Abstract:
A power saving method is disclosed. The method is used for reducing the amount of power consumed by a touch display apparatus including a sensing area. The method includes: determining whether an instruction event happens in the sensing area by scanning the sensing area within a first processing period; in response to a negative determination, providing a specific sensing area within the sensing area; determining whether the instruction event happens in the specific sensing area by scanning the specific sensing area within a second processing period; and in response to a negative determination, ending the scanning of the sensing area.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a power saving method and a touch display apparatus; more particularly, the present invention relates to a power saving method and a touch display apparatus saving power by means of decreasing the range to be scanned. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Along with the fast development of technology and the gradual change of life habits, various electronic products such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and tablet computers appear in daily life, and the electricity consumed by such products has long been an issue of great concern. In many of these products, the power consumed by touch panels accounts for a significant proportion of the overall amount. As a result, it is more efficient to start from touch panels if we want to reduce the amount of power consumed. 
         [0005]    Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 20080162996 disclosed a system and a method for autonomously scanning a sensor panel device. In an embodiment, the system and method disable a sensor panel processor after a first predetermined amount of time has elapsed without the sensor panel device sensing any events. While the processor is disabled, the sensor panel device can periodically and autonomously scan the sensor panel for touch activity. That solution cannot save much power because it is still necessary to scan the entire area of the sensor panel. 
         [0006]    For the above reason, there is a need to provide a power saving method and a touch display apparatus to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problem. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention presents a power saving method for reducing the amount of power consumed by a touch display apparatus. 
         [0008]    The present invention is also related to a touch display apparatus capable of reducing the amount of power consumed. 
         [0009]    According to one embodiment of the present invention, the power saving method is used on a display apparatus comprising a sensing area. The method of the present invention includes: determining whether an instruction event happens in the sensing area by scanning the sensing area within a first processing period with a scanning module; in response to a negative determination, providing a specific sensing area within the sensing area; determining whether the instruction event happens in the specific sensing area by scanning the specific sensing area within a second processing period with the scanning module; and in response to a negative determination, ending the scanning of the sensing area. 
         [0010]    Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings, which disclose several embodiments of the present invention. It is to be understood that the drawings are to be used for purposes of illustration only, and not as a definition of the invention. 
           [0012]    In the drawings, wherein similar reference numerals denote similar elements throughout the several views: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a structural drawing of a touch display apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a flow diagram illustrating a process of a power saving method according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  illustrates an exemplary sensing area according to one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary specific sensing area according to one embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]    To enable persons skilled in the art to gain insight into the technical contents of the present invention, the present invention is hereunder illustrated with preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings. 
         [0018]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which illustrates a structural drawing of the touch display apparatus according to the present invention. The touch display apparatus  1  of the present invention includes a touch screen  10 , a marking module  20 , a scanning module  30 , and a processing module  40 , wherein the touch screen  10  includes a sensing area  11 . In an embodiment of the present invention, the aforesaid elements can come in the form of a hardware device, a software program, firmware, or a combination thereof, they can also come in the form of a circuit loop or any other appropriate arrangement. If any one of the elements is implemented by software, it can be loaded on a computer-readable storage medium. Each of the elements can be self-contained; alternatively, the elements can operate in conjunction with each other. 
         [0019]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the touch display apparatus  1  is a smart phone comprising the touch screen  10  and aforesaid modules, but the disclosure of the present invention is not limited thereto; it also can be a tablet computer or a notebook. In one embodiment of the present invention, the range of the sensing area  11  includes the entire area of the touch screen  10 , though the disclosure of the present invention is not limited thereto. 
         [0020]    Please refer to  FIG. 2 , which illustrates a flowchart of the power saving method according to the present invention. Please also refer to  FIG. 1 ,  FIG. 3 , and  FIG. 4 , which illustrate one embodiment of the present invention. Although the power saving method of the present invention is illustrated with the touch display apparatus  1  shown in  FIG. 1 , the power saving method of the present invention is not limited to application to the touch display apparatus  1 . 
         [0021]    Step  201 : Determine Whether an Exception Event Occurs. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing module  40  determines whether or not an exception event occurs in the touch display apparatus  1 , and in the event that the determining process yields “NO”, the flow proceeds to step  202 ; in the event that the determining process yields “YES”, the touch display apparatus  1  returns to a normal use state. 
         [0023]    While the touch display apparatus  1  conducts an exception event such as displaying a video, displaying a document, displaying a picture, or displaying a webpage, the touch display apparatus  1  and the touch screen  10  are in use. The touch display apparatus  1  is not idle; as a consequence, it is not necessary to proceed to the next step. In one embodiment of the present invention, the exception event is one of a set of a video displaying event, a document displaying event, a picture displaying event, and a webpage displaying event, though the disclosure of the present invention is not limited thereto. 
         [0024]    Please note that step  201  and the processing module  40  are not necessary in the present invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the power saving method can skip step  201  and execute the following steps directly. The way to determine whether or not an exception event occurs is a known technique; therefore, there is no need for further description. 
