TOUCH CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD
A method for controlling a touch control device includes defining a first area and a second area on a touchpad, detecting whether a touched position on the touchpad that is touched by an operating object falls in the first area or the second area, and calculating the corresponding on-screen coordinates of the operating object with different sets of ratios depending on the touched position.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application filed on Nov. 11, 2011 and having application Ser. No. 61/558,457, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference
This application is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 from Taiwan Patent Application No. 101102526 filed Jan. 20, 2012, which is hereby specifically incorporated herein by this reference thereto.
This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application filed on Jul. 5, 2012 and having application Ser. No. 13/542,592, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related generally to a touch control device and, more particularly, to a touch control device and a control method thereof so that, when a touchpad is touched by an operating object, the corresponding coordinates of the operating object on a screen can be obtained by calculating with different sets of ratios depending on the touched position on the touchpad.
2. Description of the Prior Arts
With the continuous improvement of touch control technology, touch control operation is applicable not only to the small touch screens of the conventional touch-screen mobile devices such as mobile phones and satellite-based navigation devices, but also to operating systems that provide multi-touch functions, such as Microsoft's Windows 7 and Windows 8 and Apple Inc.'s iPhone OS. Thus, the touch control operation environment has extended from portable devices to desktop devices, allowing users to perform various operations directly on large touch screens.
Nowadays, the development of operating systems supporting touch control operation has gradually matured, and yet large touch screens are disadvantaged by high costs and by the limitation that users must be within a very short distance from the screens in order to exercise touch control. Therefore, touch control devices other than touch screens (e.g., touchpads) have been devised for touch control operation. These touch control devices, however, are typically designed only for controlling the cursor on a screen and are intended mainly as a substitute for the existing cursor controllers such as external mice or trackballs. In contrast to touch screens, which can be used to give actuation instructions directly by a finger touch on the screens, the aforesaid touch control devices provide no such a function when touched by a user's finger. Hence, a touch control device capable of simulating the effect of a finger touch on a touch screen is desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIt is an object of the present invention to provide a touch control device and a control method thereof so that, when a touchpad is touched by an operating object, the corresponding coordinates of the operating object on a screen can be obtained by calculating with different sets of ratios depending on the touched position on the touchpad.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a touch control device and a control method thereof so that instruction windows can be opened according to the movement of an operating object.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a touch control device and a control method thereof so that different instructions can be executed according to the touch control action of an operating object on a touchpad.
To achieve the above and other objects, the present invention provides a touch control device including an input element and a computation unit. The input element has a touchpad and a control unit. The touchpad includes a first area and a second area. The control unit is connected to the touchpad and is configured for detecting the coordinates of an operating object on the touchpad. The computation unit is connected to the control unit. If the touch by the operating object starts in the first area, the computation unit calculates the corresponding coordinates of the operating object on a screen according to the coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad and a first set of ratios. If the touch by the operating object starts in the second area, the computation unit calculates the corresponding coordinates of the operating object on the screen according to the coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad and a second set of ratios.
The present invention also provides a method for controlling a touch control device, and the method is carried out as follows. To begin with, a first area and a second area are defined on a touchpad. Then, it is determined whether a touch by an operating object starts in the first area or the second area. If the touch by the operating object starts in the first area, the corresponding coordinates of the operating object on a screen are calculated according to the coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad and a first set of ratios. If the touch by the operating object starts in the second area, the corresponding coordinates of the operating object on the screen are calculated according to the coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad and a second set of ratios.
The present invention also provides a touch control device including an input element and a computation unit. The input element has a touchpad and a control unit. The touchpad includes a first area and a second area, wherein the first area is a peripheral area of the touchpad. The control unit is connected to the touchpad and is configured for detecting the movement of an operating object on the touchpad. The computation unit is connected to the control unit. If the computation unit determines that the operating object has moved on the touchpad from the first area toward the second area, an instruction window is opened on a screen according to the movement of the operating object.
The present invention also provides a method for controlling a touch control device, and the method is carried out as follows. To begin with, a first area and a second area are defined on a touchpad, wherein the first area is a peripheral area of the touchpad. Then, the movement of an operating object on the touchpad is detected, and it is determined whether the operating object has moved on the touchpad from the first area toward the second area. If the operating object has moved on the touchpad from the first area toward the second area, an instruction window is opened on a screen according to the movement of the operating object.
