An LED-based multitouch sensor for LCD screens

In recent years, a large number of multitouch sensor concepts have been presented. Particularly optical sensors are highly popular due to their versatility. However, especially camera-based systems often require a significant amount of space behind the screen and are not well suited to flatscreen-based setups. While integrated sensors for flatscreens have already been presented, they are mostly complex, expensive or both. To address these problems, a novel type of multitouch sensor is presented which extends a common LCD monitor with multitouch capabilities without significant depth requirements. The sensor consists of a homogeneous matrix of cheap, mass-produced infrared LEDs. The LCD surface remains unmodified, resulting in a pleasant haptic experience for the user.