Transparent touch screen parameter transmitter

Abstract

An integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel includes a first transparent layer, which includes a first base layer and a first conductive layer; and a second transparent layer, which is arranged adjacent to the first transparent layer and includes a second base layer and a second conductive layer; wherein the second transparent layer is a touch screen.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to parametric speakers and, more particularly, to transparent touchscreen ultrasound transmitters. Background Art

[0002] Parametric sound is a fundamentally new class of audio that relies on the nonlinear mixing of an audio signal with an ultrasonic carrier. One of the key enablers of this technology is a high-amplitude, efficient ultrasonic source, referred to here as a transmitter or transducer. Ultrasonic transmitters can be generated by a variety of different basic mechanisms, such as piezoelectric, electrostatic, and thermoacoustic. Electrostatic transmitters are typically capacitive devices consisting of two conductive surfaces with an air gap, where at least one of the conductive surfaces has a texture that is critical to the transmitter's function.

[0003] Nonlinear transduction occurs when a sufficiently intense, audio-modulated ultrasonic signal is introduced into a column of air. Self-demodulation, or down-conversion, occurs along the air column, generating an audible acoustic signal. This process occurs due to a known physical principle: when two sound waves with different frequencies are radiated simultaneously in the same medium, a modulated waveform consisting of the sum and difference of the two frequencies is generated by the nonlinear (parametric) interaction of the two sound waves. When the two original sound waves are ultrasonic and the difference between them is chosen to be an audio frequency, audible sound can be generated from this parametric interaction.

[0004] Parametric audio reproduction systems produce sound by heterodyning two acoustic signals in a nonlinear process occurring in a medium such as air. The acoustic signals are typically in the ultrasonic frequency range. The nonlinearity of the medium results in an acoustic signal generated by the medium that is a sum and difference of the acoustic signals. Therefore, two ultrasonic signals separated in frequency can result in a difference tone within the human hearing range of 60 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Embodiments of the technology described herein include an integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel, which may include: a first transparent layer comprising a first base layer and a first conductive layer; and a second transparent layer disposed adjacent to the first transparent layer, the second transparent layer comprising a second base layer and a second conductive layer; wherein the second transparent layer is a touch screen.

[0006] Other embodiments include a method for operating an integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel, comprising: for a conductive layer having a plurality of overlapping rows and columns of conductive material, scanning possible combinations of the rows and columns one at a time to detect the presence of a touch; while the scanning is occurring, driving the remaining rows and columns of the conductive layer to generate ultrasonic audio signals. Driving may include driving all rows and columns of the conductive layer to generate ultrasonic signals, and scanning may include measuring the drive signals in the scanned rows and columns to determine whether the drive signals indicate the presence of a touch.

[0007] Other features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate features according to embodiments of the present invention by way of example. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined solely by the appended claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The technology of the present disclosure, according to one or more various embodiments, will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and depict only typical or exemplary embodiments of the disclosed technology. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader's understanding of the disclosed technology and should not be construed as limiting its breadth, scope, or applicability. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration, these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0009] Some of the figures included herein illustrate various embodiments of the disclosed technology from different viewing angles. Although the accompanying descriptive text may use terms such as "top," "bottom," "side," "with," or "height" to refer to the devices depicted therein, these references are merely descriptive and do not imply or require that the disclosed technology be implemented or used in a specific spatial orientation unless explicitly stated otherwise.

[0010] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example plan view of a display cover including a transparent emitter with a bezel incorporating infrared or camera-based touch screen functionality according to one embodiment of the systems and methods described herein.

[0011] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of an example transparent touch screen with transparent emitters incorporating resistive or force-based touch technology according to one embodiment of the systems and methods described herein.

[0012] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of an example transparent touch screen having transparent emitters in conjunction with a surface capacitive touch panel according to one embodiment of the systems and methods described herein.

[0013] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example transmitter according to one embodiment of the systems and methods described herein, wherein an outer transparent conductive layer of the transparent transmitter may be implemented to function as a capacitive touch panel.

[0014] Figure 5 and Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of electrical patterning to form a projected capacitive (procap) touch panel as part of a transmitter according to one embodiment of the systems and methods described herein.

[0015] Figure 7 is a graph showing an example of impedance change with and without touch.

[0016] Figure 8 is a graph showing an example of capacitance change with and without touch.

[0017] Figure 9 and 10 Emitters are shown being driven for audio (all other rows and columns) and scanned for touch (arrows at the currently scanned row and column).

[0018] Figure 11 An example is shown in which an ultrasonic pulse is generated to construct a transmitter that transmits a signal and also receives a reflected signal.

[0019] Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating an example emitter formed by patterning a solid planar conductor on one side with the other side patterned into multiple discrete "emitters" in accordance with one embodiment of the systems and methods described herein.

