OPERATION METHOD OF TOUCH PAD WITH MULTIPLE FUNCTION MODES, INTEGRATION SYSTEM THEREOF, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT USING THE OPERATION METHOD

• US 20100201638A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Peng, Ming-Chung, Liao, Shu-Fen, Tsai, Shu-Hua, Liu, You-Chi
• Application Number:
  US12/414,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201638A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• 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 touch pad operation method with multiple function modes, an integration system, and a computer program product are provided. A first signal is received and whether the first signal conforms to a trigger condition is determined. If the first signal conforms to the trigger condition and exists continuously, the touch pad is switched from a first function mode to a second function mode and maintained therein. The second function mode includes a plurality of functions of a second kind, and each of these functions is respectively corresponding to an area on the touch pad. When a second signal is received through the touch pad and the first signal still exists, one of the second kind of functions is executed according to a coordinate variation corresponding to the second signal. Thereby, the functionality of the touch pad is not limited by its original settings and the convenience of operation is increased.

Claims

1. An operation method of a touch pad with multiple function modes, wherein the touch pad is set to a first function mode, the operation method comprising:

receiving a first signal, and determining whether the first signal conforms to a trigger condition;

if the first signal conforms to the trigger condition and exists continuously, switching the touch pad from the first function mode to a second function mode and maintaining the touch pad in the second function mode, wherein the second function mode comprises a plurality of functions of a second kind, and each of the second kind of functions is respectively corresponding to an area on the touch pad;

receiving a second signal through the touch pad, and the first signal still existing; and

executing a corresponding one of the second kind of functions according to a coordinate variation corresponding to the second signal.

2. The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the first signal conforms to the trigger condition comprises:

determining whether the first signal is triggered by a specific switch.

3. The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the first signal conforms to the trigger condition comprises:

if the first signal is triggered by the touch pad, determining whether the coordinate variation corresponding to the first signal is located within a specific area on the touch pad.

4. The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the first signal conforms to the trigger condition comprises:

determining whether the first signal is triggered by a compound key on a keyboard.

5. The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the first signal conforms to the trigger condition comprises:

determining whether the first signal is triggered by an operation interface provided by a specific application program.

6. The operation method according to claim 1, further comprising:

switching the touch pad to the first function mode when the first signal conforming to the trigger condition disappears.

7. The operation method according to claim 1, wherein before the step of switching the touch pad to the second function mode and maintaining the touch pad in the second function mode, the operation method further comprises:

providing a function reference table for recording the second kind of functions;

partitioning the touch pad according to a number of the second kind of functions;

respectively assigning the area corresponding to each of the second kind of functions according to the partition result; and

recording a mapping relationship between each of the second kind of functions and the corresponding area into the function reference table.

8. The operation method according to claim 7, wherein the step of executing the corresponding one of the second kind of functions according to the coordinate variation comprises:

capturing a movement track of the second signal; and

executing the second kind of function corresponding to the area containing the coordinate variation according to a direction of the movement track.

9. The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the touch pad executes a cursor moving function, an object selection function, and an object dragging function in the first function mode.

10. The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the second kind of functions comprise an image scroll up/down function, an image scroll left/right function, and an image scale function.

11. An integration system of a touch pad with multiple function modes, comprising:

a determination module, for determining whether a first signal conforms to a trigger condition and exists continuously when the first signal is received;

a switch module, coupled to the determination module, for switching the touch pad presently set to a first function mode to a second function mode and maintaining the touch pad in the second function mode when the first signal conforms to the trigger condition and exists continuously, wherein the second function mode comprises a plurality of functions of a second kind, and each of the second kind of functions is respectively corresponding to an area on the touch pad; and

an execution module, coupled to the switch module, for executing a corresponding one of the second kind of functions according to a coordinate variation corresponding to a second signal when the second signal is received through the touch pad, the first signal still exists, and the touch pad is in the second function mode.

12. The integration system according to claim 11, wherein the determination module determines whether the first signal is triggered by a specific switch.

13. The integration system according to claim 11, wherein the determination module determines whether the coordinate variation corresponding to the first signal is located within a specific area on the touch pad when the first signal is triggered by the touch pad.

14. The integration system according to claim 11, wherein the determination module determines whether the first signal is triggered by a compound key on a keyboard.

15. The integration system according to claim 11, wherein the determination module determines whether the first signal is triggered by an operation interface provided by a specific application program.

16. The integration system according to claim 11, wherein the switch module switches the touch pad to the first function mode when the first signal conforming to the trigger condition disappears.

17. The integration system according to claim 11, wherein the switch module obtains a function reference table for recording the second kind of functions, partitions the touch pad according to a number of the second kind of functions, respectively assigns the area corresponding to each of the second kind of functions according to the partition result, and records a mapping relationship between each of the second kind of functions and the corresponding area into the function reference table.

18. The integration system according to claim 17, wherein the execution module captures a movement track of the second signal and executes the second kind of function corresponding to the area containing the coordinate variation according to a direction of the movement track.

19. The integration system according to claim 11, wherein the touch pad executes a cursor moving function, an object selection function, and an object dragging function in the first function mode.

20. The integration system according to claim 11, wherein the second kind of functions comprise an image scroll up/down function, an image scroll left/right function, and an image scale function.

21. A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a plurality of program instructions embodied therein, wherein the program instructions are suitable for being loaded into a computer system to execute following steps:

receiving a first signal, and determining whether the first signal conforms to a trigger condition;

if the first signal conforms to the trigger condition and exists continuously, switching a touch pad presently set to a first function mode to a second function mode and maintaining the touch pad in the second function mode, wherein the second function mode comprises a plurality of functions of a second kind, and each of the second kind of functions is respectively corresponding to an area on the touch pad;

receiving a second signal through the touch pad, and the first signal still existing; and

executing a corresponding one of the second kind of functions according to a coordinate variation corresponding to the second signal.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein when the program instructions determine whether the first signal conforms to the trigger condition, the program instructions determine whether the first signal is triggered by a specific switch.

23. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein when the program instructions determine whether the first signal conforms to the trigger condition, the program instructions determine whether the coordinate variation corresponding to the first signal is located within a specific area on the touch pad if the first signal is triggered by the touch pad.

24. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein when the program instructions determine whether the first signal conforms to the trigger condition, the program instructions determine whether the first signal is triggered by a compound key on a keyboard.

25. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein when the program instructions determine whether the first signal conforms to the trigger condition, the program instructions determine whether the first signal is triggered by an operation interface provided by a specific application program.

26. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the program instructions further switch the touch pad to the first function mode when the first signal conforming to the trigger condition disappears.

27. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein before the program instructions switch the touch pad to the second function mode and maintain the touch pad in the second function mode, the program instructions obtain a function reference table for recording the second kind of functions, partition the touch pad according to a number of the second kind of functions, respectively assign the area corresponding to each of the second kind of functions according to the partition result, and record a mapping relationship between each of the second kind of functions and the corresponding area into the function reference table.

28. The computer program product according to claim 27, wherein when the program instructions execute the corresponding one of the second kind of functions according to the coordinate variation, the program instructions capture a movement track of the second signal and execute the second kind of function corresponding to the area containing the coordinate variation according to a direction of the movement track.

29. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the touch pad execute a cursor moving function, an object selection function, and an object dragging function in the first function mode.

30. The computer program product according to claim 21, wherein the second kind of functions comprise an image scroll up/down function, an image scroll left/right function, and an image scale function.