TOUCH PANEL AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME

• US 20100026660A1
• Filed: 07/27/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kitamura, Ryota
• Granted Patent: US 8,717,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 panel includes n first line electrodes (n is an integer of 2 or greater) to which pulses are applied, m second line electrodes (m is an integer of 2 or greater) for use in detection, the second line electrodes being arranged to cross the first line electrodes, and a pulse generating circuit configured to apply pulses, in a selected order, to first line electrodes (n₁ is an integer of at least 1 and not greater than n) selected from among the n first line electrodes. A touched position on the touch panel is detected by detecting a change in capacitance between one of the first line electrodes and one of the second line electrodes.

Claims

1. A touch panel comprising:

n first line electrodes (n is an integer of 2 or greater) to which pulses are applied;

m second line electrodes (m is an integer of 2 or greater) for use in detection, the second line electrodes being arranged to cross the first line electrodes; and

a pulse generating circuit configured to apply pulses in a selected order to n₁ first line electrodes (n₁ is an integer of at least 1 and not greater than n) selected from among the n first line electrodes;

a touched position on the touch panel being detected by detecting a change in capacitance between one of the first line electrodes and one of the second line electrodes.

2. The touch panel according to claim 1, configured to be switchable between a first mode in which the pulses are applied to the n₁ first line electrodes where n₁ satisfies 1≦

n₁<

n, and a second mode in which the pulses are applied to the n first line electrodes.

3. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein n₁=n/2.

4. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein

the touch panel operates in the first mode during standby, and

in the case where a touch is detected twice within a predetermined time limit, if a position touched first and a position touched second are approximately the same, it is determined that a double click operation has been performed.

5. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein

the touch panel operates in the first mode during standby, and

in the case where a touch is detected twice within a predetermined time limit, if a position touched first and a position touched second are distant from each other, it is determined that a slide operation has been performed.

6. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein

the touch panel operates in the first mode during standby, and

in the case where a touch is detected once within a predetermined time limit, it is determined that a single click operation has been performed.

7. The touch panel according to claim 2, wherein

the touch panel operates in the first mode during standby, and

in the case where a touch is detected once within a predetermined time limit and if a duration of the touch detected exceeds the predetermined time limit, the touch panel is switched to the second mode to process a drag operation.

8. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein in the first mode, the pulses are applied to the selected n₁ first line electrodes in the order in which the first line electrodes are arranged.

9. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein in the first mode, the pulses are applied to the selected n₁ first line electrodes in such a manner that the pulses are applied to every certain ordinal number of first line electrodes.

10. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein in the first mode, the pulses are applied to the selected n₁ first line electrodes in such a manner that the pulses are applied to respective groups of plural first line electrodes.

11. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein in the first mode, after the pulses are applied to the selected n₁ first line electrodes, the pulses are applied to the selected n₁ first line electrodes again, with the first line electrode to which the pulse is firstly applied being shifted.

12. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the n first line electrodes are arranged at equal spacings.

13. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the n first line electrodes have equal widths.

14. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the n first line electrodes vary in width.

15. The touch panel according to claim 1, wherein the m second line electrodes are arranged at equal spacings.

16. A method for operating a touch panel, the touch panel including n first line electrodes (n is an integer of 2 or greater) to which pulses are applied and m second line electrodes (m is an integer of 2 or greater) for use in detection, the second line electrodes being arranged to cross the first line electrodes, and configured to detect a touched position on the touch panel by detecting a change in capacitance between one of the first line electrodes and one of the second line electrodes, the method comprising the step of:

applying pulses, in a selected order, to n₁ first line electrodes (n₁ is an integer of at least 1 and not greater than n) selected from among the n first line electrodes.

17. An electronic apparatus comprising a touch panel, the touch panel including:

n first line electrodes (n is an integer of 2 or greater) to which pulses are applied;

m second line electrodes (m is an integer of 2 or greater) for use in detection, the second line electrodes being arranged to cross the first line electrodes; and

a pulse generating circuit configured to apply pulses in a selected order to n₁ first line electrodes (n₁ is an integer of at least 1 and not greater than n) selected from among the n first line electrodes;

a touched position on the touch panel being detected by detecting a change in capacitance between one of the first line electrodes and one of the second line electrodes.

18. A method for operating an electronic apparatus including a touch panel, the touch panel including n first line electrodes (n is an integer of 2 or greater) to which pulses are applied and m second line electrodes (m is an integer of 2 or greater) for use in detection, the second line electrodes being arranged to cross the first line electrodes, and configured to detect a touched position on the touch panel by detecting a change in capacitance between one of the first line electrodes and one of the second line electrodes, the method comprising the step of:

applying pulses, in a selected order, to n₁ first line electrodes (n₁ is an integer of at least 1 and not greater than n) selected from among the n first line electrodes.