Touchscreen input validation system

Claim 2

For an instrument comprising a computer, means for producing a plurality of output signals, and interface means for storing data indicating the states of said output signals, for transmitting an interrupt signal to said computer when the state of any one of said output signals changes, and for transferring said data to said computer, a method for said computer for acquiring and responding to said data, the method comprising the steps of: a. acquiring said data stored by said interface means upon each receipt of said interrupt signal, and setting the value of a first parameter to represent the state of at least one of said plurality of output signals as indicated by said data; b. periodically determining whether the value of said first parameter has remained constant for a predetermined period; and c. initiating a selected action when the first parameter has remained constant for said predetermined time, said action being selected according to the value of said first parameter.

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1 wherein step b comprises the substeps of: b1. performing a first comparison of the value of said first parameter to the value of a second parameter and performing one of the following substeps b2 and b3 according to the result of said first comparison; b2. when the value of said first parameter is not equal to the value of said second parameter, setting the value of said second parameter equal to the value of said first parameter and setting the value of a count parameter to a predetermined starting value; and b3. when the value of said first para­meter is equal to the value of said second para­meter, changing the value of said count parameter by a predetermined amount, performing a second comparison of the value of said count parameter to a predetermined ending value and determining that the value of said first parameter has remained constant for said predetermined period when the value of said count parameter is equal to said predetermined ending value.

Claim 4

For an oscilloscope comprising a screen, a computer, touchscreen means for transmitting a first plurality of light beams in a first direction across and proximate to the surface of said screen, for transmitting a second plurality of light beams in a second direction across and proximate to the surface of said screen, said first and second directions being nonparallel, and for producing a plurality of output signals, each corresponding to a separate one of said light beams and indicating whether or not the corresponding light beam strikes an object proximate to the surface of said screen, and scanning means for repeatedly scanning states of said plurality of output signals, for storing data indicating the last scanned states of said output signals, and for transmitting an interrupt signal to said computer when the state of any one of said output signals changes between scans, a method for said computer for selecting and initiating at least one action, the method comprising the steps of: a. acquiring said data stored by said scanning means upon each receipt of said interrupt signal and, when the data indicates that a first light beam of said first plurality of light beams and a second light beam of said second plurality of light beams have both struck an object proximate to said screen, setting the values of first parameters to identify said first and second light beams and when the data indicates that no light beams have struck an object, setting the values of said first parameters to predetermined values; b. periodically determining whether the values of said first parameters have remained constant for a predetermined period; and c. selecting and initiating said at least one action when the values of said first parameters are determined to have remained constant for said predetermined time, said at least one action being selected according to the values of said first parameters.

Claim 5

For an oscilloscope comprising a screen, a computer, touchscreen means for transmitting a first plurality of light beams in a first direction across and proximate to the surface of said screen, for transmitting a second plurality of light beams in a second direction across and proximate to the surface of said screen, said first and second directions being nonparallel, and for producing a plurality of output signals, each corresponding to a separate one of said light beams and indicating whether or not the corresponding light beam strikes an object proximate to the surface of said screen, and scanning means for repeatedly scanning states of said plurality of output signals, for storing data indicating the last scanned states of said output signals, and for transmitting an interrupt signal to said computer when the state of any one of said output signals changes between scans, a method for said computer for selecting and initiating at least one action, the method comprising the steps of: a. acquiring said data stored by said scanning means upon each receipt of said interrupt signal and, when the data indicates that a first light beam of said first plurality of light beams and a second light beam of said second plurality of light beams have both struck an object proximate to said screen, setting the values of first parameters to identify said first and second light beams and when the data indicates that no light beams have struck an object, setting the values of said first parameters to predetermined values; b. periodically determining whether the values of said first parameters have remained constant for a predetermined period; and c. selecting and initiating said at least one action when the values of said first parameters are determined to have remained constant for said predetermined time, said at least one action being selected according to the values of said first parameters.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 3 wherein step b comprises the substeps of: b1. performing a first comparison of the values of said at first parameters to the values of corresponding second parameters and performing one of the following substeps b2 and b3 according to the result of said first comparison; b2. when the values of said first parameters are not equal to the values of said corresponding second parameters, setting the value of each said second parameters equal to the value of the corresponding first parameter and setting the value of a count parameter to a predetermined starting value; and b3. when the values of said first para­meters are equal to the values of said corres­ponding second parameters, changing the value of said count parameter by a predetermined amount, performing a corresponding second comparison of the value of said count parameter to a predetermined ending value and determining that the value of said first signal has remained constant for said prede­termined period when the value of said count para­meter is equal to said predetermined ending value.

