METHOD AND DEVICE FOR POSITION DETECTION

• US 20150234490A1
• Filed: 05/04/2015
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eGalax_eMPIA Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: eGalax_eMPIA Technology Inc.
• Inventors: YEH, SHANG-TAI, HSIEH, TENG-WEI
• Granted Patent: US 9,535,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and device for position detection. For detection of a touch position, a segment of surface acoustic wave (SAW) is provided multiple times to be propagated on a SAW touch panel, and the multiple SAW segments are received by the SAW touch panel. In addition, during or after reception, partial output electrical signals are provided based on different portions of each received SAW segment to construct a complete output electrical signal.

Claims

1. A position detecting method, comprising:

generating a complete output electrical signal when a surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch panel is untouched, the complete output electrical signal being formed by combining multiple segments of partial output electrical signals generated based on different portions of multiple SAWs, the partial output electrical signals gradually diminish;

generating a complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is being touched;

comparing the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is being touched with the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is untouched to detect one or more depressions in the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is being touched, wherein the size of each depression is larger than a threshold; and

detecting a position based on each depression,

wherein, before detecting the position of each depression that spans over multiple partial output electrical signals, at least one of the partial output electrical signals over which the respective depression spans is enlarged or shrunk.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is untouched is in the form of a saw-tooth waveform.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the partial output electrical signal to be enlarged is enlarged by a ratio of a starting signal of a latter partial output electrical signal following a partial output electrical signal corresponding to the partial output electrical signal to be enlarged in the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is untouched to an ending signal of the partial output electrical signal corresponding to the partial output electrical signal to be enlarged.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the partial output electrical signal to be shrunk is shrunk by a ratio of an ending signal of a front partial output electrical signal preceding a partial output electrical signal corresponding to the partial output electrical signal to be shrunk in the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is untouched to a starting signal of the partial output electrical signal corresponding to the partial output electrical signal to be shrunk.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a starting signal of a latter partial output electrical signal is larger than an ending signal of a front partial output electrical signal in the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is being touched.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection of the position includes calculating a centroid position based on the depressions.

7. A position detecting device, comprising:

a surface acoustic wave (SAW) touch panel including a reflector array distributed on four sides of the SAW touch panel and a sensing device, the sensing device including;

a first vertical-axis transducer element and a first horizontal-axis transducer element for providing multiple SAW segments to be propagated on the SAW touch panel;

a second vertical-axis transducer element and a second horizontal-axis transducer element for receiving the SAWs propagated on the SAW touch panel; and

a control circuit for performing the following;

providing a partial output electrical signal based on a different portion of each received SAW segment and combining all of the partial output electrical signals to form a complete output electrical signal, the partial output electrical signals gradually diminish;

comparing the complete output electrical signal with a complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is untouched to detect one or more depressions in the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is being touched, wherein the size of each depression is larger than a threshold; and

detecting a position based on each depression,

wherein, before detecting the position of each depression that spans over multiple partial output electrical signals, at least one of the partial output electrical signals over which the respective depression spans is enlarged or shrunk.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is untouched is in the form of a saw-tooth waveform.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the partial output electrical signal to be enlarged is enlarged by a ratio of a starting signal of a latter partial output electrical signal following a partial output electrical signal corresponding to the partial output electrical signal to be enlarged in the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is untouched to an ending signal of the partial output electrical signal corresponding to the partial output electrical signal to be enlarged.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the partial output electrical signal to be shrunk is shrunk by a ratio of an ending signal of a front partial output electrical signal preceding a partial output electrical signal corresponding to the partial output electrical signal to be shrunk in the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is untouched to a starting signal of the partial output electrical signal corresponding to the partial output electrical signal to be shrunk.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein a starting signal of a latter partial output electrical signal is larger than an ending signal of a front partial output electrical signal in the complete output electrical signal when the SAW touch panel is being touched.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein the detection of the position includes calculating a centroid position based on the depressions.