System and method for protecting a resistive touch panel of a communication device

A system and a method for protecting a resistive touch panel of a communication device includes setting a pressure threshold level, obtaining parameter values of the resistive touch panel and location information of the touch point and calculating the value of the touch resistance. The system and the method further includes confirming a pressure level corresponding to a range of the calculated resistance value, and outputting audio alerts using the alarm unit to prompt that the press action on the resistive touch panel is too forceful if the confirmed pressure level is not lower than the pressure threshold level.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the present disclosure are related to protection apparatus, and in particular, to a system and method for protecting a resistive touch panel of a communication device.

2. Description of Related Art

At present, many communication devices comprise touch panels to receive touch inputs to manipulate functions of the communication devices. These touch panes can be resistive touch panels, which rely on pressure applied to the touch screen to manipulate functions. However, it is easy to unintentionally use excessive force and cause damage to a resistive touch panel.

What is needed, therefore, is an improved electronic system and method for protecting a resistive touch panel of a communication device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In general, the word “module,” as used herein, refers to logic embodied in hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions, written in a programming language, such as, for example, Java, C, or assembly. One or more software instructions in the modules may be embedded in firmware, such as an EPROM. It will be appreciated that modules may comprised connected logic units, such as gates and flip-flops, and may comprise programmable units, such as programmable gate arrays or processors. The modules described herein may be implemented as either software and/or hardware modules and may be stored in any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium or other non-transitory computer storage device.

FIG. 1is a block diagram of one embodiment of a communication device1including a protection system20. The communication device1further includes a resistive touch panel10and an alarm unit30. The protection system20may be used to output alerts when a user presses on the resistive touch panel10with excessive force, so as to protect the resistive touch panel10from being damaged. The alarm unit30may comprise a speaker to output audio alerts.

The communication device1further includes a storage device40and a processor50. The storage device40may be an internal memory of the communication device1, or an external storage card, such as a smart media (SM) card or secure digital (SD) card. The storage device40may store various kinds of data. The processor50executes one or more computerized operations of the communication device1and other applications, to provide the functions of the communication device1. Depending on the embodiment, the communication device1may be a mobile phone, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant, or any other communication devices.

FIG. 2is a block diagram of one embodiment of a protection system ofFIG. 1. The protection system20comprises a setting module200, an obtaining module202, a calculation module204, a confirmation module206, a determination module208, and a processing module210. The modules200,202,204,206,208, and210may comprise one or more computerized codes to be executed by the processor16to perform one or more operations of the communication device1. Details of these operations will be provided below.

The setting module200sets an audio alerts of the alarm unit30for the communication device1, and a priority of the audio alerts. In one embodiment, the priority of the audio alerts may be higher than the priority of a voice prompt given in response to touch on the resistive touch panel10, such as the beeps or vibrations used to let a user know their touch was received as input. The audio alerts may alert the user when the user presses the resistive touch panel10with excessive force.

The setting module200also sets a plurality of pressure levels of the touch panel10, which comprise different ranges of resistance values of a touch resistance, and sets a pressure threshold level. For example, resistance values from 0Ω to 200Ω of the touch resistance may be divided into 10 grades, such as 0 to 20Ω, and 21Ω to 40Ω, for example. The pressure levels corresponding to different ranges of resistance values may numbered such as from 1 to 10, with 10 corresponding to the range of 0 to 20Ω accomplished by a touch having great force, 9 corresponding to the range of 21Ω to 40Ω, for example. The pressure threshold level is a standard used to determine whether a press action of the user on the resistive touch panel10is too forceful. In one embodiment, the pressure threshold level may be preset to 5.

The obtaining module202obtains parameter values of the resistive touch panel10and location information of a touch point in response to receiving press signals of a press action on the resistive touch panel10. In one embodiment, the parameter values comprises the internal parameters Z1and Z2of the resistive touch panel10, the total resistance Rx between the two electrodes X+ and X−. The location information of the touch point represents the value of the X coordinate of the touch point. Details will be provided below.

In one embodiment, the resistive touch panel10can be constructed of glass and film. The adjacent sides of the glass and film can be both coated with Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) coatings. When the user touches the resistive touch panel10, a sensor of the resistive touch panel10sends corresponding electric signals (e.g., the press signals) through conversion circuitry to the processor50, and then coordinates of the touch point are acquired using the processor50.

As shown inFIG. 3, a four-wire resistive touch panel includes an upper ITO layer2, an underlying ITO layer3, and a substrate4, for example. The substrate4can be glass or acrylic, depending on the embodiment. The substrate4is covered with two conductive ITO layers, such as X electrodes and Y electrodes. The positive and negative ends of the X electrodes and Y electrodes are educed by “conductive section” (see four black bars inFIG. 3) from both ends of the X electrodes and Y electrodes. And the conductive sections of the X electrodes and Y electrodes are perpendicular to each other. The educed positive and negative ends are represented as X−, X+, Y−, and Y+.

