What Is An Infrared Touch Screen? And How Does it work?

Interactive flat panel displays (IFPDs) with infrared touch screens are gaining popularity in recent years.  

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Compared with smart projector boards, which were widely applied to education, IFPDs is more convenient and practical. 

You do not need to calibrate the image projector before lecturing; with LED lighting technology, IFPDs provide a clear image all the way; and thanks to the IR touchscreen, you can annotate your presentation with almost anything, a dry/wet finger, pen, or stylus.

However, let&#;s focus on the IR touchscreen today to see how it is properly utilized to improve the user experience.

What Is An Infrared Touchscreen?

An infrared touch screen consists of an LCD monitor, IR touch frame, and infrared touch overlay.

Commonly, the overlay is a piece of protective glass hemmed in by the IR touch frame, in which Infrared LEDs and photodetectors are embedded. A kind of optical bezel will be inserted between the glass and the frame to fix the frame and transmit infrared light emitted by those LEDs.

Through the optical bezel, IR LEDs emit invisible infrared beams forming grids on the surface of the overlay, Photodetectors are installed across from the LEDs to detect interruptions of beams if touch events on the overlay happen.

Figure 1. IR Touch Screen Structure

How Does Infrared Touchscreen Work?

The infrared touchscreen works by detecting interruptions of infrared beams emitted by LEDs embedded in the frame around the touchscreen overlay.

There are two rows of IR LEDs, which generate horizontal and vertical invisible IR beams. They form a large beam grid that covers the surface of the overlay. In the meantime, two rows of photoreceptors are installed on the opposite side of the LEDs.

As long as an opaque object touches the surface, it will blot out the light beams. Photoreceptors in both directions (vertical and horizontal) can detect this interruption by that object, finally localize the x and y coordinates, and then send the signal to the processor to respond with relevant action.

Figure 2. The Mechanism of IR Touchscreen

To know more details of its structure and workings, you&#;d better walk into a workshop to learn its assemble process. Most of the time, we do not have that chance, however, regular maintenance work offers you the opportunity to check its components inside.

Let&#;s review the video below.

How To Install An Infrared Touch Screen Interface (Overlay)?

Maintenance is a good solution to sustain the equipment with an IR touchscreen, however, it entails cleaning and installing the interface (overlay).

1. First, you need to remove screws from the bracket, which is used to fix the LCD monitor and touchscreen overlay.
2. Second, remove the bracket
3. Third, put the overlay on a flat workbench.
4. Clean the dust inside the sheet metal frame with a canned air duster
5. Clean the inside surface of the glass overlay, by using mild cleaner only, do not use chemical solvents
6. Clean the surface of the monitor
7. with the help of a partner, gently install the overlay back
8. return the bottom bracket to its original position
9. secure the bracket with new screws

Alternatively, Let&#;s go through this video to learn more

Benefits Of Infrared Touch Screen Technology

Besides IR touch, resistive touch and capacitive touch in today&#;s market are also mature technology, which performs stably. 

Resistive or capacitive touch screen technology exists even longer than IR touch screens.

But, why do engineers choose infrared touch screens for interactive whiteboards, which are widely used for business meetings and distance learning.

• Economical option &#; compared to other touch screens, the cost of IR touch screens is relatively cheap in large size.
• Better display &#; without other substance between the LCD and overlay, IR touch screens offer the best light transmission, so they can render more vivid images without color and brightness loss.
• Supports multi-touch &#; with windows and android 9.0 double OS, it can support as many as 40 touchpoints simultaneously. That means it can support up to 4 students interacting together on an IFPD.
• Short response time &#; commonly less than 8ms, IR touch screens localized touch events by detecting light interruption, so they are accurate and quick to respond with actions.
• Better writing experience &#; its overlay is often a piece of tempered glass, it is smooth to write on it.
• Free of scratches &#; since the LCD monitor is protected by glass overlay, so you can rest assured that there will no scratches problems
• More flexible in customizing screen sizes &#; by adjusting the numbers of LEDs and photodetectors embedded in the overlay frame, you can fit any custom-made monitor with an infrared touch interface
• Maintenance &#; there is no adhesive substance between the monitor and overlay, so you can disassemble the two parts freely by releasing a few screws when doing regular maintenance, such as cleaning the surface, and wiping dust.
• Clear images &#; compared with many camera or projector-based systems, equipment with IR touch screens often adopts backlight LED. So, wherever lighting environment they perform in, they can provide clear images to the audience.
• 4K resolution &#; they can support 4K resolution screens and work well with high pixel monitors
• No loss of screen display &#; Since LEDs and sensors are designed to be fixed in the frame that is around the monitor, the screen can display an unrestricted view.
• Write with any object &#; you can write on an IR touch screen with anything, a bare finger, a gloved finger, wet hands, or a pen, as long as it is not transparent.
• No calibration &#; a traditional smart projector board may require regular calibration to display correct pictures, however, devices with IR touchscreen do not need to calibrate the IR LEDs and sensors to guarantee a normal function.
• No pressure is required to write &#; Resistive touch screen technology perceives the writing track by pressure, which can damage the screen after a long time of usage, while IR touch screen technology by detecting light interruption, so you can write freely without having to push hard on the screen.

