Patent Document ID: 7952564
Application ID: 11356431
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A multiple touch sensor which requires a conductive coupling internal of the sensor to effect a touch of the sensor, the multiple touch sensor comprising: an electrically insulating substrate having two sides and a touch region on one of the two sides; a plurality of electrically-conducting band segments coupled to and traversing the touch region and wherein the band segments are insulated from one another; a cover layer overlying the touch region and having two opposite sides; a controller providing an electrical means of sequentially energizing a plurality of the segments and an electrical means for monitoring the electrical characteristics of the touch sensor and for identifying the locations at which touch positions on the touch sensor are touched from the monitored electrical characteristics; and the cover layer has an electrically-conductive surface on one of its two opposite sides wherein the electrically-conductive surface is supported in an insulated relationship with the touch region but is capable of being moved into contact with the touch region and the band segments coupled thereto when external pressure is applied to the side of the cover layer opposite the electrically-conductive surface so that a touch of the sensor is effected by the conductive coupling between the touch region and the band segments when the touch region is moved into contact with the band segments; and wherein the controller is adapted to identify multiple locations on the touch region which are simultaneously touched upon movement of the cover layer into contact with the touch region at the multiple locations.