Touch responsive display unit and method

• US 7,002,556 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2002
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi-Omron Terminal Solutions Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tsukada, Yujin, Takano, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Nitin
• Application Number:
  US10/173,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20020196238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/173, 345/174, 345/179, 345/168, 345/169, 345/175, 345/176, 345/178, 178/18.01, 178 1802- 1808, 178/19.02, 340/407.1, 340/562, 200/512
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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

As shown in FIG. 3A, a touch panel 2 is provided on a display screen 1, and a touch panel 3 using infrared rays is provided thereon. A shown in FIG. 3B, when a finger 6 touches the touch panel 3, its touching position is detected, and screen displaying is carried out on the display screen 1 according to the touching position. Then, the finger 6 is brought closer to the display screen 1. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 3C, when the finger 6 touches the touch panel 2, its touching position is detected, and screen displaying is carried out on the display screen 1 according to the touching position. For example, in the case of an operation button 7, in FIG. 3B, displaying is carried out in a state different from that of FIG. 3A and, in FIG. 3C, displaying is carried out in another different state.

Claims

1. A touch responsive display unit comprising:

a second touch panel disposed on a display screen, said second touch panel being operable to judge that an indicator has touched the second touch panel, when the indicator has contacted the second touch panel;

a first touch panel disposed on the second touch panel, the first touch panel being operable to judge that an indicator has touched the first touch panel, when the indicator comes within a predetermined distance from the display screen;

first position detecting means for detecting a touching position of the indicator on the first touch panel when the indicator designates a predetermined position on the display screen; and

control means for executing a first transaction according to a detection result of the first position detecting means, setting a display state on the display screen to a first display state according to the touching position of the indicator on the first touch panel detected by the first position detecting means, and when a touch is detected at the second touch panel under the first display state, for executing a second transaction according to a detection result of the first position detecting means, and setting the display state on the display screen to a second display state according to the touching position of the indicator on the first touch panel detected by the first position detecting means.

2. The touch responsive display unit according to claim 1, wherein operation buttons are displayed on the display screen, the touching positions of the indicator are in positions on the first touch panel of the indicator designating the operation buttons, and the control means sets display states of the operation buttons to the first and second states according to the detection results of the first position detecting means.

3. A display method of a touch responsive display unit including a second touch panel disposed on a display screen, and a first touch panel disposed on the second touch panel, the second touch panel being operable to judge that an indicator has touched the second touch panel, when the indicator has contacted the second touch panel, and the first touch panel being operable to judge that an indicator has touched the first touch panel, when the indicator comes within a predetermined distance from the display screen, comprising the steps of:

detecting a touching position of an indicator on the first touch panel, and changing a display state on the display screen according to said touching position of the indicator on the first touch panel to set a first display state; and

detecting advancing of the indicator from the state of touching on the first touch panel to touching on the second touch panel under the first display state, and changing the display state on the display screen from the first display state to a second display state according to said touching position of the indicator on the first touch panel.

4. A touch responsive display unit comprising:

a flexible paper display;

a first touch panel disposed on the flexible paper display, the first touch panel being operable to judge that an indicator has touched the first touch panel, when the indicator comes within a predetermined distance from the flexible paper display;

first position detecting means for detecting a touching position of an indicator on the first touch when the indicator designates a predetermined position on a screen of the paper display;

second detecting means for detecting a touching position of the indicator on the second touch panel when the indicator designates the predetermined position on the display screen; and

control means for executing first transaction according to a detection result of the first position detecting means, and setting a display state on the display screen to a first display state according to the touching position of the indicator on the first touch panel detected by the first position detecting means, and executes second transaction according to a detection result of the second detecting means, and setting a display state on the display screen to a second display state according to the touching position on the second touch panel detected by the second position detecting means;

a second touch panel disposed under the flexible paper display, the second touch panel being operable to detect distortion caused by pressing the flexible paper display.

5. The touch responsive display unit according to claim 4, wherein a cushion material is disposed between the second touch panel and the paper display.

6. The touch responsive display unit according to claim 4, wherein operation buttons are displayed on the display screen, the touching positions of the indicator are on the first and second touch panels of the indicator designating the operation buttons, and the control means sets display states of the operation buttons to first and second display states according to the detection results of the first and second position detecting means.

7. A touch responsive display unit comprising:

a display screen;

a lower touch panel disposed on top of the display screen, said lower touch panel being operable to judge that an indicator has touched the lower touch panel, when the indicator has contacted the lower touch panel;

an upper touch panel disposed on top of the lower touch panel, the upper touch panel being operable to judge that an indicator has touched the upper touch panel, when the indicator comes within a predetermined distance from the display screen;

means for detecting touching on a first designated position with respect to a first display state of the display screen by a finger on the upper touch panel thereby displaying the indicator on the upper touch panel and a pop-up screen;

means for detecting touching by the finger on a second designated position with respect to the indicator on the lower touch panel thereby executing a predetermined operation according to the first designated position of the indicator on the upper touch panel and the pop-up screen; and

means for executing said predetermined operation.