The present invention also provides a method for controlling a touch control device, and the method includes determining the number of operating objects on a touchpad and determining the number of instruction items of an application program that is currently running. If the number of operating objects on the touchpad is greater than one and if the number of instruction items of the application program is greater than one, a virtual frame is defined on a screen. The corresponding coordinates of the operating objects in the virtual frame are calculated according to the coordinates of the operating objects on the touchpad and a set of ratios.
The present invention also provides a method for controlling a touch control device, and the method includes determining the number of operating objects on a touchpad. If there is only one operating object, it is then determined whether the operating object has double-clicked the touchpad. If the operating object has double-clicked the touchpad, a virtual touch control element is generated on a screen, and it is detected whether the operating object has displaced on the touchpad. If the operating object has displaced on the touchpad, a window page switching instruction is executed.
The present invention also provides a method for controlling a touch control device, and the method includes determining the number of operating objects on a touchpad. If there is only one operating object, it is then determined whether the operating object has performed a touch control action on the touchpad. If the operating object has performed a touch control action on the touchpad, a control window frame is defined on a screen, and the corresponding coordinates of the operating object in the control window frame are calculated according to the coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad and a set of ratios.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The present invention mainly provides a touch control device for use with an operating system that supports touch control operation, such as Windows 7, Windows 8, and iPhone OS, so as to enable intuitive operation similar to what is achievable by touching a touch screen with a finger. The touch control device of the present invention can be a built-in or external touch control device. In the former case, the built-in touch control device is applicable to the touchpad of a laptop computer or a transformable tablet computer (e.g., the Transformer-series tablet computers of ASUSTeK Computer Inc.); in the latter case, the external touch control device can be designed as one connectable to a computer device via a wired or wireless transmission interface (e.g., USB, PS2, infrared, or Bluetooth), such as an external touchpad, a mouse with a touchpad, a controller with a touchpad, a keyboard with a touchpad, or a touch keyboard with a touchpad.
The computation unit 2 in
Referring to
and the height ratio
between the screen 4 and the touchpad 11. The corresponding coordinates (Xc1, Yc1) of the operating object 9 on the screen 4 are calculated from the coordinates (Xf1, Yf1) of the operating object 9 on the touchpad 11 by the computation unit 2 as
Once the calculation of the above coordinate information T3 is completed, the computation unit 2 sends the coordinate information T3 to the operating system 3 and generates the virtual touch control element 9′ on the screen 4 accordingly. The virtual touch control element 9′ can be displayed on the screen 4 or hidden from view as needed. When the operating object 9 slides on the touchpad 11, the virtual touch control element 9′ changes its coordinate position on the screen 4 in response to the movement of the operating object 9 (see
Referring to
and the height ratio
between the control window frame 5 and the touchpad 11. The corresponding coordinates (Xc2, Yc2) of the operating object 9 in the control window frame 5 are calculated from the coordinates (Xf2, Yf2) of the operating object 9 on the touchpad 11 by the computation unit 2 as
Upon completing the calculation of the foregoing coordinate information T3, the computation unit 2 transmits the coordinate information T3 to the operating system 3 and, using the last position of the virtual touch control element 9′ or the cursor 9″ on the screen 4 as the reference coordinate position, maps the coordinates (Xc2, Yc2) in the control window frame 5 to the reference coordinate position, thereby defining the position of the control window frame 5 on the screen 4. As a result, the cursor 9″ is displayed at the coordinates (Xc2, Yc2) in the control window frame 5.
The user can change the coordinate position of the cursor 9″ by moving the operating object 9. In addition, the control window frame 5 can be displayed on the screen 4 or hidden from view as desired. Displaying the control window frame 5 on the screen 4 allows the user to know the current position of the control window frame 5; however, as the user need not know the position of the control window frame 5 during operation, the user may choose to hide the control window frame 5 or display it in a flashing manner.
