Deformable touch screen

The present disclosure provides a deformable touch screen including a display unit for displaying a user interface; a touch panel including a dielectric material, a first electrode coated on one end of the dielectric material, a second electrode coated on the other end of the dielectric material, a non-conductive material coated on the second electrode, and a conductive metal coated on the coated non-conductive material; a voltage controller for controlling a voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a signal generator for applying a signal to the voltage controller, wherein the signal generator generates a signal for making a user interface button of the display unit into a 3D form according to a measured result of an increase or a decrease in mutual capacitance of a user's hand and a conductive metal.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0093711 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Aug. 27, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a deformable touch screen, and more particularly, to a deformable touch screen that combines a touch screen with proximity sensing and tactile feedback technology to provide an improved user interface.

(b) Description of the Related Art

In general, an interface between machine and a user, that is, a human machine interface (HMI) has evolved from a conventional button type interface to a touch screen interface type. The largest reason of the change is because the button input type cannot completely satisfy the diverse needs and convenience of the user. In contrast, the touch screen input type provides a flexible esthetic appearance that has the advantage of being able to transmit a large amount of information to the user. This differs significantly from a conventional button type interface, in which the interface does not transmit a significant amount of information to the user. Accordingly, in many vehicles a touch screen is used as an HMI device for many electronic devices within the vehicle. Unfortunately, the touch screen interface is primarily visual in nature, and unlike the conventional button type input interface, conventional touch screens do not provide tactile feedback to the user. This represents a significant disadvantage because it forces the user, in this case the driver of the vehicle, to take their eyes off of the road in order to use the HMI.

The inability of conventional touch screens to provide tactile feedback to the user represents a significant problem for current vehicle designs because the modern trend is to use a “full touch screen” approach as an HMI to control most, if not all, user controllable functions within a vehicle (e.g., an air conditioner, a radio, navigation system, etc.). In this case, as described above, in order to control basic operations and functions of the vehicle, the user will be required to take their eyes off of the road at an unacceptably high frequency with an HMI that is based on a conventional touch screen. This increases the risk of an accident while driving the vehicle. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for a touch screen that provides tactile feedback to the user for use as an HMI to control vehicle functions so that the need for the driver to take their eyes off of the road will be minimized

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a deformable touch screen that reduces the risk of car accidents by allowing the driver to keep their eyes on the road while using the touch screen as an HMI to control vehicle functions.

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a deformable touch screen including: a display unit for displaying a user interface; a touch panel including a dielectric material, a first electrode coated on one end of the dielectric material, a second electrode coated on the other end of the dielectric material, a non-conductive material coated on the second electrode, and a conductive metal coated on the coated non-conductive material; a voltage controller for controlling a voltage applied between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a signal generator for providing a signal to the voltage controller, wherein the signal generator generates a signal for making a user interface button of the display unit into a 3D form according to a measured result of an increase or a decrease in mutual capacitance between a user's hand and an outer conductive metal.

Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method of deforming the touch panel, including: displaying a user interface; measuring an increase and a decrease in mutual capacitance of the user's hand and a conductive metal; generating a start signal for starting a stereogram of the touch panel in accordance with a shape of a user interface button when an increased amount of the capacitance is equal to or larger than a preset threshold; controlling a color by generating a color control signal for controlling a color on the touch panel; making the touch panel into a 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button by controlling voltages applied to both ends of a dielectric material of the touch panel; controlling the touch panel made into the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button; and generating an end signal for ending the stereogram of the touch panel when the increased amount of the capacitance is smaller than the preset threshold.

According to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a deformable touch screen according to the present invention may reduce the risk of car accidents by increasing the ability of the driver to keep their eyes on the road and improving driver convenience by reducing the amount of time it takes the user to effect a control function in the car (e.g., adjusting the radio, programming a navigation destination, etc.) with a touch screen HMI.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Additionally, it is understood that the below methods are executed by at least one controller. The term controller refers to a hardware device that includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store the modules and the processor is specifically configured to execute said modules to perform one or more processes which are described further below.

FIG. 1illustrates a configuration of an exemplary deformable touch screen according to the present invention. The deformable touch screen according to the present invention may include a display unit110, a touch panel120, a voltage controller130, and a signal generator140. The deformable touch screen according to the present invention may detect a position of a user's hand, generate a stereogram start signal of the touch panel120by the signal generator140, and then transmit the stereogram start signal to the voltage controller130. The signal generator140may generate the stereogram start signal by a control signal applied to the signal generator from an outside regardless of the position of the hand.