[0020] Figure 13 One example is shown where discrete emitters are configured as individually addressable units (IAUs) and can be connected to drive / detection circuitry via conductors (eg, finely printed metal bus bars).

[0021] The drawings are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. It should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration, and that the disclosed technology is limited only by the claims and their equivalents. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Embodiments of the systems and methods described herein provide a touch screen panel that can sense not only X and Y touch coordinates, but also Z touch information at a distance away from the touch screen panel. In some embodiments, the touch screen panel can detect Z information up to several meters away from the panel. This can provide significant advantages over traditional touch panels, which can detect X and Y touch coordinates but only provide weak Z detection (only up to ~10 cm). Such embodiments can be implemented to achieve improved interaction with contention display devices (including, for example, gesture control) and interaction with various content display devices.

[0023] Additional embodiments can be implemented to provide transparent touchscreen ultrasonic audio transducers for a variety of different applications. Certain embodiments provide transparent touchscreen ultrasonic transmitters, for example, for ultrasonic carrier audio applications. In various embodiments, the ultrasonic transmitters are made using conductive layers or regions on glass or other transparent materials separated by a transparent insulating layer, resulting in a high degree of transparency. Examples of transparent parametric emitters that can implement the touch screen technology disclosed herein are disclosed in the following documents: U.S. Patent No. 8,976,997, entitled “Transparent Parametric Emitter,” filed on July 14, 2014; U.S. Patent No. 9,258,651, entitled “Transparent Parametric Transducer and Related Methods,” filed on October 17, 2013; U.S. Patent No. 9,351,083, entitled “Transparent Parametric Emitter,” filed on January 23, 2015; the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference as if reproduced in full below.

[0024] Thus, in some embodiments, the touchscreen emitter is sufficiently transparent so that it can be positioned on or in front of a display screen of a content playback or display device to provide directional audio to a user of the device. In other embodiments, the emitter can be provided in place of the display screen of the content playback or display device. Content display devices, such as laptops, tablets, computers and other computing devices, smartphones, televisions, PDAs, mobile devices, mp3 and video players, digital cameras, navigation systems, point-of-sale terminals, thermostats, appliance control panels, and other content display devices are becoming smaller and lighter, and are being designed with power conservation in mind.

[0025] As the size of such content devices shrinks, there is less space available in the device packaging to include audio speakers. Conventional audio speakers typically work better with a resonant cavity, and also resonate at frequencies that require a relatively large degree of movement from the speaker cone. Therefore, sufficient space is required in the device packaging to accommodate such speakers. This can become particularly challenging for contemporary content devices, where displays, and therefore devices, are becoming increasingly thinner. Also adding to this challenge, contemporary content devices are often designed so that the front of the device is primarily taken up by the display, which is surrounded only by a small decorative border. Therefore, given these size constraints, it becomes increasingly difficult to achieve the desired audio output using conventional acoustic audio speakers. Moreover, conventional acoustic audio speakers tend not to be highly directional. Therefore, it is difficult to "direct" a conventional audio signal specifically to the intended listener position.

[0026] Thus, in some embodiments, one or more transparent touchscreen parametric emitters are provided. In further embodiments, these transparent touchscreen parametric emitters can be positioned on the face of a device to allow parametric audio content to be provided to (one or more) device users. Additionally, in some embodiments, a transparent emitter can be positioned over part or all of a display of a content device. In still further embodiments, a transparent emitter can be provided and used as (e.g., in place of) a protective cover (i.e., facing glass) for a display. Thus, in various embodiments, the transparent emitter is made of a material that provides sufficient transmittance in the visible spectrum to allow satisfactory viewing by (one or more) users. For example, in some embodiments, the emitter has a transmittance of 50% or more in the visible spectrum. In further embodiments, the emitter has a transmittance of 60% or more in the visible spectrum. In still further embodiments, the emitter has a transmittance of 70% or more in the visible spectrum. In still further embodiments, the emitter has a transmittance of 80% or more in the visible spectrum. As another example, the emitter has a transmittance in the visible spectrum in the range of 70-90%. As yet another example, the transmittance of the emitter in the visible spectrum is in the range of 75-85%.As yet another example, the transmittance of the emitter in the visible spectrum is in the range of 80-95%.

[0027] In various embodiments, a touch screen transparent emitter provides touch functionality using a combination of various technologies, such as camera, infrared, resistive, surface capacitance, and single-layer projected capacitive touch technologies, in conjunction with a transparent ultrasonic emitter. Further embodiments may provide a touch screen transparent emitter with projected capacitive touch capabilities. Still further embodiments provide a touch screen transparent emitter that relies on the acoustic resonance of the structure for both audio and touch screen performance. Additional embodiments provide a touch screen transparent emitter with "Z" touch functionality combined with a projected capacitive / transparent emitter structure. A touch panel may have Z touch functionality as part of a transparent ultrasonic emitter or independently of the transparent ultrasonic emitter.

