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 light-based finger gesture user interface for an electronic device including a housing for an electronic device, a display mounted in the housing, a cavity, separated from the display, penetrating two opposite sides of the housing, a detector mounted in the housing operative to detect an object inserted in the cavity, and a processor connected to the detector and to the display for causing the display to render a visual representation in response to output from the detector.

Abstract: A support bracket for supporting insulating rods inside an insulator tube of a hollow core insulator. The support bracket includes a cylindrical ring with an outer surface for abutting against the inner surface of an insulator tube, an inner surface for supporting an insulating rod and two opposing end sides, denominated by first and second end sides. The support bracket includes an expansion assembly configured to be actuated so as to expand the cylindrical ring in at least one radial direction when the support bracket has been inserted in an insulator tube of a live tank circuit breaker.

Abstract: A light-based finger gesture user interface for an electronic device including a housing for an electronic device, a display mounted in the housing, a cavity, separated from the display, penetrating two opposite sides of the housing, a detector mounted in the housing operative to detect an object inserted in the cavity, and a processor connected to the detector and to the display for causing the display to render a visual representation in response to output from the detector.

Abstract: A light-based finger gesture user interface for an electronic device including a housing for an electronic device, a display mounted in the housing, a cavity, separated from the display, penetrating two opposite sides of the housing, a detector mounted in the housing operative to detect an object inserted in the cavity, and a processor connected to the detector and to the display for causing the display to render a visual representation in response to output from the detector.

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 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.

Abstract: An optical element for a light based touch surface including a concatenated plurality of segments, wherein each segment is paired with a respective light emitter, each segment including an undulating series of pairs of reflective or refractive facets, wherein a first facet in each pair is oriented so as to collimate light emitted from a first light emitter associated with the segment and a second facet in each pair is oriented so as to collimate light emitted from a second light emitter associated with the segment, and wherein the first light emitter associated with the segment is the light emitter paired with the segment and the second light emitter associated with the segment is the light emitter paired with a neighboring segment.

Abstract: A support bracket for supporting insulating rods inside an insulator tube of a hollow core insulator. The support bracket includes a cylindrical ring with an outer surface for abutting against the inner surface of an insulator tube, an inner surface for supporting an insulating rod and two opposing end sides, denominated by first and second end sides. The support bracket includes an expansion assembly configured to be actuated so as to expand the cylindrical ring in at least one radial direction when the support bracket has been inserted in an insulator tube of a live tank circuit breaker.

Abstract: A touch screen including a housing, a display mounted in the housing, a plurality of collimating lenses mounted in the housing and arranged along a first edge of the display, a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in the housing that are spaced apart from and serially transmit light pulses through the collimating lenses over the display, a light guide mounted in the housing along the edge of the display opposite the first edge, for receiving the light pulses, the light guide including a reflective strip that reflects light pulses to one end of the light guide, a light pulse receiver mounted in the housing near the one end of the light guide, for receiving the reflected light pulses, and a calculating unit, mounted in the housing and connected to the receiver, for determining a location of a pointer on the display that partially blocks light pulses transmitted by the emitters, based on outputs of the receiver.

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 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 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 touch screen system including a reflective display surface, a camera mounted so as to capture an image of (i) the reflective display surface, (ii) a pointer approaching the reflective display surface, and (iii) a reflection of the pointer on the reflective display surface, and a processor coupled with the camera that determines a three-dimensional location of the pointer relative to the reflective display surface, based on the positions of the pointer and the reflection of the pointer in the image captured by the camera.

Abstract: A method of calibrating optical components in a light-based touch screen, including providing (i) a display, (ii) a row of light pulse emitters that sequentially transmit light pulses over the display according to calibrated pulse current and pulse duration controls, and (iii) a row of light pulse receivers that receive the light pulses and that output values representing the received light pulses, each receiver having expected values for emitter-receiver pairs when the light pulses are not blocked, determining if each receiver output value for a receiver-emitter pair is within a respective designated range from the corresponding receiver expected value, and when a receiver output value for a receiver-emitter pair is outside the designated range, recalibrating the emitter, including adjusting at least one of the emitter pulse current and pulse duration such that subsequent receiver output values are within the designated range, and updating the receiver expected value for the receiver-emitter pair based on su

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 touch screen including a housing, a display mounted in the housing, a plurality of collimating lenses mounted in the housing along two opposite edges of the display and arranged along the two edges so as to be shift-aligned relative to one another, a plurality of light pulse emitters mounted in the housing that are spaced apart from and transmit light pulses through the collimating lenses of one of the two edges over the display, a plurality of light pulse receivers mounted in the housing that are spaced apart from and receive the light pulses through the collimating lenses of the opposite of the two edges, and a calculating unit, mounted in the housing and connected to the receivers, that determines a location of a pointer on the display that partially blocks the light pulses transmitted by the emitters, based on outputs of the receivers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacturing fiber-reinforced products with integrated insert parts by moulding a heat-bonding resin having a viscosity of about 1-10_6 and about 30-10+6 mPas, between two joinable halves of a separable mould having an upper and lower mould parts forming a cavity therebetween, the inner moulding faces are attached to displaceable fixed parts of a pressing table. Prior to moulding, an insert part is fixed in position in the cavity, and the mould parts each have a set of a support devices displaceable in the cavity relative to the respective moulding faces. According to the method, the resin is located in the cavity before the mold is closes and the insert is in position prior to and during an initial phase of moulding. The support device is removed prior to the setting of the resin in the mould leaving holes in the material, and thereafter the mold parts are held together for filling the holes.