Electronic device with touch screen and method and system for protecting same

• US 9,348,454 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Futaihua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Wang, Yin-Zhan
• Primary Examiner(s): Karimi, Pegeman
• Application Number:
  US13/867,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20130278524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-176, 178 1801- 1806
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

An electronic device comprises a touch screen, a distance determining module, a touch determining module, and a warning control module. The distance determining module determines whether a distance between the touch screen and an object in front of the touch screen is less than or equal to a distance limit. The touch determining module determines whether a touch action is applied to the touch screen within a first predetermined time when the distance between the touch screen and the object is less than or equal to the distance limit. The warning control module controls the electronic device to send a warning to a user when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time.

Claims

1. A method for protecting an electronic device with a touch screen, comprising:

detecting a distance between the touch screen and an object in front of the touch screen;

determining whether the distance is less than or equal to a distance limit;

determining whether a touch action is applied to the touch screen in a first predetermined time when the distance is less than or equal to the distance limit;

determining whether the electronic device is put into a pocket of a user with its touch screen facing outwardly when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time;

sending a warning to a user when the electronic device is put into the pocket of the user with its touch screen facing outwardly; and

determining whether the object remains within the distance limit for duration of a second predetermined time,

wherein if a duration of time of the object remaining within the distance limit is greater than the second predetermined time, determining whether the touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time;

wherein the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time have equal lengths.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the electronic device is in a moving state,

wherein if the duration of time of the object remaining within the distance limit is greater than a second predetermined time and the electronic device is in the moving state, whether the touch action is applied to the touch screen in the first predetermined time is determined.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time are five seconds.

4. A system for protecting an electronic device with a touch screen, comprising:

a distance determining module determining whether a distance between the touch screen and an object in front of the touch screen is less than or equal to a distance limit and determining whether the object determined as being within the distance limit remains inside the distance limit for the duration of a second predetermined time;

a touch determining module determining whether a touch action is applied to the touch screen within a first predetermined time when the distance between the touch screen and the object is less than or equal to the distance limit and determining whether the touch action is applied to the touch screen in the first predetermined time when the duration of time of the object remaining within the distance limit is greater than the second predetermined time; and

a warning control module controlling the electronic device to send a warning to a user when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a motion determining module determining whether the electronic device is in a moving state, the touch determining module determining whether the touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time when the duration of time of the object remaining within the distance limit is greater than the second predetermined time and the electronic device is in the moving state.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a touch detection starting module activating the electronic device to detect the touch action applied to the touch screen when the duration of time of the object remaining within the distance limit is greater than the second predetermined time and the electronic device is in the moving state.

7. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen;

a processor;

a distance sensor measuring a distance between the touch screen and an object in front of the touch screen and providing a distance detection signal to the processor;

a touch detection circuit detecting touch actions applied to the touch screen and providing a touch detection signal to the processor; and

a system for protecting the electronic device having one or more programs stored in a storage and executed by the processor, the system comprising;

a distance determining module determining whether a distance between the touch screen and an object in front of the touch screen is less than or equal to a distance limit;

a touch determining module determining whether a touch action is applied to the touch screen within a first predetermined time when the distance is less than or equal to the distance limit; and

a warning control module controlling the electronic device to send a warning to a user when no touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, further comprising a motion sensor determining whether the electronic device is in a moving state, the touch determining module determining whether the touch action is applied to the touch screen within the first predetermined time when the object determined as being within the distance limit remains inside the distance limit for the duration of a second predetermined time and the electronic device is in the moving state.