Touch detection method and touch detector using the same

• US 8,497,846 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Original Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corporation (Novatek Microelectronics Corp Limited)
• Inventors: Chang, Chun-Chieh, Chang, Hui-Hung, Lai, Chih-Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, PREMAL R
• Application Number:
  US13/233,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20120068947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 178 1801- 1806
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method for double click detection includes the following steps. Firstly whether first event is detected is determined, if so, first corresponding position is obtained, a period counting is triggered, and first flag is set. Then whether the period ends is judged; if not and the first flag exists, a counter is incremented and second flag is set when first ending event is detected; if not and the second flag exists, second corresponding position is obtained and third flag is set when second event is detected; if not and the third flag exists, the counter is incremented when second ending event is detected; if so, a double click event is determined when the incremented value is greater than a threshold and a distance between the first and the second positions is smaller a threshold.

Claims

1. A touch detection method applied in a touch detector for detecting a double click event triggered on a touch panel, the touch detection method comprising:

(a) determining whether a first touch event triggered on the touch panel is detected;

(b) when the first touch event is triggered, recording a first set of touch location corresponding to the first touch event, activating a counting operation for determining an operation period, and setting an operation flag as a first value;

(c) determining whether the operation period ends;

(d) when the operation period does not end and the operation flag is corresponding to the first value, determining whether a first touch termination event triggered on the touch panel is detected;

if so, having a touch flag ascended by 1, having the operation flag set as a second value, and repeating step (c);

(e) when the operation period does not end and the operation flag is corresponding to the second value, determining whether a second touch event is triggered on the touch panel is detected;

if so, recording a second set of touch location corresponding to the second touch event, having the operation flag set as a third value, and repeating step (c);

(f) when the operation period does not end and the operation flag corresponding to the third value, determining whether a second touch termination event triggered on the touch panel is detected;

if so, the having the touch flag ascended by 1, having the operation flag set as the first value, and repeating step (c);

(g) when the operation period does end, determining whether the touch flag corresponds to a value greater than or equal to N+2, and determining whether a set of distances between the first set and the second set locations is smaller than or equal to a threshold, wherein N is an initial value of the touch flag; and

(h) when the value of the touch flag is greater than or equal to N+2 and the set of distances is smaller than or equal to the threshold, determining the double click event is achieved.

2. The touch detection method according to claim 1, wherein when the operation period does not end, the touch detection method, after step (c), further comprising:

(i1) determining whether the operation flag corresponds to the first value;

if so, step (d) is performed; and

(i2) determining whether the operation flag corresponds to the second value;

if so, step (c) is performed, wherein,

when the operation flag does not corresponds to the first flag and the second flag, step (f) is performed.

3. The touch detection method according to claim 1, wherein step (b) further comprises:

(b1) having a timer set with a count value M, wherein the operation period is determined by the count value M and time needed for the touch detector executing steps (d)-(f).

4. The touch detection method according to claim 3, further comprising:

(j) having the count value descending by 1 after steps (d)-(f) ends and before step (c) is repeated, wherein,

step (j) is executed between steps (d)-(f) and step (c).

5. The touch detection method according to claim 4, wherein step (c) further comprises:

(c1) determining whether the operation period ends by means of determining whether the count value M corresponds to 0.

6. The touch detection method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second touch events recited in steps (a) and (e) correspond with an event in which a single conductor approaches the touch panel, and the first and the second touch termination events correspond with an event in which the single conductor moves away from the touch panel.

7. The touch detection method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second touch events recited in steps (a) and (e) correspond with an event in which a plurality of conductors approach the touch panel, and the first and the second touch termination events correspond with an event in which the conductors move away from the touch panel, wherein,

the first set and the second set of touch locations respectively comprise a plurality of first touch locations and a plurality of second touch locations, which correspond with the respective first touch locations, and the corresponding first and second touch locations are employed for determining a plurality of distances within the set of distances.

8. A touch detector, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium, storing program codes; and

a processor, for reading the computer readable medium and executing a touch detection method for detecting a double click event triggered on a touch panel, the touch detection method comprising;

(a) determining whether a first touch event triggered on the touch panel is detected;

(b) when the first touch event is triggered, recording a first set of touch location corresponding to the first touch event, activating a counting operation for determining an operation period, and setting an operation flag as a first value;

(c) determining whether the operation period ends;

(d) when the operation period does not end and the operation flag is corresponding to the first value, determining whether a first touch termination event triggered on the touch panel is detected;

if so, having a touch flag ascended by 1, having the operation flag set as a second value, and repeating step (c);

(e) when the operation period does not end and the operation flag is corresponding to the second value, determining whether a second touch event is triggered on the touch panel is detected;

if so, recording a second set of touch location corresponding to the second touch event, having the operation flag set as a third value, and repeating step (c);

(f) when the operation period does not end and the operation flag corresponding to the third value, determining whether a second touch termination event triggered on the touch panel is detected;

if so, the having the touch flag ascended by 1, having the operation flag set as the first value, and repeating step (c);

(g) when the operation period does end, determining whether the touch flag corresponds to a value greater than or equal to N+2, and determining whether a set of distances between the first set and the second set locations is smaller than or equal to a threshold, wherein N is an initial value of the touch flag; and

(h) when the value of the touch flag is greater than or equal to N+2 and the set of distances is smaller than or equal to the threshold, determining the double click event is achieved.

9. The touch detector according to claim 8, wherein when the operation period does not end, the touch detection method, after step (c), further comprising:

(i1) determining whether the operation flag corresponds to the first value;

if so, step (d) is performed; and

(i2) determining whether the operation flag corresponds to the second value;

if so, step (c) is performed, wherein,

when the operation flag does not corresponds to the first flag and the second flag, step (f) is performed.

10. The touch detector according to claim 8, wherein step (b) further comprises:

(b1) having a timer set with a count value M, wherein the operation period is determined by the count value M and time needed for the touch detector executing steps (d)-(f).

11. The touch detector according to claim 10, further comprising:

(j) having the count value descending by 1 after steps (d)-(f) ends and before step (c) is repeated, wherein,

step (j) is executed between steps (d)-(f) and step (c).

12. The touch detector according to claim 11, wherein step (c) further comprises:

(c1) determining whether the operation period ends by means of determining whether the count value M corresponds to 0.

13. The touch detector according to claim 8, wherein the first and the second touch events recited in steps (a) and (e) correspond with an event in which a single conductor approaches the touch panel, and the first and the second touch termination events correspond with an event in which the single conductor moves away from the touch panel.

14. The touch detector according to claim 8, wherein the first and the second touch events recited in steps (a) and (e) correspond with an event in which a plurality of conductors approach the touch panel, and the first and the second touch termination events correspond with an event in which the conductors move away from the touch panel, wherein,

the first set and the second set of touch locations respectively comprise a plurality of first touch locations and a plurality of second touch locations, which correspond with the respective first touch locations, and the corresponding first and second touch locations are employed for determining a plurality of distances within the set of distances.