[0028] In some embodiments, transparent parametric emitters are incorporated to provide an edge-based touchscreen solution. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example plan view of a display cover including a transparent emitter with a bezel incorporating infrared or camera-based touch screen functionality according to one embodiment of the systems and methods described herein. Figure 1 The example in the present invention includes a transparent ultrasound transmitter 100 surrounded by an edge-based touchscreen detection system 102. In this and other examples used herein, an X, Y, Z Cartesian coordinate system is used, where the X direction is along the width of the device, the Y direction is along the height of the device, and the Z direction is perpendicular to the plane of the device. This convention is adopted to facilitate description of the technology. The terms "width" and "height" do not require a specific orientation of the device but are simply used to facilitate description of the technology. However, after reading this specification, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that other descriptors can be used instead of a Cartesian coordinate system.

[0029] In this example, multiple emitters are provided along one of the X edges and one of the Y edges of the device, and corresponding multiple detectors are provided along opposing edges of the device's X and Y edges. For example, consider an embodiment in which emitters are provided along edges 110 and 114, and corresponding detectors are provided along edges 112 and 116. In this example, the emitters along edges 110 and 114 transmit energy, which is detected by the detectors on opposing edges 112 and 116. When the energy path is disrupted, as determined by a loss of signal at one or more of the detectors, this indicates that touch activity is occurring there. The X and Y coordinates of the sensor that detects the disruption in the energy path indicate the X,Y location on the screen of the touch activity.

[0030] For example, the emitters may be implemented using light emitting diodes (LEDs), lasers, or other energy sources, and the detectors may include corresponding phototransistors, photodiodes, or other corresponding detectors. In other embodiments, cameras or other similar image sensors may be mounted around the perimeter of the screen and used to detect changes in the images they detect that would indicate the presence of a finger, stylus, or other pointing device intended to interact with the touch screen display.

[0031] Such as Figure 1 The edge solutions shown in the examples of may be desirable because they can be implemented without interfering with the operation of the transparent emitter, and they can also be implemented without anything being in the visible area of ​​the emitter.

[0032] In other embodiments, resistive or force-based touch screen technology can be combined with transparent emitters to provide a transparent touch screen display. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of an example transparent touch screen incorporating resistive or force-based touch technology with a transparent emitter according to one embodiment of the systems and methods described herein. Figure 2 , the touch screen transparent emitter 160 includes a transparent ultrasonic emitter 162 and a resistive or force-based touch panel 164. The touch screen transparent emitter 160 can be mounted or covered in front of a display panel 168 to provide a touch-sensitive emitter / display. The touch panel 164 is preferably disposed behind the transparent emitter 162 so as not to interfere with the signal generated by and projected from the emitter 162.

[0033] In such Figure 2 In the embodiment shown in FIG, the transparent emitter 162 can be implemented using a material having sufficient flexibility so that pressure from touch screen activity (e.g., by a user applying pressure to the outer surface 166 of the transparent emitter 162) can generate sufficient pressure on the resistive or force-based touch panel 164 to sense the touch activity. For example, the transparent emitter 162 can be implemented using a glass sheet that is sufficiently flexible to allow touch force to be transmitted to the resistive or force-based touch panel 164. As another example, the transparent emitter 162 can be implemented using mylar or other similar flexible sheet material to provide sufficient flexibility.

[0034] In other embodiments, a surface capacitive touch panel may be disposed on the outer surface of the transparent emitter to provide touch screen functionality. Figure 3is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of an example transparent touch screen incorporating a surface capacitive touch panel and a transparent emitter according to one embodiment of the systems and methods described herein. In this example, the transparent emitter 212 includes a surface capacitive touch panel 220 for touchscreen functionality. The surface capacitive touch panel 220 can be implemented using a single transparent conductive layer that can be fabricated on the outermost layer of the transparent parametric emitter 212. In other embodiments, the outer transparent conductive layer of the transparent emitter can be implemented to function as the capacitive touch panel 220. Figure 4 An example of such a situation is shown in . In this example, emitter 212 includes sheets 45 and 46, which in various embodiments are transparent sheets. Although sheets 45, 46 can be transparent, opaque materials can also be used. For ease of discussion, the emitter configuration is sometimes described herein as a transparent emitter. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that for various applications, opaque emitters or emitters with different levels of opacity can also be provided. In such alternative embodiments, one or more of the sheets of the emitter can be made of an opaque or translucent material.