Difference Between Capacitive And Infrared Touch Screen

Of touch screen technologies, infrared and projected capacitive are the top two types that are mostly utilized. However, they are applied to different applications due to the differences between them.

Workings

For PCAP touch screens, There is a layer of transparent electrode film that is fixed between the LCD panel and the cover glass, when the human finger touches the screen, the current through that film changes, and the signal of x and y position will be transferred to the computer.

For IR touch screens, the equipment detects the finger&#;s position by detecting the block of invisible lights from the infrared LEDs that are embedded in the touchscreen frames.

Structure

So you will often see a bezel in the IR touchscreen, which is used to transfer the infrared light to the surface of the overlay, while the PCAP touchscreen does not require the bezels.

Figure 3. Capacitive Touch Screen

Multi-touch

PCAP touch screen only supports two-point input, while IR ones up to 40-point input.

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If you want to learn more, please visit our website IRTOUCH.

Activated by

IR touchscreen can be activated by anything that is not transparent, whereas PCAP types only accept bare fingers, thin surgical gloves, or cotton gloves.

Price

The electrode film in PCAP touchscreens is expensive, especially when it comes to large screens, but for IR ones, when it is applied to large-scale screens, you only need to add a few LEDs and correspondent detectors, apparently, the IR touchscreen solution is more cost-effective in large interactive displays, such as the interactive digital board, which are used for presentation in business meetings.

Applications

Due to the costs and multi-touch function, the IR touch screen is mostly applied to large screens, however, PCAP is used in smartphones and tablets.

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Tablet, smartphone, information desk, ticket machine or touch table &#; touch technology has made its way into all areas of life. There are a variety of touch technologies available that work in different ways, tracking touches using infrared light, pressure or even sound waves.

But which technology is the best? Of course, there are pros and cons to each type of touch screen, and each type can be suitable for a variety of application scenarios. In this article, we present the most widely used single- and multi-touch technologies and list the pros and cons of each.

Resistive touchscreens: Inexpensive, but no longer state of the art

Resistive touch displays use pressure for input. They consist of two panels covered with electrically conductive layers and separated by a small air gap. When someone applies pressure to the panel, whether by touching it with a finger, stylus or by placing something on the screen, the two layers touch. The resistance between the two layers is measured, which can then determine the location on the display where the contact takes place.

What are the advantages?

The advantages of resistive touch panels include very low production costs, flexibility in the type of touch (gloves, prosthetics or styluses can be used) and the durability of the screens to water and dust.

What are the disadvantages?

Resistive touchscreens cannot support multi-touch - only one touch point is recognised. This not only means that the screens are unsuitable for multiple users, but also that certain gestures are not recognised, such as pinching with two fingers to zoom. Due to the conductive layers, it is also often difficult to see the content on the display in bright light conditions such as direct sunlight. These screens often show more wear and tear during use, as users must apply pressure to the screen for a touch to be recognised.

Infrared touchscreens: Robust, but prone to error

In infrared touch displays, infrared light emitters and receivers are installed in a frame around the screen in front of the monitor glass. This creates a grid of infrared rays on the surface of the screen. When an object or finger touches the screen, the infrared light in this area is blocked and the position of the touch or object is then calculated using triangulation.

What are the advantages?

