METHOD AND TOUCH PANEL FOR PROVIDING TACTILE FEEDBACK

• US 20100214239A1
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Compal Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Wu, Yi-Hsi
• Application Number:
  US12/624,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214239A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method and a touch panel for providing a tactile feedback are provided. In the present method, a touch operation acting on the touch panel of an electronic device is detected at first. Then, before outputting the tactile feedback, an output attribute of the tactile feedback is altered according to a behavior of the touch operation. Accordingly, the user may experience different tactile feedbacks while performing different touch operations on the same electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for providing a tactile feedback, suitable for an electronic device having a touch panel, the method comprising:

detecting a touch operation acting on the touch panel; and

providing varied output attributes of the tactile feedback according to different behaviors of the touch operation.

2. The method for providing a tactile feedback as claimed in claim 1, wherein the output attributes comprise at least one of a vibration time, a vibration speed, a vibration amplitude, a combination with a visual indication and a combination with a vocal indication.

3. The method for providing a tactile feedback as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of providing the varied output attributes of the tactile feedback according to the different behaviors of the touch operation comprises:

detecting a force of the touch operation on the touch panel; and

providing the output attribute of the tactile feedback according to the force if the force exceeds a first force threshold.

4. The method for providing a tactile feedback as claimed in claim 3, wherein the step of providing the output attribute of the tactile feedback according to the force comprises:

providing the output attribute of the tactile feedback according to a value or a variation of the force.

5. The method for providing a tactile feedback as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of providing the varied output attributes of the tactile feedback according to the different behaviors of the touch operation comprises:

detecting a force of the touch operation on the touch panel;

obtaining a single position or at least one position of the touch operation on the touch panel if the force exceeds a first force threshold; and

providing the output attribute of the tactile feedback according to a type of the touch panel and the single position or the at least one position.

6. The method for providing a tactile feedback as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of providing the output attribute of the tactile feedback according to the type of the touch panel and the single position or the at least one position comprises:

when the type of the touch panel belongs to a single-touch panel, determining whether the single position is corresponding to a specific virtual button;

obtaining a predetermined virtual button attribute related to the specific virtual button if the single position is corresponding to the specific virtual button; and

using the predetermined virtual button attribute as the output attribute and then outputting the tactile feedback.

7. The method for providing a tactile feedback as claimed in claim 6, wherein after the step of outputting the tactile feedback, the method further comprise:

determining whether the touch operation exists continuously;

determining whether the touch operation moves to another position if the touch operation exists continuously;

determining whether a current position of the touch operation is corresponding to an interaction button if the touch operation moves;

obtaining a predetermined interaction button attribute related to the interaction button if the current position is corresponding to the interaction button; and

using the predetermined interaction button attribute as the output attribute and then outputting the tactile feedback.

8. The method for providing a tactile feedback as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of providing the output attribute of the tactile feedback according to the type of the touch panel and the single position or the at least one position comprises:

when the type of the touch panel belongs to a multi-touch panel, determining whether the touch operation is consistent with a specific gesture according to the at least one position;

obtaining a predetermined gesture attribute related to the specific gesture if the touch operation is consistent with the specific gesture; and

using the predetermined gesture attribute as the output attribute and then outputting the tactile feedback.

9. The method for providing a tactile feedback as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of determining whether the touch operation is consistent with the specific gesture further comprises:

determining whether a currently launched application program of the electronic device is a specific application program; and

determining whether the touch operation is consistent with the specific gesture if the currently launched application program is the specific application program.

10. The method for providing a tactile feedback as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of providing the output attribute of the tactile feedback according to the type of the touch panel and the single position or the at least one position further comprises:

determining whether the force exceeds a second force threshold; and

providing the output attribute according to the type of the touch panel and the single position or the at least one position only if the force exceeds the second force threshold.

11. A touch panel for providing a tactile feedback, comprising:

a surface, for receiving a touch operation;

a behavior determining unit, coupled to the surface, for detecting different behaviors of the touch operation; and

a feedback output unit, coupled to the behavior determining unit, for providing varied output attributes of the tactile feedback according to the different behaviors of the touch operation.

12. The touch panel as claimed in claim 11, wherein the feedback output unit comprises:

a vibration unit, for generating a vibration as the tactile feedback according to the output attribute;

a time altering unit, coupled to the vibration unit, for providing a vibration time of the output attribute;

a speed altering unit, coupled to the vibration unit, for providing a vibration speed of the output attribute; and

an amplitude altering unit, coupled to the vibration unit, for providing a vibration amplitude of the output attribute.

13. The touch panel as claimed in claim 11, wherein the behavior determining unit comprises:

a force sensor, for detecting a force of the touch operation on the touch panel,

wherein the feedback output unit alters the output attribute of the tactile feedback according to the force if the force exceeds a first force threshold.

14. The touch panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the feedback output unit alters the output attribute of the tactile feedback according to a value or a variation of the force.

15. The touch panel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the behavior determining unit further comprises:

a position detecting unit, for obtaining a single position or at least one position of the touch operation on the touch panel if the force exceeds the first force threshold,

wherein the feedback output unit alters the output attribute of the tactile feedback according to a type of the touch panel and the single position or the at least one position.

16. The touch panel as claimed in claim 15, wherein when the type of the touch panel belongs to a single-touch panel, the feedback output unit determines whether the single position is corresponding to a specific virtual button, obtains a predetermined virtual button attribute related to the specific virtual button if the single position is corresponding to the specific virtual button, and uses the predetermined virtual button attribute as the output attribute.

17. The touch panel as claimed in claim 16, wherein the feedback output unit determines whether the touch operation exists continuously if the single position is corresponding to the specific virtual button, determines whether the touch operation moves to another position if the touch operation exists continuously, determines whether a current position of the touch operation is corresponding to an interaction button if the touch operation moves, obtains a predetermined interaction button attribute related to the interaction button if the current position is corresponding to the interaction button, and uses the predetermined interaction button attribute as the output attribute.

18. The touch panel as claimed in claim 15, wherein when the type of the touch panel belongs to a multi-touch panel, the feedback output unit determines whether the touch operation is consistent with a specific gesture according to the at least one position, obtains a predetermined gesture attribute related to the specific gesture if the touch operation is consistent with the specific gesture, and uses the predetermined gesture attribute as the output attribute.

19. The touch panel as claimed in claim 18, wherein the feedback output unit determines whether a currently launched application program of an electronic device having the touch panel is a specific application program, and determines whether the touch operation is consistent with the specific gesture if the currently launched application program is the specific application program.

20. The touch panel as claimed in claim 15, wherein the feedback output unit determines whether the force exceeds a second force threshold, and alters the output attribute according to the type of the touch panel and the single position or the at least one position only if the force exceeds the second force threshold.

21. A touch panel for providing a tactile feedback, comprising:

a detecting means for detecting a touch operation acting on the touch panel;

an altering means for altering varied output attributes of the tactile feedback according to different behaviors of the touch operation; and

an outputting means for outputting the tactile feedback.