[0035] In the illustrated example, sheets 45 and 46 include two layers, 45a and 45b, and 46a and 46b, respectively. In this example, sheet 45 includes a base layer 45b comprising glass or another similar material. Sheet 45 also includes a conductive layer 45a provided on the top surface of base layer 45b in the illustrated example. Similarly, in this example, sheet 46 includes a base layer 46b comprising glass or another similar material, and a conductive layer 46a provided on the top surface of base layer 46b in the illustrated example.

[0036] Conductive layers 45a, 46a may be thin layers of conductive material deposited on their respective base layers 45b, 46b. For example, conductive layers 45a, 46a may include a conductive coating sprayed, evaporated, or otherwise deposited on base layers 45b, 46b. As another example, conductive layers 45a, 46a may include indium tin oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO), doped zinc oxide, transparent gold, a so-called hybrid transparent conductive coating, a conductive polymer, a metal oxide, or other similar conductive material coated on a transparent substrate. Conductive layers 45a, 46a may also include a carbon nanotube network layer or graphene, or a combination thereof, disposed on a transparent sheet.

[0037] The conductive layer 45a, 46a may also include a sheet of conductive material laminated or otherwise deposited on the base layer 45b, 46b. For example, a conductive polyester film or other similar film may be laminated or otherwise deposited on the base layer 45b, 46b. In further embodiments, the conductive layer 45a, 46a may include a doped conductive layer or a diffused layer of conductive material that has been partially or completely diffused into the sheet 45, 46 to form the conductive layer 45a, 46a. For example, gold or other conductive metal may be diffused into the glass to a desired depth and a desired concentration to provide a desired value of conductivity (e.g., a desired ohms / square value). Preferably, the conductive region / layer 45a, 46a has a high transparency (e.g., greater than 80% or 90% in the visible spectrum, although other transparencies may be used) so as not to unduly adversely affect the overall transparency of the emitter.

[0038] In various embodiments, the outer conductive sheet of the transmitter can be implemented as a capacitive touch screen.In addition to the conductive pattern for generating ultrasonic audio signals, the conductive portion of the outer sheet (eg, layer 46a) can be implemented as a conductive pattern to provide touch screen functionality.

[0039] In some embodiments, the capacitive touch panel 220 can be implemented as a projected capacitive (procap) touch panel. One reason an embodiment may implement a projected capacitive touch panel is that a projected capacitive touch panel can detect multiple touches (e.g., multiple finger presses) simultaneously. In some embodiments, a capacitive or projected capacitive touch panel can be layered on top of an ultrasonic transmitter (e.g., on its outer surface) as long as it is flexible enough not to substantially interfere with ultrasonic transmissions from the transmitter. In other embodiments, the projected capacitive touch panel can be formed as an integrated part of a transparent parametric ultrasonic transmitter (i.e., the touch panel and the transparent transmitter are the same structure). In further embodiments, the device can be implemented to include the ability to provide enhanced features that conventional projected capacitive touch screens cannot perform (e.g., detecting z-coordinates and z-velocity).

[0040] In some embodiments, a projected capacitive touch panel layer may be provided on the outside of the transmitter (e.g., Figure 3 ) or by including a projected capacitive touch panel integrated into the external portion of a transparent emitter (e.g. Figure 4(Example shown) to implement a touch screen transparent emitter. In such a configuration, a projected capacitive touch panel can be implemented using any of many different possible configurations. In some embodiments, only one set of conductive traces is provided on a single surface of the touch panel. These are called single-sided projected capacitive. Such panels can typically perform single-touch sensing or "1.5" touch (single touch plus pinch and zoom), but not true multi-touch. To manufacture this structure, a very thin film (such as PET film) coated with a patterned transparent conductor can be laminated to the outer surface of the transparent emitter. It is recognized that there are various other ways to construct it through a single-layer or double-layer (true multi-touch) projected capacitive touch panel. In some embodiments, the projected capacitive touch panel is constructed on the outer surface of the transparent emitter. In other embodiments, the projected capacitive touch panel can be laminated to the outer surface of the emitter. In embodiments where a thin emitter is required, such as in the case of layering on a display screen, a thin layer is required. Because the surface of the transparent emitter will oscillate at a frequency at or near the ultrasonic carrier frequency, in some embodiments, the projected capacitive touch panel and the emitter can be adjusted to operate at different frequencies that are as separate from each other as possible to minimize the risk of interference between the two.

