TABLET COMPUTER AND INPUT METHOD THEREOF

A tablet computer and an input method thereof are provided. The tablet computer includes a touch screen, an embedded controller, a processor, and an encoding rule database. The processor detects a touch state of the touch screen through the embedded controller, wherein after determining a corresponding code according to a touch state and an encoding rule, the processor displays the corresponding code on the touch screen. The encoding database stores the encoding rule.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

First Embodiment

Referring toFIG. 1, a tablet computer1is illustrated according to a first embodiment in a block diagram. The tablet computer1includes a touch screen11, an embedded controller12, a processor13, and an encoding rule database14. The embedded controller12is coupled to the touch screen11and the processor13, and the processor13is coupled to the encoding rule database14. The encoding database14stores an encoding rule which can be, for example, predetermined, or configured or set by the user through the touch screen11. When the touch screen11does not display a screen keyboard, the processor13detects a touch state of the touch screen11through the embedded controller12, and the processor13, after determining a corresponding code according to the touch state and the encoding rule, displays the corresponding code on the touch screen11.

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2,FIG. 2illustrates an input method for the tablet computer according to the first embodiment in a flowchart. The touch state includes, for example, number of points of long touching and number of tapping on the touch screen11. The input method for the tablet computer1includes the following steps. First, in step21, the number of points of long touching and the number of tapping on the touch screen11. In step22, a corresponding code is then determined according to the number of points of long touching, the number of tapping, and an encoding rule. After that, in step23, the corresponding code is displayed on the touch screen11. In addition, the user can set up or reconfigure the encoding rule in the encoding rule database14so as to meet the custom of the user. In one embodiment, the above step21can be performed after the tablet computer1enters an input data mode. For example, the tablet computer1enters an input data mode for waiting for the user to enter data after the user touches the touch screen11to select an input box displayed on the touch screen11. In addition, the number of points of long touching and the number of tapping on the touch screen11are detected after the tablet computer1enters the input data mode. Without the need of a screen keyboard displayed on the touch screen11, the user can input data by way of combinations of the number of points of long touching and the number of tapping, thus enhancing the user's convenience of operation.

Referring toFIG. 1and Table 1, Table 1 describes an encoding rule for the tablet computer1, which may be called five-touch-point rule. The encoding rule includes combinations of the number of points of long touching and the number of tapping on the touch screen11. For example, when the user makes a long touch with a finger on the touch screen11and another finger taps the touch screen for 5 times, the processor13detects, through the embedded controller12, that the number of points of long touching and the number of tapping on the touch screen11are one and 5, respectively. The processor13determines a corresponding code of “j” according to the number of points of long touching, the number of tapping, and the encoding rule described in Table 1. In another example, when the user makes a long touch with two fingers on the touch screen11and another finger taps the touch screen for 3 times, the processor13detects, through the embedded controller12, that the number of points of long touching and the number of tapping on the touch screen11are 2 and 3, respectively. The processor13determines a corresponding code of “m” according to the number of points of long touching, the number of tapping, and the encoding rule described in Table 1.

Referring toFIG. 1and Table 2, Table 2 describes another encoding rule for the tablet computer1, which may be called ten-touch-point rule. The encoding rule includes combinations of the number of points of long touching and the number of tapping on the touch screen11. For example, when the user makes a long touch with 6 fingers on the touch screen11and another finger taps the touch screen for one time, the processor13detects, through the embedded controller12, that the number of points of long touching and the number of tapping on the touch screen11are 6 and one, respectively. The processor13determines a corresponding code of “r” according to the number of points of long touching, the number of tapping, and the encoding rule described in Table 2. In another example, when the user makes a long touch with 9 fingers on the touch screen11while another finger taps the touch screen for two times, the processor13detects, through the embedded controller12, that the number of points of long touching and the number of tapping on the touch screen11are 9 and 2, respectively. The processor13determines a corresponding code of “y” according to the number of points of long touching, the number of tapping, and the encoding rule described in Table 2.

