METHOD OF SELECTING TOUCH INPUT SOURCE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING THE SAME

• US 20140368473A1
• Filed: 08/13/2013
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, Yu-Min, Chung, Hsing-Lung
• Application Number:
  US13/965,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20140368473A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware

Abstract

A method of selecting a touch input source and an electronic device using the same are provided. The present method includes determining whether the electronic device detects an activating signal sent from a stylus. The method also includes defining the stylus as an input signal source of the electronic device when the activating signal is detected by the electronic device. The method further includes defining an electric conductive material and/or a finger as the input signal source of the electronic device when the activating signal is not detected.

Claims

1. A method of selecting a touch input source for an electronic device having a touch panel, comprising:

determining whether the electronic device detects an activating signal sent from a stylus;

defining the stylus as an input signal source of the electronic device when the activating signal is detected; and

defining an electric conductive material and/or a finger as the input signal source of the electronic device when the activating signal is not detected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stylus is configured with at least one sensing element, and the activating signal is sent from the stylus when a human touch is detected by at least one among the at least one sensing element.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the at least one sensing element is a button, a charge-variation sensing element or a motion sensing element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of defining the stylus as the input signal source of the electronic device when the activating signal is detected, further comprising:

determining whether the input signal source currently set to the electronic device is the stylus; and

if not, switching the input signal source to the stylus, so that the electronic device only processes a touch data retrieved from the stylus and ignores a touch data generated by touching the touch panel with the electric conductive material and/or the finger.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of defining the electric conductive material and/or the finger as the input signal source of the electronic device when the activating signal is not detected, further comprising:

determining whether the input signal source currently set to the electronic device is the electric conductive material and/or the finger; and

if not, switching the input signal source to the electric conductive material and/or the finger, so that the electronic device only processes a touch data generated by touching the touch panel with the electric conductive material and/or the finger and ignores a touch data retrieved from the stylus.

6. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch panel;

a communication unit; and

a processing unit coupled to the touch panel and the communication unit, wherein the processing unit determines whether the communication unit receives an activating signal sent from a stylus,

the processing unit defines the stylus as an input signal source of the electronic device when the activating signal is detected,

the processing unit defines an electric conductive material and/or a finger as the input signal source of the electronic device when the activating signal is not detected.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the stylus is configured with at least one sensing element, and the activating signal is sent from the stylus when a human touch is detected by at least one among the at least one sensing element.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein each of the at least one sensing element is a button, a charge-variation sensing element or a motion sensing element.

9. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processing unit defines the stylus as the input signal source of the electronic device by determining whether the input signal source currently set to the electronic device is the stylus,

if not, the processing unit switches the input signal source to the stylus, and only processes a touch data retrieved from the stylus and ignores a touch data generated by touching the touch panel with the electric conductive material and/or the finger.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the processing unit defines the electric conductive material and/or the finger as the input signal source of the electronic device by determining whether the input signal source currently set to the electronic device is the electric conductive material and/or the finger,

if not, the processing unit switches the input signal source to the electric conductive material and/or the finger, and only processes a touch data generated by touching the touch panel with the electric conductive material and/or the finger and ignores a touch data retrieved from the stylus.