A touch screen display is presented which comprises a display screen, a plate of a rigid transparent material, mounting apparatus for mounting the plate on the display screen, touch sensing transducers cooperating with the mounting apparatus for producing a plurality of electrical signals in response to, and representative of, a force applied to the plate; the force results from tactile stimulus of the plate while the mounting apparatus includes a film composed of a transparent, elastic, adhesive compound, having a similar refractive index to that of the display screen; the adhesive compound being applied to one surface of the plate for bonding that surface to the display screen.

A bracket for shielding a capacitive touch screen from external noise arising from stray capacitance comprises upper and lower complementary rectangular conductive metal shield elements which are joined together inside a housing with a transparent touch screen retained therebetween. The upper shield element is provided with a large central aperture so that the touch screen is accessible to a user. The lower shield element is also provided with a large central aperture to enable a display, such as an LCD, to be viewed through the transparent touch screen. The display is secured to the lower shield element with an insulating member interposed between the display and the lower shield element. The shielding bracket provides a full shield for the upper, lower and edge surfaces of the touch screen to prevent the capacitance of a hand resting upon the housing from interfering with the touch screen.

A surface acoustic wave touchscreen sealing system and method is provided. The sealing system provides a liquid impermeable seal between the touchscreen surface and touchscreen housing to protect the electronic components of the touchscreen. The sealing system includes an elongated body of resiliently compressible self-supporting foam material that is substantially transmissive to surface acoustic wave energy. The elongated body has one outer surface or face of open cell material for contacting the touchscreen surface and ensuring acoustic decoupling. The elongated body further includes at least one outer skin or membrane surface or face that is a liquid impermeable barrier and extends between the touchscreen and the housing. Compression of the elongated body against the touchscreen surface provides a liquid impermeable seal at the interface of the membrane surface portion of the body and the touchscreen.

A touch screen overlay apparatus for use in association with a touch screen having a rigid contact surface. The touch screen overlay apparatus comprises a flexible membrane that covers at least a portion of the rigid contact surface. This flexible membrane is removably maintained in a predetermined position over the rigid contact surface to provide a more tactually desirable surface for manual actuation than the rigid contact surface. Furthermore, the flexible membrane may include one of said one or more raised dome-shaped regions which are disposed on the membrane so as to be in substantial registration with input regions on the rigid contact surface to provide tactile landmarks for the user.

An input device comprising an overlay for a display screen comprising an optically conductive material is described. The overlay has a central region for transmitting first electromagnetic radiation corresponding to an object in contact with the overlay at a first location, and a light conduit along the edge of the central region for receiving and transmitting the first electromagnetic radiation. The light conduit is configured to inhibit transmission of the first electromagnetic radiation back into the central region of the overlay. At least one detector is coupled to the light conduit for receiving the first electromagnetic radiation and generating a signal indicative thereof. Location circuitry receives the signal and generates location data indicative of the first location.