Abstract: A light-based touch-sensitive surface, including a housing, a surface attached to the housing for receiving touch input, a plurality of light sources in the housing for emitting light that crosses the surface, a plurality of light receivers in the housing for detecting the light emitted by the light sources, a curved lens adjacent to the surface through which the light emitted by the light sources passes, including two substantially similarly curved exterior panels, one of which forms a curved rim for the surface, and a calculating unit in said housing, connected to the light receivers, for calculating a touch location based on an absence of light expected to be received by the receivers.

Abstract: A controller for a light-based touch screen including a chip package coupled with a light-based touch screen, emitter driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating a plurality of photoemitters that are outside of the chip package, detector driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating a plurality of photo detectors that are outside of the chip package, detector signal processing circuitry for generating detection signals representing measured amounts of light detected on the plurality of photo detectors, a first plurality of signal conducting pins for connecting the plurality of photoemitters outside the chip package to the emitter driver circuitry inside the chip package, a second plurality of signal conducting pins for connecting the plurality of photo detectors outside the chip package to the detector driver circuitry and to the detector signal processing circuitry inside the chip package, controller circuitry inside the chip package for controlling the emitter d

Abstract: A user input device, including a user input area, light emitters arranged along a first edge of the input area so as to be evenly spaced, light receivers arranged along a second edge of the input area, a curved lens arranged in front of the emitters, such that light emitted by each of the emitters is refracted as it enters the curved lens, and is again refracted as it exits the curved lens, resulting in unevenly spaced collimated light exiting the curved lens and crossing the input area, the collimated light being shifted laterally by a non-zero offset along a direction parallel to the first edge, the offset being a characteristic of the arrangement of that emitter vis-à-vis the curved lens, and a calculating unit for determining location of an object inserted into the input area from outputs of the receivers, based on the characteristic offsets of the emitters.

Abstract: A light-based touch-sensitive surface, including a housing, a surface attached to the housing for receiving touch input, a plurality of light sources in the housing for emitting light that crosses the surface, a plurality of light receivers in the housing for detecting the light emitted by the light sources, a curved lens adjacent to the surface through which the light emitted by the light sources passes, including two substantially similarly curved exterior panels, one of which forms a curved rim for the surface, and a calculating unit in said housing, connected to the light receivers, for calculating a touch location based on an absence of light expected to be received by the receivers.

Abstract: A proximity sensor including a housing, a plurality of light pulse emitters for projecting light out of the housing along a detection plane, a plurality of primary light detectors for detecting reflections of the light projected by the emitters, by a reflective object in the detection plane, a plurality of primary lenses oriented relative to the emitters and primary detectors in such a manner that for each emitter-detector pair, light emitted by the emitter of that pair passes through one of the primary lenses and is reflected by the object back through one of the primary lenses to the detector of that pair when the object is located at a position, from among a primary set of positions in the detection plane, that position being associated with that emitter-detector pair, and a processor for co-activating emitter-detector pairs, and configured to calculate a location of the object in the detection plane.

Abstract: A method of determining a touch coordinate on a touch screen, including providing a display, a plurality of collimating lenses along two opposite edges of the display, the collimating lenses being arranged along the two edges so as to be shift-aligned relative to one another, a plurality of light pulse emitters that transmit light pulses through the collimating lenses of a first of the two edges over the display, and a plurality of light pulse receivers that receive the light pulses through the collimating lenses of the opposite of the two edges, and that output values representing the received light pulses, wherein light pulses emitted by each emitter are detected by at least two of the receivers, wherein each receiver detects light pulses emitted by at least two emitters, and wherein each receiver has expected values for emitter-receiver pairs when light pulses are not blocked, selecting receiver output values for emitter-receiver pairs that deviate significantly from corresponding receiver expected values,

Abstract: A pressure-sensitive touch screen including a housing, at least one light receiver rigidly mounted in the housing, a display flexibly mounted in the housing substantially above the at least one receiver, which depresses in response to pressure of a touch, and a calculating unit connected to the at least one light receiver for receiving outputs indicating amounts of received light by the at least one receiver, and for determining that the display is being depressed based on an increase in an output of the at least one receiver.

Abstract: A light-based touch-sensitive surface, including a housing, a surface attached to the housing for receiving touch input, a plurality of light sources in the housing for emitting light that crosses the surface, a plurality of light receivers in the housing for detecting the light emitted by the light sources, a curved lens adjacent to the surface through which the light emitted by the light sources passes, including two substantially similarly curved exterior panels, one of which forms a curved rim for the surface, and a calculating unit in said housing, connected to the light receivers, for calculating a touch location based on an absence of light expected to be received by the receivers.

Abstract: A controller for a light-based touch screen including a chip package coupled with a light-based touch screen, emitter driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating a plurality of photoemitters that are outside of the chip package, detector driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating a plurality of photo detectors that are outside of the chip package, detector signal processing circuitry for generating detection signals representing measured amounts of light detected on the plurality of photo detectors, a first plurality of signal conducting pins for connecting the plurality of photoemitters outside the chip package to the emitter driver circuitry inside the chip package, a second plurality of signal conducting pins for connecting the plurality of photo detectors outside the chip package to the detector driver circuitry and to the detector signal processing circuitry inside the chip package, controller circuitry inside the chip package for controlling the emitter d

Abstract: A light-based touch-sensitive surface, including a housing, a surface attached to the housing for receiving touch input, a plurality of light sources in the housing for emitting light that crosses the surface, a plurality of light receivers in the housing for detecting the light emitted by the light sources, a curved lens adjacent to the surface through which the light emitted by the light sources passes, including two substantially similarly curved exterior panels, one of which forms a curved rim for the surface, and a calculating unit in said housing, connected to the light receivers, for calculating a touch location based on an absence of light expected to be received by the receivers.