[0041] It should be noted that the use of an outer layer laminated or otherwise added to the outside of the transparent emitter to incorporate touch may have some impact on the performance of the ultrasonic emitter. Therefore, as described above, in various embodiments, the functionality of a capacitive or projected capacitive touch panel can be built into an integral part of the emitter without adding additional layers to the emitter. This can be achieved by forming the conductive layer of the outer sheet of the emitter into a patterned conductor to achieve the touch screen functionality. In particular, in various embodiments, the conductive layer on the outer sheet of the transparent emitter is electrically patterned into a series of rows and columns in a manner similar to that provided on a conventional capacitive touch panel. For example, in Figure 4 In the example case of FIG. 2 , an electrical pattern that can be used to provide touch screen detection can also be used to form conductive layer 46 a as part of sheet 46 of emitter 212 . As another example, an electrical pattern that can be used to provide touch screen detection can also be used to form conductive layers 46 a and 45 a of emitter 212 .

[0042] Figure 5 and Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of electrical patterning for forming a projected capacitive touch panel as part of a transmitter. Figure 5 The example shown in [1] includes multiple rows and columns of conductors separated by a dielectric layer. At each point where a row overlaps a conductor, a parallel plate capacitor is formed. This capacitor generates a fringing electric field, and placing a finger near the field disrupts these fields. This mechanism is used to detect when and where a user touches the screen.

[0043] Figure 6 The example shown in is a diamond pattern of alternating conductors. One advantage of the diamond pattern is that it minimizes the overlap area of ​​the rows and columns. Figure 5 This may be beneficial compared to the example of , as the overlapping areas cannot be modified by the proximity of a finger, but they do contribute to the RC time constant delay, which should also be reduced or minimized. On the other hand, in some embodiments, a simple pattern of rows and columns may be preferred because the overlapping areas contribute to the acoustic characteristics of the transmitter.

[0044] Once the patterned transparent emitter is constructed, any of several different physical mechanisms can be used to detect touch events. One approach is that of a traditional projected capacitive touch panel: when a finger approaches the intersection of the row / column traces, the change in capacitance of each trace to ground (self-capacitance), or the change in capacitance between the rows / columns (mutual capacitance), can be used to detect touch with a finger. However, there is a second approach in this unique design because the emitter is also a resonant ultrasonic acoustic device. When a finger (or other touching tool) touches the emitter, the acoustic and electrical properties of the emitter panel at that location change. First, the finger (or other touching tool) suppresses the acoustic capacity of the film, causing it to move at the frequency of the ultrasonic audio signal (whose carrier is typically at or near the resonant frequency of the emitter). Touching a point on the emitter will cause the real part of the impedance at the resonant frequency to decrease, which is typically in the range of 40-200kHz, most commonly 80-100kHz. The second effect is an increase in the capacitance of the emitter because the finger pushes the film closer to the more rigid "backplate", thereby increasing the capacitance. This effect will exist for any relative size of the finger touch to the emitter area, but the signal will be maximized when the finger touch area is the same size as the emitter area (or larger than the emitter area), and will gradually decrease as the finger touch area becomes smaller relative to the emitter area. Considering an example embodiment where the emitters are patterned into 5mm x 5mm rows and columns, a finger touch should typically be comparable in area to each subdivision of the emitter itself.

[0045] To demonstrate this effect, a commercially available emitter was etched into sections with a 1" conductive row on the backplane and a 1" conductive column on the membrane. This resulted in a 1" x 1" overlap of the active emitter area. This emitter then had the real part of its impedance as well as its capacitance measured over a frequency range around its acoustic resonance point (approximately 100kHz for this particular emitter). The emitter was measured with and without a finger touch (the lower peak shows the result with touch). The changes in impedance and capacitance are shown as Figure 7 and 8As shown in Figure 2, the glitch near 96kHz is an error in the measurement system due to the noisy DC-DC converter and should be ignored. Clearly, the real part of the impedance (resistance) decreases at resonance, while the capacitance increases.

[0046] It is clear from the data that the resistance decreases by about 13%, while the capacitance increases by about 1%. Both signals should be easily detectable with a large signal-to-noise ratio. It is worth noting that conventional projected capacitive touch screens do not have a resistance signal available. The electronics and circuits required to detect changes in resistance can be simpler and / or faster than the electronics required to detect changes in capacitance. The use of these two unique signals can also have other benefits, such as the enhanced ability to detect not only the presence of touch, but also the pressure of the touch. It should be noted that the increase in capacitance due to a finger touch in this configuration is opposite in sign to the decrease in capacitance sensed by a finger touch on a conventional projected capacitive touch panel. In addition, the magnitude of the capacitance change here is much larger (approximately one percent compared to the typical one thousandth).

