Signal Processing Method of Multi-Finger Touch Supported Touch Apparatus having Hidden Physical Button

• US 20100039375A1
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: HUANG, Kuo-Ming, Hsu, Hsin-Fu
• Application Number:
  US12/433,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039375A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A signal processing method of a multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button is applied to the multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having at least one physical button element pair. The method includes the steps of scanning a touch sensor of the multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus continuously, judging whether the physical button element pair is pressed if a total number of the fingers detected is larger than zero and driving a corresponding touch application according to the total number of fingers of a gesture and a button. The structure of the multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus which is stacked includes a Mylar, a first adhesive layer, a printed circuit board having a first part of the physical button element pair and the touch sensor at least, a second adhesive layer, a first metallic layer for holding and a second metallic layer having a second part of the physical button element pair.

Claims

1. A signal processing method of a multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button which is applied to the multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having at least one physical button element pair, the method comprising:

scanning a touch sensor of the multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus by a scan routine of a firmware with a report rate continuously;

interrupting the scan routine and performing an interrupt service routine one time according to a sampling rate by a timer clock counter before the end of every time slot of the report rate, and returning to an interrupt point of the scan routine when the interrupt is performed completely, wherein the interrupt service routine is applied to detect the status of an I/O port in accordance with the physical button element pair and to set the content of a corresponding button status register; and

generating and transmitting a report signal to a host at the end of time slot of the report rate, wherein the report signal comprises a gesture information at least and further comprises a button information if the content of the button status register is changed.

2. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 1, further comprising:

interpreting and driving a corresponding simulation and operation according to the report signal.

3. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 1, wherein the timer clock counter is counting incrementally.

4. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 1, wherein if the content of the button status register is changed, further comprising:

performing a debounce routine for a time period of a debounce for checking validation of the button information before the end of the time of the report rate and the time for preparing the report signal.

5. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 1, wherein if the content of the button is changed, further comprising:

scanning the touch sensor again to obtain the adjusted gesture information and the adjusted button information, wherein the gesture information comprises the number of the fingers and/or the positions of the fingers, and the button information comprises the number of the button pressed and/or the physical button element pair which is tapped or pressed.

6. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 1, wherein the structure of the multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus which is stacked comprises a Mylar, a first adhesive layer, a printed circuit board having a first part of the physical button element pair and the touch sensor at least, a second adhesive layer, a first metallic layer for holding and a second metallic layer having a second part of the physical button element pair, and wherein a first area of the second adhesive layer in accordance with the first part and a second area of the first metallic layer are hollow.

7. A signal processing method of a multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button which is performed in each scan period continuously, the method comprising:

scanning a touch sensor of the multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus by a sensor scanning unit;

counting the number of one or more fingers contacting the touch apparatus by a finger counting unit;

receiving the number of fingers and determining a contacting position of the fingers contacting the surface of the touch apparatus by a finger position processing unit;

transmitting the contacting position to a gesture and button processing unit;

performing an interrupt service routine according to a sampling rate by a timer clock counter, wherein the interrupt service routine is applied to detect the status of an I/O port in accordance with the physical button element pair of the touch apparatus and to set the content of a corresponding button status register; and

generating and transmitting a report signal to a host by the gesture and button processing unit, wherein the report signal comprises a gesture information and/or a button information, and the button information is generated if the content of the button status register is changed.

8. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 7, further comprising:

interpreting and driving a corresponding simulation and operation according to the report signal.

9. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 7, wherein the content of the button is changed, further comprising:

scanning the touch sensor again to obtain the adjusted gesture information and the adjusted button information, wherein the gesture information comprises the number of the fingers and/or the positions of the fingers, and the button information comprises the number of the button pressed and/or the physical button element pair which is tapped or pressed; and

performing a debounce routine before transmitting the report signal.

10. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 7, wherein the structure of the multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus which is stacked comprises a Mylar, a first adhesive layer, a printed circuit board having a first part of the physical button element pair and the touch sensor at least, a second adhesive layer, a first metallic layer for holding and a second metallic layer having a second part of the physical button element pair, and wherein a first area of the second adhesive layer in accordance with the first part and a second area of the first metallic layer are hollow.

11. A signal processing method of a multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button which is applied to the multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having at least one physical button element pair, the method comprising:

scanning a touch sensor of the multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus continuously;

judging whether the physical button element pair is pressed if a total number of the fingers detected is larger than zero; and

driving a corresponding touch application according to the total number of fingers of a gesture and a button, wherein the structure of the multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus which is stacked comprises a Mylar, a first adhesive layer, a printed circuit board having a first part of the physical button element pair and the touch sensor at least, a second adhesive layer, a first metallic layer for holding and a second metallic layer having a second part of the physical button element pair, and wherein a first area of the second adhesive layer in accordance with the first part and a second area of the first metallic layer are hollow.

12. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 11, wherein the touch application is a tap or a double tap if one preset physical button element pair is pressed and the total number of the fingers detected is one.

13. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 11, wherein the touch application is an one-finger application if one preset physical button element pair is pressed and the total number of the fingers detected is two.

14. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 11, wherein the touch application is a simulation of middle button of mouse if two preset button element pairs are pressed and the total number of the fingers detected is two.

15. The signal processing method of multi-finger touch supported touch apparatus having hidden physical button of claim 11, wherein the touch application is a multi-finger application if the total number of the fingers detected is larger than two and one or two preset button element pairs are pressed.