Multi-point touch-sensitive system

• US 8,115,744 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Original Assignee: BYD Company Limited
• Inventors: Kong, Jing, Ji, Chuanrui, Yang, Yun, Feng, Wei, Li, Qifeng
• Primary Examiner(s): Tzeng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US12/313,880
• Publication Number:
  US 20100053093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/184, 345/660, 324/662, 307/116
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A multi-touch detection system includes a touch-sensitive device, a microcontroller coupled to the touch sensitive device, and an electronic application coupled to the microcontroller. The touch-sensitive device includes multiple electrically isolated conductive regions and the conductive regions are configured to detect multiple contacts from a user simultaneously and generate respective output signals for the multiple user contacts. The microcontroller is configured to receive the output signals from the conductive regions and generate one or more control signals in response to the output signals. The electronic application includes a screen displaying multiple human-machine interactive objects and a signal processor. The signal processor is configured to receive the control signals from the microcontroller and alter the appearance of the human-machine interactive objects on the screen in accordance with the control signals.

Claims

1. A multi-touch detection system, comprising:

a touch-sensitive device, wherein the device includes multiple electrically isolated conductive regions and the conductive regions are configured to detect multiple contacts from a user simultaneously and generate respective output signals for the multiple contacts;

a microcontroller coupled to the touch sensitive device, wherein the microcontroller is configured to receive the output signals from the conductive regions and generate one or more control signals in response to the output signals; and

an electronic application coupled to the microcontroller, wherein the electronic application includes a screen displaying multiple human-machine interactive objects and a signal processor and the signal processor is configured to receive the control signals and alter the appearance of the human-machine interactive objects on the screen in response to the control signals.

2. The multi-touch detection system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller further includes a noise filter, wherein the noise filter is coupled to the touch-sensitive device and the noise filter is configured to reduce noise from the output signals generated by the touch-sensitive device.

3. The multi-touch detection system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller further includes an A/D converter, wherein the A/D converter is configured to digitize the output signals generated by the touch-sensitive device.

4. The multi-touch detection system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller further includes a memory device, wherein the memory device is configured to store signal processing algorithms to be applied to the output signals generated by the touch-sensitive device.

5. The multi-touch detection system of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller further includes an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is configured to couple the electronic application to the microcontroller.

6. The multi-touch detection system of claim 5, wherein the interface circuit is a proprietary interface circuit.

7. The multi-touch detection system of claim 5, wherein the interface circuit is a USB-supported interface circuit.

8. The multi-touch detection system of claim 5, wherein the interface circuit is an RS-232 interface circuit.

9. The multi-touch detection system of claim 1, wherein the multiple electrically isolated conductive regions are of one size.

10. The multi-touch detection system of claim 1, wherein the multiple electrically isolated conductive regions are of at least two sizes.

11. The multi-touch detection system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the multiple electrically isolated conductive regions has a shape selected from the group consisting of triangle, rectangle, and square.

12. A multi-touch detection system, comprising:

a touch-sensitive device, wherein the device includes multiple electrically isolated conductive regions and the conductive regions are configured to detect multiple contacts from a user simultaneously and generate respective output signals for the multiple contacts;

a touch-sensitive device driver coupled to the touch-sensitive device, wherein the touch-sensitive device driver is configured to receive the output signals from the conductive regions and measure location information of the multiple contacts in response to the output signals;

a microcontroller coupled to the touch-sensitive device driver, wherein the microcontroller is configured to receive the location information and generate one or more control signals in response to the location information; and

an electronic application coupled to the microcontroller, wherein the electronic application includes a screen displaying multiple human-machine interactive objects and the electronic application is configured to receive the control signals and alter the appearance of the human-machine interactive objects on the screen in response to the control signals.

13. The multi-touch detection system of claim 12, wherein the microcontroller further includes a noise filter, wherein the noise filter is coupled to the touch-sensitive device and the noise filter is configured to reduce noise from the output signals generated by the touch-sensitive device.

14. The multi-touch detection system of claim 12, wherein the microcontroller further includes an A/D converter, wherein the A/D converter is configured to digitize the output signals generated by the touch-sensitive device.

15. The multi-touch detection system of claim 12, wherein the microcontroller further includes a memory device, wherein the memory device is configured to store signal processing algorithms to be applied to the output signals generated by the touch-sensitive device.

16. The multi-touch detection system of claim 12, wherein the microcontroller further includes an interface circuit, wherein the interface circuit is configured to couple the electronic application to the microcontroller.

17. The multi-touch detection system of claim 16, wherein the interface circuit is a proprietary interface circuit.

18. The multi-touch detection system of claim 16, wherein the interface circuit is a USB-supported interface circuit.

19. The multi-touch detection system of claim 16, wherein the interface circuit is an RS-232 interface circuit.

20. The multi-touch detection system of claim 12, wherein the multiple electrically isolated conductive regions are of one size.