Claim 7

An instrument comprising: means for producing a plurality of output signals; scanning means for repeatedly scanning states of said plurality of output signals, for storing data indicating the last scanned states of said output signals, and for generating an inter­rupt signal when the state of any one of said output signals changes; and a computer connected for accessing said data and for receiving said interrupt signal and programmed to execute a first interrupt routine on each receipt of said interrupt signal, said first interrupt routine causing said computer to acquire said data stored by said scanning means and to set the value of a first parameter to represent the state of at least one of said plurality of output signals as indicated by said data, said computer being further programmed to periodically execute a second routine causing said computer to determine whether the value of said first parameter has remained constant for a predetermined period, and to execute a third routine when the first parameter is determined to have remained constant for said predetermined time, said third routine being responsive to the value of said first parameter.

Claim 8

An instrument comprising: means for producing a plurality of output signals; scanning means for repeatedly scanning states of said plurality of output signals, for storing data indicating the last scanned states of said output signals, and for generating an inter­rupt signal when the state of any one of said output signals changes; and a computer connected for accessing said data and for receiving said interrupt signal and programmed to execute a first interrupt routine on each receipt of said interrupt signal, said first interrupt routine causing said computer to acquire said data stored by said scanning means and to set the value of a first parameter to represent the state of at least one of said plurality of output signals as indicated by said data, said computer being further programmed to periodically execute a second routine causing said computer to determine whether the value of said first parameter has remained constant for a predetermined period, and to execute a third routine when the first parameter is determined to have remained constant for said predetermined time, said third routine being responsive to the value of said first parameter.

Claim 9

An instrument comprising: a screen, touchscreen means for transmitting a first plurality of light beams across and proximate to the surface of said screen in a first direction and a second plurality of light beams across and proximate to the surface of said screen in a second direction, said first and second directions differing, and for producing a plurality of output signals, one corresponding to each of said light beams and indicating whether or not the corresponding light beam strikes an object proximate to the surface of said screen; scanning means for repeatedly scanning states of said plurality of output signals, for storing data indicating the last scanned states of said output signals, and for generating an inter­rupt signal when the state of any one of said output signals changes; and a computer connected for accessing said data and for receiving said interrupt signal and programmed to execute a first routine on each receipt of said interrupt signal, said first routine causing said computer to acquire said data stored by said scanning means and to set the value of a first parameter to represent the state of at least one of said plurality of output signals as indicated by said data, said computer being further programmed to periodically execute a second routine causing said computer to determine whether the value of sad first parameter has remained constant for a predetermined period, and to carry out a third routine when the first parameter is deter­mined to have remained constant for said predeter­mined time, said third routine being responsive to the value of said first parameter.

Claim 10

An instrument comprising: a screen, touchscreen means for transmitting a first plurality of light beams across and proximate to the surface of said screen in a first direction and a second plurality of light beams across and proximate to the surface of said screen in a second direction, said first and second directions differing, and for producing a plurality of output signals, one corresponding to each of said light beams and indicating whether or not the corresponding light beam strikes an object proximate to the surface of said screen; scanning means for repeatedly scanning states of said plurality of output signals, for storing data indicating the last scanned states of said output signals, and for generating an inter­rupt signal when the state of any one of said output signals changes; and a computer connected for accessing said data and for receiving said interrupt signal and programmed to execute a first routine on each receipt of said interrupt signal, said first routine causing said computer to acquire said data stored by said scanning means and to set the value of a first parameter to represent the state of at least one of said plurality of output signals as indicated by said data, said computer being further programmed to periodically execute a second routine causing said computer to determine whether the value of sad first parameter has remained constant for a predetermined period, and to carry out a third routine when the first parameter is deter­mined to have remained constant for said predeter­mined time, said third routine being responsive to the value of said first parameter.