Electronic device with no-hindrance touch operation

• US 8,134,536 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Hsu, Chih-Feng, Kao, Yih-Feng, Wang, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZUBAJLO, JENNIFER L
• Application Number:
  US12/121,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20080284753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-179
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electronic device with no-hindrance touch operation is provided. A processor in the electronic device receives an input signal through a touch display. Then the processor determines the type of the input tool which generates the input signal. Finally, a user interface corresponding to the tool type is switched and displayed. In addition, the electronic device may open or close specific functions automatically according to the tool type. As a result, the efficiency of switching user interfaces is improved, and furthermore the convenience of operating the electronic device is increased.

Claims

1. An electronic device with no-hindrance touch operation, configured for identifying a type of an input tool, comprising:

a casing having an opening;

a touch display disposed in the opening of the casing for receiving an operation of an input tool, wherein the touch display has a sensing surface, and an outer surface of the casing is substantially level with the sensing surface; and

a processor electrically coupled to the touch display for identifying the type of the input tool and executing a predetermined function according to the type of the input tool,

wherein the processor records a plurality of contact values in a specific duration, each of the contact values is a contact coordinate or a contact pressure detected when the input tool operates the touch display, the processor calculates an average of the contact values in the specific duration, calculates a variation range of the contact values in the specific duration according to differences between the contact values and the average, and then identifies the type of the input tool according to a size of the variation range.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor records the contact values at a predetermined sampling time interval in the specific duration.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch display comprises a display and a touch sensing means, the processor is electrically coupled to the display and the touch sensing means, the touch sensing means comprises a resistive sensing device and the contact values are detected by the resistive sensing device.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the touch sensing means comprises the sensing surface and the sensing surface comprises a display area.

5. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the touch sensing means comprises the sensing surface and the sensing surface comprises a non-display area.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch display comprises a display and a touch sensing means, the processor is electrically coupled to the display and the touch sensing means, the touch sensing means comprises a capacitive sensing device and the contact values are detected by the capacitive sensing device.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the touch sensing means comprises the sensing surface and the sensing surface comprises a display area.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the touch sensing means comprises the sensing surface and the sensing surface comprises a non-display area.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined function comprises opening or closing a specific function according to the type of the input tool.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined function comprises switching to a corresponding user interface according to the type of the input tool.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the type of the input tool comprises a first type and a second type, the user interface corresponding to the first type is a general user interface including all functions of the electronic device, the user interface corresponding to the second type is a frequently used function interface including a part of the functions of the electronic device.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the first type comprises stylus and the second type comprises finger.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein all items of the frequently used function interface are displayed in a finger-operable dimension, the items comprise icons or images which can be selected by the input tool.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor displays items of the user interface in a dimension corresponding to the type of the input tool.

15. An electronic device with no-hindrance touch operation, configured for identifying a type of an input tool, comprising:

a casing having an opening;

a touch display disposed in the opening of the casing for receiving an operation of an input tool, the touch display comprising a sensing surface, wherein an edge of the opening of the casing continuously connects with the sensing surface, and an outer surface of the casing is substantially level with the sensing surface; and

a processor electrically coupled to the touch display for identifying the type of the input tool and executing a predetermined function according to the type of the input tool,

wherein the processor records a plurality of contact values in a specific duration, each of the contact values is a contact coordinate or a contact pressure detected when the input tool operates the touch display, the processor calculates an average of the contact values in the specific duration, calculates a variation range of the contact values in the specific duration according to differences between the contact values and the average, and then identifies the type of the input tool according to a size of the variation range.