Controlling Method Applied to a Sensing System

• US 20100289773A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Lu, Chih-Hung, Lin, Cho-Yi
• Granted Patent: US 8,629,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0428 by sensing at the edges of the touch surface the interruption of optical paths, e.g. an illumination plane, parallel to the touch surface which may be virtual sensing beam interruptions in a planar beam grid of an optical touch-screen G06F3/0421
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/107 Static hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images

Abstract

A controlling method applied to a sensing system includes the following step. Whether a specific function is started is determined according to the size of a total pattern acquired. In an embodiment of the present invention, the step of determining whether the specific function is started according to the size of the total pattern acquired is the step of determining whether the specific function is started according to the size of the total pattern acquired and the length of time to successively acquire the total pattern. Accordingly, it is more convenient for a user to use the sensing system having the said controlling method.

Claims

1. A controlling method applied to a sensing system, comprising:

determining whether a specific function is started according to the size of a first total pattern acquired.

2. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the specific function is started according to the size of the first total pattern acquired is the step of:

determining whether the specific function is started according to the size of the first total pattern acquired and the length of time to successively acquire the first total pattern.

3. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sensing system comprises a panel, a first image sensor and a second image sensor, the first image sensor and the second image sensor are disposed at the panel, a sensing range of the first image sensor and a sensing range of the second image sensor cover an area of the panel, respectively, and the step of determining whether the specific function is started according to the size of the first total pattern acquired and the length of time to successively acquire the first total pattern comprises:

(a) the first image sensor and the second image sensor simultaneously sensing the area for respectively acquiring a first image and a second image, wherein the first image comprises a first sub-pattern, the second image comprises a second sub-pattern, and the first total pattern is composed of the first sub-pattern and the second sub-pattern;

(b) determining whether the size of the first total pattern is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value;

(c) further determining whether the length of time to successively acquire the first total pattern is greater than or equal to a second predetermined value if the size of the first total pattern is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value; and

(d) starting the specific function if the length of time to successively acquire the first total pattern is greater than or equal to the second predetermined value.

4. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

(c1) calculating and outputting a first coordinate of a first object which corresponds at that time to the first sub-pattern and the second sub-pattern and returning to the procedure (a) if the size of the first total pattern is smaller than the first predetermined value.

5. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the procedure (d) further comprises calculating and outputting a first coordinate of a first object which corresponds at that time to the first sub-pattern and the second sub-pattern.

6. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

(d1) calculating and outputting a first coordinate of a first object which corresponds at that time to the first sub-pattern and the second sub-pattern and returning to the procedure (a) if the length of time to successively acquire the first total pattern is smaller than the second predetermined value.

7. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 3, wherein after the procedure (d) is executed, the controlling method further comprises:

(e) the first image sensor and the second image sensor simultaneously sensing the area for respectively acquiring a third image and a fourth image, wherein the third image comprises a third sub-pattern, the fourth image comprises a fourth sub-pattern, and a second total pattern is composed of the third sub-pattern and the fourth sub-pattern;

(f) determining whether the size of the second total pattern is smaller than the first predetermined value;

(g) further determining whether the length of time to successively acquire the second total pattern is greater than or equal to the second predetermined value if the size of the second total pattern is smaller than the first predetermined value; and

(h) ending the specific function if the length of time to successively acquire the second total pattern is greater than or equal to the second predetermined value.

8. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

(g1) successively starting the specific function and returning to the procedure (e) if the size of the second total pattern is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value.

9. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the procedure (g1) further comprises calculating and outputting a second coordinate of a second object which corresponds at that time to the third sub-pattern and the fourth sub-pattern.

10. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the procedure (h) further comprises calculating and outputting a second coordinate of a second object which corresponds at that time to the third sub-pattern and the fourth sub-pattern.

11. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising:

(h1) successively starting the specific function and returning to the procedure (e) if the length of time to successively acquire the second total pattern is smaller than the second predetermined value.

12. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the procedure (h1) further comprises calculating and outputting a second coordinate of a second object which corresponds at that time to the third sub-pattern and the fourth sub-pattern.

13. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the first image sensor has a plurality of first sensing pixels suitable for sensing the area, the second image sensor has a plurality of second sensing pixels suitable for sensing the area, and the size of the second total pattern is the sum total of the amount of the corresponding first sensing pixels which acquire the third sub-pattern and the amount of the corresponding second sensing pixels which acquire the fourth sub-pattern.

14. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first image sensor has a plurality of first sensing pixels suitable for sensing the area, the second image sensor has a plurality of second sensing pixels suitable for sensing the area, and the size of the first total pattern is the sum total of the amount of the corresponding first sensing pixels which acquire the first sub-pattern and the amount of the corresponding second sensing pixels which acquire the second sub-pattern.

15. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sensing system comprises a panel, an image sensor, and a reflective mirror element, the image sensor is disposed at the panel, the reflective mirror element is disposed at the panel and mirrors a first area of the panel for forming a second area, a sensing range of the image sensor covers the first area and the second area, and the step of determining whether the specific function is started according to the size of the first total pattern acquired and the length of time to successively acquire the first total pattern comprises:

(a) the image sensor sensing the first area and the second area for acquiring a first image, wherein the first image comprises a first sub-pattern and a second sub-pattern, and a first total pattern is composed of the first sub-pattern and the second sub-pattern;

(b) determining whether the size of the first total pattern is greater than or equal to a first predetermined value;

(c) further determining whether the length of time to successively acquire the first total pattern is greater than or equal to a second predetermined value if the size of the first total pattern is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value; and

(d) starting the specific function if the length of time to successively acquire the first total pattern is greater than or equal to the second predetermined value.

16. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

(c1) calculating and outputting a first coordinate of a first object which corresponds at that time to the first sub-pattern and the second sub-pattern and returning to the procedure (a) if the size of the first total pattern is smaller than the first predetermined value.

17. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the procedure (d) further comprises calculating and outputting a first coordinate of a first object which corresponds at that time to the first sub-pattern and the second sub-pattern.

18. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

(d1) calculating and outputting a first coordinate of a first object which corresponds at that time to the first sub-pattern and the second sub-pattern and returning to the procedure (a) if the length of time to successively acquire the first total pattern is smaller than the second predetermined value.

19. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 15, wherein after the procedure (d) is executed, the controlling method further comprises:

(e) the image sensor sensing the first area and the second area for acquiring a second image, wherein the second image comprises a third sub-pattern and a fourth sub-pattern, and a second total pattern is composed of the third sub-pattern and the fourth sub-pattern;

(f) determining whether the size of the second total pattern is smaller than the first predetermined value;

(g) further determining whether the length of time to successively acquire the second total pattern is greater than or equal to the second predetermined value if the size of the second total pattern is smaller than the first predetermined value; and

(h) ending the specific function if the length of time to successively acquire the second total pattern is greater than or equal to the second predetermined value.

20. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

(g1) successively starting the specific function and returning to the procedure (e) if the size of the second total pattern is greater than or equal to the first predetermined value.

21. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the procedure (g1) further comprises calculating and outputting a second coordinate of a second object which corresponds at that time to the third sub-pattern and the fourth sub-pattern.

22. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the procedure (h) further comprises calculating and outputting a second coordinate of a second object which corresponds at that time to the third sub-pattern and the fourth sub-pattern.

23. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

(h1) successively starting the specific function and returning to the procedure (e) if the length of time to successively acquire the second total pattern is smaller than the second predetermined value.

24. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the procedure (h1) further comprises calculating and outputting a second coordinate of a second object which corresponds at that time to the third sub-pattern and the fourth sub-pattern.

25. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the image sensor has a plurality of sensing pixels suitable for sensing the first area and the second area, and the size of the second total pattern is the sum total of the amount of the corresponding sensing pixels which acquire the third sub-pattern and the amount of the corresponding sensing pixels which acquire the fourth sub-pattern.

26. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the image sensor has a plurality of sensing pixels suitable for sensing the first area and the second area, and the size of the first total pattern is the sum total of the amount of the corresponding sensing pixels which acquire the first sub-pattern and the amount of the corresponding sensing pixels which acquire the second sub-pattern.

27. The controlling method applied to a sensing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the specific function is an erasing function.