[0047] In order to detect multiple X and Y touch coordinates simultaneously, each row and column is "scanned" within the time period required to report one or more touch events. In order to detect touch coordinates smoothly, they are ideally reported at a rate of at least 60Hz. This leaves only 1 / 60 second or 17ms to scan each node of the row and / or column. Typically, touch panels use a 5mm spacing between rows and / or columns, which enables resolution of touches from fingers that are close together. For a typical 21-inch monitor of 300×500mm, this provides 60×100 rows x columns, or 6000 nodes to scan. This leaves only 17ms / 6000 or approximately 3μs to scan each node. There are conventional techniques known in the art to speed up the scanning speed of projected capacitive touch panels. These techniques can be equally applied to such acoustic-based touch panels. For example, the panel can be scanned in self-capacitance mode (involving m+n scans) and then scanned only in mutual capacitance mode (involving m*n scans) to resolve any issues.

[0048] In order to play audio and detect touch signals at the same time, the touch panel part will scan all possible combinations of rows and columns to find touches, and do it one at a time. While the scanning is happening, the remaining rows / columns can be driven in parallel to generate ultrasonic audio signals. For example, Figure 9 and Figure 10 The emitters are shown being driven for audio (all other rows and columns) and scanned for touch (arrows at the currently scanned row and column). The emitter scan progresses through each row / column combination in the specified order, while the remaining rows / columns are driven by the audio signal. Figure 9 Displays the top row and leftmost column being scanned for touches, while Figure 10Shows the second row from the top and leftmost column being scanned for touches.

[0049] Depending on the implementation, the location being scanned can still generate audio. This can be achieved by measuring the drive signal in each row / column, rather than directly measuring impedance. If the panel is well characterized, in the absence of touch, the panel responds to drive in a well-known manner. However, when a touch is present, the transmitter response at that location will change, and the panel will respond differently to the drive input. This can take the form of a different voltage than expected, a different frequency response, or a different current draw.

[0050] Implementing a capacitive touch panel with a transparent ultrasonic transmitter in various embodiments provides capabilities beyond what is possible with conventional projected capacitive touch panels. In addition to being able to detect X and Y touch coordinates, the panel can also detect the z coordinate and the z velocity of an approaching or receding object (e.g., a hand). In various embodiments, this can be achieved by utilizing the transmitter's ability to transmit and receive ultrasonic pulses. This can be achieved in various embodiments regardless of whether the transmitter is configured or used as an ultrasonic audio transmitter.

[0051] Essentially, the patterned grid of rows and columns forms a 2-D grid of transparent ultrasound emitters / receivers. When the row / column combination is pulsed with a short signal burst (e.g., at or near the resonant frequency), the acoustic ultrasound pulse 1112 ( Figure 11 ) is transmitted from transmitter 1114 into the air to object 1115. The acoustic signal will propagate forward in a tight "beam" until it is reflected / scattered by object 1116 (such as a hand or any other material with an acoustic impedance that does not match that of air). A portion of this signal will be reflected back to transmitter 1114. When the ultrasonic acoustic signal, including the reflected ultrasonic signal, strikes the transmitter, it generates a voltage signal at the same frequency as the acoustic signal that appears between the terminals. Therefore, the same transmitter that generated the ultrasonic pulse that generated the transmitted signal can also receive the reflected signal. Figure 11 An example of this is shown in .

[0052] Due to the directional nature of ultrasonic signals, both transmit and receive signals are highly directional. As a result, a transmit / receive combination on the same channel will have a directivity polar diagram that is the square of the transmit or receive directivity polar diagram. Therefore, a transmitter channel is typically only sensitive to reflected signals from objects directly in front of it and will reject ultrasonic waves scattered at oblique angles. Therefore, a transmitter in such an application will tend to reject noise signals reflected from objects in front of the transmitter. Using the same transmitter channel for both transmission and reception of ultrasonic pulses (row / column overlap) may require low impedance in transmit mode and high impedance in receive mode to obtain the best signal.

[0053] Each transmitter channel (e.g., each area of ​​row / column overlap) can be operated in continuous or pulsed wave mode to record data such as the time of flight between transmission and reception, which gives an indication of the distance (Z coordinate) between the object and the transmitter. This can also give an indication of the Doppler shift, which will give information such as the z velocity of the object. The X and Y coordinates of an object in space in the Z direction can be determined by scanning the combination of row / column overlaps and determining the channel that receives the strongest signal using appropriate signal processing. The movement of an object across the transmitter can be detected by tracking the signal as it moves from one channel to another across the channel matrix. Thus, the movement of an object in space in X, Y, and Z can be tracked, and in various embodiments, this movement can be used to track gestures to provide a touchless touch screen panel or for other purposes.

[0054] The device can be integrated in front of a standard display (e.g., LCD, LED, AMOLED, or other display) of a content device, providing the monitor, television, or other display with precise X, Y, Z coordinate data of the user, or the location of other objects. This data can then be processed to perform specific actions or commands in response to the detection of objects and / or gestures. This information can be used in conjunction with or in place of alternative systems such as single or stereo cameras. Embodiments can be implemented to detect objects within a range of 1 cm or less to 5 meters from the transmitter, with a z resolution of approximately 1 mm in pulsed mode.

