Touch panel having virtual function button, method of manufacturing the same, and method of identifying touch conflict on the same

• US 9,158,400 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Hsu, Chi-Fang
• Primary Examiner(s): Agustin, Peter Vincent
• Application Number:
  US13/802,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20140145978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04103 Manufacturing, i.e. details related to manufacturing processes specially suited for touch sensitive devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49105 Switch making

Abstract

A touch device capable of identifying touch conflict has at least one function button mounted on a touch panel of the touch device and at least one auxiliary button mounted around the at least one function button. The at least one function button and the at least one auxiliary button are touch-activated. When users simultaneously or sequentially touch the at least one function button and the at least one auxiliary button, the touch device determines that a touch conflict occurs and determines whether to execute a function originally defined by the at least one function button or to execute another function according to the touch conflict.

Claims

1. An identifying method of a touch panel comprising a touch sensing area and a virtual button area, the identifying method comprising steps of:

a. detecting a function button on the touch panel being touched, wherein the function button corresponds to a first function;

b. detecting an auxiliary button on the touch panel being touched within a preset time after the function button is touched; and

c. executing a second function after step b;

wherein the function button and the auxiliary button are respectively located at two different fixed positions of the virtual button area and coupled to a controller.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein step c further comprises:

stopping executing the first function.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second function is to lock or unlock the touch device.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second function is to launch a task list under a Windows operating system.

5. A touch device, comprising:

a touch panel having;

a virtual button area;

at least one function button located within the virtual button area, wherein each function button corresponds to a first function; and

at least one auxiliary button located around the at least one function button, wherein the at least one function button and the at least one auxiliary button are activated by touch and respectively located at different fixed positions of the virtual button area; and

a controller connected to the at least one function button and the at least one auxiliary button,

wherein the controller executes a second function if one of the at least one function button and one of the at least one auxiliary button are touched in sequence.

6. The touch device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the virtual button area of the touch panel has a length and a width, and the at least one function button and the at least one auxiliary button are aligned next to each other in a direction along the length.

7. The touch device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the virtual button area of the touch panel has a length and a width, the touch panel has multiple auxiliary buttons mounted within the virtual button area, and the at least one function button and the auxiliary buttons are aligned next to each other in a direction along the width.

8. The touch device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the virtual button area of the touch panel has a length and a width, the touch panel has multiple function buttons and multiple auxiliary buttons mounted within the virtual button area, and the function buttons and the auxiliary buttons are aligned next to each other in a direction along the width, and each auxiliary button is located between adjacent two of the function buttons.

9. The touch device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the virtual button area of the touch panel has a length and a width, and the at least one function button and the at least one auxiliary button are aligned next to each other along a direction of the width.

10. The touch device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the touch panel has a view area and an active zone formed around the view area, and the virtual button area is located within the view area.

11. The touch device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the touch panel has a view area and an active zone formed around the view area, and the virtual button area is located within the active zone.

12. The touch device as claimed in claim 11, wherein each one of the at least one auxiliary button is located between the view area and a corresponding function button.

13. The touch device as claimed in claim 11, wherein a grounding protection line is mounted between each one of the at least one function button and a corresponding auxiliary button.

14. The touch device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller executes the second function when one of the following conditions is satisfied:

(1) the one of the at least one auxiliary button is touched within a preset time after the one of the at least one function button is touched, and (2) the one of the at least one function button is touched within the preset time after the one of the at least one auxiliary button is touched.

15. The touch device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the controller further stops executing the first function.

16. The touch device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second function is to lock or unlock the touch device.

17. The touch device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second function is to launch a task list under a Windows operating system.

18. An identifying method of a touch panel comprising a touch sensing area and a virtual button area, the identifying method comprising steps of:

a. detecting an auxiliary button on the touch panel being touched;

b. detecting a function button on the touch panel being touched within a preset time after the auxiliary button is touched, wherein the function button corresponds to a first function; and

c. executing a second function after step b;

wherein the function button and the auxiliary button are respectively located at two different fixed positions of the virtual button area and coupled to a controller.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein step c further comprises:

stopping executing the first function.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the second function is to lock or unlock the touch device.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the second function is to launch a task list under a Windows operating system.