Touch recognition apparatus and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016349922-A1
Application number	US-201615167087-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A touch recognition apparatus and a control method thereof are provided. The touch recognition apparatus includes ultrasonic sensors, and a processor configured to control the ultrasonic sensors to transmit ultrasonic signals at different respective times, detect ultrasonic signals that are reflected from an object to the ultrasonic sensors, based on the transmitted ultrasonic signals, and detect a touch point of the object based on a time of flight (ToF) of the reflected ultrasonic signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A touch recognition apparatus comprising:
ultrasonic sensors; and a processor configured to:
control the ultrasonic sensors to transmit ultrasonic signals at different respective times;
detect ultrasonic signals that are reflected from an object to the ultrasonic sensors, based on the transmitted ultrasonic signals; and
detect a touch point of the object based on a time of flight (ToF) of the reflected ultrasonic signals.

2 . The touch recognition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the ultrasonic sensors to transmit the ultrasonic signals sequentially with a time delay interval between the ultrasonic signals in a detection time period.

3 . The touch recognition apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the ultrasonic sensors to transmit initial ultrasonic signals simultaneously in an initial time period before the detection time period.

4 . The touch recognition apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine, in the detection time period, different detection irradiation times of the irradiation of the respective ultrasonic signals and detection reception times at which the respective ultrasonic sensors receives ultrasonic signals that are reflected or refracted from the object; determine, in the initial time period, an initial irradiation time of the irradiation of the initial ultrasonic signals and initial reception times at which the respective ultrasonic sensors receives initial ultrasonic signals that are reflected or refracted from the object; and detect the reflected ultrasonic signals, based on the different detection irradiation times, the detection reception times, the initial irradiation time, the initial reception times, and the time delay interval.

5 . The touch recognition apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising a storage configured to store the initial irradiation time and the initial reception times,
wherein the processor is further configured to retrieve the stored initial irradiation time and the stored initial reception times.

6 . The touch recognition apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the time delay interval is determined to be greater than a difference of reception times of the ultrasonic signals based on a maximum moving distance recognizable by the touch recognition apparatus of the object.

7 . The touch recognition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the ultrasonic sensors to:
transmit initial ultrasonic signals having different respective frequencies in an initial time period; and transmit the ultrasonic signals having different respective frequencies at the different respective times in a detection time period.

8 . The touch recognition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the ultrasonic sensors to:
transmit initial ultrasonic signals having different respective phases in an initial time period; and transmit the ultrasonic signals having different respective phases at the different respective times in a detection time period.

9 . The touch recognition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the ultrasonic sensors to:
transmit initial ultrasonic signals having different respective pulse durations in an initial time period; and transmit the ultrasonic signals having different respective pulse durations at the different respective times in a detection time period.

10 . The touch recognition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the ultrasonic sensors to transmit third ultrasonic signals simultaneously in a third time period.

11 . The touch recognition apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display,
wherein the object is touched on the display.

12 . A method of controlling a touch recognition apparatus, the method comprising:
controlling ultrasonic sensors to transmit ultrasonic signals at different respective times; detecting ultrasonic signals that are reflected from an object to the ultrasonic sensors, based on the transmitted ultrasonic signals; and detecting a touch point of the object based on a time of flight (ToF) of the reflected ultrasonic signals.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit the ultrasonic signals comprises controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit the ultrasonic signals sequentially with a time delay interval between the ultrasonic signals in a detection time period.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit initial ultrasonic signals simultaneously in an initial time period before the detection time period.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the detecting the reflected ultrasonic signals comprises:
determining, in the detection time period, different detection irradiation times of the irradiation of the respective ultrasonic signals and detection reception times at which the respective ultrasonic sensors receives ultrasonic signals that are reflected or refracted from the object; determining, in the initial time period, an initial irradiation time of the irradiation of the initial ultrasonic signals and initial reception times at which the respective ultrasonic sensors receives initial ultrasonic signals that are reflected or refracted from the object; and detecting the reflected ultrasonic signals, based on the different detection irradiation times, the detection reception times, the initial irradiation time, the initial reception times, and the time delay interval.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising storing the initial irradiation time and the initial reception times,
wherein the determining the initial irradiation time and the initial reception times comprises retrieving the stored initial irradiation time and the stored initial reception times.

17 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the time delay interval is determined to be greater than a difference of reception times of the ultrasonic signals based on a maximum moving distance recognizable by the touch recognition apparatus of the object.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit initial ultrasonic signals having different respective frequencies in an initial time period,
wherein the controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit the ultrasonic signals comprises controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit the ultrasonic signals having different respective frequencies at the different respective times in a detection time period.

19 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit initial ultrasonic signals having different respective phases in an initial time period,
wherein the controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit the ultrasonic signals comprises controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit the ultrasonic signals having different respective phases at the different respective times in a detection time period.

20 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit initial ultrasonic signals having different respective pulse durations in an initial time period,
wherein the controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit the ultrasonic signals comprises controlling the ultrasonic sensors to transmit the ultrasonic signals having different respective pulse durations at the diff

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Sung-Do

Classifications

• G06F3/0418 Primary

  for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment · CPC title

• G06F3/043

  using propagating acoustic waves · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title