3M Innovative Properties Company

Other

Microtouch Systems, Inc.

Visage, Inc.

Jerry B Roberts

Richard A Eckhardt

A sensing device obtains range-related data&#x2014;such as Doppler data or pulse time-of-flight data&#x2014;from a sports projectile during flight. The time course of the range-related data is employed, in light of predictable characteristics of the projectile trajectory, to determine and output an accurate determination of the projectile speed for one or more points of interest in its flight. Such determination of speed may, for instance, be the speed at the time of projectile release, even though range-related data is gathered later in the flight, when the projectile is traveling neither so fast, nor straight at the sensor. Such sensing device may employ inexpensive short-range acoustic Doppler, and be incorporated into a target device that automatically displays to a pitcher-in-training the speed and ball/strike condition of each pitch.

Electronic pitching trainer and method for determining the true speed of a sports projectile

An approach for accurately determining touch location on a touch screen is provided. According to one aspect, a touch signal shape may be correlated with a level of touch-induced touch signal error present in the touch signal. The touch signal shape is associated with a preferred time for obtaining touch signal information to determine the touch location. Touch signal location information is acquired in response to detecting the touch signal shape in the touch signal. The location of the touch is determined from the acquired touch signal information.

Method for improving positioned accuracy for a determined touch input

In connection with establishing a touch location on a touch screen, a number of reference levels are developed. One or more of the reference levels may be used to determine a differential change in the touch signal between a zero touch force condition and a touch event. In one approach, one or more reference levels are selected to compensate for various conditions affecting the touch screen at the time a touch is applied. Using one or more reference levels to compensate for conditions affecting the touch signal at the time touch location information is obtained can provide improved accuracy in determining touch location.

Baselining techniques in force-based touch panel systems

A touch sensitive device uses an iterative method for determining the location of a touch on a touch sensitive surface. The touch sensitive device includes a touch plate and a plurality of sensors configured to sense vibrations propagating in the touch plate. Signals responsive to the vibrations caused by the touch are generated. The touch location is approximated and the signals are adjusted using the approximate touch location. The touch location is determined using the adjusted signals.

Iterative method for determining touch location

A touch screen uses one or more force sensors to determine location of the touch on the screen. The force sensor has an accurately determined direction of sensitivity and, therefore, has reduced sensitivity to forces that are non-perpendicular to the screen. The sensor is thin in relation to the area of the active force-sensing element, allowing low profile force touch screens to have a better combination of mechanical integrity, accuracy, sensitivity, and high signal to noise ratio than has heretofore been achieved. The sensor may also be rotationally soft, so that it is effective at preventing twisting motions of the overlay or the support surface from affecting the sensed force.

Force sensors and touch panels using same

A touch screen uses one or more force sensors to determine location of the touch on the screen. Bending or twisting of the touch screen overlay, or of the support structure upon which the touch screen is mounted, may result in the detection of undesirable forces by force sensors. These undesirable forces may distort the measurement of the location of the touch on the screen. The force sensor is arranged to reduce the effects of flexure on the determination of the location of the touch. For example, a rotational softener, such as a rotational bearing or a pliable material may be included with the force sensor.

Touch screen with rotationally isolated force sensor

Various techniques are provided for reducing the impact of tangential forces on touch location in a touch location device. For example, in one aspect, shunt connections are provided that impede lateral motion of the touch surface structure at the level of the touch plane, thereby reducing to insignificant magnitude reactions to tangential force passing through the sensing connections. In another aspect, sensing connections incorporate elastic means so adjusted as to turn that connection's reaction to tangential touch force perpendicular to its axis of sensitivity. In another aspect, sensing connections incorporate sensing means so adjusted as to turn that connection's axis of sensitivity perpendicular to its reaction to tangential force.

Tangential force control in a touch location device

A method and system are provided to correct one or more sensor signals having errors induced by a viscoelastic effect. The errors may be characterized using a combination of linear or non linear functions. The characterization of the errors may be used to reduce the errors from the sensor signals. In one aspect of the invention, the errors associated with a viscoelastic effect are reduced from the sensor signals by filtering the sensor signals, scaling the output of the filter circuit to produce correction factors and subtracting the correction factors from the sensor signals. Corrected sensor signals may be used to determine the location of a touch on a touch screen with improved accuracy.

