Patent Application
20130293476
The present invention relates to an input device, and more particularly to a touch input device.
The applications of the touch input devices are gradually expanded. In the early stage, a touch input device is installed on a notebook computer. By operating the touch input device, the cursor movement may be correspondingly controlled or a corresponding icon of the user interface may be clicked without the need of a mouse to operate the notebook computer. With increasing development of science and technology, the touch input device may be applied to a touch panel. As a consequence, the display screen of a digital camera, a tablet personal computer or a smart phone may have the touch control function.
After the conventional touch input device 1 is assembled, a touch key 101 of the touch plate 10 may be pressed by the user's finger. Since the electric capacity of the touching point corresponding to the pressed touch key 101 of the touch plate 10 is increased, the touch contact 102 of the pressed touch key 101 of the touch plate 10 is triggered to generate an output signal. According to the output signal, the controlling unit 11 can realize which touch contact 102 is triggered and thus generate a corresponding touch signal.
Hereinafter, the internal circuitry of the conventional touch input device will be illustrated with reference to
Moreover, according to the practical requirements, the number of the touch keys 101 of the touch input device 1 may be increased in order to expand the function of the touch input device 1. However, since the controlling unit 11 has the limited number of connecting ports 111 and the connecting ports 111 of the controlling unit 11 are connected with the touch contacts 102 one by one, the added number of the touch keys 101 is restricted by the number of the connecting ports 111. In other words, the maximum number of the touch keys of the touch plate is equal to the number of the connecting ports of the controlling unit, and thus the functions of the touch input device 1 fails to be expanded at will.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a touch input device whose touch keys can be increased without being obviously restricted by the number of the connecting ports.
The present invention provides a touch input device, in which only a small number of connecting ports is sufficient to generate the touch signals corresponding to a great number of touch keys.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a touch input device. The touch input device includes a touch plate and a controlling unit. When the touch plate is pressed, an electric capacity of the touch plate is increased. The touch plate includes plural touch keys. The plural touch keys include M first type touch keys and at least one second type touch key. The M first type touch keys are disposed on the touch plate. Each of the M first type touch keys has one first touch contact. When one of the M first type touch keys is pressed, the corresponding first touch contact is triggered. The at least one second type touch key is disposed on the touch plate. Each of the at least one second type touch key has M separate second touch contacts. When the second type touch key is pressed, the corresponding M second touch contacts are triggered. The controlling unit is connected with the touch plate for judging whether one of the M first type touch keys and the at least one second type touch key is triggered or not. The controlling unit has M connecting ports, and each of the M connecting ports is correlated with the corresponding second touch contact and the corresponding first type touch key, so that the touch plate comprises (2M−1) touch keys, wherein M is a positive integer, and a number of the first type touch keys is greater than a number of the at least one second type touch key.
In an embodiment, if the electric capacity of the touch plate is increased and the M second touch contacts are triggered, the M second touch contacts issue M high logic-level signals to the M connecting ports, respectively. In response to the M high logic-level signals, the controlling unit generates a touch signal.
In an embodiment, if the electric capacity of the touch plate is increased and one of the M first touch contacts of the M first type touch keys is triggered, the triggered first touch contact of the corresponding first type touch key issues a high logic-level signal to the corresponding connecting port. In response to the high logic-level signal and (M−1) low logic-level signal, the controlling unit generates another touch signal.
In an embodiment, if M=2, the number of the at least one second type touch key, and the connecting unit has a first connecting port and a second connecting port. The first connecting port is connected with a first one of the M second touch contacts and a first one of the M first type touch keys, and the second connecting port is connected with a second one of the M second touch contacts and a second one of the M first type touch keys.
In an embodiment, the plural touch keys further include at least one third type touch key. The at least one third type touch key is disposed on the touch plate, and each of the at least one third type touch key has (M−1) separate third touch contact contacts. When the third type touch key is pressed, the corresponding (M−1) third touch contacts are triggered, wherein the (M−1) third touch contacts of the third type touch key are connected with any (M−1) connecting ports of the M connecting ports.
In an embodiment, the touch input device further includes a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board is connected with the touch plate, and the M first touch contacts and the M separate second touch contacts are printed on the printed circuit board.
In an embodiment, the controlling unit is disposed on the printed circuit board. The M connecting ports of the controlling unit are respectively connected with the M first touch contacts and the M separate second touch contacts through plural printed traces of the printed circuit board.