[0055] exist Figure 12 and 13 An alternative configuration is shown in . Instead of rows / columns, emitters can be formed by patterning a solid planar conductor on one side, which can be, for example, a normal (uniform) conductor. The other side can be patterned into multiple discrete "emitters" (in Figure 12 In the example shown as a square). Figure 13As shown, each discrete transmitter can be configured as an individually addressable unit (IAU) 1312 and can be connected to the drive / detection circuitry via conductors, such as finely printed metal busbars. Each IAU can be grouped by function, for example, a 5×5 region with 24 transmit transmitters and one receive transmitter. The transmitter sensitivity in transmit mode scales with the number of IAUs, but the device's sensitivity in receive mode does not. Therefore, a small number of IAUs can be dedicated to receive functions without sacrificing ranging sensitivity or audio output (if the device is used as an audio source), freeing up the remaining IAUs to serve the ultrasonic transmitter. The number of IAUs dedicated to receive will determine the required X / Y spatial resolution in the device. The receive IAU will detect the ultrasonic carrier generated by the transmit IAU and only needs to detect at a single frequency (e.g., at the transmit frequency, which may be at or near the transmitter's resonant frequency). Subdividing the transmitter into multiple discrete IAUs also enables the use of beam steering to achieve surround sound audio effects. For example, the transmit signals sent to each IAU can be phased to enable beam steering using phased array techniques. Different IAU groups can be controlled separately from other groups, allowing for multi-channel transmitters with independent beam steering for each channel.

[0056] The IAU can be implemented with individually patterned areas of conductor (e.g., ITO) on a backplane, each connected to external circuitry by thin metal wires. In various embodiments, the connecting wires are thin enough not to interfere with the transparent nature of the emitters. The IAU can also be implemented with a more traditional passive or active matrix design. Figure 13 In the example shown in Figure 1, each smaller square represents ITO, and the shaded area between the squares represents etched ITO. The wires connecting each IAU are very thin metal conductors. Voltage can be applied to each of these wires individually, while the other side (not shown) can be implemented as a uniform conductive film held at a constant ground.

[0057] In another method of operation, each IAU can be configured to both transmit and receive signals, as described above in the row / column embodiment. In embodiments employing this capability, each IAU can be configured to act as an independent rangefinder, both transmitting pulses and measuring return signals.

[0058] Typically, fully independent operation of each IAU uses independent electronics to control the device's transmit and receive operations. If desired, various embodiments can avoid this by using analog storage circuits to store time / frequency information in the return signal. In this mode, all IAUs can be pulsed simultaneously to generate outgoing waves. The IAUs are then switched to a detection circuit, where each IAU is connected to a simple analog circuit designed to detect the return signal timing and store it for readout. An analog-to-digital converter can then be used to scan each individual circuit and measure the stored time value in a manner similar to the operation of a CCD camera. This creates a complete picture of the area in front of the panel.

[0059] When z detection is performed, x and y detection occurs simultaneously. The z detection function is the same as parametric sound principle and works with the same strategy as described above to allow x and y touch to operate simultaneously for z detection.

[0060] As described above, various embodiments incorporate touch functionality into ultrasonic audio transmitters, including transparent ultrasonic audio transmitters. However, alternative embodiments can be configured to implement touch panels without these parametric audio capabilities. This can include touch panels that can detect not only the X and Y coordinates of a touch, but also the Z distance and Z velocity of the event. Implementing the touch panel as a standalone panel without parametric audio capabilities may be advantageous. The signal required to drive air nonlinearities is high, reaching over 135 dB for ultrasonic waves. In contrast, the ultrasonic transmit signal required to detect ultrasonic echoes is much lower, approximately 100 times lower (40 dB). Therefore, the transmitter requires a significantly lower drive voltage and consumes less power if ultrasonic audio is not also transmitted. Furthermore, since ranging is less complex and more tolerant to distortion, expensive electronic audio signal processing performed by a DSP is no longer required. Furthermore, requiring only a single carrier frequency reduces complexity. Furthermore, signal linearization through the use of a DC voltage offset is no longer required. The transmitter can be driven at half the carrier frequency, improving optics / transparency and eliminating the need for a "bias plate" or other device that generates this DC voltage.

[0061] Although various embodiments of the disclosed technology have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only and not limitation. Similarly, various figures may depict example architectures or other configurations for the disclosed technology, which are completed to help understand the features and functions that may be included in the disclosed technology. The disclosed technology is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but various alternative architectures and configurations may be used to achieve the desired features. In fact, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art how to implement alternative functional, logical or physical partitioning and configurations to achieve the desired features of the technology disclosed herein. In addition, a number of different component module names other than those described here may be applied to the various partitions. In addition, with respect to flow charts, operational descriptions and method claims, unless the context indicates otherwise, the order in which the steps are presented herein should not force the various embodiments to be implemented to perform the functions in the same order.

