The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 10, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 06, 1994
Eizo Takahashi, Suwa, JP;
Chiharu Kaburagi, Suwa, JP;
Seiko Epson Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A touch panel input device is provide with a panel capable of propagating surface acoustic waves and in which surface acoustic wave attenuation is caused by a object in contact with said panel. An emission circuit outputs a surface acoustic wave drive; and an emission transducer emits surface acoustic waves in the panel in accordance with the surface wave drive outputted from said emission circuit. A reception transducer receives surface acoustic waves in the panel and outputs a received acoustic signal. A reception circuit receives the received acoustic wave signal from the reception transducer to detect a position at which the received acoustic wave is attenuated as indicative of a position that the object contacts the panel. A controller controls the emission circuit and the reception circuit, and comprises a processor for computing a width of the contact by the object on the panel in accordance with a waveform detected by the reception circuit. A judging circuit distinguishes a type of object in contact based on the width obtained by the processor.