         [0025]    If it is determined that no exception event is occurs, the process will go to step  202 : determine whether an instruction event happens in the sensing area within a first processing period. 
         [0026]    Please refer to  FIG. 3 , which illustrates an exemplary sensing area according to the present invention. The touch display apparatus  1  includes a touch screen  10 , and the range of the sensing area  11  includes the entire area of the touch screen  10 . The scanning module  30  can determine whether or not an instruction event happens in the sensing area  11  by scanning the sensing area  11 . Generally speaking, if no special setting has been determined, the scanning module  30  scans the entire sensing area  11  continuously to determine whether or not an instruction event happens in the sensing area  11 . However, scanning the entire sensing area  11  consumes unnecessary electricity if the touch screen  10  is not in use. Accordingly, the present invention proposes a power saving method to prevent such waste. 
         [0027]    In one embodiment of the present invention, if it has been determined that no exception event is occurs, the scanning module  30  scans the sensing area  11  within a first processing period to determine whether or not an instruction event happens in the sensing area  11 . In the event that the determining process yields “NO”, the flow proceeds to step  203 , and in the event that the determining process yields “YES”, the touch display apparatus  1  returns to the normal use state. 
         [0028]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the length of the first processing period is 2 minutes, though the disclosure of the present invention is not limited thereto. If no instruction event happens within the first processing period, a judgment will be made that the touch display apparatus  1  and the touch screen  10  are probably not in use, and the following steps will be executed. Please note that the length of the first processing period can be set by users in advance or by the touch display apparatus  1  directly. In one embodiment of the present invention, the instruction event is a touch event near or on the touch screen  10 , though the disclosure of the present invention is not limited thereto. Also please note that the way to determine whether or not an instruction event happens is a known technique in the field; therefore, there is no need for further description. 
         [0029]    If it is determined that no instruction event happens in the sensing area within the first processing period, the process will go to step  203 : provide a specific sensing area and mark its range. 
         [0030]    Please refer to  FIG. 4 , which illustrates an exemplary specific sensing area according to the present invention. If no instruction event happens in the sensing area  11  within the first processing period, the marking module  20  marks a specific sensing area  21  on the touch screen  10 , wherein the specific sensing area  21  falls within the sensing area  11 . 
         [0031]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the marking module  20  can mark the range of the specific sensing area  21  with a picture, though the disclosure of the present invention is not limited thereto; the marking module  20  can also mark the specific sensing area  21  with a message. Furthermore, in order to remind users to touch the specific sensing area  21 , the marking module  20  can display a predetermined picture or message  22  on the sensing area  11  after the first processing period. Please note that the location of the specific sensing area  21  can be set by users in advance or by the touch display apparatus  1  directly; moreover, the step of displaying a predetermined picture or message is not necessary in the present invention. 
         [0032]    Step  204 : Determine Whether the Instruction Event Happens in the Specific Sensing Area within a Second Processing Period. 
         [0033]    Please refer to  FIG. 4 ; after marking the range of the specific sensing area  21 , the scanning module  30  scans the specific sensing area  21  within a second processing period to determine whether or not an instruction event happens in the specific sensing area  21 . In the event that the determining process yields “NO”, the flow proceeds to step  205 , and in the event that the determining process yields “YES”, the touch display apparatus  1  returns to the normal use state. 
         [0034]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the length of the second processing period is 8 minutes, though the disclosure of the present invention is not limited thereto. If no instruction event happens in the specific sensing area  21  within the second processing period, a judgment will be made that the touch display apparatus  1  and the touch screen  10  are indeed not in use, and the following steps will be executed. Please note that the length of the second processing period can be set by users in advance or by the touch display apparatus  1  directly. 
         [0035]    In one embodiment of the present invention, the scanning module  30  scans only the specific sensing area  21  within the second processing time, and it does not scan areas other than the specific sensing area  21 . Compared with scanning the entire sensing area  11 , scanning only the specific sensing area  21  can reduce the amount of electricity consumed. If the user touches the specific sensing area  21 , the touch display apparatus  1  will return to the normal use state; however, if the user touches areas other than the specific sensing area  21 , there will be no reaction. After returning to the normal use state, the touch display apparatus  1  repeats the steps of the power saving method. For example, the scanning module  30  determines whether or not the instruction event happens in the sensing area within the first processing period by scanning the sensing area  11 . Please note that the way to determine whether or not an instruction event happens is a known technique in the field; therefore, there is no need for further description. 
         [0036]    If it is determined that no instruction event happens in the specific sensing area within the second processing period, the process will go to step  205 : stop scanning the sensing area. 
         [0037]    If the scanning module  30  makes a judgment that no instruction event happens in the specific sensing area  21  within the second processing period, the scanning module  30  will stop scanning the sensing area  11  and the touch display apparatus  1  will enter a scan-stopped state. Compared with scanning the entire sensing area  11  within the first processing period and within the second processing period, scanning only the specific sensing area  21  within the second processing period can reduce the amount of electricity consumed. 
         [0038]    Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.