Method for showing page flip effect of touch panel and display device with page flip function

A method for showing page flip effect of touch panel comprises detecting a two-point touch event generated at the touch panel for defining a first touch position and a second touch position. The touch panel is determined into a first active area comprising the second touch position and a second active area comprising the first touch position according to the first touch position and the second touch position. When the first touch position continuously locates at the touch panel, the second touch position disappears and the first touch event is generated at the first active area, a corresponding first page flip event is executed. When the second touch position continuously locates at the touch panel, the first touch position disappears and the second touch event is generated at the second active area, a corresponding second page flip event is executed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority benefits of Taiwan Patent Application No. 103116439, filed on May 8, 2014. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent applications are hereby incorporated by references herein and made a part of specification.

BACKGROUND

Technology Field

This disclosure relates to a display device and, more particularly, to a display device with page flip function.

Description of the Related Art

Electronic devices with a touch panel have been applied extensively and are essential in daily life. The touch panels of the electronic devices, such as a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet, an electronic book and so on, can receive touch signals. Therefore, users only need to use their finger to input at the touch panel by utilizing a single click, a double click or a drag for operating all functions of the electronic device. In addition to the reception of a single point of the touch signal, the touch panels of many electronic devices can support multi-touch function. For example, the operating system (iOS6 or higher) of the smart phone provided by Apple Inc. (I-phone) has built-in application of utilizing four-point touch to turn on/off multiplex or built-in function of utilizing two fingers to drag simultaneously for selecting a row of folders or files. Thus, the touch panel combining single-touch and multi-touch does not only support an original touch command but also the user can customize different combination of touch signals for expanding the functions of the touch panel.

A page flip-up action or a page flip-down action is often executed when the user browses the websites, books or pictures by using the touch panel. However, using the multi-touch function of the touch panel cannot support the conventional page flip-up action or page flip-down action. Therefore, it frequently needs to find out a corresponding page flip button in application and then the user clicks the page flip button of the application trough the touch panel to change page. For example, if Internet Explorer (IE) browser is used, the user needs to click the button on the top left corner on the window for changing the web page (previous page or next page). If Google Chrome browser is used, the user needs to display the page flip button on the browser at first through the setting options of the browser and then click the page flip button for changing the web page. Different applications have different page flip buttons, and each of the page flip buttons has different positions. Therefore, the user needs to remember each of the positions of the page flip buttons corresponding to the applications for executing the page flip action. Because there is no united method for showing page flip effect of the touch panel, the users will not be able to change page when they forget the position of the page flip button and it will be less convenient for reading. Accordingly, designed a united and convenient method for showing page flip effect of the touch panel is very important.

BRIEF SUMMARY

An aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for showing page flip effect of touch panel. The method for showing page flip effect of the touch panel comprises detecting a two-point touch event generated at the touch panel for defining a first touch position and a second touch position; determining a first active area and a second active area of the touch panel according to a relative position of the first touch position and the second touch position, in which the first touch position is located within the second active area and the second touch position is located within the first active area; detecting whether a first touch event is generated within the first active area or not when the first touch position continuously locates at the touch panel and the second touch position disappears, and executing a corresponding first page flip event at the first active area according to the first touch event; and detecting whether a second touch event is generated within the second active area or not when the second touch position continuously locates at the touch panel and the first touch position disappears, and executing a corresponding second page flip event at the second active area according to the second touch event.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a touch display device. The touch display device comprises a touch panel, a processor and a storage. The touch panel is provided to detect a two-point touch event generated at the touch panel for defining a first touch position and a second touch position, to detect a first touch event and a second touch event generated at the touch panel, and further, to determine the touch panel into a first active area and a second active area according to a relative position of the first touch position and the second touch position when the first touch position and the second touch position are both located at the touch panel, in which the first touch position is located within the second active area and the second touch position is located within the first active area. The processor is coupled with the touch panel. When the first touch position continuously locates at the touch panel and the second touch position disappears, the touch panel detects whether the first touch event is generated within the first active area or not and the processor executes a corresponding first page flip event at the first active area according to the first touch event. When the second touch position continuously locates at the touch panel and the first touch position disappears, the touch panel detects whether the second touch event is generated within the second active area or not and the processor executes a corresponding second page flip event at the second active area according to the second touch event. The storage is coupled with the processor and provided for storing the first page flip event and the second page flip event.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Please refer toFIG. 1.FIG. 1is a schematic view showing an initial condition of a method for showing page flip effect of a touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. The initial condition described herein is a prerequisite condition which the method for showing page flip effect of the touch panel100does not change pages. Each of elements and symbols shown inFIG. 1is described as follows. A touch panel10is a panel with display function and touch control function, such as a touch panel of a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet, an electronic book and so on. A first touch position11and a second touch position12are defined by a two-point touch event generated at the touch panel10, such as the touch input which utilizes two fingers or two styluses to contact, respectively or simultaneously, the first touch position11and the second touch position. A first active area20is a detection range generated corresponding to the first touch position11. A second active area30is a detection range generated corresponding to the second touch position12. The operation of the initial condition of the method for showing page flip effect of the touch panel100according to the present invention will be illustrated as follows.