Infrared touch technology is robust because the display does not need to be touched or pushed for touch input, and any type of glass can be used for the monitor. IR touch displays do not rely on capacitance, so these optical devices work just as well with gloves or a plastic stylus as they do with a bare finger or metal object. The sensors are also very accurate, responsive, and comparatively inexpensive.

What are the disadvantages?

Touch input is dependent on the light situation and can be disturbed when exposed to sunlight or halogen light. Dust or dirt on the sensors can also lead to malfunctions. Furthermore, the number of simultaneous touch points is limited by the structure of the light barrier network. Infrared touchscreens support multitouch use, but not with the quality and accuracy that users are familiar with from their smartphones. Infrared screens can have blind spots, areas that do not register a touch, if the light sources and sensors do not properly cover the entire display. Multitouch object recognition is also not possible, as everything that breaks through the infrared rays is only evaluated as a touch point &#; rotation, for example, can&#;t be measured.

InGlassTM Touch: Premium infrared touch, but no object recognition

InGlassTM technology works in a similar way to classic infrared touch technology: sensors that transmit and receive infrared light are built in and form a kind of light curtain. However, they sit behind the glass pane of the display so that the light is guided directly through the glass. When the glass is touched, the light is disturbed and shows the sensors where the finger is.

What are the advantages?

The technology is characterised by high input precision, which makes it well suited for writing with passive pens or styluses. It also automatically distinguishes between pen, finger, and palm, which offers usability advantages when using touchscreen whiteboards. It also enables pressure strength detection with the finger, which means that an additional interaction level can be used, e.g. for zooming in and out. Multitouch use with 40 simultaneous touch points is also possible with InGlassTM displays. Ambient light is no longer a critical factor with this type of infrared touch recognition, so it works well in most light conditions.

What are the disadvantages?

Unfortunately, InGlassTM technology does not allow multitouch object recognition and is not optimally suited for multitouch tables. Capacitive and non-capacitive objects or dirt can equally cause a disturbance of the light network and thus lead to errors. Greasy fingers, for example, can leave a stain that is briefly recognised as a finger and triggers the corresponding touch effect.

PCAP (projected capacitive) touchscreens: The clear market leader

Unlike resistive touchscreens, capacitive touchscreens use the electrical properties of the human body as input. In today's PCAP touchscreens, there is a conductive layer in the form of a wafer-thin grid on the back of the glass panel. It projects a capacitive field through the pane. If an electrically conductive object or finger touches the glass pane, the capacitance at the intersection points of the conductive layer changes, allowing the position of the touch to be calculated. PCAP technology is now the most widely used touch technology, as it is used in virtually all tablets and smartphones, as well as in many large-format touchscreens.

What are the advantages?

If you are looking for a wear-resistant solution that combines high screen contrast and clarity with high and fast input accuracy, state-of-the-art capacitive touchscreens are the preferable option. Capacitive screens are exceedingly accurate, can handle multi-point input, and enable an unmatched range of functionality with object recognition and gesture recognition. Additionally, because the sensor is behind the glass, the displays are extremely robust. Changes in the ambient light situation have no effect on the sensors.

What are the disadvantages?

Due to the technical advantages, high-quality capacitive touchscreens can be a little more expensive than other options. They also generally react to capacitive, i.e., electrically conductive, materials. For example, liquid in the form of raindrops on a PCAP display results in touch input, which is why capacitive displays are not well suited for outdoor use. Gloves, which limit conductivity, can also make touch input difficult.

So, which touch technology is best?

We'll have to go with the classic lawyer's answer on that one: It depends. What is your budget? In what context will it be used? Should there be expansion possibilities? Multitouch, single touch, token recognition, pen recognition? Should the display only be used on the wall or also horizontally? Are there changing environmental conditions?

Capacitive touch technology has certainly evolved in recent years. Thanks to their widespread use, especially in mobile devices, they continue to make the greatest and most promising strides in terms of performance and cost. Through the use of artificial intelligence, capacitive displays are becoming more and more accurate and even enable completely new input possibilities that expand the usage potential of touch surfaces.

At Interactive Scape, we only use projected capacitive (PCAP) touchscreens because they are by far the best and most robust solution for horizontal use such as multi-touch tables with object recognition. Also because of the vivid images and the independence from the lighting conditions in the environment.

Still not sure which touch technology would be best for your project? We will be happy to advise you on your choice of touchscreen!

For more information, please visit medical infrared touch monitor.