This application claims priority of Taiwanese application no. 098123397, filed on Jul. 10, 2009.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a touch sensitive display device, more particularly to a touch sensitive display device capable of forming physical buttons.
2. Description of the Related Art
Touch sensitive displays are applied extensively in many types of electronic devices, serving as both a display and input medium. As an input medium, the touch sensitive display is superior to a keyboard capable of displaying virtual buttons and options to a user, which the user can select by touching. However, a flat display of the conventional touch sensitive display presents a drawback, since sense of touch cannot be relied upon in finding a position of a virtual button or an option displayed on the screen. Unlike physical buttons the user can feel the locations, shapes and sizes of the button. Therefore, many people (the visually impaired and elderly in particular) often accidentally selected wrong virtual buttons or options.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a touch sensitive display device that is capable of forming physical buttons.
According to the present invention, there is provided a touch sensitive display device comprising a touch sensitive display and a light-transmissive first film.
The touch sensitive display includes a display face, and is for performing display based on display data on the display face. The light-transmissive first film is disposed on the display face of the touch sensitive display, and includes a first part and a second part that is formed from a resilient material. The first part is disposed on the display face, and the second part cooperates with the display face to define a first containing chamber that is convertible between a contracted state, and an expanded state, in which the second part protrudes relative to the first part such that the second part is more distinguishable from the first part by touch when compared to the contracted state, based on the display data.
Through adding the first film, which cooperates with the display face of the touch sensitive display to define the first containing chamber, and converting the first containing chamber to the expanded state, this invention forms a physical button on the display face of the touch sensitive display of the touch control display device.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
a) and 2(b) are schematic diagrams to illustrate conversion of a containing chamber of the first preferred embodiment between contracted and expanded states;
a) and 3(b) are schematic diagrams of a second preferred embodiment of the touch sensitive display device according to the present invention, illustrating conversion of a containing chamber between contracted and expanded states;
a) and 4(b) illustrate an application of the preferred embodiment in a cellular phone;
a) and 5(b) illustrate another application of the preferred embodiment in a cellular phone;
a) and 7(b) illustrate yet another application of the preferred embodiment in a cellular phone.
The touch sensitive display 1 includes a display face 11 and is for performing display based on display data including option data on the display face 11. The first film 2 is disposed on the display face 11 of the touch sensitive display 1, and includes a first part 21 and a second part 22 that is formed from a resilient material. In this embodiment, the first part 21 is disposed fixedly on the display face 11. The second part 22 cooperates with the display face 11 to define (N) containing chambers 9, wherein (N) is a positive integer. The containing chambers 9 are convertible between a contracted state (see
In the description that follows, (N)=2, and the two containing chambers 9 are referred to as the first containing chamber 91 and the second containing chamber
The reservoir 3 is for storing a fluid such as gas or liquid. The driving unit 4 is coupled to the first containing chamber 91, the second containing chamber 92 and the reservoir 3 for controlling the following based on a control signal: fluid communication between the first containing chamber 91 and the reservoir 3, and a direction in which the fluid flows between the first containing chamber 91 and the reservoir 3 when the first containing chamber 91 and the reservoir 3 are in fluid communication; and fluid communication between the second containing chamber 92 and the reservoir 3, and a direction in which the fluid flows between the second containing chamber 92 and the reservoir 3 when the second containing chamber 92 and the reservoir 3 are in fluid communication. The control unit 5 is coupled to the driving unit 4 for generating the control signal based on the display data.
The first containing chamber 91 is converted to the expanded state when the driving unit 4 controls the fluid to flow from the reservoir 3 into the first containing chamber 91, and to the contracted state when the driving unit 4 controls the fluid to flow from the first containing chamber 91 into the reservoir 3. When the first containing chamber 91 and the reservoir 3 are not in fluid communication, the first containing chamber 91 maintains its current state. When the first containing chamber 91 is in the expanded state, a protrusion is formed on the display face 11 of the touch sensitive display 1, as shown in
Therefore, when the containing chamber 91 corresponds in position to a virtual button or an option on the display face 11, the display face 11 displays a virtual button or the option based on the option data, and the containing chamber 91 is converted to the expanded state, a physical button is formed on the display face 11. On the other hand, when the display face 11 does not display a virtual button or an option, the containing chamber 91 is converted to the contracted state, so that no button is formed.
One of the merits of the preferred embodiments is that they can be applied in a cellular phone.
Referring to
Referring to
In sum, through adding the first film 2, which cooperates with the display face 11 of the touch sensitive display 1 to define at least one containing chamber 9, and converting the containing chamber 9 to the expanded state, this invention forms the physical button on the display face 11 of the touch sensitive display 1.
While the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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098123397 | Jul 2009 | TW | national |