Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
219 words
In combination, a transparent touch actuated interface and a static display means, said interface comprising plural transparent electrically conductive stationary area touch activatable elements each of which is electrically and functionally independent of and discrete from all the other elements, an electrically non-conductive clear transparent substrate, all of said elements being supported by said substrate, each element being disposed in spaced immediate adjacency with adjoining elements, said elements being mutually located so as to extend in different directions with respect to one another in the plane of said substrate so as jointly to present an effectively unitary conductive transparent area, solid state switches of which said areal elements are the actuating elements, transparent electrically non-conductive means separating said elements, and leads supported by said substrate for connecting said areal elements to said switches, said switches being so constructed that when an areal element is touched by a human finger a signal input is fed over a lead associated with said areal element to a switch associated with said areal element to actuate the same, the plural transparent electrically conductive stationary areal touch activatable elements constituting an overlay covering and immediately above the display means and substantially coextensive with the display means, each areal element being disposed above and being substantially coextensive with a corresponding area of the display means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
219 words
In combination, a transparent touch actuated interface and a static display means, said interface comprising plural transparent electrically conductive stationary area touch activatable elements each of which is electrically and functionally independent of and discrete from all the other elements, an electrically non-conductive clear transparent substrate, all of said elements being supported by said substrate, each element being disposed in spaced immediate adjacency with adjoining elements, said elements being mutually located so as to extend in different directions with respect to one another in the plane of said substrate so as jointly to present an effectively unitary conductive transparent area, solid state switches of which said areal elements are the actuating elements, transparent electrically non-conductive means separating said elements, and leads supported by said substrate for connecting said areal elements to said switches, said switches being so constructed that when an areal element is touched by a human finger a signal input is fed over a lead associated with said areal element to a switch associated with said areal element to actuate the same, the plural transparent electrically conductive stationary areal touch activatable elements constituting an overlay covering and immediately above the display means and substantially coextensive with the display means, each areal element being disposed above and being substantially coextensive with a corresponding area of the display means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein an extremely thin electrically non-conductive transparent film covers the broad surfaces of said overlay remote from the display means, the leads and the transparent electrically non-conductive means separating said elements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the transparent conductive stationary areal elements are thick enough to be self-form-maintaining.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
A combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the transparent electrically non-conductive means constitutes a lattice with through openings in which the areal elements are disposed and fill.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the areal elements are of sectorial configuration and are arranged around a common center with the apices of the elements adjacent the center.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein the elements conjointly define a circle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the areal elements and leads are supported on the electrically non-conductive transparent substrate, and wherein the leads constitute conductors embedded in the substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
A combination including an interface as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive transparent film elements and their supporting substrate are functionally separate from the display means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein certain of the areal elements adjoin the perimeter of the interface and others of the areal elements are spaced from the perimeter of the interface and wherein the leads from the said other elements extend between the perimetral areal elements.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
A combination as set forth in claim 9 wherein the leads from the said other elements are located on the same surface of the substrate as said elements.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
62 words
A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein certain of the areal elements adjoin the perimeter of the interface and others of the areal elements are spaced from the perimeter of the interface and wherein the leads from said other elements extend partially through the substrate and in part are supported upon the surface of the substrate remote from the films.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
111 words
A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the solid switches are of the touch type, each including a control electrode, and which combination further includes a hand-held electrically conductive touching element, said conductive touching element including an electrically conductive portion adapted to be touched to the areal elements, an electrically energizeable source of illumination and a hand engageable electrically conductive member, said portion, said source of illumination and said member being connected in series whereby each time said portion touches a different areal element said source of illumination is energized, and said source of illumination is deactivated when said member is out of contact with an areal element.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
A combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein the source of illumination is energizeable by power in the order of microwatts.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
44 words
A combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein said member is a hollow sleeve having a source of illumination at an end remote from the interface and wherein the portion is at the other end of the sleeve being insulated and protuding therefrom.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
79 words
A combination as set forth in claim 12 wherein the source of illumination is a neon glow tube. 16 A combination as set forth in claim 1 in which each solid state switch constitutes an SCR power handling device including a control gate and power terminals, and a three-element transistor including a pair of input and output terminals connected respectively to the control gate and a power terminal of the SCR and a control gate connected to the lead.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the elements are relatively disposed in orthogonal relationship.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
33 words
A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the area of the space between said elements is less than the order of about 1/10 percent of the area covered by said elements.