Abstract:
A Touchscreen Interfacing Input Accessory System and Method is disclosed. The accessory device is attachable to the screen of a touchscreen monitor. The accessory device creates an input/output port that uses the touchscreen for I/O interface to the computing device. User input devices are attachable to an interface module that is attached to the touchscreen display by a suction cup or other mechanism. The input devices include user-operable mechanical knobs, controls, and virtually any other input device. The interface module aligns with input/output regions identified on the touchscreen so that the module can send data through the screen via simulated touches, and receive data from through the screen via visual data displayed by the monitor.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to computing devices and systems and related thereto and, more specifically, to a Touchscreen Interfacing Input Accessory System and Method. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Advancements in computers and related devices seemingly never end; an exemplary assembly of a conventional computing device and potential peripherals is depicted in  FIG. 1 . One of the latest products that has now become fairly mainstream is the touchscreen display device  10 . A touchscreen is an electronic visual output that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term touchscreen generally refers to touch or contact to the display of the device by a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a pen or stylus. The ability to interact physically with what is shown on a display (a form of “direct manipulation”) typically indicates the presence of a touchscreen. The touchscreen display device  10  comprises a housing  12  within which is contained a touch-sensitive display screen  14 . The idea behind the touchscreen display device  10  is that not only can the computing device  20  display information as with the prior types of monitors (i.e. standard, non-touchscreen), but also it allows the user to provide input to the computing device  20  by touching the display screen  14 . In order to communicate with the computing device  20 , the device  10  will have an input conduit or cable  18  for display of data from the computing device  20 , an output conduit  16  which transfers input data information from the display device  10  to the computing device  20 . 
         [0005]    It should be understood that when we describe the input and output conduit  16  and  18  respectively, typically we are talking about cables; however, wireless connections of a variety of types are also available. Furthermore, here the computing device  20  and touchscreen  10  are shown as separate assemblies but, in fact, it is very common for portable or laptop computers to be the most prevalent that are equipped with a touchscreen display device  10  built in. In addition to the display device  10 , there is usually a variety of different permanent and temporary peripheral devices. These can be generally described as input devices  22 , output devices  24  and other peripheral devices  26 . 
         [0006]    A few examples of input devices  22  include a pointing device or mouse  28 , a keyboard  30  and a game controller  32 . A very common output device  24  is a printer  34 . Three examples of peripheral devices  26  include a camera  36  of the digital variety, a music player  38  and an optical scanner  40 . In most cases, even if a computing device is equipped with a touchscreen display device  10 , it still will be necessary for the computing device  20  to also access additional input, output and peripheral devices. If we now turn to  FIG. 2 , we can examine how a typical touchscreen display device is used as a combination input and output device. 
         [0007]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are cutaway side and partial front views of a conventional touchscreen display device. In  FIG. 2A , we see that the display device  10 , and in particular the display screen  14 , is actually a pair of separate subassemblies. There is the display screen assembly  44  immediately adjacent to which is an input screen assembly  42 . As discussed below, there are a variety of different technologies, but in general the input screen assembly  42  is transparent and is closely coupled to the display screen assembly  44  so that it can detect either physical displacement (such as from a finger touch) or an electrical current change that are interpreted to be a command from the touch of a user&#39;s finger and/or a pointing device such as a stylus. A resistive touchscreen panel is composed of several layers, the most important of which are two thin, metallic, electrically conductive layers separated by a narrow gap. When an object, such as a finger, presses down on a point on the panel&#39;s outer surface the two metallic layers become connected at that point: the panel then behaves as a pair of voltage dividers with connected outputs. This causes a change in the electrical current which is registered as a touch event and sent to the controller for processing. 
         [0008]    A capacitive touchscreen panel consists of an insulator such as glass, coated with a transparent conductor such as indium tin oxide (ITO). As the human body is also a conductor, touching the surface of the screen results in a distortion of the body&#39;s electrostatic field, measurable as a change in capacitance. Different technologies may be used to determine the location of the touch. The location can be passed to a computer running a software application which will calculate how the user&#39;s touch relates to the computer software). 1    1  see Wikipedia “Touchscreen” 
         [0009]      FIG. 2B  shows representative screen displays on the touch-sensitive display screen  14  of how the touchscreen device  10  can be used as an input device. In the upper left-hand corner, a touch-actuated dial  46  has been generated for the user&#39;s operation. It should be understood that the display of the dial  46  is actually a computer-generated depiction on the display screen assembly  44 . Here there is a knob image  48  with a sort of rotation disc image  50  overlaid atop it. As can be imagined, the user simply touches and then drags his or her finger to the rotation disc image  50  within the confines of the knob image  48 . A dial  46  such as this would be convenient for use as a volume control or to increase brightness or to replace a mechanical rheostat or other similar device. 