It supposes that the user uses two fingers (please refer toFIG. 1, a finger A and a finger B are supposed herein) to contact, respectively or simultaneously, the touch panel10. A contact point of the finger A is generated at the touch panel10, that is, the first touch position11. A contact point of the finger B is generated at the touch panel10, that is, the second touch position12. Both the first touch position11and the second touch position12are located at the touch panel10thus to generate the two-point touch event. At that time, the touch panel10will determine a relative position of the first touch position11and the second touch position12(In the present embodiment, the first touch position11is above the second touch position12) and calculate, respectively, the first active area20and the second active area30corresponding to the first touch position11and the second touch position12. For the present embodiment, in which the first touch position11is above the second touch position12, the first active area20is a dashed line area shown inFIG. 1. A method of determining the first active area20is to base on a coordinate of the first touch position11to select all planar range below the coordinate of the first touch position11. InFIG. 1, the first active area20will comprise a coordinate of the second touch position12because the second touch position12is located below the first touch position11. And then, the second active area30is a dotted line area shown inFIG. 1. A method of determining the second active area30is to base on the coordinate of the second touch position12to select all planar range above the coordinate of the second touch position12. InFIG. 1, the second active area30will comprise the coordinate of the first touch position11because the first touch position11is located above the second touch position12. On the contrary, when the first touch position11is located below the second touch position12, all planar range above the coordinate of the first touch position11will be selected as the first active area20and all planar range below the coordinate of the second touch position12will be selected as the second active area30. That is the setting of the initial condition of the method for showing page flip effect of the touch panel100, and the operation of the method for showing page flip effect of the touch panel will be described in details as the following.

Please refer toFIG. 2.FIG. 2is a schematic view showing a second page flip event of a method for showing page flip effect of touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. The finger A and the finger B generate, respectively or simultaneously, the first touch position11and the second touch position12at the touch panel10, and the first touch position11and the second touch position12are both located at the touch panel10thus to generate the two-point touch event. The embodiment ofFIG. 1is continued herein for conveniently understanding the process of the second page flip event. When the user moves away the finger A, which originally contacts the touch panel10together with the finger B, the contact point of the touch panel10will become a single-point touch (that is, the second touch position12continuously locates at the touch panel10and the first touch position11disappears) from the originally two-point touch (including the first touch position11corresponding to the finger A and the second touch position12corresponding to the finger B). At that time, the touch panel10detects whether the second touch event is generated within the second active area30or not. The user can use the finger A, which has moved away, to re-contact the touch panel10at a touch position31to allow the touch panel10to receive the second touch event at the touch position31. If the touch position31, where the second touch event locates, is located within the second active area30, the touch panel10will display the second page flip event. It needs to illustrate herein that the touch position31inFIG. 2is capable of being any coordinate within the second active area30and is not limited to the coordinate shown inFIG. 2.