The voltage controller130may receive the stereogram start signal and control a voltage applied between a first electrode121and a second electrode122of the touch panel120to make the touch panel120adopt a 3D form.

The display unit110may display a shape of a user interface button and project the shape on the touch screen. The display unit110may display a single or a plurality of user interface buttons, and may display the user interface buttons interface buttons simultaneously or sequentially.

The touch panel120includes the first electrode121and the second electrode122, and may make the shape of the button projected by the display unit110by a voltage difference between the first electrode121and the second electrode122applied from the voltage controller130into the 3D form.

The voltage controller130may receive a stereogram start signal generated from the signal generator140and may start configuring the touch panel120in the 3D form. The voltage controller130applies a voltage to the first electrode121and the second electrode122in order to make the touch panel120into the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the button projected by the display unit110.

The signal generator140may measure an increase and/or a decrease in mutual capacitance410of the user's hand and a conductive metal126, and generate a signal for configuring the touch panel120in the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button of the display unit110.

The signal generator140may receive an external control signal (for example, a control signal applied from an external CPU), and generate a signal for configuring the touch panel120in the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button of the display unit110by the external control signal.

For example, when the user presses a button to turn on the A/C, a control signal for making the A/C related button (e.g., dual mode, temperature control and the like) into a 3D form is applied to the signal generator140by the CPU, and the signal generator140may then generate a signal for making the touch panel120into the 3D form in accordance with a shape of the A/C related button.

When the signal generator140determines that an increased amount of the capacitance is equal to or larger than a threshold, the signal generator140generates a color control signal for controlling a color of the touch panel120made into the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button. In this case, the color control signal of the signal generator may be generated together with the stereogram signal through an interworking or may be generated separately from the stereogram signal.

For example, when the signal generator140determines that the increased amount of the capacitance is equal to or larger than the threshold as the user's hand approaches, the signal generator140generates the color control signal for controlling the color of the touch panel120made into the 3D form together with the signal for making the touch panel into the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button.

Further, when the user presses the A/C on button, the control signal for making the A/C related button (e.g., dual mode, temperature control and the like) into a 3D form may be applied to the signal generator140, and the signal generator140generates the signal for making the touch panel120into the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the A/C related button. In this case, when the signal generator140determines that the increased amount of the capacitance is equal to or larger than the threshold as the user's hand approaches in order to control the A/C related button made into the 3D form, the signal generator140generates the color control signal for controlling the color of the touch panel120made into the 3D form.

FIG. 2illustrates a stereogram principle of a touch screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A deformable touch screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes the display panel110, the touch panel120, the voltage controller130, and the signal generator140.

The touch panel120includes a dielectric material124, a first electrode121coated on one end of the dielectric material124, a second electrode122coated on the other end of the dielectric material124, a non-conductive material123coated on the second electrode122, and a conductive metal126coated on the coated non-conductive material123. The dielectric material124is an ionic gel126including a free ion127. The first electrode121and the second electrode122are coated on both ends of the ionic gel126. The first electrode121and the second electrode122correspond to conduction metal126coating (conductive plate), and are flexible and transparent materials. Each of the ends of the first electrode121and the second electrode122are connected to the voltage controller130, and a voltage is applied through the voltage controller130. The non-conductive material123(oxide layer and the like) may be coated on the second electrode122. The transparent special conductive metal126(e.g., Tin Antimony Oxide: TAO) may be coated on the non-conductive material123. The transparent special conductive metal126may be connected to the signal generator140.

When the voltage controller130applies a negative pole to the first electrode121and applies a positive pole to the second electrode122, the free ions127within the ionic gel126move to the second electrode122. Accordingly, the second electrode122expands and the first electrode121contracts. Therefore, when a lower part of the first electrode121is fixed, the ionic gel126rises to the second electrode122, and thus the touch panel120may adopt a 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button.

FIG. 3illustrates a stereogram principle of a touch screen according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A deformable touch screen according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes the display unit110, the touch panel120, the voltage controller130, and the signal generator140.

