Abstract:
A control method for a touch screen device is provided. The control method comprises the steps of: enabling an active mode of a touch panel; defining at least one active area on the touch panel; inputting a touch input into any one position on the touch panel; determining whether the touch input exists in the active area; and saving calculation of coordinate values of the position corresponding to the touch input and outputting a corresponding predetermined output signal in accordance with the touch input when the touch input exists in the active area.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to Taiwan Patent Application Serial Number 97132564, filed Aug. 26, 2008, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a touch screen device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a control method for a touch screen device. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    For a conventional touch screen device, the usual control manner is to perform or press a touch input on the touch panel first, and then to analyze and calculate coordinate values corresponding to the touch input on the touch panel, so as to confirm the position of the touch input and the selected object thereof and to execute the process performed by users. 
         [0006]    However, since the touch screen device has to analyze and calculate the coordinate values corresponding to each touch input, the touch screen device, when working, will not only consume many operation resources such that the efficiency of the system decreases but also lose lots of power. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a control method for a touch screen device is provided. The control method comprises the steps of: enabling an active mode of a touch panel; defining at least one active area on the touch panel; inputting a touch input into any one position on the touch panel; determining whether the touch input exists in the active area; and saving calculation of coordinate values of the position corresponding to the touch input and outputting a corresponding predetermined output signal in accordance with the touch input when the touch input exists in the active area. 
         [0008]    It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are by examples, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The invention can be more fully understood by reading the following detailed description of the embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates a flow chart of a control method for a touch screen device according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIGS. 2A ,  2 B and  2 C illustrate manners of controlling the touch screen device according to one embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates yet another manner of controlling the touch screen device according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    In the following detailed description, the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described. As will be realized, the invention is capable of modification in various respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not restrictive. 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates a flow chart of a control method for a touch screen device according to one embodiment of the present invention. First, whether the active mode of the touch panel in the touch screen device is enabled is determined (Step  102 ). When the active mode of the touch panel is not enabled or disabled, the touch panel has no active area thereon and generates no response for the touch input or press performed by the user (Step  104 ). At that moment, the touch screen device is merely provided to display images. 
         [0015]    On the other hand, if the active mode of the touch panel is enabled, the touch panel has at least one active area thereon (Step  106 ), in which the size and location of the active area shown on the touch panel can be changed or modified in advance according to the practice use, so as to meet the user&#39;s need. After that, the touch panel detects the touch input or press performed by the user (Step  108 ), and whether the foregoing touch input or press is in any position of the active area is then determined (Step  110 ). When the foregoing touch input or press exists in the active area, a predetermined output signal corresponding to the active area is outputted in accordance with the touch input (Step  112 ). Notably, the predetermined output signal can be directly outputted, without calculating the coordinate values of the position corresponding to the touch input, to be displayed on the touch panel. Also notably, the predetermined output signals corresponding to the same active area are the same. For instance, when the touch panel has a first and second active area thereon, a first predetermined output signal is outputted according to the touch input or press if the touch input or press is performed in any position of the first active area, in which the first predetermined output signal can be, for example, a character signal. If the touch input or press is performed in any position of the second active area, a second predetermined output signal is outputted according to the touch input or press, in which the second predetermined output signal also can be a character signal. Furthermore, when the touch input or press is outside the active area, the touch panel generates no response for the touch input or press performed by the user (Step  114 ). 
         [0016]    In one embodiment, when the touch input is performed in any position of the active area, the touch panel detects the touch input to generate a corresponding input signal. Then, the input signal is processed by a firmware, and the firmware directly outputs the predetermined output signal corresponding to the active area after processing the input signal. Since the input signal corresponding to the touch input is processed by the firmware and the corresponding predetermined output signal is then directly outputted by the firmware, the system would not need to analyze and calculate the coordinate values of the position corresponding to the touch input. Therefore, the operation resource of the whole system can be saved. In one embodiment, the foregoing predetermined output signal is a machine code or machine language. The machine code or machine language is one kind of instruction set capable of being executed directly by the processing unit, that the computer designer configures the function to the computer through its hardware structure, which has advantages such as flexibility, direct execution and high speed. In addition, in another embodiment, the foregoing predetermined output signal is a character signal which can be an American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) code. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2A  illustrates a manner of controlling the touch screen device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 2A , since the active mode of the touch panel  200  is not enabled, the touch panel  200  has no active area thereon and would not detect the touch input performed by the user and thus generates no response for the touch input. 
         [0018]      FIGS. 2B and 2C  illustrate another manner of controlling the touch screen device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIGS. 2B and 2C , when the active mode of the touch panel  200  is enabled, there are active areas  210 ,  212  and  214  displayed on the touch panel  200 . Then, the touch panel  200  would detect the touch input  202  performed by the user, and then determine whether the touch input  202  is in one of the active areas  210 ,  212  and  214 . For instance, if the touch input  202  is performed or pressed in the active area  210 , the predetermined output signal (e.g. character X) corresponding to the active area  210  would be outputted to display on the touch panel  200 . If the touch input  202  is performed or pressed outside the active areas  210 ,  212  and  214 , the touch panel  200  generates no response. 
         [0019]      FIG. 3  illustrates yet another manner of controlling the touch screen device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Compared to  FIG. 2B , the user performs two touch inputs  302  and  304  on the touch panel  200 , and the touch panel  200  detects the touch inputs  302  and  304 , respectively. At that moment, the touch panel  200  separately determines whether the touch inputs  302  and  304  exist in the active areas  210 ,  212  and  214 . If the touch input  302  exists in the active area  212  and the touch input  304  exists in the active area  214 , the predetermined output signals (e.g. characters Y and Z) corresponding to the active area  212  and  214 , respectively, would be outputted to display on the touch panel  200 . Similarly, if the touch inputs  302  and  304  are performed outside the active areas  210 ,  212  and  214 , the touch panel  200  generates no response. 
         [0020]    For the foregoing embodiments, the control method for the touch screen device can be provided for the user to mark out the active areas during operation, such that the touch inputs can be processed without calculating the corresponding coordinate values, so as to speed up the process of the system and make the whole process more convenient. Moreover, since the non-active area can even perform no detection, the power loss of the touch screen device can be thus reduced. In addition, the system needs not to analyze and calculate the coordinate values corresponding to the touch input, so the system operation resource can be saved. 
         [0021]    As is understood by a person skilled in the art, the foregoing embodiments of the present invention are illustrative of the present invention rather than limiting of the present invention. It is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.