Explore Technologies Corp.

Kke/explore Acquisition Corp.

Mark Flowers

David J Conroy

An electrographic sensor unit and method for determining the position of a user selected position thereon. The electrographic sensor unit includes a layer of a conductive material having an electrical resistivity and a surface, at least three spaced apart contact points electrically interconnected with a layer of conductive material, a processor connected to the spaced apart contacts and disposed to selectively apply a signal to each of the contact points, and a probe assembly, that includes either a stylus of a flexible conductive layer spaced apart from the layer, coupled to the processor with the stylus disposed to be positioned by a user in vicinity of a user selected position on the surface of the layer, or that position being selected with a user's finger on the flexible layer and to receive signals from the layer when the contact points have signals selectively applied thereto. The user selected position is determined by the processor from signals received from the stylus, or flexible layer, each in relation to a similar excitation of different pairs of the contact points under control of the processor. The conductive layer may be either two or three dimensional and may be a closed three dimensional shape. There may also be multiple layers with the processor being able to discern on which of those layers the user selected position is located. Further, provision is made to correct the calculated coordinates of the selected position for variations in contact resistance of each of the contact points individually. Additionally, a nonconductive skin having selected graphics printed thereon, such as a map, can be placed over the layer and the proces-sor further convert the calculated coordinates of the selected position to coordinates that relate to the graphical information printed in the skin, and even electro-nically (e.g., audio or visual) present information to the user relative to the graphical location selected as the selected position.

Surface position location system and method

Electrographic sensor and method for position determination of a selected position thereon. Sensor includes a conductive material layer having electrical resistivity and a surface, at least three spaced apart contact points electrically interconnected with the layer, a processor connected to the contacts disposed to selectively apply a signal to each contact, and a probe assembly that includes either a stylus coupled to the processor with the stylus disposed to be positioned by a user in vicinity of the selected position on the layer, or a flexible layer with a user's finger selecting that position on the flexible layer to receive signals from the layer when the contact points have signals selectively applied. The selected position is determined by the processor from signals received from the stylus, or flexible layer, each in relation to a similar excitation of different pairs of the contacts. The conductive layer of either two or three dimensions including a closed three dimensional shape. With multiple layers the processor is able to discern on which layer the user selected position is located. Correction of the calculated coordinates of the selected position for variations in contact resistance of the contact points. A non-conductive skin having graphics printed thereon, i.e. a map, can be placed over the layer and the processor further converts the calculated coordinates of the selected position to coordinates relative to the graphical information printed on the skin, and electronically (audio or visual) present information to the user relative to the graphical location selected.

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Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Mark Flowers