PLEASANTON, Calif. — NextWindow, maker of optical touchscreens for all-in-one PCs and large-format displays, has been awarded two key technology patents, one in the U.S. and another in China. The newly granted patents, which refer to optical touchsystems incorporating light emitters, reflectors and detection methods, help cement NextWindow's leadership positions in the Chinese manufacturing and U.S. sales markets.
According to a news release, the U.S. patent (No. 7,538,759) is titled, "Touch Panel Display System with Illumination and Detection Provided from a Single Edge." NextWindow previously was granted this patent in Australia, and requests for patents are pending in Canada, Europe, Hong Kong and Japan.
The Chinese patent (No. 200480009926) is titled, "Touch Panel and Method of Optically Detecting the Presence of an Object in relation to the Touch Screen." A request for this patent also has been filed in Australia, the United States, Europe, Japan and Korea.
"NextWindow has invested significant research and development resources in the optical touchscreen space, and these patents represent the latest additions to our growing IP portfolio extending around the world," said Al Monro, chief executive NextWindow. "That the patents were granted in critical international markets where a number of our customers and partners are based also is significant, given the importance of gaining competitive advantage at this very dynamic time in the rapidly growing touchscreen market. Likewise, the new patents demonstrate NextWindow's ongoing commitment to innovation, dating back nearly 10 years."
NextWindow has been growing its patent portfolio since 2000. The company previously was granted patents for its optical touchscreen technology in the United States and Australia, and several other patents relating to its optical touchscreen technology are pending throughout the world.