Referring to
Referring to
and the height ratio
between the virtual frame 6 and the touchpad 11. The corresponding coordinates (Xc4, Yc4) of the operating object 9a in the virtual frame 6 are calculated from the coordinates (Xf4, Yf4) of the operating object 9a on the touchpad 11 by the computation unit 2 as
A similar calculation is performed for the operating object 9b. Upon completing the calculation of the above coordinate information T3, the computation unit 2 sends the coordinate information T3 to the operating system 3. Accordingly, the virtual touch control elements 9a′ and 9b′ are generated in the virtual frame 6, allowing the user to operate the one instruction item 23 of the application program intuitively by means of the multiple operating objects on the touchpad 11.
Moreover, the virtual frame 6 can be displayed on the screen 4 or hidden from view as needed. Displaying the virtual frame 6 on the screen 4 allows the user to know the current position of the virtual frame 6, and yet it is not necessary for the user to know such information during operation. Hence, the user may choose to hide the virtual frame 6 or display it in a flashing manner.
In addition, if the operating object 9 leaves the touchpad 11 upon completion of step S18, S20, S24, or S26, the process returns to step S12 to detect whether the touchpad 11 is touched by an operating object 9.
Referring to
and the height ratio
between the instruction window W and the virtual instruction area 113. The corresponding coordinates (Xc5, Yc5) of the operating object 9 in instruction window W are calculated from the coordinates (Xf5, Yf5) of the operating object 9 in the virtual instruction area 113 by the computation unit 2 as
After the calculation of the foregoing coordinate information T3 is completed, the computation unit 2 sends the coordinate information T3 to the operating system 3. Hence, by operating the operating object 9 in the virtual instruction area 113, the user can execute instructions in the instruction window W or perform other actions.
In a different aspect, once the instruction window W is opened in step S30, the user's finger may leave the touchpad 11 and then touch the second area 112 of the touchpad 11. In that case, the computation unit 2 will cancel the virtual instruction area 113 on the touchpad 11 and generates the cursor 9″ on the screen 4 through the foregoing steps S12, S14, S16, and S20. The user may move the cursor 9″ to the instruction window W and click any instruction key in the instruction window W to execute the desired instruction or application program.
In step S156, the computation unit 2 calculates the corresponding coordinates (Xc5, Yc5) of the operating object 9 in the control window frame 5 according to the second set of ratios as well as the coordinates (Xf5, Yf5) of the operating object 9 that correspond to the operating object 9's second touch on the touchpad 11. The second set of ratios have been described in the previous embodiments and therefore are not repeated here. Upon completing the calculation of the foregoing coordinate information T3, the computation unit 2 sends the coordinate information T3 to the operating system 3 and, using as the reference coordinate position the position of the virtual touch control element 9′ or cursor 9″ last appearing on the screen 4, maps the coordinates (Xc5, Yc5) in the control window frame 5 onto the reference coordinate position, thereby defining the position of the control window frame 5 on the screen 4. Then, the virtual touch control element 9′ is generated at the coordinates (Xc5, Yc5) in the control window frame 5.
After the virtual touch control element 9′ is generated, it is detected in step S158 whether the operating object 9 has displaced on the touchpad 11. If the operating object 9 has displaced on the touchpad 11, it is also determined whether the displacement Δm of the operating object 9 is greater than a preset value M. If Δm>M, the virtual touch control element 9′ executes the instruction of window page switching according to the displacement direction of the operating object 9.
Claims
1. A touch control device, comprising:
- an input element having a touchpad and a control unit, the touchpad comprising a first area and a second area, the first area being a peripheral area of the touchpad, the control unit being connected to the touchpad and configured for detecting a touch on the touchpad by an operating object and a movement of the operating object on the touchpad; and
- a computation unit connected to the control unit, wherein if the computation unit determines that the operating object has moved from the first area toward the second area, an instruction window is opened on a screen.
2. The touch control device of claim 1, wherein the touchpad generates a detection signal in response to the touch by the operating object and sends the detection signal to the control unit, and the control unit generates coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad according to the detection signal.
3. The touch control device of claim 2, wherein the control unit determines according to the detection signal whether the touch on the touchpad by the operating object starts in the first area or the second area.
4. The touch control device of claim 2, wherein the computation unit determines according to coordinates output from the control unit whether the touch on the touchpad by the operating object starts in the first area or the second area.
5. The touch control device of claim 1, wherein the second area is defined in a central area of the touchpad and surrounded by the first area.
6. The touch control device of claim 1, wherein the computation unit is connected to an operating system and is provided with an event receiver for receiving an event signal from the operating system.