         [0010]    Also depicted in this  FIG. 2B  is a touch-actuated slide volume control  52 . Here the user need simply touch his or her finger on the slider disc image  56  and then drag it right or left along the slide bar image  54  in order to increase or decrease the volume presumably emanating from the speakers or headphones. 
         [0011]    There are many, many other computer-generated input devices that are possible when using a touchscreen display device  10 . The problem is that many times these one-dimensional “tools” tend to be actually less functional than a mechanical device. So while the user benefits from endless flexibility in the features and functionality for onscreen control elements, the user also loses the ability to feel the control of the variety of elements as that user would if they were turning an actual knob or pushing an actual slider in the three-dimensional sense. Consequently, it is common that the user needs to watch him or herself operating the screen representation of the control element while making adjustments because otherwise it would be easy to simply drag the finger or stylus off the edge of the image thereby losing control. 
         [0012]    What is needed is a device and method that is as flexible and convenient as an onscreen input device for touchscreens, but also provides the user with a three-dimensional, tactile element to feel while the control is happening. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the prior devices, systems and methods, it is an object of the present invention to provide a Touchscreen Interfacing Input Accessory System and Method. The accessory device should be attachable to the screen of a touchscreen monitor. The accessory device should create an input/output port that uses the touchscreen for I/O interface to the computing device. User input devices should be attachable to an interface module that is attached to the touchscreen display by a suction cup or other mechanism. The input devices should include user-operable mechanical knobs, controls, and virtually any other input device. The interface module should align with input/output regions identified on the touchscreen so that the module can send data through the screen via simulated touches, and receive data from through the screen via visual data displayed by the monitor. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, of which: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  depicts an exemplary assembly of a computing device and potential peripherals; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  are cutaway side and partial front views of a conventional touchscreen display device; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are top and bottom partial perspective views of a preferred embodiment of the touchscreen-interfacing input accessory of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the device of  FIGS. 3A and 3B ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the device of  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B and  4 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  depicts a chain of devices of  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B,  4  and  5 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 7  depicts the physical cooperation of the device of the present invention and a conventional touchscreen display device; 
           [0022]      FIG. 8  depicts a preferred embodiment of the user input communications process of the present invention; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 9  depicts a preferred embodiment of the computing device output communications process of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide a Touchscreen Interfacing Input Accessory System and Method. 
         [0025]    The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration of  FIGS. 3A and 3B .  FIGS. 3A and 3B  are top and bottom partial perspective views of a preferred embodiment of the touchscreen-interfacing input accessory  60  of the present invention. 
         [0026]    The touchscreen interfacing input accessory  60  is designed to provide the computer user with the flexibility of an onscreen input control element but also the comfort and control of a three-dimensional physical mechanical control element. It provides this by creating an interface that allows input and output through the screen of a touchscreen display that expands greatly upon simple sensation or detection of physical location of user touches on the touchscreen and display. 
         [0027]    A key element to this functionality is the interface module  62 . The interface module  62  has an attachment element  64  extending downwardly from it. In this version the attachment element  64  is very similar to a conventional suction cup. It should be apparent the attachment element  64  is designed to allow the interface module  62  to be securely yet temporarily attached to the display screen of a touchscreen display. Here, a suction cup is employed, however, other versions may be used. For example, static cling plastic elements (similar to window decals) could be used. Furthermore, one of a variety of adhesives (typically of the temporary variety) could also be used. 
         [0028]    As shown in  FIG. 3B , the interface module  62  has an input transmitter  66  and an output detector  68 . Although shown here as circular with the output detector  68  encompassing the input transmitter  66 , it should be understood that other options are available including an interface module  62  having a plurality of input transmitters  66  and a plurality of output detectors  68  in virtually any combinations thereof. If we now turn to  FIG. 4 , we can see a first example of a control element of the present invention. 
