Touch screen control method and device

• US 9,785,295 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2014
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xiaomi Inc. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Inventors: Yang, Kun, Zhang, Bo, Xiao, Xiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/585,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346864A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041662 using alternate mutual and self-capacitive scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A touch screen control method and device are provided. The method includes acquiring a plurality of actual capacitance values of respective test points on a touch screen, identifying the interference level of an electrically conductive liquid according to differences between the actual capacitance values and a plurality of reference capacitance values of the respective test points, and controlling the touch screen under an operation mode corresponding to the interference level. The reference capacitance values are capacitance values of the respective test points when the test points are not influenced by an electrically conductive medium.

Claims

1. A touch screen control method, comprising:

acquiring a plurality of actual capacitance values of respective test points on a touch screen;

determining an interference level of an electrically conductive liquid according to differences between the actual capacitance values and a plurality of reference capacitance values of the respective test points, wherein the reference capacitance values are capacitance values of the respective test points when the test points are not influenced by an electrically conductive medium;

selecting an operation mode from a plurality of operation modes based on a predetermined correspondence relationship between a plurality of interference levels and the plurality of operation modes, to correspond to the interference level; and

controlling the touch screen under the operation mode corresponding to the interference level,

wherein the plurality of operation modes include at least one of a full-screen multi-finger operation mode, a multi-finger and single-finger mixed operation mode, a full-screen single-finger operation mode, or a full-screen shut-down operation mode,

the plurality of interference levels include a first interference level, a second interference level, a third interference level, and a fourth interference level with increasing interference degrees, and

the selecting of the operation mode comprises;

selecting the full-screen multi-finger operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the first interference level;

selecting the multi-finger and single-finger mixed operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the second interference level;

selecting the full-screen single-finger operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the third interference level; and

selecting the full-screen shut-down operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the fourth interference level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid comprises:

detecting whether each of the test points meets a predetermined condition, the predetermined condition including that an actual self-capacitance value of the test point is the same as a reference self-capacitance value of the test point, and an actual mutual capacitance value of the test point is different from a reference mutual capacitance value of the test point;

identifying that a surface of the test point is covered with the electrically conductive liquid if the test point meets the predetermined condition, and according to a difference between the actual mutual capacitance value and the reference mutual capacitance value of the test point, identifying a coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the test point, the difference being positively related to the coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the test point;

according to whether the surface of each test point is covered with the electrically conductive liquid and the coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of each of the test points that are covered with the electrically conductive liquid, identifying an actual coverage scope and an actual coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on a surface of the touch screen; and

according to the actual coverage scope and the actual coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the touch screen, identifying the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

reporting a current operation mode of the touch screen to a central processing unit (CPU) of electronic equipment, the CPU being configured to generate a prompt message for prompting the current operation mode of the touch screen.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling the touch screen under the multi-finger operation mode when the multi-finger and single-finger mixed operation mode is selected;

acquiring a touch position corresponding to at least one finger by mutual capacitance scanning;

detecting whether any touch position is in a scope of the electrically conductive liquid, the scope of the electrically conductive liquid being determined according to an actual coverage scope of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the touch screen, and an area of the scope of the electrically conductive liquid being larger than that of the actual coverage scope;

controlling the touch screen to switch from the multi-finger operation mode to the single-finger operation mode if any touch position is in the scope of the electrically conductive liquid; and

acquiring at least one touch position associated with the touch position in the scope of the electrically conductive liquid by self-capacitance scanning.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reporting a current operation mode of the touch screen to a central processing unit (CPU) of electronic equipment, the CPU being configured to generate a prompt message for prompting the current operation mode of the touch screen.

6. A touch screen control device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory configured to store instructions executable by the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to perform;

acquiring a plurality of actual capacitance values of respective test points on a touch screen;

identifying an interference level of an electrically conductive liquid according to differences between the actual capacitance values and a plurality of reference capacitance values of the respective test points, wherein the reference capacitance values are capacitance values of the respective test points when the test points are not influenced by an electrically conductive medium;

selecting an operation mode from a plurality of operation modes based on a predetermined correspondence relationship between a plurality of interference levels and the plurality of operation modes, to correspond to the interference level; and

controlling the touch screen under the operation mode corresponding to the interference level,

wherein the plurality of operation modes include at least one of a full-screen multi-finger operation mode, a multi-finger and single-finger mixed operation mode, a full-screen single-finger operation mode, and a full-screen shut-down operation mode,

the plurality of interference levels include a first interference level, a second interference level, a third interference level, and a fourth interference level with increasing interference degrees, and

the selecting of the operation mode comprises;

selecting the full-screen multi-finger operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the first interference level;

selecting the multi-finger and single-finger mixed operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the second interference level;

selecting the full-screen single-finger operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the third interference level; and