7. A method for controlling a touch control device including a touchpad having a first area and a second area, the first area being a peripheral area of the touchpad, the method comprising steps of:
- A.) detecting a touch on the touchpad by an operating object and a movement of the operating object on the touchpad;
- B.) determining whether the operating object has moved from the first area toward the second area; and
- C.) opening an instruction window on a screen according to the movement of the operating object, if the operating object has moved from the first area toward the second area.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step A comprises steps of:
- generating a detection signal in response to the touch on the touchpad by the operating object; and
- generating first coordinates according to the detection signal.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step A comprises a step of determining according to the detection signal whether the touch on the touchpad by the operating object starts in the first area or the second area.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step A comprises a step of determining whether the touch by the operating object starts in the first area or the second area according to coordinates provided by a control unit.
11. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of calculating corresponding coordinates of the operating object on the screen according to coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad and a width ratio and a height ratio between the screen and the touchpad if the touch by the operating object starts in the first area.
12. The method of claim 7, wherein the second area is defined in a central area of the touchpad and surrounded by the first area.
13. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of defining a virtual instruction area on the touchpad according to a position of the instruction window on the screen after the instruction window is opened.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual instruction area is defined in the peripheral area of the touchpad and has at least two borders coinciding respectively with borders of the touchpad.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step of calculating corresponding coordinates of the operating object in the instruction window according to coordinates of the operating object in the virtual instruction area and a width ratio and a height ratio between the instruction window and the virtual instruction area.
16. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of defining a third area corresponding to the instruction window on the touchpad after the instruction window is opened.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the third area is defined in a peripheral area of the touchpad and has at least two borders coinciding respectively with borders of the touchpad.
18. The method of claim 16, further comprising a step of calculating corresponding coordinates of the operating object in the instruction window according to coordinates of the operating object in the third area and a width ratio and a height ratio between the instruction window and the third area.
19. A method for controlling a touch control device, comprising steps of:
- A) determining the number of operating objects on a touchpad;
- B) determining, if there is one and only one said operating object, whether the operating object has double-clicked the touchpad;
- C) detecting, if the operating object has double-clicked the touchpad, whether the operating object has displaced on the touchpad; and
- D) executing a window page switching instruction if the operating object has displaced on the touchpad.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising a step of defining a control window frame on a screen and calculating corresponding first coordinates of the operating object in the control window frame according to coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad and a second set of ratios if the operating object has double-clicked the touchpad.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising a step of generating a virtual touch control element at the first coordinates if the operating object has double-clicked the touchpad.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein the second set of ratios are a width ratio and a height ratio between the control window frame and the touchpad.
23. The method of claim 20, further comprising a step of using a position of a virtual touch control element or cursor last appearing on the screen as a reference coordinate position and mapping the first coordinates in the control window frame to the reference coordinate position so as to define a position of the control window frame on the screen.
24. A method for controlling a touch control device, comprising steps of:
- determining the number of operating objects on a touchpad;
- determining, if there is one and only one said operating object, whether the operating object has performed a touch control action on the touchpad; and
- defining a control window frame on a screen and calculating, according to coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad and a second set of ratios, corresponding first coordinates of the operating object in the control window frame, if the operating object has performed the touch control action on the touchpad.
25. The method of claim 24, further comprising a step of generating a virtual touch control element at the first coordinates if the touch control action is double clicking.
26. The method of claim 24, wherein the second set of ratios are a width ratio and a height ratio between the control window frame and the touchpad.
27. The method of claim 25, further comprising a step of using a position of a said virtual touch control element or cursor last appearing on the screen as a reference coordinate position and mapping the first coordinates in the control window frame to the reference coordinate position so as to define a position of the control window frame on the screen.
28. The Method of claim 25, further comprising a step of detecting whether the operating object has displaced on the touchpad after the virtual touch control element is generated, and executing a window page switching instruction according to the displacement by the virtual touch control element if a displacement of the operating object on the touchpad is detected.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 9, 2015
Publication Date: Mar 3, 2016
Applicant: ELAN MICROELECTRONICS CORPORATION (Hsinchu)
Inventors: Wei-Kuo Mai (Hsinchu City), Shih Peng Huang (Xinfeng Township), Chung-Jung Liou (Taichung City)
Application Number: 14/936,376