A Brief History of Projected Capacitance Development by Binstead Designs ___

1984:   Ron and Malcolm Binstead develop the first ever keypad, using projected capacitance, for operation through a shop window.
            The Sensing element consisted of a thin printed circuit board with twelve 1 inch square copper sensing plates.
How Projected Capacitance Technology was first invented
           This was patented under patent number GB2161935A. 
Window keypad Patent
           The first versions operated with a BBC computer, but the technology was later adapted to work with PCs.
           The product was installed in hundreds of Tourist Information shops throughout the UK.
           The technology was given the name "Thruglass technology".

1986:  Due to the discovery, by Binstead Designs, that the sensitivity to touch was effectively independent of the area of copper in the 1 inch square copper plate sensor,
              95% of the copper in these sensing elements could be etched away, with no deleterious effect.
           This allowed the development of a translucent, back-illuminated keypad.

1988:  Launch of the first "Thruglass" touch screen with 16 sensing areas made of transparent ITO (Indium Tin Oxide).
           Order received for $0.7million worth of these touch screens, to be installed in a Hotel chain in North America.

1990:  Due to the ability to be operated through thick glass, and be unaffected by spilt beer, the keypads were used by MHG (Music Hire Group) in Pub Juke Boxes.

1991:  Thruglass keypads listed in the Farnell catalogue.
Farnell Product

1994:  Development of a transparent,  multiplexed "Thruglass" touchscreen, using very fine wire. 
           Sensing elements consisted of  25 micron diameter wire, supported in a thin polyester film. 
           (The amount of copper used is equivalent to etching away about  99.95% of the copper in a 1 inch square copper sensing plate, but with no loss in sensitivity.)
           The first 14 inch version had 8 horizontal, and 8 vertical, sensing elements, forming 64 touch sensing areas.
Thruglass touchscreen Patent
         Beginning of sales to JPM for their "Monopoly" pub game. This was the first gaming machine to use a touch screen.
Wikipedia entry 

1995:  Publicity article appears in Electronics Weekly.
  Electronics Weekly Article

1997:  20 inch touchscreens with 256 sensing areas developed.
           Interpolation added to increase resolution.
Original Binstead Designs website
           Initiated negotiations with Elo-touchsystems.
Elotouch
1998:  Diameter of wire in screens reduced from 25 microns to 10 microns. 
           Start of licence with Zytronic.
           Elo-touchsystems coin the term "Projected Capacitive", to describe the technology. 

1999:   Binstead Designs gains a "Millenium Product Award" for the "Thruglass technology". 
           Touchscreens used in Millenium Dome. Consisted of two 16x16 touch screens side by side on one sheet of glass.

2000:  First 40 inch touchscreens with 32x32 (1024) sensing zones.

2002:  Initiated negotiations with 3M.
3M
2003:  Start of licence with Visual planet.

2004 - 2009:
          Gradual improvement in speed / size / resolution. 
          USB version developed.

2008:  First touch screen larger than 100 inches.
           Introduction of two-touch Gesturing, and true "two-touch" operation using two independent fingers.

2009:  Development of projected capacitance, multiple-touch touchscreen.
           This enables the production of a wide range of small to very large, high speed, reliable touchscreens,
              capable of sensing and tracking hundreds of fingers simultaneously, and
              operable through thin glass, thick glass, or double-glazing, either indoors or outdoors.
Multi-touch Patent

2012:  Patent application for projected capacitance, multiple-touch touch-screen with horizontal sensing elements and no vertical elements.
           Single axis Multiple-touch Patent

2015:  Patent application for simple touch-screen manufacturing method incorporating wire into a clear film .
           Patent for Simple manufacturing method

2015:  Patent application for wire based touch-screens with reduced terminations without loss of resolution .
           Patent for more efficient wiring layout .

Go to HOME page