INPUT DETECTION METHOD, INPUT DETECTION DEVICE, INPUT DETECTION PROGRAM AND MEDIA STORING THE SAME

• US 20120044204A1
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Original Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
• Inventors: Sumi, Naoki, Matsui, Yoshikazu, HASHIMOTO, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,553,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

The invention provides an input detection method, wherein when multiple touch points are input a touch sensor 30 detects touch points 41, 42 individually. The detection method includes: scanning a first electrode line, and if a plurality of touch areas 43, 45 sandwiching a non-touch area 44 are detected, labeling the plurality of touch areas 43, 45 sequentially; determining the location of the non-touch area as a separation area in the case where the non-touch area between the labels is within a predetermined spacing; when a second electrode line next to the first electrode line where a separation area is detected is scanned, handling the area on the second electrode line corresponding to the separation area on the first electrode line as a separation area; and practicing the above steps for every electrode line and detecting the labels.

Claims

1. An input detection method for separately detecting multiple touches input to a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor is provided with a plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix, and the touch sensor detects the multiple touches by sequentially scanning electrode lines where the electrodes are arranged, comprising:

(a) scanning a first electrode line to detect whether a plurality of contact areas sandwiching a non-touch area exist in the scanning direction;

(b) labeling the plurality of contact areas in sequence;

(c) determining the non-contact area between the labels as a separation area in the case where the non-touch area between the labels is within a predetermined spacing;

(d) handling an area on a second electrode line, which is to be scanned after the first electrode line, as a separation area, wherein the location of the area on the second electrode line corresponds to the location of the separation area detected on the first electrode line; and

(e) performing steps (a)˜

(d) in sequence for each electrode line, and finding the central locations of the touches according to the labels.

2. The input detection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is set with a predetermined coordinate system, and the predetermined spacing is a distance of one coordinate or two coordinates.

3. The input detection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrodes are scanned from at least one direction parallel to the column or the row of the matrix.

4. The input detection method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the electrodes are scanned from two directions which are parallel to the column and the row of the matrix, respectively.

5. The input detection method as claimed in claim 4, wherein after all of the electrodes are scanned from one direction, scanning from the other direction begins.

6. The input detection method as claimed in claim 5, wherein scanning along the horizontal direction comprises scanning from the bottom electrode line to the top electrode line and scanning from the top electrode line to the bottom electrode line, and scanning along the vertical direction comprises scanning from the left electrode line to the right electrode line and scanning from the right electrode line to the left electrode line.

15. A computer readable media storing an input detection program, wherein the input detection program is executed by the computer to perform the input detection method as claimed in claim 1.

16. An input detection program executed by a computer to perform the input detection method as claimed in claim 1.

7. An input detection device, for separately detecting multiple touches input to a touch sensor, wherein the touch sensor is provided with a plurality of electrodes arranged in a matrix, and the touch sensor detects the multiple touches by sequentially scanning electrode lines where the electrodes are arranged, comprising:

a scanning part scanning a first electrode line to detect whether a plurality of contact areas sandwiching a non-touch area exist;

a labeling part labeling the plurality of contact areas in sequence;

a separation area detection part determining the non-contact area between the labels as a separation area in the case where the non-touch area between the labels is within a predetermined spacing;

a positive switch-off part handling an area on a second electrode line, which is to be scanned after the first electrode line, as a separation area, wherein the location of the area on the second electrode line corresponds to the location of the separation area detected on the first electrode line; and

a location calculation part calculating the central locations of the touches according to the labels after the scanning part, the labeling part, separation area detection part, and the positive switch-off part finish operations for each of the electrode lines.

8. The input detection device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the touch sensor is set with a predetermined coordinate system, and the predetermined spacing is a distance of one coordinate or two coordinates.

9. The input detection device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the electrodes are scanned from at least one direction parallel to the column or the row of the matrix.

10. The input detection device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electrodes are scanned from two directions which are parallel to the column and the row of the matrix, respectively.

11. The input detection device as claimed in claim 10, wherein after all of the electrodes are scanned from one direction, scanning from the other direction begins.

12. The input detection device as claimed in claim 11, wherein scanning along the horizontal direction comprises scanning from the bottom electrode line to the top electrode line and scanning from the top electrode line to the bottom electrode line, and scanning along the vertical direction comprises scanning from the left electrode line to the right electrode line and scanning from the right electrode line to the left electrode line.

13. The input detection device as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a touch sensor module and a driving circuit for the touch sensor module.

14. The input detection device as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a liquid crystal display device displaying the input image of the touch sensor, wherein the liquid crystal display device is disposed so as to be overlapped with the touch sensor.