ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH TOUCH SCREEN AND METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROTECTING SAME

• US 20130278524A1
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Published: 10/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: WANG, YIN-ZHAN
• Granted Patent: US 9,348,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

An electronic device comprises a touch screen, a distance determining module, a touch determining module, and a warning control module. The distance determining module determines whether a distance between the touch screen and an object in front of the touch screen is less than or equal to a distance limit. The touch determining module determines whether a touch action is applied to the touch screen within a first predetermined time when the distance between the touch screen and the object is less than or equal to the distance limit. The warning control module controls the electronic device to send a warning to a user when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time.

Claims

1. A method for protecting an electronic device with a touch screen, comprising:

detecting a distance between the touch screen and an object in front of the touch screen;

determining whether the distance is less than or equal to a distance limit;

determining whether a touch action is applied to the touch screen in a first predetermined time when the distance is less than or equal to the distance limit; and

sending a warning to a user when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the object remains within the distance limit for duration of a second predetermined time,

wherein if a duration of time of the object remaining within the distance limit is greater than the second predetermined time, determining whether the touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the electronic device is in a moving state,

wherein if the duration of time of the object remaining within the distance limit is greater than a second predetermined time and the electronic device is in the moving state, whether the touch action is applied to the touch screen in the first predetermined time is determined.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time are five seconds.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device defines a first side and an opposite second side, the touch screen located at the first side, the method further comprising:

determining whether a first temperature of the first side of the electronic device is less than a second temperature of the second side of the electronic device and whether a difference value between the first and the second temperatures is greater than a predetermined difference value,

wherein when no touch action is applied to the touch screen in the first predetermined time, the first temperature of the first side of the electronic device is less than the second temperature of the second side of the electronic device, and the difference value between the first and the second temperatures is greater than the predetermined difference value, the warning is sent to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, the electronic device comprising a first side and an opposite second side, the touch screen located at the first side, the method further comprising:

determining whether a temperature of the first side of the electronic device is less than a predetermined temperature value,

wherein when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time and the temperature of the first side of the electronic device is less than the predetermined temperature value, the warning is sent to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predetermined temperature value is a selected from the group consisting of 36 degrees Celsius and 34 degrees Celsius.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the warning comprises a selected one from the group consisting of a text warning, an audible warning, and a vibration warning

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the warning comprises a text warning and an audible warning.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the warning comprises a text warning and a vibration warning.

11. A system for protecting an electronic device with a touch screen, comprising:

a distance determining module determining whether a distance between the touch screen and an object in front of the touch screen is less than or equal to a distance limit;

a touch determining module determining whether a touch action is applied to the touch screen within a first predetermined time when the distance between the touch screen and the object is less than or equal to the distance limit; and

a warning control module controlling the electronic device to send a warning to a user when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the distance determining module further determines whether the object determined as being within the distance limit remains inside the distance limit for the duration of a second predetermined time, the touch determining module determining whether the touch action is applied to the touch screen in the first predetermined time when the duration of time of the object remaining within the distance limit is greater than the second predetermined time.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a motion determining module determining whether the electronic device is in a moving state, the touch determining module determining whether the touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time when the duration of time of the object remaining within the distance limit is greater than the second predetermined time and the electronic device is in the moving state.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a touch detection starting module activating the electronic device to detect the touch action applied to the touch screen when the duration of time of the object remaining within the distance limit is greater than the second predetermined time and the electronic device is in the moving state.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a temperature determining module determining whether a first temperature of a first side of the electronic device which the touch screen located is less than a second temperature of an opposite second side of the electronic device and whether a difference value between the first and the second temperatures is greater than a predetermined difference value, the warning control module controlling the electronic device to apply the warning to the user for protecting the touch screen when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time, the first temperature of the first side of the electronic device is less than the second temperature of the second side of the electronic device and the difference value between the first and the second temperatures is greater than the predetermined difference value.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising a temperature determining module determining whether a temperature of a side of the electronic device which the touch screen located is less than a predetermined temperature value, the warning control module controlling the electronic device to apply the warning to the user for protecting the touch screen when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time and the temperature of the first side of the electronic device is less than the predetermined temperature value.

17. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen;

a processor;

a distance sensor measuring a distance between the touch screen and an object in front of the touch screen and providing a distance detection signal to the processor;

a touch detection circuit detecting touch actions applied to the touch screen and providing a touch detection signal to the processor; and

a system for protecting the electronic device having one or more programs stored in a storage and executed by the processor, the system comprising;

a distance determining module determining whether a distance between the touch screen and an object in front of the touch screen is less than or equal to a distance limit;

a touch determining module determining whether a touch action is applied to the touch screen within a first predetermined time when the distance is less than or equal to the distance limit; and

a warning control module controlling the electronic device to send a warning to a user when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, further comprising a motion sensor determining whether the electronic device is in a moving state, the touch determining module determining whether the touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time when the object determined as being within the distance limit remains inside the distance limit for the duration of a second predetermined time and the electronic device is in the moving state.

19. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the electronic device defines a first side and an opposite second side, the touch screen being located at the first side, the electronic device further comprising a first temperature sensor detecting a first temperature of the first side of the electronic device and providing a first temperature detection signal to the processor and a second temperature sensor detecting a second temperature of the second side of the electronic device and providing a second temperature detection signal to the processor, the system further comprising a temperature determining module determining whether the first temperature is less than the second temperature and whether a difference value between the first and the second temperatures is greater than a predetermined difference value, the warning control module controlling the electronic device to apply the warning to the user for protecting the touch screen when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time, the first temperature of the first side of the electronic device is less than the second temperature of the second side of the electronic device and the difference value between the first and the second temperatures is greater than the predetermined difference value.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the electronic device defines a first side and an opposite second side, the touch screen being located at the first side, the electronic device further comprising a temperature sensor detecting a temperature of the first side of the electronic device and providing a temperature detection signal to the processor, the warning control module controlling the electronic device to apply the warning to the user for protecting the touch screen when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time and the temperature of the first side of the electronic device is less than a predetermined temperature value.