ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140085217A1
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Huang, Hsiao-Chuan, Yang, Tsung-Hwa, Chang, Yuan-Hung, Yeh, Chih-Shan
• Application Number:
  US13/628,062
• Publication Number:
  US 20140085217A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1671 Special purpose buttons or auxiliary keyboards, e.g. retractable mini keypads, keypads or buttons that remain accessible at closed laptop G06F1/1666 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser

Abstract

An electronic apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The electronic apparatus includes a case, a touch sensor, a strength sensor and a controller. The touch sensor is disposed at the case and capable of sensing whether the case is touched. The strength sensor is disposed at the case and capable of sensing whether the case is pressed. The controller is disposed in the case and electrically couple to the touch sensor and the strength sensor. According to the touch sensor for sensing whether the case is touched and according to the strength sensor for sensing whether the case is pressed, the controller produces a control signal.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a case;

a touch sensor, assembled to the case and capable of sensing whether the case is touched;

a strength sensor, assembled to the case and capable of sensing whether the case is pressed; and

a controller, disposed in the case and electrically couple to the touch sensor and the strength sensor to sense whether the case is touched according to the touch sensor and whether the case is pressed according to the strength sensor so as to produce a control signal.

2. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the touch sensor senses out the case is touched and the strength sensor senses out the case is pressed, the controller produces the control signal.

3. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the touch sensor senses out the case is touched but the strength sensor does not sense out the case is pressed, the controller produces the control signal.

4. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the touch sensor does not sense out the case is touched and the strength sensor senses out the case is pressed, the controller produces the control signal.

5. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the case has a specific area, the position of the touch sensor is corresponding to the specific area and the touch sensor is capable of sensing whether the specific area of the case is touched, when the touch sensor senses out the specific area of the case is touched and the strength sensor senses out the case is suffered by a pressing force which is greater than a threshold, the controller produces the control signal.

6. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the case has a specific area, the position of the touch sensor is corresponding to the specific area and the touch sensor is capable of sensing whether the specific area of the case is touched, when the touch sensor does not sense out the specific area of the case is touched and the strength sensor senses out the case is suffered by a pressing force which is greater than a threshold, the controller produces the control signal.

7. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the case has a specific area, the position of the touch sensor is corresponding to the specific area and the touch sensor is capable of sensing whether the specific area of the case is touched, when the touch sensor senses out the specific area of the case is touched and the strength sensor senses out the case is suffered by a pressing force which is less than a threshold, the controller produces the control signal.

8. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is capable of sensing whether touching point on the case moves, when the touch sensor senses out the touching point on the case moves, the controller produces the control signal according to the movement of the touching point.

9. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises a power switching signal, a volume adjusting signal or a screen scrolling signal.

10. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a display, disposed on the case and electrically couple to the controller, wherein the control signal produced by controller is capable of turning on or off the display.

11. The electronic apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a speaker, disposed on the case and electrically couple to the controller, wherein the control signal produced by controller is capable of adjusting volume of the speaker.

12. A control method, adapted to an electronic apparatus, wherein the electronic apparatus comprises a case, a touch sensor, a strength sensor and a controller, the touch sensor, the strength sensor and the controller are assembled to the case, and the controller is electrically couple to the touch sensor and the strength sensor;

the control method comprising;

sensing whether the case is touched by the touch sensor;

sensing whether the case is pressed by the strength sensor; and

producing a control signal by the controller according to the touch sensor for sensing whether the case is touched and according to the strength sensor for sensing whether the case is pressed.

13. The control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the touch sensor senses out the case is touched and the strength sensor senses out the case is pressed, producing the control signal by the controller.

14. The control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the touch sensor does not sense out the case is touched and the strength sensor senses out the case is pressed, producing the control signal by the controller.

15. The control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein when the touch sensor senses out the case is touched but the strength sensor does not sense out the case is pressed, producing the control signal by the controller.

16. The control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the case has a specific area, the position of the touch sensor is corresponding to the specific area and the touch sensor is capable of sensing whether the specific area of the case is touched, when the touch sensor senses out the specific area of the case is touched and the strength sensor senses out the case is suffered by a pressing force which is greater than a threshold, producing the control signal by the controller.

17. The control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the case has a specific area, the position of the touch sensor is corresponding to the specific area and the touch sensor is capable of sensing whether the specific area of the case is touched, when the touch sensor does not sense out the specific area of the case is touched and the strength sensor senses out the case is suffered by a pressing force which is greater than a threshold, producing the control signal by the controller.

18. The control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the case has a specific area, the position of the touch sensor is corresponding to the specific area and the touch sensor is capable of sensing whether the specific area of the case is touched, when the touch sensor senses out the specific area of the case is touched and the strength sensor senses out the case is suffered by a pressing force which is less than a threshold, producing the control signal by the controller.

19. The control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control signal comprises a power switching signal, a volume adjusting signal or a screen scrolling signal.

20. The control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the touch sensor senses whether touching point on the case moves, when the touch sensor senses out the touching point on the case moves, producing the control signal by the controller according to the movement of the touching point.

21. The control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control signal produced by controller is capable of turning on or off a display of the electronic apparatus.

22. The control method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control signal produced by controller is capable of adjusting volume of a speaker of the electronic apparatus.