Please refer toFIG. 3.FIG. 3is a schematic view showing a first page flip event of a method for showing page flip effect of touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. The finger A and the finger B generate, respectively or simultaneously, the first touch position11and the second touch position12at the touch panel10, and the first touch position11and the second touch position12are both located at the touch panel10thus to generate the two-point touch event. The embodiment ofFIG. 1is continued herein for conveniently understanding the process of the second page flip event. When the user moves away the finger B, which originally contacts the touch panel10together with the finger A, the contact point of the touch panel10will become a single-point touch (that is, the first touch position11continuously locates at the touch panel10and the second touch position12disappears) from the originally two-point touch (including the first touch position11corresponding to the finger A and the second touch position12corresponding to the finger B). At that time, the touch panel10detects whether the first touch event is generated within the first active area20or not. The user can use the finger B, which has moved away, to re-contact the touch panel10at a touch position21to allow the touch panel10to receive the first touch event at the touch position21. If the touch position21, where the first touch event locates, is located within the first active area20, the touch panel10will display the first page flip event. It needs to illustrate herein that the touch position21inFIG. 3is capable of being any coordinate within the first active area20and is not limited to the coordinate shown inFIG. 3.

In the method for showing page flip effect of the touch panel100as shown inFIGS. 1˜3, the first active area20corresponding to the first touch position11and the second active area30corresponding to the second touch position12have a real-time tracking function. That is, it supposes that the two fingers A and B of the user, respectively or simultaneously, contact the first touch position11and the second touch position12on the touch panel10at the initial condition. If the user utilizes two fingers or one finger to perform a drag action to cause a movement of the touch position (for example, the first touch position11moves in a first distance or/and the second touch position12moves in a second distance, in which the first distance and the second distance can be an equal or unequal offset), the coordinate of the first touch position11or/and the second touch position12will be instantly updated corresponding to the displacement of the touch position. Also, the range of the corresponding first active area20or/and the corresponding second active area30will be instantly updated with the updated first touch position11and second touch position12. The present invention does not only instantly update the touch position and the active area at the initial condition but also update them during the page flip process. For example, in the process of the first page flip event ofFIG. 3, when the user moves the finger B away from the touch panel10and utilizes the finger A, which continuously contacts the first touch position11, to perform a moving action, the first touch position11will update its coordinate instantly along with the displacement of the touch position of the finger A and the corresponding first active area20will update its range along with the update of the first touch position11. When the user utilizes the finger B, which has moved away from the touch panel10, to re-touch the panel10to allow the touch panel10receiving the first touch event, the touch panel10will display the first page flip event as long as the coordinate of the first touch event is located within the updated first active area20. Similarly, in the process of the second page flip event ofFIG. 2, when the user moves the finger A away from the touch panel10and utilizes the finger B, which continuously contacts the second touch position12, to perform a moving action, the second touch position12will update its coordinate instantly along with the displacement of the touch position of the finger B and the corresponding second active area30will update its range along with the update of the second touch position12. When the user utilizes the finger A, which has moved away from the touch panel10, to re-touch the panel10to allow the touch panel10receiving the second touch event, the touch panel10will display the second page flip event as long as the coordinate of the second touch event is located within the updated second active area30.

That is to say, in the method for showing page flip effect of the touch panel100as shown inFIG. 3, the first page flip event means that the user uses the finger B to re-execute a touch operation within the first active area20to allow the touch panel10to receive the first touch event and the corresponding first page flip event is then executed at the first active area20according to the generation of the first touch event. At that time, the finger A keeps touching the first touch position11of the touch panel10. In the method for showing page flip effect of the touch panel100as shown inFIG. 2, the second page flip event means that the user uses the finger A to re-execute a touch operation within the second active area30to allow the touch panel10to receive the second touch event and the corresponding second page flip event is then executed at the second active area30according to the generation of the second touch event. At that time, the finger B keeps touching the second touch position12of the touch panel10. However, in the present invention, the first page flip event and the second page flip event can be a downward page flip event (that is, a page flip-down event) and an upward page flip event (that is, a page flip-up event), respectively, or can be an upward page flip event (that is, a page flip-up event) and a downward page flip event (that is, a page flip-down event), respectively. The first touch event and the second touch event are not limited to a single-click event and also comprise a multi-click event or a drag event and so on. The user is capable of choosing any event for use before executing the page flip process for customizing the usage habit of the user.

In another embodiment of the present invention, when the first touch position11is located below the second touch position12, all planar range above the coordinate of the first touch position11will be selected as the first active area20and all planar range below the coordinate of the second touch position12will be selected as the second active area30. When the first touch event is generated within the first active area, the first page flip event correspondingly executed is the page flip-up event. When the second touch event is generated within the second active area, the second page flip event correspondingly executed is the page flip-down event.

