Abstract: A touch sensor comprises a substrate capable of propagating acoustic waves and includes a first surface having a touch sensitive region. A first sidewall intersects the first surface along a first edge. The first edge is configured to propagate a first acoustic wave along the first edge. The first acoustic wave may be a one-dimensional edge wave. A wave converter converts the first acoustic wave to a second acoustic wave, and the first surface is configured to propagate the second acoustic wave across the touch sensitive region.
Abstract: An information input device (1) includes a touch panel (2), an image display (6), and a sensor section (12) for detecting touched contact positions on the touch panel (2). A detection region of the touch panel (2), surrounded by the sensor section (12), is divided into a rectangular main region (10) and at least one sub region (14), which has a smaller area than the main region (10), is separated from the main region (10), and extends along at least one edge thereof. Images are displayed by the image display (6) and contact positions are detected in the main region (10). Only the presence or absence of contact is detected in the at least one sub region (14).
Abstract: The material utilization efficiency of FPC's is improved, to provide a low cost touch panel. A touch panel 100 is constituted by: a rectangular transparent panel 104; and a plurality of light emitting elements 8a and a plurality of light receiving elements 8b provided at the peripheral portions of the transparent panel 104, for specifying the coordinates of targets of detection. An elongate FPC 106 is folded at a plurality of predetermined locations to be provided as a frame along the four sides 122a, 122b, 122c, and 122d of the transparent panel 104. The plurality of light emitting elements 8a are provided on the FPC 106 along two adjacent sides of the transparent panel 104, and the plurality of light receiving elements 8b are provided on the other two sides of the transparent panel 104 so as to face the light emitting elements 8a.
Abstract: An acoustic wave type touch panel is equipped with: a substrate that objects contact; reflective arrays having a great number of inclined lines provided on the substrate; acoustic wave generating sections provided on the substrate; and detecting sections provided on the substrate. An array of micro reflectors, which are shorter than the inclined lines, for attenuating spurious waves generated by reflection of the acoustic waves by the reflective arrays, is provided in the reflective array regions between the inclined lines at least one end thereof.