Touch device for increasing control efficiency and driving method of touch panel thereof

• US 8,593,416 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes Limited
• Original Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes Limited
• Inventors: Chiou, Shian-Jun, Yin, Hsueh-Fang, Lin, Chien-Ming, Li, Huai-An, Hsieh, Ming-Ta
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Chanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): STONE, ROBERT M
• Application Number:
  US12/754,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041661 using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A touch device includes a touch panel, a sensing unit, and an operation unit is provided. The sensing unit is coupled to the touch panel, for scanning a scan area of the touch panel to output a touch signal. The operation unit is coupled to the sensing unit, for determining the scan area according to the touch signal. When the touch signal corresponds to a first close path, the operation unit defines a close area formed by the first close path as the first sub touch area. When the first sub touch area is undefined, the operation unit chooses a whole touch area of the touch panel as the scan area. When the first sub touch area is defined, the operation chooses the first sub touch area as the scan area.

Claims

1. A touch device, comprising:

a touch panel;

a sensing unit, coupled to the touch panel, for scanning a scan area of the touch panel to output a touch signal; and

an operation unit, coupled to the sensing unit, for determining the scan area according to the touch signal, when the touch signal corresponds to a first closed path, the operation unit defines a closed area formed by the first closed path as a first sub touch area;

wherein when the first sub touch area is undefined, the operation unit chooses a whole touch area of the touch panel as the scan area;

when the first sub touch area is defined, the operation unit chooses the first sub touch area as the scan area, and a coordinate of the first sub touch area is stored in the operation unit,

wherein the operation unit comprises;

an interpolation unit, for calculating positions of a plurality of single-touch points according to the touch signal; and

a sub touch area detector, coupled to the interpolation unit, wherein when the positions of the single-touch points form the first closed path, the sub touch area detector defines the closed area formed by the first closed path as the first sub touch area,

wherein the interpolation unit further calculates positions of multi-touch points according to the touch signal, and when the scan area chosen by the sub touch area detector is the first sub touch area, the scan area is changed to the whole touch area of the touch panel according to the positions of the multi-touch points corresponding to the first sub touch area, or the first sub touch area is moved according to a moving trajectory of the positions of multi-touch points.

2. The touch device according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit further comprises:

a coordinate register, coupled to the interpolation unit and the sub touch area detector, for storing the positions of the single-touch points, and the positions of the multi-touch points.

3. The touch device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing unit comprises:

a plurality of multiplexers, for scanning the scan area of the touch panel, and sequentially outputting a plurality of analog signals;

an analog-to-digital converter, coupled to the multiplexers, for converting the analog signals to a plurality of digital signals; and

a counter, coupled to the analog-to-digital converter, for quantizing the digital signal to output the touch signal.

4. The touch device according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel is a capacitive touch panel.

5. A driving method in a touch panel, comprising:

scanning a scan area of the touch panel to output a touch signal;

re-determining the scan area according to the touch signal, when the touch signal corresponds to a first closed path, defining a closed area formed by the first closed path as a first sub touch area;

wherein when the first sub touch area is undefined, choosing a whole touch area of the touch panel as the scan area;

when the first sub touch area is defined, choosing the first sub touch area as the scan area;

if the touch signal detected in the first sub touch area corresponds to N touch points when the scan area is the first sub touch area, changing the scan area to the whole touch area of the touch panel, wherein N is a positive integer;

when a touching time corresponding to the N touch points is less than a threshold time, a coordinate of the first sub touch area is stored; and

when a touching time corresponding to the N touch points is greater than or equal to a threshold time, a coordinate of the first sub touch area is not stored.

6. The driving method in the touch panel according to claim 5, wherein N is 3.

7. The driving method in the touch panel according to claim 5, further comprising:

if the touch signal detected in the first sub touch area corresponds to M touch points when the scan area is the first sub touch area, moving the first sub touch area according to a moving trajectory of positions of the M touch points, wherein M is a positive integer.

8. The driving method in the touch panel according to claim 7, wherein M is 5.

9. The driving method in the touch panel according to claim 7, wherein step of moving the first sub touch area according to a moving trajectory of the positions of the touch points comprises:

calculating a central position of the touch points; and

moving the first sub touch area according to a motion of the central position.

10. The driving method in the touch panel according to claim 5, further comprising:

when the touch signal further corresponds to a second path, defining a closed area formed by the second closed path as a second sub touch area; and

when the first and second sub touch areas are defined, choosing the first and second sub touch areas as the scan area.

11. The driving method in the touch panel according to claim 5, wherein when the touch signal corresponds to the first closed path, step of defining the closed area of the first closed path as the first sub touch area comprises:

calculating positions of a plurality of the single-touch points according to the touch signal; and

when the positions of the single-touch points form the first closed path, choosing the closed area formed by the first sub closed path as the first sub touch area.

12. The driving method in the touch panel according to claim 5, wherein the first sub touch area is a rectangular area or a circular area.