Second Embodiment

Referring toFIGS. 3 and 4,FIG. 3illustrates a tablet computer3according to a second embodiment in a block diagram, andFIG. 4illustrates an input method for the tablet computer according to the first embodiment in a flowchart. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the tablet computer3further includes a distance database15in addition to the touch screen11, the embedded controller12, the processor13, and the encoding rule database14. In the second embodiment, similar to the first embodiment, the processor13detects a touch state of the touch screen11through the embedded controller12when the touch screen11does not display a screen keyboard, wherein the touch state includes, for example, a first trigger position and a second trigger position on the touch screen11.

The input method for the tablet computer3includes the following steps. First, in step41, a first trigger position and a second trigger position on the touch screen11are detected. In step42, a first finger type is recognized according to the first trigger position and a second finger type is recognized according to the second trigger position by the processor13. The first finger type and the second finger type, for example, are thumb, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, or little finger. Specifically, for example, a first distance is determined according to the first touch position and an origin position, and a second distance is determined according to the second touch position and the origin position, by the processor13. The processor13recognizes the first finger type according to the first distance and the distance database15, and recognizes the second finger type according to the second distance and the distance database15. After that, in step43, a corresponding code is determined according to the first finger type, the second finger type, and an encoding rule by the processor13. In step44, the corresponding code is then displayed on the touch screen11. Without the need of a screen keyboard displayed on the touch screen11, the user can input data by way of combinations of the number of points of long touching and the number of tapping, thus enhancing the user's convenience of operation.

Referring toFIG. 3and Table 3, Table 3 describes an encoding rule for the tablet computer3. The encoding rule includes combinations of types of fingers triggering the touch screen11. For example, when the thumb and the index finger of the user press the touch screen11, the processor13detects the first trigger position and the second trigger position on the touch screen11through the embedded controller12. The processor13detects that the first finger type is the thumb according to the first trigger position, and that the second finger type is the index finger according to the second trigger position. The processor13determines a corresponding code of “f” according to the finger types of the thumb and the index finger, and the encoding rule described in Table 3. In another example, when the index finger and the middle finger of the user press the touch screen11, the processor13detects the first trigger position and the second trigger position on the touch screen11through the embedded controller12. The processor13detects that the first finger type is the index finger according to the first trigger position, and that the second finger type is the middle finger according to the second trigger position. The processor13determines a corresponding code of “j” according to the finger types of the index finger and the middle finger, and the encoding rule described in Table 3.

Referring toFIGS. 3,5, and6,FIG. 5illustrates an initialization procedure for a tablet computer according to an embodiment in a flowchart, andFIG. 6illustrates an example of fingers' laid positions on the touch screen. The above input method may further include an initialization procedure which includes the following steps. First, in step51, detection of one or more laid positions of a number of fingers on the touch screen is performed. The laid positions of the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger of the left hand are laid positions o1, a4, a3, a2, and a1respectively, and the laid positions of the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger of the right hand are laid positions o1′, a4′, a3′, a2′, and a1′ respectively.

In step52, the processor13then determines reference distances r1, r2, r3, r4, r1′, r2′, r3′, and r4′ according to the laid positions a1, a2, a3, a4, o1, a1′, a2′, a3′, a4′, and o1′. The laid position o1, which is the position of the thumb, is defined as an origin position. Similarly, the laid position o1′, which is the position of the thumb, is defined as another origin position. The reference distance r1is the distance from the laid positions a1to o1; the reference distance r2is the distance from the laid positions a2to o1; the reference distance r3is the distance from the laid positions a3to o1; the reference distance r4is the distance from the laid positions a4to o1. Similarly, the reference distance r1′ is the distance from the laid positions a1′ to o1; the reference distance r2′ is the distance from the laid positions a2′ to o1; the reference distance r3′ is the distance from the laid positions a3′ to o1; the reference distance r4′ is the distance from the laid positions a4′ to o1.

After that, in step53, the processor13stores the relationship between the reference distances r1, r2, r3, r4, r1′, r2′, r3′, and r4′ and the fingers in the distance database15. Since the distances from the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger, and the little finger to the thumb are basically fixed, a finger type can be determined by the reference distance.

The above described tablet computers and input methods facilitate the user to enter a code, for example, character(s), word(s), or symbol(s), correctly without the need to display a screen keyboard. In such a way, it can prevent the screen keyboard from occupying the display region, and enhance the accuracy for inputting data.