When a finger or a stylus presses on the surface of the resistive touch panel10, the upper ITO layer2deforms and contacts the underlying ITO layer3. The two conductive layers of the resistive touch panel10are equivalent to two working faces of the resistive touch panel10. The conductive sections of the two ends of each working face are regarded as electrodes of the working face, such as the X− and X+ are one pair of electrodes, for example. The X coordinate of a touch point may be calculated according to a voltage generated on the X+ electrode, grounding X-electrode and Y+ being as the educe end to measure, and the voltage of the touch point is obtained. Due to the uniform conductive ITO layer, the ratio between the voltage of the touch point and the generated voltage is equal to a ratio between X coordinate of the touch point and the width of the resistive touch panel10. The Y coordinate is similarly obtained. The measured voltage is converted into digital signals using ADC (Analog to Digital Conversion), so as to determine the location of the touch point.

In addition, there is existing resistance at the touch point which is represented as a touch resistance (Rtouch). The greater the pressure and area of contact of a touch on the resistive touch panel10, then the smaller the resistance at that point. The pressure may be quantified by measuring the resistance, the equivalent circuit is shown inFIG. 4.

In this disclosure, the calculation formula of the Rtouch is: Rtouch=Rx*(ADCX/4096)*(Z2/Z1−1). For a specified touch panel, Rx is a predetermined parameter value. ADCXwhich represents the X coordinate of the touch point means the value output by the ADC of 12-bit. X coordinate value of touch-point is calculated by grounding X− as shown inFIG. 2, X+ connecting power, Y+ connecting the ADC. Z1and Z2are internal parameters of the touch panel. As shown inFIG. 4, Z1is calculated by grounding X−, connecting Y+ to power, and connecting X+ to the ADC. Z2is calculated by grounding X− inFIG. 2, connecting Y+ to power, and connecting Y− to the ADC. In one embodiment, “4096” represents measurement grades of ADC to 12-bit precision.

According to the obtained parameter values of the resistive touch panel10and the coordinates of the touch point, the calculation module204calculates a resistance value of the touch resistance on the resistive touch panel10using the formula of “Rtouch=Rx*(ADCX/4096)*(Z2/Z1−1).”

According to the pressure level corresponding to the each resistance value of the touch resistance, the confirmation module206confirms a pressure level corresponding to a range of the calculated resistance value. For example, the pressure level corresponding to the resistance values from the range of 21 to 40Ω is 9 and the pressure level corresponding to the resistance values from the range of 0 to 20Ω is 10. If the calculated resistance value of a touch resistance is 25Ω, the confirmation module206confirms that the calculated resistance value of the touch resistance 25Ω is in the range of 21 to 40, and then confirms the corresponding pressure level is 9.

The determination module208determines whether the confirmed pressure level is lower than the pressure threshold level.

When the confirmed pressure level is not lower than the pressure threshold level, the processing module210outputs alerts using the alarm unit30to prompt that the press action on the resistive touch panel is too forceful.

FIG. 5is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for protecting a resistive touch panel of a communication device ofFIG. 1. Depending on the embodiment, additional blocks may be added, others removed, and the ordering of the blocks may be changed.

In block S110, the setting module200sets a priority of an audio alerts of the alarm unit30, a plurality of pressure levels comprising different range of resistance values of a touch resistance, and a pressure threshold level.

In block S111, when receiving press signals of a press action from the resistive touch panel10, the obtaining module202obtains parameter values of the resistive touch panel10and location information of a touch point. The parameter values comprises the internal parameters Z1and Z2of the resistive touch panel10, the total resistance Rx between the two electrodes X+ and X−. The location information of the touch point represents the value of the X coordinate of the touch point.

In block S112, according to the obtained parameter values of the resistive touch panel10and the location information of the touch point, the calculation module204calculates a resistance value of the touch resistance on the resistive touch panel10using the formula of “Rtouch=Rx*(ADCX/4096)*(Z2/Z1−1).”

In block S113, according to the pressure level corresponding to the each resistance value of the touch resistance, the confirmation module206confirms a pressure level corresponding to a range of the calculated resistance value.

In block S114, the determination module208determines whether the confirmed pressure level is lower than the pressure threshold level. If the confirmed pressure level is not lower than the pressure threshold level, then the procedure turns to block S115. If the confirmed pressure level is lower than the pressure threshold level, then the procedure is end.

In block S115, the processing module210outputs audio alerts using the alarm unit30to prompt that the press action on the resistive touch panel is too forceful.

It should be emphasized that the described inventive embodiments are merely possible examples of implementations, and set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the present disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described inventive embodiments without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the present disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be comprised herein within the scope of this disclosure and the above-described inventive embodiments, and the present disclosure is protected by the following claims.