one dead zone, the dead zone comprising a cover layer, the cover layer having a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface of the cover layer directly coupled to the top surface of the waveguide, the cover layer preserving optical beam propagation in the waveguide and making the dead zone insensitive to touches on the top surface of the cover layer.