         [0029]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the device of  FIGS. 3A and 3B . Here a knob input control element  70 A is associated with the interface module  62 . This permits the user to have a three-dimensional mechanical element that be or she can grasp in order to provide the same user input as discussed above in  FIG. 2  regarding the touch-actuated dial. By rotating the knob input control element  70 A, the user can increase or decrease whatever parameter has been assigned to be operated by this input accessory  60 . As shown here, the attachment element  64  would hold the assembly to the touchscreen display thereby giving the user a handy input and control element.  FIG. 5  depicts another option for a touchscreen interfacing input accessory  60 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the device of  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B and  4 . Here a fingerprint scanner device  70 B is actually separated from the interface module  62 . They are connected by a communications cable  72  which allows the interface module  62  to be attached to the touchscreen display while this fingerprint scanner device  70 B would typically be placed on a desktop or other surface in spaced relation to the touchscreen display such as fingerprint scanner device  70 B would tend to have a scanner pad  74  whereat the user would swipe his or her finger in order to provide input to the computing device typically for the purposes of security or identification. It should be apparent from these  FIGS. 4 and 5  the input accessory  60  could be a software control input device or further could be virtually any type of input. As shown in  FIG. 6 , it could become apparent that not only input devices but also output and other peripheral devices could use the system and the device and method of the present invention. 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  depicts a chain of devices of  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B,  4  and  5 . As shown in  FIG. 6 , the group of input/output devices  70  that could be connected to the interface module  62  either by communications cable  72  or by being an integrated part of the same housing as the interface module  62  or could be a joystick control device  70 C, the knob input control device  70 A as previously discussed or could even be a sound input data device  70 D such as a microphone. Furthermore, printers, cameras, scanners, virtually all of the group of input/output or peripheral devices discussed above in connection with  FIG. 1  could be affiliated with the interface module  62  of the present invention in order to provide the user with either output or input or peripheral control just as with the prior setup. In fact, as shown in the bottom half of  FIG. 6 , a plurality of these input/output devices  70  could be interlinked to create a device chain  76 . There could be a plurality of devices interconnected by a plurality of communications cable to a single interface module  62 . Alternatively, there could be individual interface module  62  attached at separate locations around the face of the touchscreen display with each interface module  62  linking to one or more different input/output devices  70 . Now turning to  FIG. 7 , we&#39;ll examine how such a system would work. 
         [0032]      FIG. 7  depicts the physical cooperation of the device of the present invention and a conventional touchscreen display device. As shown here, the touchscreen interfacing input accessory  60  attaches by suction cup or other attachment means to the touch-sensitive screen  14 . There would be an interface region  80  identified on the touch-sensitive screen  14 . This region  80  would include a data receiver region  82  and a data transmitter region  84 . These regions  82  and  84  would be configured to cooperate with the accessories  60  so that they align with the face  78  of the input transmitter  66  and the output detector  68 . It is expected that the control software running on the computing device that is designed to interface with the accessory  60  would include functionality that locates and registers the interface region  80  wherever the user wishes in a very similar fashion to when a user first initializes a touchscreen device and the user must calibrate that device by touching a plurality of sequential predetermined points on the screen. 
         [0033]    In the case of the present invention, the system will allow the user to place the accessory  60  wherever he or she wishes on the touch-sensitive screen  14  after which the interface region  80  would be identified so that the output detector  68  is aligned with the data transmitter region  84  and the input transmitter  66  is aligned with the data receiver region  82 . 
         [0034]    Once attached, the accessory  60  will receive its input from the touch-sensitive screen  14  through the data transmitter region  84  and into the output detector  68 . It is expected that this data would be in the form of visual signals such as pixels or other portions of the data transmitter region  84  lighting or darkening (or changing color) which will be recognized by the accessory  60  as being digital data. On the contrary, data passing from the accessory  60  to the touch-sensitive screen  14  would utilize the touch-sensitive functionality of the screen  14 . The transmitter face  78  (which is aligned to the data receiver region  82 ) would be designed to generate tactile or electrical impulses in a pre-assigned location which will be identified as representing digital data for the purpose of creating an input data stream from the accessory  60  to the computing device.  FIG. 8  and  FIG. 9  depict a sequence of steps in these input and output communications processes. 
         [0035]      FIG. 8  depicts a preferred embodiment of the user input communications process of the present invention. When the user creates an input  102  at the input/output device  70 , it will be in the form of digital data  104 . The interface module  62  will convert the digital data into tactile signals generated by the input transmitter  66  for receipt at the data receiver region  82  on the input screen assembly  42 . These tactile signals  106  could be generated by a form of a mechanical stylus or other mechanical pointer which is sophisticated enough to provide sufficient bandwidth for the wide variety of input or input/output devices discussed previously. Preferably, however, it would be expected that these signals  106  would not actually be tactile but would rather be electrical representations of a finger touch that would be indistinguishable to the input screen assembly  42 . In any event, the data receiver region  82  of the input screen assembly  42  would accept those signals  106  and convert them to digital data  108  based on their content and location on the data receiver region  82 . Then the computing device  20 , or specialized software running on, or in cooperation with the computing device  20  would convert the digital data  108  into the user input  110  to the software program being controlled by the input/output device  70 . Finally turning to  FIG. 9 , we can examine how the output process works. 
         [0036]      FIG. 9  depicts a preferred embodiment of the computing device output communications process of the present invention. Reading from right to left, the computing device  20  generates the software program output  114  which is converted into digital data  116 . That digital data  116  is displayed in the data transmitter region  84  of the display screen assembly  44 . What is generated are a plurality of visual signals  118  that are recognized by the output detector  68  by their composition and their location to be converted into digital data  120  by the interface module  62 . This interface module  62  then passes the digital data  120  as program output  22  such as data for printing on a printer or audio data for output at speakers or virtually any other outgoing data that would typically be handled by a conventional, peripheral or input/output device connected in a conventional way to the computing device. 
         [0037]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.