Correction of memory effect errors in force-based touch panel systems

A method and system are provided to correct inaccuracies in touch location determination associated with mechanical distortion of the touch screen. Calibration parameters are provided for a touch screen characterizing an error in an expected touch signal associated with mechanical distortion of the touch screen. A force responsive touch signal having the error is detected and the touch location determined using the calibration parameters to correct the error in the touch signal. The calibration parameters are determined by applying mechanical distortion to the touch screen and characterizing the touch signal error associated with the mechanical distortion. The calibration parameters are produced using the characterization of the touch signal error

Calibration of force based touch panel systems

A method and apparatus is disclosed, particularly, though by no means exclusively, useful in touch-screen computer CRT display systems and the like, and more generally in other force and/or torque measurement systems, as in weighing and the like, in which (1) lineal and/or rotational acceleration of the system is sensed in response to inertial interference effects such as tilt or movement that introduce errors into the force and/or torque measurements, and/or (2) inertial error correction from the force data itself is obtained, such as derivative order corrections; and such data is used to correct the force and/or torque measurements. A novel calibration technique for deriving appropriately descriptive coefficients to the particular system for the correcting data, is also disclosed.

Force measurement system correcting for inertial interference

A method and apparatus is disclosed, particularly, though by no means exclusively, useful in touch&mdash;screen computer CRT display systems and the like, and more generally in other force and/or torque measurement systems, as in weighing and the like, in which (1) lineal and/or rotational acceleration of the system is sensed in response to inertial interference effects such as tilt or movement that introduce errors into the force and/or torque measurements, and/or (2) inertial error correction from the force data itself is obtained, such as derivative order corrections; and such data is used to correct the force and/or torque measurements. A novel calibration technique for deriving appropriately descriptive coefficients to the particular system for the correcting data, is also disclosed.

Method of and apparatus for the elimination of the effects of inertial interference in force measurement systems, including touch-input computer and related displays employing touch force location measurement techniques

A pre-press process employs color accurate instant photography so that the customer and/or his photographer adjust lighting and exposure at the photography session to achieve approved reflection originals. The photographs are judged under controlled lighting against a standard background in device such as a potable illuminator. Since any deficiencies are corrected by recreating an improved original, the session produces a job output which is 100% suitable for color accurate scanning and separation without the intervention of the pre-press operator. Originals are suitable as proofs for the printer to match. Novel means are employed to achieve rapid, colorimetrically calibrated scanning with standard equipment, and the colorimetry of the prior art is improved to deal effectively with whitepoint and blackpoint misalignment.

Pre-press process and system for accurately reproducing color images

A pre-press process employs color accurate instant photography so that the customer and/or his photographer adjust lighting and exposure at the photography session to achieve approved reflection originals. The photographs are judged under controlled lighting against a standard background in device such as a portable illuminator. Since any deficiencies are corrected by recreating an improved original, the session produces a job output which is 100% suitable for color accurate scanning and separation without the intervention of the pre-press operator. Originals are suitable as proofs for the printer to match. Novel means are employed to achieve rapid, colorimetrically calibrated scanning with standard equipment, and the colorimetry of the prior art is improved to deal effectively with whitepoint and blackpoint misalignment.

A method and apparatus is disclosed, particularly, though by no means exclusively, useful in touch--screen computer CRT display systems and the like, and more generally in other force and/or torque measurement systems, as in weighing and the like, in which (1) lineal and/or rotational acceleration of the system is sensed in response to inertial interference effects such as tilt or movement that introduce errors into the force and/or torque measurements, and/or (2) inertial error correction from the force data itself is obtained, such as derivative order corrections; and such data is used to correct the force and/or torque measurements. A novel calibration technique for deriving appropriately descriptive coefficients to the particular system for the correcting data, is also disclosed.

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Arlington, MA, United States of America

Jerry B Roberts