A sanitary method and system of providing touch interface experiences to users of public devices are disclosed. In one aspect, the system and method are configured to deploy a clean, protective barrier across a touchscreen for each user of the public device. The barrier includes a transparent membrane that permits the user to provide touch-based inputs to the touchscreen through the barrier. In cases where the touch interface is generated by a projector, the system and method are configured to deploy a membrane that serves as a disposable screen for the projected interface. Once each user completes their session, the system automatically replaces the used membrane with a fresh membrane, ensuring subsequent users are not exposed to contaminants or residue from previous user sessions.

In some aspects, a device may cause a light emitter to emit light waves within a light plane that is parallel to a surface of an input component. The device may receive, from a sensor arrangement, a measurement associated with the light waves in the light plane. The measurement may be indicative of an intended input of a user. The device may perform an action that is associated with a user input of the input component based at least in part on the intended input. Numerous other aspects are described.

Optical sensors and their making methods are described herein. In some embodiments, a described sensing apparatus includes: an image sensor; a collimator above the image sensor, wherein the collimator includes an array of apertures; and an optical filtering layer above the collimator, wherein the optical filtering layer is configured to filter a portion of light to be transmitted into the array of apertures.

The invention relates to a heatable touch sensor and a steering wheel. It has an optical waveguide which is connected to an electrical heat conductor. The optical waveguide changes its transmission behavior, which is determined, with a change in position or bending. The heat conductor is a resistance heater which emits heat by applying an electrical voltage and by the associated current flow. The touch sensor operates by means of optical interferometry, which enables a very high sensing accuracy.

A display screen assembly is provided. The display screen assembly includes a display screen, a first light source, a light conducting member, a receiving element, and a processor. The display screen includes a display region for displaying images and a non-display region surrounding the display region. The light conducting member faces the display region. At least one first light source faces at least one surface of the light conducting member. The at least one first light source is configured to emit a detection signal to the light conducting member. The light conducting member is configured to diffuse the detection signal to allow the detection signal to pass through the display region, to interact with a detection object to form a target signal. The receiving element is disposed in the display region and configured to receive the target signal.

In some embodiments, a display stack includes a set of light-emitting elements, and a display backplane that includes a set of conductors and is electrically coupled to the set of light-emitting elements. A conductor in the set of conductors has a length, and a curved edge extending along at least a portion of the length. In some embodiments, a display stack includes a set of light-emitting elements; a set of transistors, electrically coupled to the set of light-emitting elements; and a set of conductors, electrically coupled to the set of transistors. The set of transistors may be electrically coupled to the set of conductors at a set of conductive pads. A plurality of conductive pads in the set of conductive pads is coupled to a single conductor in the set of conductors. The single conductor approaches different conductive pads in the plurality of conductive pads at different angles.

A surgery system includes a contactless control panel, an infrared camera, a computer and a display. The contactless control panel includes control areas which are arranged in a predetermined pattern and are coated with infrared reflective material to reflect infrared radiation. The infrared camera captures an infrared image of the control areas. The computer performs image recognition on the infrared image, determines, based on the predetermined pattern stored in advance and a result of the image recognition, which one of the control areas is masked, and generates a device control signal based on a function corresponding to the one of the control areas that is determined to be masked. The display device displays images based on the device control signal.

Described is an interaction system comprising an imaging device, such as a camera system, configured to image one or more users, wherein the interaction device is configured to determine one of more properties of each user. For example, the interaction system may be used to determine whether the hand of each user is raised or an orientation of each user's face.

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a display including a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs), a proximity sensor disposed under the display and including a plurality of light emitting units, and at least one processor operatively coupled to the display and the proximity sensor. The light generated from the proximity sensor may have a lower energy than the work function of silicon included in the plurality of TFTs of the display.

An electronic device may have an optical touch sensor that is insensitive to the presence of moisture. The display may present images through a display cover layer. A light source may illuminate an external object such as a user's finger when the object contacts a surface of the display cover layer. This creates scattered light that may be detected by an array of light sensors. A metasurface grating may be used to couple light from the light source into the display cover layer at an angle such that total internal reflection within the display cover layer is sustained across the display cover layer even when the display cover layer is immersed in water or otherwise exposed to moisture. Additional metasurface gratings may be formed on the display cover layer to redirect light propagating within the display cover layer away from edges that might otherwise defeat total internal reflection.