Dual-mode touch input apparatus and mode-switching method for the same

• US 20080186284A1
• Filed: 06/01/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inventec Appliances Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Inventec Appliances Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Inventors: Young, Sea-Weng, Chang, Ching-Sung
• Application Number:
  US11/806,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20080186284A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means

Abstract

A dual-mode touch input apparatus, mounted in an electronic apparatus and capable of arbitrarily switching around a 1-D input mode and a 2-D input mode, comprises a touch pad, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) and a control chip. The FPCB is used for detecting a position of a user touch and issuing a detection signal to the control chip. The control chip is used for determining whether the dual-mode touch input apparatus is at the 1-D input mode or the 2-D input mode and producing a cursor signal in response to the user touch to control movement of a cursor on a screen of the electronic apparatus.

Claims

1. A dual-mode touch input apparatus, mounted in an electronic apparatus, having a 1-D input mode and a 2-D input mode, comprising:

a touch pad as an interface between the dual-mode touch input apparatus and a user;

a flexible printed circuit board for detecting a position of a user touch and issuing a detection signal, further having a plurality of sensors and being located under said touch pad; and

a control chip for receiving the detection signal, determining whether the dual-mode touch input apparatus is at the 1-D input mode or the 2-D input mode, and producing a cursor signal in response to the user touch to control movement of a cursor on a screen of the electronic apparatus.

2. The dual-mode touch input apparatus according to claim 1, further including a function key for transmitting a switch signal to said control chip.

3. The dual-mode touch input apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said function key is a key of a keyboard of said electronic apparatus.

4. The dual-mode touch input apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said function key is a key that is activated by clicking said touch pad a predetermined number of times.

5. A mode-switching method for a dual-mode touch input apparatus, the dual-mode touch input apparatus being mounted in an electronic apparatus and further having a touch pad, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) and a control chip for determining whether the dual-mode touch input apparatus is at a 1-D input mode or a 2-D input mode, the mode-switching method comprising the steps of:

(a) the FPCB detecting a detection signal and further forwarding the detection signal to the control chip;

(b) the control chip receiving the detection signal and initiating the dual-mode touch input apparatus at the 2-D input mode;

(c) the control chip receiving a switch signal and then switching the dual-mode touch input apparatus to the 1-D input mode;

(d) detecting a direction signal and scrolling upward a screen of the electronic apparatus if the direction signal is a positive signal; and

(e) scrolling downward the screen if the direction signal is a negative signal.

6. The mode-switching method according to claim 5, further including a step of said control chip receiving another switch signal and then switching said dual-mode touch input apparatus back to said 2-D input mode, after said step (c).

7. The mode-switching method according to claim 5, wherein said positive signal is generated by circling on said touch pad in a clockwise direction and said negative signal is generated by circling on said touch pad in a counterclockwise direction.

8. The mode-switching method according to claim 5, wherein said positive signal is generated by circling on said touch pad in a counterclockwise direction and said negative signal is generated by circling on said touch pad in a clockwise direction.

9. The mode-switching method according to claim 5, wherein said positive signal is generated by moving on said touch pad in an upward direction and said negative signal is generated by moving on said touch pad in a downward direction.

10. The mode-switching method according to claim 5, wherein said positive signal is generated by moving on said touch pad in a downward direction and said negative signal is generated by moving on said touch pad in an upward direction.

11. The mode-switching method according to claim 5, wherein said switch signal is generated by clicking said touch pad a predetermined number of times.

12. The mode-switching method according to claim 5, wherein said dual-mode touch input apparatus further includes a function key for generating said switch signal by touching thereupon.

13. The mode-switching method according to claim 12, wherein said function key is a key that is activated by clicking said touch pad a predetermined number of times.