Electronic device and coordinate detecting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9310950-B2
Application number	US-201414451576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2014
Priority date	Aug 8, 2013
Publication date	Apr 12, 2016
Grant date	Apr 12, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic device including: a display section that displays information; an electrostatic-capacitance touch panel layer that allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display section to pass through the touch panel layer and that determines a pair of two-dimensional coordinates indicated by an indicator having conductivity; glass that protects the touch panel layer and that allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display section to pass through the glass; a depression sensor that detects deformation of the glass; and a control section that validates a pair of two-dimensional coordinates when a plurality of pairs of two-dimensional coordinates are determined by the touch panel layer and when deformation is detected by the depression sensor, the pair of two-dimensional coordinates being determined last among the plurality of pairs of two-dimensional coordinates.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a housing;
a display that is disposed inside the housing and that displays predetermined information;
an electrostatic-capacitance touch panel that allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display to pass through the electrostatic-capacitance touch panel;
a transparent member that protects the touch panel and that allows the visible light corresponding to the display contents of the display to pass through the transparent member; and
a depression detector that detects deformation of the transparent member, wherein
the touch panel is configured to detect a pair of two-dimensional coordinates indicated by an indicator having predetermined conductivity and spaced from the touch panel at a predetermined distance, wherein
when the touch panel detects a plurality of the pairs of two-dimensional coordinates and when the depression detector detects a predetermined amount of deformation; at least one pair of two-dimensional coordinates detected during a predetermined time period previous to a time point when the deformation is detected is validated; and a pair of two-dimensional coordinates detected before the predetermined time period previous to the time point when the deformation is detected, is not validated, wherein the predetermined time period does not include a deformation of an amount equal to or greater than the predetermined amount of deformation.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined time period does not include the time point when the deformation is detected.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein,
when the touch panel detects a plurality of the pairs of two-dimensional coordinates and when the depression detector detects a predetermined amount of deformation: one immediate pair of two-dimensional coordinates based on the time point when the deformation is detected is validated among pairs of two-dimensional coordinates detected during a predetermined time period previous to the time point when the deformation is detected; and a pair of two-dimensional coordinates detected before the predetermined time period based on the time point when the deformation is detected is not validated, and a pair of two-dimensional coordinates other than the one immediate pair of two-dimensional coordinates among pairs of two-dimensional coordinates detected during the predetermined time period is not validated.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3 , wherein,
after the immediate pair of two-dimensional coordinates based on the time point when the deformation is detected is validated among the pairs of two-dimensional coordinates detected during the predetermined time period previous to the time point when the deformation is detected, while the indicator that indicates the validated pair of two-dimensional coordinates moves away from the touch panel at the predetermined distance, a change in the validated pair of two-dimensional coordinates is trackable, and a pair of two-dimensional coordinates newly detected after the validation and indicated by the indicator is not validated.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined time period is a first predetermined time period, and
when the touch panel detects a plurality of the pairs of two-dimensional coordinates and when the depression detector detects a predetermined amount of deformation; two immediate pairs of two-dimensional coordinates based on the time point when the deformation is detected are selected from pairs of two-dimensional coordinates detected during the first predetermined time period previous to the time point when the deformation is detected;
when a difference between detection start times of the indicator that indicates the two selected pairs of two-dimensional coordinates is smaller than a second predetermined time period, the two selected pairs of two-dimensional coordinates are validated; and
when the difference between detection start times of the indicator that indicates the two selected pairs of two-dimensional coordinates is larger than the second predetermined time period, one immediate pair of two-dimensional coordinates based on the time point when the deformation is detected, is validated.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein the second predetermined time period is shorter than the first predetermined time period.

7. The electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein, after the two selected pairs of two-dimensional coordinates are validated, while one of indicators that indicates the validated pair of two-dimensional coordinates moves away from the touch panel at the predetermined distance, a change in the validated pair of two-dimensional coordinates is trackable, and a pair of two-dimensional coordinates newly detected after the validation and indicated by the indicator is not validated.

8. A coordinate detecting method to be used for an electronic device that includes:
a housing;
a display that is disposed inside the housing and that displays predetermined information;
an electrostatic-capacitance touch panel that allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display to pass through the electrostatic-capacitance touch panel;
a transparent member that protects the touch panel and that allows visible light corresponding to display contents of the display to pass through the transparent member; and
a depression detector that detects deformation of the transparent member, wherein
the touch panel is configured to detect a pair of two-dimensional coordinates indicated by an indicator having predetermined conductivity and spaced from the touch panel at a predetermined distance,
the method comprising:
when the touch panel detects a plurality of the pairs of two-dimensional coordinates and when the depression detector detects a predetermined amount of deformation after the pairs of two-dimensional coordinates are detected,
validating at least one pair of two-dimensional coordinates detected during a predetermined time period previous to a time point when the deformation is detected; and
not validating a pair of two-dimensional coordinates detected before the predetermined time period previous to the time point when the deformation is detected,
wherein the predetermined time period does not include a deformation of an amount equal to or greater than the predetermined amount of deformation.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the deformation detected by the depression detector does not provide an input independent of the inputs of the pair of two-dimensional coordinates.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Corp America

Inventors

• Takano Tomoki
• Yamaguchi Takeshi
• Takizawa Yuuichi

Classifications

• G06F2203/04101

  2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup · CPC title

• G06F2203/04108

  Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title