Teleconferencing system including paperless facsimile means

Claim 1

A teleconferencing system (11) adapted for transmission of speech and image data, said system comprising speech circuit means (21), touch position sensor means (31), and display means (41) processing means (40) for storing and processing said first and second digital data to form image display data including modulating means (51) for converting the image data to analog data and demodulating means for converting analog data to digital data; transmitting means (55) for transmitting said first image data to a telecommunications network; receiving means (55) for receiving second image data from the telecommunications network; and switch means (53) for switching said teleconferencing system between i. transmitting and receiving and receiving speech acoustical data; and ii. transmitting and receiving modulated image data, and characterized by said touch position sensor image data input means (31) for converting analog image data to first digital data, and said display means (41) substantially integral with said image data input means for displaying said image data being integral; iii. said touch position sensor image data input means (31) comprising: (a). a transparent conductive surface disposed (121) integrally with said display means; (b). two pairs of thin film distributed diode controlled current distribution and collection means (151 a , 151 b , 161 a , 161 b ), each member of a pair being parallel to and spaced from the other member of the pair, the two pairs being orthogonal to each other, and operatively associated with said conductive surface (121) for establishing a uniform electric field said conductive surface, said thin film distributed diode controlled current distribution and collection means comprising a plurality of vertically superposed, substantially coextensive, thin film layers of semiconductor alloy (165, 167, 169) deposited on a substrate (164); (c). electrically anisotropic resistance means (172) electrically interconnecting said current distribution and collection means (161) and said conductive surface (121); (d). control means (132) operatively associated with said current distribution and collection means (151a, 151b, 161a, 161b) and adapted to sequentially turn on one set of said current collection and distribution means and simultaneously turn off the other set of current distribution and collection means; and (e). means (32) for determining the distribution of the electric field across said surface and correlating said field distribution with the location of a touch point on said surface; (ii). said display means being an active matrix liquid crystal light influencing display means (210) having a plurality of pixels (210, 240, 290) arranged to form pixel rows (514, 515, 516) and columns (517, 518, 519) in an x-y array thereof, so that each pixel belongs to a pixel row and a pixel column, each pixel having non-linear isolation means (218, 220, 278, 280, 300, 302) between individual pixels, and comprising: (a). an insulative substrate (252); (b). a first pixel electrode (254) formed on said substrate (252); (c). first address lead means (530) formed on said substrate; (d). first non-linear isolation means in series between said first address lead means and said first pixel electrode; (e). second address lead means (544) insulated from said first address lead means; (f). second nonlinear isolation means in series with said first electrode means and said second address lead means; (g). a second pixel electrode (284) spaced from and substantially parallel to said first pixel electrode; and (h). light influencing means (270) disposed between at least said electrodes;