Force touch display device and force touch control method

• US 10,175,786 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhang, Chunfang, Zou, Xiangxiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Marinelli, Patrick F
• Application Number:
  US15/279,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20170205937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A force touch display device, comprising a display panel and a force touch detecting module, wherein the force touch detecting module is arranged opposite to the display panel, and the force touch detecting module is configured to detect an amount of deformation of the force touch display device so as to determine a force level of a touch force. A force touch control method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A force touch display device, comprising a display panel and a force touch detecting module, wherein the force touch detecting module is arranged opposite to the display panel, and the force touch detecting module is configured to detect an amount of deformation of the force touch display device so as to determine a force level of a touch force applied on the display panel;

wherein the force touch detecting module comprises a calculation module and a force touch detecting module substrate, and wherein there is a gap between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel;

wherein the force touch detecting module further comprises one or more sensors disposed on the force touch detecting module substrate, which is/are configured to send a sensing signal, representing a distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel, to the calculation module;

wherein the calculation module is configured to determine the amount of deformation of the force touch display device based on the sensing signal, and the calculation module is configured to determine the force level of the touch force based on the amount of deformation of the force touch display device;

wherein each sensor of the one or more sensors comprises a transmitter, a receiver and a measuring circuit, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a detecting signal to the display panel, the receiver is configured to receive a reflected signal which is reflected back from the display panel, and the measuring circuit is configured to calculate a time difference between a time when the transmitter transmits the detecting signal and a time when the receiver receives the reflected signal, and calculate the distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel based on the time difference;

wherein the force touch display device further comprises a touch driver module, wherein

at least one preset value is preset in the calculation module, the at least one preset value defines a plurality of force ranges, each of which corresponds to a force level, and the calculation module is configured to calculate a force value of the touch force based on the amount of deformation of the force touch display device and compare the calculated force value with each of the preset values so as to determine the force level of the touch force and generate a corresponding determination signal; and

wherein the touch driver module is configured to drive the display panel to perform a corresponding operation after receiving the determination signal sent by the calculation module.

2. The force touch display device according to claim 1, wherein:

the force touch detecting module comprises one sensor which is disposed at an edge or a center of the force touch detecting module substrate;

or

the force touch detecting module comprises a plurality of sensors which are disposed at an edge and/or a center of the force touch detecting module substrate.

3. The force touch display device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to obtain an initial sensing signal representing an initial distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel when there is no touching operation on the display panel, and send the initial sensing signal to the calculation module, and to obtain a sensing signal representing a real time distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel and send the sensing signal to the calculation module, and the calculation module is configured to store the initial sensing signal, compare the sensing signal with the initial sensing signal, and calculate the amount of deformation of the force touch display device.

4. The force touch display device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is a laser sensor.

5. The force touch display device according to claim 4, wherein the force touch detecting module is disposed at a light incident side of the display panel, and a reflective film is adhered to a face of the display panel facing to the force touch detecting module.

6. The force touch display device according to claim 5, wherein the reflective film is made of at least one of polycarbonate, polyester, polyvinyl chloride and metal.

7. A force touch control method for the force touch display device according to claim 1, comprising:

measuring a distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel so as to determine the amount of deformation of the force touch display device;

determining a force level of a touch force by use of the amount of deformation of the force touch display device; and

according to the force level of the touch force, driving the display panel to perform an operation corresponding to the force level,

wherein before determining the amount of deformation of the force touch display device by measuring the distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel, the method further comprises;

measuring an initial distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel in a state where there is no touch;

wherein measuring the distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel so as to determine the amount of deformation of the force touch display device comprises;

measuring a real-time distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel;

calculating a distance difference between the initial distance and the real-time distance; and

calculating the amount of deformation of the force touch display device by use of the distance difference;

wherein determining the force level of the touch force by use of the amount of deformation of the force touch display device comprises;

setting at least one preset value which defines a plurality of force ranges, each of the force ranges corresponding to one force level;

determining a force value of the touch force by the amount of deformation of the force touch display device; and

comparing the force value with each of the preset values and determining a force range into which the force value falls so as to determine the force level of the touch force.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein at the time of measuring the distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel so as to determine the amount of deformation of the force touch display device, measuring the distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel comprises:

transmitting a laser signal from the force touch detecting module substrate toward the display panel;

receiving a laser signal reflected by the display panel at the force touch detecting module substrate;

calculating a time difference between a time when the laser signal is transmitted and a time when the reflected laser signal is received; and

calculating the distance between the force touch detecting module substrate and the display panel by use of the time difference.