Please refer toFIG. 4.FIG. 4is a block diagram showing a display device200with page flip function according to an embodiment of the present invention. The display device200comprises a touch panel10, a processor40and a storage50. The touch panel10has functions of displaying images and receiving the touch operation. The processor40is coupled with the touch panel10. When the first touch position11and the second touch position12are generated at the touch panel10(as shown in the embodiment ofFIGS. 1˜3, the user utilizes the finger A and the finger B to correspondingly perform, respectively or simultaneously, the touch operation at the first touch position11and the second touch position12of the touch panel10), the two-point event is generated. The first active area20is determined on the touch panel10according to the first touch position11, and the second active area30is determined on the touch panel10according to the second touch position12. As the embodiment ofFIGS. 1˜3, when the first touch position11is located above the second touch position12, the location of the first active area20at the touch panel10is all planar range below the first touch position11and the location of the second active area30at the touch panel10is all planar range above the second touch position12. Therefore, the present embodiment can refer to the embodiment ofFIGS. 1˜3. That is, the first active area20will comprise the coordinate of the second touch position12and the second active area30will comprise the coordinate of the first touch position11. The storage50is coupled with the processor40for storing the information corresponding to the first page flip event and the second page flip event. In the embodiment described inFIGS. 1˜3, the first touch position11is located above the second touch position12. As shown inFIG. 3, when the first touch position11is continuously touched, the second touch position12disappears and the first active area20is re-touched to allow the touch panel10to detect the generation of the first touch event, the processor40will capture the information of the corresponding first page flip event through the storage50according to the first touch event, execute the corresponding first page flip event and display the result of the first page flip event on the touch panel10. Otherwise, as shown inFIG. 2, when the second touch position12is continuously touched, the first touch position11disappears and the second active area30is re-touched to allow the touch panel10to detect the generation of the second touch event, the processor40will capture the information of the corresponding second page flip event through the storage50according to the second touch event and execute the corresponding second page flip event. However, in the present invention, the first page flip event and the second page flip event can be a downward page flip event (that is, a page flip-down event) and an upward page flip event (that is, a page flip-up event), respectively, or can be an upward page flip event (that is, a page flip-up event) and a downward page flip event (that is, a page flip-down event), respectively. Furthermore, the first touch event and the second touch event are not limited to a single-click event and also comprise a multi-click event or a drag event and so on. The user can set up the kind of the event for use before executing the page flip process to allow the processor40to identify the touch operation.

In another embodiment of the touch display device according to the present invention, when the first touch position is located below the second touch position, all planar range above the coordinate of the first touch position will be selected as the first active area and all planar range below the coordinate of the second touch position will be selected as the second active area. When the touch panel detects that the first touch event is generated at the first active area, the corresponding first page flip event executed by the processor is the page flip-up event. When the touch panel detects that the second touch event is generated at the second active area, the corresponding second page flip event executed by the processor is the page flip-down event.

In addition, the touch display device200with page flip function of the present invention also has the real-time tracking function as described in the embodiment ofFIGS. 1˜3. That is, when the first touch position11and the second touch position12as shown inFIGS. 1˜3are simultaneously located at the touch panel10of the display device200and the touch panel10detects that the first touch position11moves in the first distance at the touch panel10, the processor40will instantly adjust the range and the position of the first active area20. When the touch panel10detects that the second touch position12moves in the second distance at the touch panel10, the processor40will instantly adjust the range and the position of the second active area30.

To sum up, the embodiment of the present invention utilizes the two-point touch of the touch panel to determine the relative position of the touch points. When the upper touch point keeps touching the touch panel, the lower touch point re-touches the touch panel after it departs from the touch panel (disappear) and the touch point, which is re-touched, is located below the upper touch point, the first page flip event is executed. When the lower touch point keeps touching the touch panel, the upper touch point re-touches the touch panel after it departs from the touch panel (disappear) and the touch point, which is re-touched, is located above the lower touch point, the second page flip event is executed. Because the method for showing page flip effect of the touch panel of the present invention does not need to utilize an additional page flip button so as to provide a unified and easy method for showing page flip effect of any application and improve the convenience of browsing and reading for users.