Inventors
Touch
Screen
By
Mary
Bellis
A special thanks goes to Jason Ford of Elo
TouchSystems, the company whose founder invented touch screen technology,
for providing the following historical information.
In 1971, the first "touch sensor" was developed
by Doctor Sam Hurst (founder of Elographics) while he was an instructor
at the University of Kentucky. This sensor called the "Elograph" was patented by The University of Kentucky Research Foundation. The
"Elograph" was not transparent like modern touch screens, however, it was a significant
milestone in touch screen technology.
In 1974, the first true touch screen incorporating a
transparent surface came on
the scene developed by Sam Hurst and Elographics. In 1977,
Elographics developed and patented five-wire resistive technology, the
most popular touch screen technology in use today. On February 24, 1994,
the company officially changed its name from Elographics to Elo TouchSystems.
Patents
US3662105: Electrical Sensor
Of Plane Coordinates
Inventor(s)
Hurst; George S. , Lexington, KY
Parks; James E. , Lexington, KY
Issued/Filed Dates:May 9, 1972 /
May 21, 1970
US3798370: Electrographic
Sensor For Determining Planar Coordinates
Inventor(s)
Hurst; George S. , Oak Ridge, TN
Issued/Filed Dates:March 19, 1974
/ April 17, 1972
Further Reading on Touch Screens
History
of Elo TouchSystems
Introduction
to Touch Screens
Common
Uses for Touch
The touch screen is one of the easiest
to use and most intuitive of all PC interfaces, making it the interface
of choice for a wide variety of applications. A touch interface allows
users to navigate a computer system by touching icons or links on the screen.
Anatomy
of Touch Screen
As used with a PC.
Comparing
Touch Technology
There are several types of touch
screen technologies that are available.
5-wire
Resistive Touchscreen Technology
Surface
Acoustic Wave Touchscreen Technology
Capacitive
Touchscreen Technology
Glossary
of Touch Screen Technology
Comparing
Flat LCD and Traditional CRT Monitors
PC Monitors are not all the same
any more. How does this affect touch screens.
Related Information
Computer
Peripherals
Important disclaimer information about this About site.
|