In an embodiment, the touch input device includes a printed circuit board and a flexible circuit board. The flexible circuit board is connected with the printed circuit board and the controlling unit. The M first touch contacts and the M separate second touch contacts are disposed on the flexible circuit board. The M first touch contacts and the M separate second touch contacts are connected with the printed circuit board through plural conductive traces of the flexible circuit board.
In an embodiment, the controlling unit is disposed on the printed circuit board. The M connecting ports of the controlling unit are respectively connected with the M first touch contacts and the M separate second touch contacts through the plural conductive traces of the flexible circuit board.
In an embodiment, the controlling unit is disposed on the flexible circuit board. The M connecting ports of the controlling unit are respectively connected with the M first touch contacts, the M separate second touch contacts and the printed circuit board through the plural conductive traces of the flexible circuit board.
In an embodiment, the plural touch keys have respective key patterns, and the key patterns are disposed on a surface of the touch plate. The functions of respective touch keys are recognizable through the key patterns.
The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:
For obviating the drawbacks encountered from the prior art, the present invention provides a touch input device.
In this embodiment, the touch key with a single touch contact is defined as the first type touch key 202, and the touch key with two touch contacts is defined as the second type touch key 203.
Please refer to
Hereinafter, the internal circuitry of the touch input device 2 will be illustrated with reference to
When the first type touch key 202A is pressed by the user, the electric capacity of the touching point corresponding to the pressed first type touch key 202A of the touch plate 20 is increased. Consequently, the first touch contact 2021A is triggered to generate a high logic-level signal to the connecting port 211A. The high logic-level signal (i.e. the logic state=1) is transmitted to the controlling unit 21 through the connecting port 211A. Since no signal is transmitted to the controlling unit 21 through the connecting port 211B, the controlling unit 21 may consider that the first touch contact 2021B issues a low logic-level signal (i.e. the logic state=0). In response to the logic-level signal (1, 0), the controlling unit 21 generates a first touch signal corresponding to the first type touch key 202A. Similarly, when the first type touch key 202B is pressed by the user, the electric capacity of the touching point corresponding to the pressed first type touch key 202B of the touch plate 20 is increased. Consequently, the first touch contact 2021B is triggered to generate a high logic-level signal to the connecting port 211B. The high logic-level signal is transmitted to the controlling unit 21 through the connecting port 211B. Since no signal is transmitted to the controlling unit 21 through the connecting port 211A, the controlling unit 21 may consider that the first touch contact 2021A issues a low logic-level signal. In response to the logic-level signal (0, 1), the controlling unit 21 generates a second touch signal corresponding to the first type touch key 202B.
Moreover, when the second type touch key 203 is pressed by the user, the electric capacity of the touching point corresponding to the pressed second type touch key 203 of the touch plate 20 is increased. Under this circumstance, the separate second touch contacts 2031A and 2031B are both triggered to generate two high logic-level signals to the connecting ports 211A and 211B, respectively. That is, the two high logic-level signals are transmitted to the controlling unit 21 through the connecting ports 211A and 211B, respectively. In response to the logic-level signal (1, 1), the controlling unit 21 generates a third touch signal corresponding to the second type touch key 203.
From the above discussions, the touch input device 2 of the present invention has a specified circuitry configuration. That is, the connecting port 211A is connected with the first touch contact 2021A and the second touch contact 2031A, and the connecting port 211B is connected with the first touch contact 2021B and the second touch contact 2031B. Due to the circuitry configuration of the touch input device 2, only two connecting ports 211 of the controlling unit 21 are sufficient to generate three touch signals corresponding to three touch keys (i.e. the first type touch key 202A, the first type touch key 202B and the second type touch key 203). In other words, if the controlling unit 21 has M connecting ports, the above circuitry configuration may generate (2M−1) touch signals corresponding to (2M−1) touch keys.
The present invention further comprises a second embodiment of a touch input device.
The first type touch keys 302, the at least one second type touch key 303 and the at least one second type touch key 304 are all disposed on the touch plate 30. As the electric capacity of the touching point corresponding to the pressed touch key of the touch plate 20 is increased, the corresponding touch key is triggered. Moreover, each of the first type touch keys 302 has a first touch contact 3021. That is, the M first type touch keys 302 have a total of M first touch contacts 3021. Each second type touch key 303 has M second touch contacts 3031, which are separated from each other. Each third type touch key 304 has (M−1) third touch contacts 3041, which are separated from each other. In this embodiment, M is equal to 3. In other words, the plural touch keys 301 comprise three first type touch keys 302, one second type touch key 303 and three third type touch keys 304.