[0062] Although the disclosed technology is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more individual embodiments are not limited to applicability to the specific embodiments in which they are described, but can be applied alone or in various combinations to one or more other embodiments of the disclosed technology, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as part of the described embodiments. Therefore, the breadth and scope of the technology disclosed herein should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

[0063] Unless expressly stated otherwise, the terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, should be interpreted as open-ended and not restrictive. As an example of the foregoing: the term "including" should be interpreted as meaning "including but not limited to," etc.; the term "example" is used to provide an illustrative example of the item in question, rather than an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; the term "a" or "an" should be interpreted as meaning "at least one," "one or more," etc.; adjectives and terms of similar meaning such as "conventional," "traditional," "normal," "standard," "known," etc. should not be interpreted as limiting the items described to a given time period or to items available at a given time. However, they should be understood to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technology that may be available or known now or at any time in the future. Similarly, where this document refers to technology that is obvious or known to a person of ordinary skill in the art, such technology includes technology that is obvious or known to a person of ordinary skill in the art at any time now or in the future.

[0064] In some cases, the presence of broadening words and phrases such as "one or more," "at least," "but not limited to," or other similar phrases should not be understood to mean that a narrower context is intended or required where such broadening phrases might be absent. The use of the term "module" does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package. In fact, any or all of the various components of the module, whether control logic or otherwise, may be combined in a single package or maintained separately, and may also be distributed among multiple groups or packages or across multiple locations.

[0065] In addition, the various embodiments described herein are described with reference to exemplary block diagrams, flow charts, and other illustrations. As will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives may be implemented within the limitations of the illustrated examples. For example, the block diagrams and accompanying descriptions should not be construed as mandating a specific architecture or configuration.

Claims

1. An integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel comprising: The first transparent layer of the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel comprises a first base layer and a first conductive layer; as well as a second transparent layer of the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel disposed adjacent to the first transparent layer of the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel, the second transparent layer of the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel comprising a second base layer and a second conductive layer, the second conductive layer having a plurality of overlapping rows and columns of conductive material, the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel scanning possible combinations of rows and columns of the plurality of overlapping rows and columns one at a time to detect the presence of a touch; The second transparent layer is a touch screen for detecting the presence of a touch while driving the remaining rows and columns not used in the scan to cause the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel to generate ultrasonic audio signals.

2. The integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel of claim 1 , wherein the second transparent layer is disposed behind the first transparent layer.

3. The integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel of claim 2 , wherein the first transparent layer comprises a material that is sufficiently flexible so that pressure from touch screen activity can cause sufficient pressure on the second transparent layer to allow the second transparent layer to sense touch activity imparted on the first transparent layer.

4. The integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel of claim 3, wherein the first transparent layer comprises glass, polyester film, or other transparent sheet material that is sufficiently flexible to allow a user's touch force to be transmitted to the second transparent layer.

5. The integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein the second transparent layer is an outer layer of the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel.

6. The integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel of claim 5, wherein the second transparent layer comprises a capacitive touch panel.

7. The integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel of claim 1 , wherein the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel is disposed on a side of a content device to allow parametric audio content to be provided to a device user.

8. The integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel is positioned over part or all of a display of a content device.

9. The integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel is provided in place of a display of a content device.

10. The integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein the second transparent layer comprises a conductive pattern, and wherein the conductive pattern provides touch screen functionality and is used to generate ultrasonic audio signals.

11. The integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel of claim 1 , wherein the second transparent layer comprises a projected capacitive touch panel.

12. The integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel of claim 1, wherein the second conductive layer comprises a patterned conductor used to provide touch screen detection and form a conductive layer for ultrasonic audio transmission.

13. A method for operating an integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel according to claim 1, comprising: for the second conductive layer of the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel having a plurality of overlapping rows and columns of conductive material, scanning possible combinations of rows and columns of the plurality of overlapping rows and columns one at a time to detect the presence of a touch; as well as As the scanning occurs, remaining rows and columns of the plurality of overlapping rows and columns not used in the scanning are driven to cause the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch screen panel to produce ultrasonic audio signals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the scanning comprises measuring drive signals in the scanned rows and columns to determine whether the drive signals indicate the presence of a touch.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising pulsing the row / column combination of conductive material with an acoustic ultrasonic pulse, the integrated transparent ultrasonic audio speaker and touch panel detecting reflections of the acoustic ultrasonic pulse from an object to determine the distance of the object from the panel.

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