Abstract: A light-based touch-sensitive surface, including a housing, a surface attached to the housing for receiving touch input, a plurality of light sources in the housing for emitting light that crosses the surface, a plurality of light receivers in the housing for detecting the light emitted by the light sources, a curved lens adjacent to the surface through which the light emitted by the light sources passes, including two substantially similarly curved exterior panels, one of which forms a curved rim for the surface, and a calculating unit in said housing, connected to the light receivers, for calculating a touch location based on an absence of light expected to be received by the receivers.

Abstract: A controller including a chip package coupled with a light-based touch screen, emitter driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating photoemitters that are outside of the chip package, detector driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating photo detectors that are outside of the chip package, detector signal processing circuitry for generating detection signals representing amounts of light detected on the photo detectors, signal conducting pins for connecting the photoemitters to the emitter driver circuitry, signal conducting pins for connecting the photo detectors to the detector driver circuitry and to the detector signal processing circuitry, controller circuitry inside the chip package for controlling the emitter driver circuitry and the detector driver circuitry, and at least one input/output pin for outputting the detection signals to a host processor, for the host processor to identify one or more locations on the touch screen that are being touched.

Abstract: A method for use by a touch screen in which light transmitted inside the screen is scattered by an object touching the screen from outside the screen, the method including activating emitter-receiver pairs for a plurality of emitters and receivers while an object is touching a screen from outside the screen, wherein light emitted by each emitter is transmitted inside the screen, wherein each emitter is associated with a limited number of receivers that detect significant light from such emitter while no object is touching the screen, and wherein the activated emitter-receiver pairs include pairs for which the receiver is not associated with the emitter in the pair, determining that receivers not associated with emitters detect significant light due to the object scattering the light emitted by the emitters, and deriving the location where the object is touching the screen from the determining.

Abstract: A touch screen system, including a housing, a display mounted in the housing, a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in the housing below the display, a plurality of light pulse receivers mounted in the housing below the display, a first light guide, mounted in the housing along a first edge of the display, including a first substantially parabolic reflective surface for reflecting light pulses transmitted by the emitters, and a first substantially elliptical refractive surface, positioned substantially above the first substantially parabolic reflective surface, for refracting the reflected light pulses over the display, a second light guide, mounted in the housing along an opposite edge of the display, including a second substantially elliptical refractive surface for further refracting the light pulse refracted by the first substantially elliptical refractive surface, and a second substantially parabolic reflective surface, positioned substantially below the second substantially elliptical refractive s

Abstract: A touch screen, including a layer of light-transmissive material having an upper surface that is exposed for touch by one or more objects, a plurality of light emitters underneath the upper surface, a first lens assembly for directing light beams emitted by the light emitters into the layer at an angle such that the light beams, when entering the layer, remain confined to the layer by total internal reflection when the light beams are not absorbed by any of the objects touching the upper surface, a plurality of light detectors for detecting light beams and for generating outputs indicating the amounts of light detected, a second lens assembly for directing light beams at a surface of the layer towards the light detectors, and a calculating unit for determining respective one or more locations of the one or more objects touching the upper surface, based on outputs of the light detectors.

Abstract: A method of attaching a component to a substrate, including providing a component guide attached to a substrate, the component guide having a cavity substantially conforming to contours of a portion of a component, attaching a first solder pad to the component, inserting the component into the guide cavity, providing a second solder pad, offset from the first solder pad and near the cavity, and inserting the component, the component guide and the substrate into an oven heating the solder pads, wherein the component is drawn further into the guide cavity by a capillary effect of the heated solder pads.

Abstract: A keypad for use in conjunction with a touch-sensitive panel, the keypad including a frame surrounding a touch-sensitive panel, including a plurality of buttons suspended by the frame above the touch-sensitive panel, each of the buttons including a rigid member that is lowered through the frame when pressure is applied from above, and a resilient body attached to the rigid member and to the frame for raising the rigid member when the pressure from above is released, wherein the rigid members are exposed below the frame.

Abstract: A light-based touch screen, including a housing for a display screen, a plurality of infra-red light emitting diodes (LEDs), fastened on the housing, for generating light beams, at least one LED selector, fastened on the housing and connected with the plurality of LEDs, for controllably selecting and deselecting one or more of the plurality of LEDs, a plurality of photodiode (PD) receivers, fastened on the housing, for measuring light intensity, at least one PD selector, fastened on the housing and connected with the plurality of PD receivers, for controllably selecting and deselecting one or more of the plurality of PD receivers, an optical assembly, fastened on the housing, for projecting light beams emitted by the plurality of LEDs in substantially parallel planes over the housing, and a controller, fastened on the housing and coupled with the plurality of PD receivers, (i) for controlling the at least one LED selector, (ii) for controlling the at least one PD selector, and (iii) for determining therefrom

Abstract: A controller including a chip package coupled with a light-based touch screen, emitter driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating photoemitters that are outside of the chip package, detector driver circuitry inside the chip package for selectively activating photo detectors that are outside of the chip package, detector signal processing circuitry for generating detection signals representing amounts of light detected on the photo detectors, signal conducting pins for connecting the photoemitters to the emitter driver circuitry, signal conducting pins for connecting the photo detectors to the detector driver circuitry and to the detector signal processing circuitry, controller circuitry inside the chip package for controlling the emitter driver circuitry and the detector driver circuitry, and at least one input/output pin for outputting the detection signals to a host processor, for the host processor to identify one or more locations on the touch screen that are being touched.

Abstract: A lens for refracting light in three directions, including a lens surface having a repetitive pattern of recessed cavities formed by a repetitive pattern of three substantially planar facets.