In this embodiment, the touch key with the a single touch contact is defined as the first type touch key 302, the touch key with three touch contacts is defined as the second type touch key 303, and the touch key with two touch contacts is defined as the third type touch key 304.
Please refer to
Hereinafter, the internal circuitry of the touch input device 3 will be illustrated with reference to
As shown in
When the first type touch key 302A is pressed by the user, the electric capacity of the touching point corresponding to the pressed first type touch key 302A of the touch plate 30 is increased. Consequently, the first touch contact 3021A is triggered to generate a high logic-level signal to the connecting port 311A. The high logic-level signal (i.e. the logic state=1) is transmitted to the controlling unit 31 through the connecting port 311A. Since no signal is transmitted to the controlling unit 31 through the connecting port 311B and the connecting port 311C, the controlling unit 31 may consider that each of the first touch contact 3021B and the first touch contact 3021C issues a low logic-level signal (i.e. the logic state=0). In response to the logic-level signal (1, 0, 0), the controlling unit 31 generates a first touch signal corresponding to the first type touch key 302A. Similarly, when the first type touch key 302B is pressed by the user, in response to the logic-level signal (0, 1, 0), the controlling unit 31 generates a second touch signal corresponding to the first type touch key 302B. Similarly, when the first type touch key 302C is pressed by the user, in response to the logic-level signal (0, 0, 1), the controlling unit 31 generates a third touch signal corresponding to the first type touch key 302C.
Moreover, when the second type touch key 303 is pressed by the user, the electric capacity of the touching point corresponding to the pressed second type touch key 303 of the touch plate 30 is increased. Under this circumstance, the separate second touch contacts 3031A, 3031B and 3031C are all triggered to generate three high logic-level signals to the connecting ports 311A, 311B and 311C, respectively. That is, the three high logic-level signals (i.e. the logic state=0) are transmitted to the controlling unit 31 through the connecting ports 311A, 311B and 311C, respectively. In response to the logic-level signal (1, 1, 1), the controlling unit 31 generates a fourth touch signal corresponding to the second type touch key 303.
Moreover, when the third type touch key 304A is pressed by the user, the electric capacity of the touching point corresponding to the pressed third type touch key 304A of the touch plate 30 is increased. Under this circumstance, the separate third touch contacts 3041A and 3041B are all triggered to generate two high logic-level signals to the connecting ports 311A and 311B, respectively. That is, the two high logic-level signals (i.e. the logic state=0) are transmitted to the controlling unit 31 through the connecting ports 311A and 311B, respectively. Since no signal is transmitted to the controlling unit 31 through the connecting port 311C, the controlling unit 31 may consider that the third touch contact 3041C issues a low logic-level signal (i.e. the logic state=0). In response to the logic-level signal (1, 1, 0), the controlling unit 31 generates a fifth touch signal corresponding to the third type touch key 304A. Similarly, when the third type touch key 304B is pressed by the user, the electric capacity of the touching point corresponding to the pressed third type touch key 304B of the touch plate 30 is increased. In response to the logic-level signal (1, 0, 1), the controlling unit 31 generates a sixth touch signal corresponding to the third type touch key 304B. Similarly, when the third type touch key 304C is pressed by the user, the electric capacity of the touching point corresponding to the pressed third type touch key 304C of the touch plate 30 is increased. In response to the logic-level signal (0, 1, 1), the controlling unit 31 generates a seventh touch signal corresponding to the third type touch key 304C. From the above discussions, due to the circuitry configuration of the touch input device 3, only three connecting ports 311 of the controlling unit 31 are sufficient to generate seven touch signals.
The present invention further comprises a third embodiment of a touch input device.
From the above discussions, the touch input device of the present invention has a specified circuitry configuration, wherein each connecting port is connected with a corresponding first touch contact and a corresponding second touch contact. Due to the circuitry configuration of the touch input device, only M available connecting ports of the controlling unit are sufficient to generate (2M−1) touch signals corresponding to (2M−1) touch keys. In order words, only a small number of connecting ports of the controlling unit is sufficient to generate the touch signals corresponding to a great number of touch keys. As a consequence, the function of the touch input device of the present invention is expanded.
While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101115933 | May 2012 | TW | national |
