FLOATING TOUCH METHOD AND TOUCH DEVICE

• US 20150084921A1
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Touchplus information Corp.
• Original Assignee: Touchplus information Corp.
• Inventors: HU, SHIH-HSIEN
• Application Number:
  US14/492,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084921A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-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 and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0448 Details of the electrode shape, e.g. for enhancing the detection of touches, for generating specific electric field shapes, for enhancing display quality
• 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 floating touch method and a touch device are provided. The touch device includes a capacitive touch panel and a sensor circuit. At first, the sensor circuit controls the capacitive touch panel to sense a control object within different sensing ranges at different time points to determine a distance value between the control object and the capacitive touch panel. Then, the sensor circuit controls the capacitive touch panel to detect a floating touch action of the control object based on the distance value. Subsequently, the sensor circuit issues a control signal corresponding to the floating touch action to enable the touch device or the capacitive touch panel to perform a specific function.

Claims

1. A floating touch method used with a capacitive touch panel, comprising steps of:

controlling the capacitive touch panel to sense a control object within different sensing ranges at different time points to determine a distance value between the control object and the capacitive touch panel;

controlling the capacitive touch panel to detect a floating touch action of the control object based on the distance value; and

issuing a control signal corresponding to the floating touch action.

2. The floating touch method according to claim 1, wherein the capacitive touch panel comprises a plurality of separate electrode units and the step of controlling the capacitive touch panel to sense the control object comprises steps of:

dividing the electrode units into a plurality of first electrode unit groups, detecting the first electrode unit groups individually, and determining whether the control object is located within a first sensing range corresponding to the first electrode unit groups;

dividing the electrode units into a plurality of second electrode unit groups, detecting the second electrode unit groups individually, and determining whether the control object is located within a second sensing range corresponding to the second electrode unit groups; and

determining the distance value to be a distance threshold corresponding to a smaller sensing range of the first sensing range and the second sensing range if the control object is determined to be located within both the first sensing range and the second sensing range.

3. The floating touch method according to claim 2, wherein each of the first electrode unit groups has a first number of the electrode units while each of the second electrode unit groups has a second number of the electrode units, the second number being greater than the first number, the second sensing range being greater than the first sensing range.

4. The floating touch method according to claim 3, wherein when the control object is determined to be located within the first sensing range, the distance value is the distance threshold corresponding to the first sensing range.

5. The floating touch method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of showing an operation menu and a cursor in response to a floating touch action of the control object.

6. The floating touch method according to claim 5, wherein the floating touch action of the control object is a hover action and the distance value determined during the hover action is recorded as a distance reference.

7. The floating touch method according to claim 6, further comprising a step of issuing the control signal to make an icon of the operation menu deform when the cursor is controlled to stay on the icon and the control object moves toward the capacitive touch panel.

8. The floating touch method according to claim 7, further comprising a step of performing a function corresponding to the icon if the determined distance value of the control object is smaller than a specific value or a specific proportion of the distance reference.

9. A touch device operated with a floating touch method, comprising:

a capacitive touch panel; and

a sensor circuit electrically connected to the capacitive touch panel, configured to control the capacitive touch panel to sense a control object within different sensing ranges at different time points to determine a distance value between the control object and the capacitive touch panel, configured to control the capacitive touch panel to detect a floating touch action of the control object based on the distance value, and configured to issue a control signal corresponding to the floating touch action.

10. The touch device according to claim 9, wherein the capacitive touch panel comprises:

a plurality of separate electrode units; and

a plurality of connecting traces, each of which is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the electrode units.

11. The touch device according to claim 10, wherein the capacitive touch panel comprises a plurality of fractal electrode units disposed around edges of at least one of the separate electrode units.

12. The touch device according to claim 10, wherein the sensor circuit divides the electrode units into a plurality of first electrode unit groups which are detected individually to determine whether the control object is located within a first sensing range corresponding to the first electrode unit groups, divides the electrode units into a plurality of second electrode unit groups which are detected individually to determine whether the control object is located within a second sensing range corresponding to the second electrode unit groups, and determines the distance value to be a distance threshold corresponding to a smaller sensing range of the first sensing range and the second sensing range if the control object is determined to be located within both the first sensing range and the second sensing range.

13. The touch device according to claim 9, wherein the sensor circuit shows an operation menu and a cursor on a display device.

14. The touch device according to claim 13, wherein the floating touch action of the control object is a hover action and the distance value determined during the hover action is recorded as a distance reference.

15. The touch device according to claim 14, wherein the sensor circuit issues the control signal to make an icon of the operation menu deform when the cursor is controlled to stay on the icon and the control object moves toward the capacitive touch panel, and the sensor circuit enables the touch device to perform a function corresponding to the icon if the determined distance value of the control object is smaller than a specific value or a specific proportion of the distance reference.

16. A floating touch device, comprising:

a capacitive touch panel; and

a sensor circuit electrically connected to the capacitive touch panel, configured to control the capacitive touch panel to sense a control object within different sensing ranges at different time points to detect a press action, and issue a control signal corresponding to the press action.

17. The floating touch device according to claim 16, wherein the sensor circuit issues the control signal when the control object moves toward the capacitive touch panel and a distance value between the control object and the capacitive touch panel is smaller than a specific value or a specific proportion of a distance reference.

18. The floating touch device according to claim 17, further comprising an elastic cover disposed on the capacitive touch panel, a distance value between a touch area of the elastic cover and the capacitive touch panel before the press action being recorded as the distance reference.