This application claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. §119 from China Patent Applications: Application No. 201410791621.6, filed on Dec. 29, 2014, in the China Intellectual Property Office, disclosures of which are incorporated herein by references.
The subject matter herein generally relates to touch devices and electronic equipments, especially touch devices with haptic feedback function and electronic equipments using the same.
Different types of touch panels, including a resistance-type, a capacitance-type, an infrared-type and a surface sound wave-type have been widely utilized in electronic equipment using the same.
However, the touch panels are used to detect the touch signals and have no haptic feedback function. For example, the touch panel of the notebook is only used to control the mouse pointer of the notebook.
What is needed, therefore, is to provide a touch device with haptic feedback function and an electronic equipment using the same which can overcome the shortcomings as described above.
Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures, wherein:
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein.
Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented.
The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term “outside” refers to a region that is beyond the outermost confines of a physical object. The term “inside” indicates that at least a portion of a region is partially contained within a boundary formed by the object. The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape or other word that substantially modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, substantially cylindrical means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising” means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in a so-described combination, group, series and the like. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.
Referring to
The touch panel 110 can be any type such as capacitance-type, resistance-type, electromagnetic type, infrared type or hybrid type. The touch panel 110 can be transparent or opaque. The touch panel 110 has a first surface 112 and a second surface 114, opposite to the first surface 112. In use, the first surface 112 facing the user and is used as touch surface. In one embodiment, the touch panel 110 is a capacitance-type touch screen.
The flexible printed circuit 120 is configured to electrically connect the touch panel 110 to an integrated circuit (IC). The structure, size and shape of the flexible printed circuit 120 are not limited and can be designed according to need. The flexible printed circuit 120 includes a main portion 122 and a connecting portion 124, electrically connected to the main portion 122. The connecting portion 124 is configured to electrically connect the main portion 122 to the touch panel 110. The connecting portion 124 can be folded to form a U shape so that the main portion 122 and the touch panel 110 are substantially parallel with each other.
The haptic feedback element 130 is configured to respond to the pressure on the touch panel 110 by giving a haptic feedback. Thus, when the user presses the touch panel 110, the user can feel like pressing a key. The haptic feedback can be a passive feedback caused by the rebound of the haptic feedback element 130 or an active feedback caused by the vibration of the haptic feedback element 130 induced by an electrical signal. Furthermore, the haptic feedback element 130 can have a pressure detecting function. Thus, the electronic equipment using the touch device 100 can perform a corresponding function according to the pressure detected by the haptic feedback element 130.
As shown in
In one embodiment, the main portion 122 is spaced from the second surface 114 after the flexible printed circuit 120 is folded. The haptic feedback element 130 is located between the main portion 122 and the touch panel 110. The haptic feedback element 130 can be in direct contact with the second surface 114 of the touch panel 110. The haptic feedback element 130 can be fixed on the touch panel 110 by adhesive. When the user press the touch panel 110 at the pace corresponding to the haptic feedback element 130, the metal dome of the haptic feedback element 130 would be deformed and rebound to give a haptic feedback to the pressure. The haptic feedback of the metal dome is a passive haptic feedback.
Referring to
The main portion 122 of the flexible printed circuit 120 can be spaced from or in direct contact with the second surface 114 of the touch panel 110. When the main portion 122 of the flexible printed circuit 120 is spaced from the second surface 114, a support layer (not shown) can be located between the main portion 122 and the touch panel 110. Therefore, the pressure on the touch panel 110 can be acted on the feedback element 130. When the main portion 122 of the flexible printed circuit 120 is in direct contact with the second surface 114, the main portion 122 can be fixed on the touch panel 110 by adhesive. The main portion 122 can also be fixed on the second surface 114 of the touch panel 110 by a pressing force from a plate or element of the electronic equipment utilizing the touch device 100A.
Referring to
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In one embodiment, the haptic feedback element 130 is a curved metal sheet insulated from the flexible printed circuit 120 at a natural state. For example, the haptic feedback element 130 is an upside down U shape metal sheet. At least two conductive traces 126 of the flexible printed circuit 120 are partially located under, exposed to and spaced from the haptic feedback element 130. When the haptic feedback element 130 is deformed by pressure, the deformed haptic feedback element 130 can be in direct contact with the two conductive traces 126. Thus, the two conductive traces 126 are electrically connected to each other so that the integrated circuit electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit 120 can detect electrical signals of short-circuit and perform certain functions.
Referring to
The vibrator can vibrate under an electrical activation. The electrical activation can be performed by different modes. In one embodiment, when the touch panel 110 detects a touch signal, the integrated circuit electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit 120 can send an electrical activation signal to the haptic feedback element 130 via the flexible printed circuit 120. In another embodiment, when the user press the haptic feedback element 130 through the touch panel 110, the vibrator would be activated to vibrate by the pressure. In another embodiment, when the user press the haptic feedback element 130 through the touch panel 110, the piezoelectric vibrator would send an electrical signal to the integrated circuit electrically connected to the flexible printed circuit 120 due to the piezoelectric effect. The integrated circuit would judge the electrical signal from the piezoelectric vibrator and send an electrical activation signal to the haptic feedback element 130 according to the judgment.
Referring to
The touch devices above can be used in electronic equipment such as mobile phone, tablet computer, notebook, game machine, or a learning machine. The notebooks using the touch devices above are provided below.
Referring to
The touch panel 110 of the touch device 100 is embedded on the main processor case 16 and exposed to outside of the main processor case 16. The flexible printed circuit 120 and the haptic feedback element 130 are located inside of the main processor case 16. The flexible printed circuit 120 and the haptic feedback element 130 can be supported by a plate or an inherent element of the main processor case 16.
Referring to
Because the haptic feedback element 130 is located on the flexible printed circuit 120 or the touch panel 110, the electronic equipment using the touch devices above does not need extra circuit board to support and electrically connect the haptic feedback elements 130 and have simple structure.
The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the forego description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure up to, and including, the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims.
Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps of methods described may be removed, others may be added, and the sequence of steps may be altered. The description and the claims drawn to a method may include some indication in reference to certain steps. However, the indication used is only to be viewed for identification purposes and not as a suggestion as to an order for the steps.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201410791621.6 | Dec 2014 | CN | national |