The touch panel120may include the dielectric material124, the first electrode121coated on one end of the dielectric material124, the second electrode122coated on the other end of the dielectric material124, the non-conductive material123coated on the second electrode122, and the conductive metal126coated on the coated non-conductive material123. When the voltage controller130applies a voltage having the same pole to each of the first electrode121and the second electrode122, a repulsive force is generated between the first electrode121and the second electrode122. Thereafter, when an absolute value of the voltage of the first electrode is gradually increased, the repulsive force between the first electrode121and the second electrode122is increased. When the repulsive force exceeds a threshold, the second electrode122forms a convex shape since the first electrode lifts outwards in a fixed state.

On the contrary, when the voltage controller130applies a different electrode from that of the second electrode122to the first electrode121, an attractive force is generated between the first electrode121and the second electrode122. Thereafter, when an absolute value of the voltage of the first electrode is gradually increased, the attractive force between the first electrode121and the second electrode122is increased. When the attractive force exceeds a threshold, the second electrode122forms a concave shape since the first electrode moves inwards in a fixed state.

Accordingly, when a lower part of the first electrode121is fixed, the second electrode122rises outwards or inwards, and thus the touch panel120is made into a 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button.

When a dielectric constant of the dielectric material124is larger, the attractive force or the repulsive force generated between the first electrode121and the second electrode122becomes larger in proportion to the dielectric constant.

FIG. 4illustrates a short distance recognition principle of a deformable touch screen according to the present invention. The deformable touch screen includes the display unit110, the touch panel120, the voltage controller130, and the signal generator140. The touch panel120includes the dielectric material124, the first electrode121coated on one end of the dielectric material124, the second electrode122coated on the other end of the dielectric material124, the non-conductive material123coated on the second electrode122, and the conductive metal126coated on the coated non-conductive material123. The conductive metal126is connected to the signal generator140. There is capacitance between the user's hand and the conductive metal126, and mutual capacitance having a property being in inverse proportion to a distance as the user's hand becomes closer the conductive metal126.

The signal generator140measures an increase and a decrease in mutual capacitance410. The signal generator140generates a stereogram start signal when the mutual capacitance410is equal to or larger than a threshold, and generates a stereogram end signal when the measured capacitance410is smaller than the threshold.

FIG. 5is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a deformable touch screen according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The display unit110displays an interface of the user (step S510). The signal generator140measures an increase and a decrease in the mutual capacitance410of the user's hand and the conductive metal126(step S520). The signal generator140determines whether the detected increased amount of the capacitance is equal to or larger than a preset threshold (step S530). When the signal generator140determines that the increased amount of the capacitance is equal to or larger than the threshold in step S530, the signal generator140generates a start signal for starting making the touch panel into the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button (step S540). When the signal generator140determines that the increased amount of the capacitance is equal to or larger than the threshold in step S530, the signal generator140generates a color control signal for controlling a color of the touch panel made into the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button (step S550). The signal generator140transmits the start signal to the voltage controller130, and the voltage controller130controls voltages applied to the first electrode121and the second electrode122according to the start signal to make the touch panel120into the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button (step S570). The user controls the user interface by touching the user interface of the touch panel120made into the 3D form (step S580). When the increased amount of the capacitance becomes smaller than a preset second threshold as the control by the user ends and the user's hand recedes from the touch panel120, the signal generator140generates an end signal for ending the stereogram of the touch panel made into the 3D form. When the signal generator140determines that the increased amount of the capacitance is smaller than the threshold in step S530, the signal generator140generates the end signal for ending the stereogram of the touch panel made into the 3D form (step S540).

FIG. 6is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a deformable touch screen according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The display unit110displays the interface of the user (step S610). The signal generator140transmits the start signal to the voltage controller130according to the control signal received from the outside, and the voltage controller130controls the voltage applied to the first electrode121and the second electrode122according to the start signal to make the touch panel120into the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button (step S620). The signal generator140measures an increase and a decrease in the mutual capacitance410of the user's hand and the conductive metal126(step S630). The signal generator140determines whether the measured increased amount of the capacitance is equal to or larger than a preset threshold (step S640). When the signal generator140determines that the increased amount of the capacitance is equal to or larger than the threshold in step S640, the signal generator140generates a color control signal for controlling a color of the touch panel120made into the 3D form in accordance with the shape of the user interface button (step S650). The user controls the user interface by touching the user interface of the touch panel120made into the 3D form (step S660). When the increased amount of the capacitance becomes smaller than a preset second threshold as the control by the user ends and the user's hand recedes from the touch panel120, the signal generator140generates an end signal for ending the stereogram of the touch panel made into the 3D form (step S670).