selecting the full-screen shut-down operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the fourth interference level.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the identifying of the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid comprises:

detecting whether each of the test points meets a predetermined condition, the predetermined condition including an actual self-capacitance value of the test point is the same as a reference self-capacitance value of the test point, and an actual mutual capacitance value of the test point is different from a reference mutual capacitance value of the test point;

identifying that a surface of the test point is covered with the electrically conductive liquid if the test point meets the predetermined condition, and according to a difference between the actual mutual capacitance value and the reference mutual capacitance value of the test point, identifying a coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the test point, the difference being positively related to the coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the test point;

according to whether the surface of each test point is covered with the electrically conductive liquid and the coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of each of the test points that are covered with the electrically conductive liquid, identifying an actual coverage scope and an actual coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on a surface of the touch screen; and

according to the actual coverage scope and the actual coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the touch screen, identifying the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

reporting a current operation mode of the touch screen to a central processing unit (CPU) of electronic equipment, the CPU being configured to generate a prompt message for prompting the current operation mode of the touch screen.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

controlling the touch screen under the multi-finger operation mode when the multi-finger and single-finger mixed operation mode is selected;

acquiring a touch position corresponding to at least one finger by mutual capacitance scanning;

detecting whether any touch position is in a scope of the electrically conductive liquid, the scope of the electrically conductive liquid being determined according to an actual coverage scope of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the touch screen, and an area of the scope of the electrically conductive liquid being larger than that of the actual coverage scope;

controlling the touch screen to switch from the multi-finger operation mode to the single-finger operation mode if any touch position is in the scope of the electrically conductive liquid; and

acquiring at least one touch position associated with the touch position in the scope of the electrically conductive liquid by self-capacitance scanning.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to perform:

reporting a current operation mode of the touch screen to a central processing unit (CPU) of electronic equipment, the CPU being configured to generate a prompt message for prompting the current operation mode of the touch screen.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, cause the device to perform a touch screen control method, the method comprising:

acquiring a plurality of actual capacitance values of respective test points on a touch screen;

identifying an interference level of an electrically conductive liquid according to differences between the actual capacitance values and a plurality of reference capacitance values of the respective test points, wherein the reference capacitance values are capacitance values of the respective test points when the test points are not influenced by an electrically conductive medium;

selecting an operation mode from a plurality of operation modes based on a predetermined correspondence relationship between a plurality of interference levels and the plurality of operation modes, to correspond to the interference level; and

controlling the touch screen under the operation mode corresponding to the interference level,

wherein the plurality of operation modes include at least one of a full-screen multi-finger operation mode, a multi-finger and single-finger mixed operation mode, a full-screen single-finger operation mode, and a full-screen shut-down operation mode,

the plurality of interference levels include a first interference level, a second interference level, a third interference level, and a fourth interference level with increasing interference degrees, and

the selecting of the operation mode comprises;

selecting the full-screen multi-finger operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the first interference level;

selecting the multi-finger and single-finger mixed operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the second interference level;

selecting the full-screen single-finger operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the third interference level; and

selecting the full-screen shut-down operation mode when the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid is the fourth interference level.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein the identifying of the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid comprises:

detecting whether each of the test points meets a predetermined condition, the predetermined condition including an actual self-capacitance value of the test point is the same as a reference self-capacitance value of the test point, and an actual mutual capacitance value of the test point is different from a reference mutual capacitance value of the test point;

identifying that a surface of the test point is covered with the electrically conductive liquid if the test point meets the predetermined condition, and according to a difference between the actual mutual capacitance value and the reference mutual capacitance value of the test point, identifying a coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the test point, the difference being positively related to the coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the test point;

according to whether the surface of the each test point is covered with the electrically conductive liquid and the coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of each of the test points that are covered with the electrically conductive liquid, identifying an actual coverage scope and an actual coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on a surface of the touch screen; and

according to the actual coverage scope and the actual coverage amount of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the touch screen, identifying the interference level of the electrically conductive liquid.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

controlling the touch screen under the multi-finger operation mode when the multi-finger and single-finger mixed operation mode is selected;

acquiring a touch position corresponding to at least one finger by mutual capacitance scanning;

detecting whether any touch position is in a scope of the electrically conductive liquid, the scope of the electrically conductive liquid being determined according to an actual coverage scope of the electrically conductive liquid on the surface of the touch screen, and an area of the scope of the electrically conductive liquid being larger than that of the actual coverage scope;

controlling the touch screen to switch from the multi-finger operation mode to the single-finger operation mode if any touch position is in the scope of the electrically conductive liquid; and

acquiring at least one touch position associated with the touch position in the scope of the electrically conductive liquid by self-capacitance scanning.

14. The medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

reporting a current operation mode of the touch screen to a central processing unit (CPU) of electronic equipment, the CPU being configured to generate a prompt message for prompting the current operation mode of the touch screen.