Method and apparatus for touch input in portable terminal

• US 8,878,813 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2011
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Hak-Yeol
• Primary Examiner(s): SHERMAN, STEPHEN G
• Application Number:
  US13/083,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20110248956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1809, 178/18.11
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 2203/04106 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact

Abstract

An apparatus and method for a touch input of a portable terminal are provided. More particularly, an apparatus and method for improving performance of a touch input device by using a multi-touch panel which supports both a resistive type and a capacitive type of touch input detection are provided. The apparatus includes a multi-touch panel for performing both a capacitive type and a resistive type of touch input detection in one touch panel, a pattern determining unit for analyzing a touch input pattern of a user by using the multi-touch panel, and a touch manager for determining a touch input coordinate corresponding to the touch input pattern of the user based on one of the capacitive type and the resistive type of touch input detection.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a touch input of a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a multi-touch panel for performing both a capacitive type and a resistive type of touch input detection in one touch panel;

a pattern determining unit for analyzing a touch input pattern of a user by using the multi-touch panel; and

a touch manager for determining a touch input coordinate corresponding to the touch input pattern of the user based on one of the capacitive type and the resistive type of touch input detection,

wherein the multi-touch panel comprises upper and lower plate electrodes that are of a different structure from one another, and

wherein the upper plate electrode is a 2-layer multi-channel capacitive type electrode film.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein both of the upper and lower plate electrodes comprise capacitive type electrode films.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pattern determining unit determines a touch input pattern in which only the upper plate is touched to an extent sufficient to perform a capacitance type of touch input detection as a capacitance type touch and a touch input pattern in which a touch is made to an extent to perform a resistive type of touch input detection when the upper and lower plates are brought into contact as a resistive type touch.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, if the resistive type touch is detected and then a change in capacitance is detected, the touch manager determines that the capacitance changes due to the resistive type touch and determines a touch movement coordinate based on the resistive type of touch input detection.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein if the resistive type touch is detected, the touch manager determines an electrode structure of the multi-touch panel, and if it is determined that the electrode structure of the upper plate or the lower plate is a structure that uses a plurality of channels, the touch manager performs electrode switching on an electrode that uses the plurality of channels.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the electrode switching comprises a switching process for adding resistances input through the plurality of channels as if they are input through one channel.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the touch manager performs electrode switching in order to use an electrode consisting of a plurality of channels.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the resistive type of touch input detection comprises one of a 4-wire and a 5-wire resistive type of touch input detection that uses one channel.

9. A touch input method of a portable terminal, the method comprising:

analyzing a touch input pattern of a user by using a multi-touch panel for performing both a capacitive type and a resistive type of touch input detection in one touch panel; and

determining a touch input coordinate corresponding to the touch input pattern of the user based on one of the capacitive type and the resistive type of touch input detection,

wherein the multi-touch panel comprises upper and lower plate electrodes that are of a different structure from one another, and

wherein the upper plate electrode is a 2-layer multi-channel capacitive type electrode film.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein both of the upper and lower plate electrodes comprise capacitive type electrode films.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the touch input pattern of the user includes one of a touch input pattern corresponding to a capacitance type touch in which only the upper plate is touched to an extent sufficient to perform a capacitance type of touch input detection and a touch input pattern corresponding to a resistive type touch in which a touch is made to an extent to perform a resistive type coordinate when the upper and lower plates are brought into contact.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting the touch input pattern corresponding to the capacitance type touch;

determining whether the capacitance changes due to the resistive type touch input; and

upon detecting that the capacitance changes due to the resistive type touch, determining a touch movement coordinate based on the resistive type of touch input detection.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

if the touch input pattern corresponding to the resistive type touch is detected, determining an electrode structure of the multi-touch panel; and

if it is determined that the electrode structure of the upper plate or the lower plate is a structure that uses a plurality of channels, performing electrode switching on an electrode that uses the plurality of channels.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electrode switching comprises a switching process for adding resistances input through the plurality of channels as if they are input through one channel in order to use an electrode consisting of a plurality of channels.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the switching process comprises a process for using an electrode consisting of a plurality of channels.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the resistive type of touch input detection comprises one of a 4-wire and a 5-wire resistive type of touch input detection that uses one channel.

17. A touch input apparatus of a portable terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a touch screen panel for performing a capacitive type of touch input detection and a resistive type of touch input detection by using capacitive type electrode films as resistive type upper and lower plate electrodes;

a pattern determining unit for determining a touch input pattern corresponding to a capacitive type touch when a touch is made to an extent sufficient to perform the capacitance type of touch input detection and for determining a touch input pattern of a resistive type touch when a touch is made to an extent to perform the resistive type of touch input detection when the upper and lower plates are brought into contact; and

a touch manager for determining a touch input coordinate corresponding to a touch input pattern of the user,

wherein the touch manager performs an electrode switching process for changing resistance values input through a plurality of channels to a resistance value input through one channel when the upper and lower plate electrodes are of a different structure from one another and the upper plate electrode is a 2-layer multi-channel capacitive type electrode film.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the touch manager adds resistances input through the plurality of channels in order to use an electrode consisting of a plurality of channels.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the resistive type of touch input detection comprises one of a 4-wire and a 5-wire resistive type that uses one channel.