Patent ID: 7485843

Claim:
A touch proximity sensing system detecting the presence or absence of a triggering object, the system comprising: a reflective optical sensor having an emitter for creating a light and a receiver for detecting a reflected light of the emitter; an active surface for receiving the triggering object; and a light pipe disposed between the reflective optical sensor and the active surface, the light pipe having a first end adjoining the reflective optical sensor and a second end adjoining the active surface, and the light pipe having a length such that the reflective optical sensor and the active surface are spaced-apart from each other over the length of the light pipe; wherein the light pipe specularly reflects the light from the emitter adjoining the first end along the length of the light pipe to the active surface adjoining to the second end; and wherein in the presence of the triggering object, the light pipe specularly reflects the light from the active surface adjoining the second end along the length of the light pipe to the receiver adjoining the first end, causing the reflected light to be transported from the active surface to the receiver to detect the presence of the trigger object.