Patent ID: 8218154

Claim:
A system for determining a position of an element to at least one of scatter and reflect radiation, the system comprising: a radiation transmissive element having a first surface adapted to be engaged by the element and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a radiation provider adapted to provide radiation to or at the first surface in order for the element to be able to at least one of scatter and reflect radiation into the radiation transmissive element at the position on the first surface, one or more detectors for detecting at least one of scattered and reflected radiation, at the position at the first surface, into the radiation transmissive element and guided by the radiation transmissive element toward the one or more detectors and for outputting one or more corresponding signals, a touch controller configured to determine the position on the basis of the one or more corresponding signals from the one or more detectors, wherein the touch controller is adapted to determine the position on the basis of at least one of properties and characteristics of the radiation detected by the one or more detectors, and the radiation provider is adapted to provide radiation with at least one of different properties and characteristics to different portions of the first surface, at least one area of the first surface receiving radiation having at least two of the at least one different properties and characteristics, the radiation provider including, a plurality of radiation emitters each adapted to emit radiation through the second surface and onto the first surface, each radiation emitter or group of radiation emitters being controllable independently of other emitters or groups of emitters, and each radiation emitter including a radiation altering unit receiving radiation from one or more radiation emitters providing radiation to the radiation altering unit, wherein the radiation altering unit includes a plurality of radiation altering elements, and each radiation emitter provides radiation to a plurality of radiation altering elements, no radiation altering elements receive radiation from more than one radiation emitter, and wherein properties of the radiation emitters are controllable independently of radiation altering properties of the individual radiation altering elements.