Patent Publication Number: US-2012032923-A1

Title: Infrared controlling device

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an infrared (IR) controlling device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A typical IR touch device, includes a number of IR emitters and a number of receivers distributed on the edges of a screen of the IR touch device. Infrared rays emitted by the IR emitters transmit on the surface of the screen. With such structure, a space must be reserved in the IR touch device for transmitting the infrared rays. However, the structure of the IR touch device cannot satisfy the requirements for the trend towards miniaturization. Furthermore, when user touches the screen to input commands they will leave dirt or smears on the screen, which will shorten the service life of the IR touch device. 
     Therefore, what is needed is an IR controlling device to overcome the shortcomings of the above-mentioned typical IR touch device. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an IR controlling device according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic view of an arrangement of a number of IR emitters and IR receivers of the IR controlling device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a partial, side schematic view of the IR controlling device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an IR controlling device  100  is illustrated. The IR controlling device  100  includes an IR emitting unit  20 , an IR receiving unit  30 , a processor  40  and a display panel  50 . The IR controlling device  100  can be applied to a number of electronic devices, such as E-books, computers, or mobile phones. 
     The emitting unit  20  includes a number of IR emitters  21  and an emission controller  22 . The IR receiving unit  30  includes a number of IR receivers  31  and a receiving controller  32 . The IR emitters  21  and the IR receivers  31  are arranged by a predetermined order. The emission controller  22  and the receiving controller  32  are both connected to the processor  40 . The IR emitters  21  are to emit IR beams  210  in sequence under the control of the emission controller  22 , and the IR receivers  310  are to receive the IR beams reflected by an external object. In the embodiment, when an external object  70 , such as a finger, is close to the surface of the display panel  50 , the IR beam  210  will be reflected to a number of the IR receivers  30 , and the IR receivers  30  receive the reflected IR beams  310  under the control of the receiving controller  32 . The receiving controller  32  generates a number of response signals  320  corresponding to the reception of the IR receivers  30  and sends the response signals  320  to the processor  40 . 
     The processor  40  includes an IR processing unit  41 , a controlling unit  42 , a display processing unit  43 , and a storage unit  45 . The storage unit  45  stores the corresponding coordinates of the IR emitters  20  and the IR receivers  30  on the display panel  50 , and the functions corresponding to the coordinates of the IR emitters  20  and the IR receivers  30 . The IR processing unit  41  receives the response signals  320 , and determines a virtual position of the object  70  on the display panel  50 . In the embodiment, the virtual position is the position of a touch point (not labeled). The controlling unit  42  outputs a control signal according to the virtual position, and executes a corresponding function. The display processing unit  43  receives the control signal and updates the content on the display panel  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2-3 , the IR emitters  21  and the IR receivers  31  are staggered on a circuit board  60 . In the embodiment, each IR emitter  21  is adjacent to a number of IR receivers  31 , and each IR receiver  31  is adjacent to a number of IR emitters  21 . The IR receivers  31  receive the reflected IR beams  310  emitted by the IR emitters  21  and reflected by the finger  71 . In the embodiment, while one of the IR emitters  20  is enabled to emit the IR beam  210  under the control of the processor  40 , the processor  40  also enables the IR receivers  30  adjacent to the IR emitter  20 . 
     The display panel  50  is arranged above the IR emitters  21  and the IR receivers  31 , with the IR emitters  21  and the IR receivers  31  facing the display panel  50 . The IR beams  210  and the reflected IR beams  310  can pass through the display panel  50 . A transparent plate  61  is arranged above the display panel  50  to prevent the display panel  50  from being contaminated, or scratched. In order to avoid the IR beams  210  from being received directly by the IR receivers  31  without being reflected, in the embodiment, a light barrier  62  is arranged between the adjacent IR emitter  21  and IR receiver  31 . 
     If the finger  71  is close to the surface of the display panel  50 , the IR beam  201  emitted by the IR emitter  20  under the finger  71  is reflected, the IR receivers  30  adjacent to the IR emitter  20  receive the reflected IR beams  310 . If there is no object close to the display panel  50 , the IR beam  210  is not reflected, and the IR receivers  30  cannot receive any IR beam. 
     The IR processing unit  41  receives the response signals  320  corresponding to the IR receivers  30  being enabled, and determines whether the strength of the response signals  320  reach a predetermined threshold. If the strength of one or more of the response signals  320  reaches the predetermined threshold, the IR processing unit  41  determines that a touch point is created. The IR processing unit  41  then reads the corresponding coordinates of the IR receivers  30  stored in the storage unit  45 , and determines the position of the touch point according to the coordinates and the strengths of the response signals of the IR receivers  30 . The controlling unit  42  outputs a control signal according to the position of the touch point, and executes a corresponding function. 
     In other embodiments, the IR controlling device  100  includes a program allowing the user to input commands with different gestures. For example, when the finger moves above the display panel  50 , such as up-slip, down-slip, left-slip or right-slip, the IR processing unit  41  determines the gesture according to the positions of a series of consecutive touch points. The controlling unit  42  executes a function corresponding to the gesture. 
     In another embodiment, a number of icons (not labeled) are displayed in the display panel  50 , and the position of each icon corresponds to that of one or more IR emitters  20  and IR receivers  30 . The storage unit  45  stores a number of functions corresponding to the icons. When the object  70  stays above one of the icons, the IR beams emitted by the IR emitters  20  corresponding to the icon are reflected to the corresponding IR receivers  30 . The IR processing unit  41  determines the position of the icon, and then reads the corresponding function of the icon stored in the storage unit  45 . The controlling unit  42  executes the function corresponding to the icon. 
     For example, the function of one of the icons can be predetermined to turn on/off the IR controlling device  100  if the object  70  stays above an icon for a first/second time period, or adjust the volume if the object  70  is close to or away from the icon. 
     In another embodiment, in order to avoid other objects, such as the other fingers of the user reflecting the IR beam  210 , and interfering with the user&#39;s real operation, a reflection device  72  has a reflection higher than the reflection of skin can be worn on the operating finger  71 . The receiving sensitivity of the IR receivers  30  can be adjusted, such that, the strength of the IR beams reflected by the finger  71  cannot reach the reception threshold of the receivers  30 , and the IR receivers  30  can only receive the IR beams reflected by the reflection device  72 . 
     Moreover, it is to be understood that the disclosure may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof. Thus, the present examples and embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosure is not to be limited to the details given herein.