Patent ID: 8411070

Claim:
A touch panel system comprising: a touchable surface; at least one infrared source integrated in the touch panel system and configured to direct infrared radiation through the touchable surface for illuminating one or more objects that are in contact with or adjacent to the touchable surface with infrared radiation; and a touch panel display configured to illuminate pixels for visibly displaying an image, the touch panel display comprising: a matrix circuit including pixel circuit elements; infrared sensors that are integrated in the matrix circuit with the circuit elements and distributed parallel to the touchable surface, wherein: the infrared sensors are configured to detect reflected infrared radiation incident on the infrared sensors, infrared radiation directed by the at least one infrared source through the touchable surface is not detected by the infrared sensors, reflected infrared radiation directed through the touchable surface by the one or more objects is detected by the infrared sensors, output from a plurality of the infrared sensors is processed to detect an infrared image, and detection of the infrared image based on the output of the plurality of infrared sensors does not conflict with the image visibly displayed on the touch panel display of the touch panel system; and infrared-transmitting and visible-light absorbing filters between the touchable surface and the infrared sensors, each infrared-transmitting and visible-light absorbing filter comprising overlapping complementary color filters, wherein the infrared-transmitting and visible-light absorbing filters shield the infrared sensors from visible light when detecting the reflected infrared radiation directed through the touchable surface by the one or more objects.