Patent Application
20200319753
The subject matter herein generally relates to touch panels, and more particularly to a touch panel of an electronic device.
Capacitive touch panels are widely used in electronic devices. In the related art, the capacitive touch panel detects a position of a touch operation on a surface of the touch panel, and calculates a position of the touch operation according to a change in capacitance. However, the touch panel structure can only implement basic touch functions, so an improved touch feedback experience is desired.
Implementations of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of embodiments, with reference to the attached figures.
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. Additionally, 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 term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. 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.
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In other embodiments, the first touch electrode group 14a and the second touch electrode group 14b may be insulatedly disposed on a same surface of the base plate 13. In other embodiments, the touch electrodes 141 may be diamond-shaped electrodes, metal mesh electrodes, or the like.
The force sensing electrode 15 is located on a side of the second touch electrode group 14b away from the first touch electrode group 14a and is spaced apart from the second touch electrode group 14b. In one embodiment, the force sensing electrode 15 is a continuous conductive layer and has a surface area corresponding to a surface area of the second touch electrode group 14b. The force sensing electrode 15 and the second touch electrode group 14b form a capacitor structure. When there is no touch operation applied, an initial capacitance of the capacitor structure is expressed as C0. Specifically, the force sensing electrode 15 forms a capacitor structure with each of the touch electrodes 141 of the second touch electrode group 14b, and each capacitor structure has an initial capacitance of C0.
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The vibration structure 17 is adhered to a side of the second touch electrode group 14b facing away from the base plate 13 through an adhesive layer 19. The vibration structure 17 includes a plurality of spaced apart and electrically coupled vibration blocks 171, which may be vibration motors. The vibration structure 17 is electrically coupled to the processor 16 and configured to vibrate in response to control signals output by the processor 16.
The following describes a working process of the touch panel 10 described above:
The touch panel 10 is a capacitive touch panel. The first touch electrode group 14a is a touch driving electrode group, and the second touch electrode group 14b is a touch sensing electrode group. In other embodiments, the second touch electrode group 14b can be a touch driving electrode group, and the first touch electrode group 14a can be a touch sensing electrode group.
When a touch operation such as a finger touch occurs on the cover 11, the processor 16 outputs a touch driving signal to the first touch electrode group 14a, and receives a touch sensing signal generated by the second touch electrode group 14b according to the touch driving signal. The processor 16 calculates a position of the touch operation according to the touch sensing signal.
At the same time, when the touch operation occurs, the touch panel 10 is pressed at the position where the touch operation occurs, and the second touch electrode group 14b corresponding to the position where the touch operation occurs is displaced toward the force sensing electrode 15. The initial capacitance C0 between the force sensing electrode 15 and the second touch electrode group 14b is changed, and a detection capacitance C1 is defined as C1=C0+AC, wherein AC is a capacitance difference from the initial capacitance C0. The processor 16 prestores a change threshold Cm. The processor 16 detects the detected capacitance value C1 and determines whether the capacitance difference AC is greater than the change threshold Cm. If the capacitance difference AC is greater than the change threshold Cm, the processor 16 generates a control signal, and the control signal is output to the vibration block 171 corresponding in position to where the touch operation occurs, and the vibration block is controlled to vibrate. Thus, careless smaller touches on the touch panel 10 are prevented from being regarded as a touch operation, and the vibration structure 17 is prevented from erroneously vibrating, which is beneficial to reducing energy consumption of the touch panel 10.
In another embodiment, the vibration structure 17 is a continuous structure including only one vibration block 171 corresponding in size to the entire touch panel 10. When the processor 16 outputs the control signal to control the vibration of the vibration structure 17, the entire touch panel 10 is vibrated.
The touch panel 10 can provide a feedback signal (vibration) when a touch operation is applied on the touch panel 10, which is beneficial to improving a user's touch feedback experience. The vibration structure 17 includes a plurality of spaced apart vibration blocks 171, and the control signal output by the processor 16 controls only the vibration block 171 corresponding in position to where the touch operation occurs to vibrate. Thus, localized vibration can be realized, which is beneficial to saving energy consumption and improving a user's touch feedback experience.
Specifically, a cover 31 and the outer frame 12 enclose and cooperatively define a closed receiving space 40. The cover 31 includes a surface B facing away from the receiving space 40. The surface B is used to receive a touch operation of a user.
The touch panel 30 further includes a circuit board 18 disposed in the receiving space 40, a first touch electrode group 14a disposed on a side of the circuit board 18 facing the cover 31, a second touch electrode group 14b disposed on a side of the circuit board 18 facing away from the cover 31, a force sensing electrode 15 disposed opposite to the second touch electrode group 14b, a processor 16 electrically coupled to the touch electrodes 141 and the force sensing electrode 15, and a vibration structure 17 disposed between the cover 31 and the first touch electrode group 14a and electrically coupled to the processor 16. The touch panel 30 further includes an insulation layer 32 disposed between the cover 31 and the first touch electrode group 14a. The vibration structure 17 is embedded in the insulation layer 32.
In the embodiment, the touch panel 30 further includes a fingerprint detection structure 33 disposed between the cover 31 and the vibration structure 17. Specifically, the fingerprint detection structure 33 includes a plurality of photodiodes, which are adhered to the cover 31 through an adhesive layer 19. The photodiodes are electrically coupled to the processor 16 through a trace (not shown). When a touch operation occurs (finger touch), the photodiode emits a first light to the touch panel 30, and a second light is reflected from the touch panel 30. The second light is converted into point signals, and then according to differences in the point signals by ridges of a finger reflecting the second light, a fingerprint image can be generated to identify a fingerprint. Therefore, as described above, the touch panel 30 can implement a fingerprint recognition function.
It should be understood that the touch panel 30 can achieve all the beneficial effects as described in the first embodiment. Since the vibration structure 17 in the second embodiment is closer to the cover 31, when a touch operation occurs, a vibration is stronger, which further improves the touch feedback experience. The touch panel 30 provided in this embodiment is further capable of implementing a fingerprint recognition function.
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 foregoing 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.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 201910265704.4 | Apr 2019 | CN | national |
