Abstract:
A portable communication device is provided. According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the portable communication device includes a first casing comprising a first input unit, and a second casing attached to the first casing. When the second casing is attached to the first casing, a space for the placement of a processing unit can be defined. The second casing further includes a second input unit electrically connected to a processing unit, and the second input unit further includes at least one touch zone. When the at least one touch zone is touched, a sensing signal indicative of the at least one touch zone being touched is delivered to the processing unit. The processing unit controls the portable communication device to operate according to the sensing signal indicating the touched state of the at least one touch zone.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No(s). 102103581 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Jan. 30, 2013, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The disclosure relates to a portable communication device, and more particularly to a portable communication device which includes a first input unit and a second input unit and performs a preset operation by determining a sensing signal generated by the second input unit. 
         [0004]    2. Related Art 
         [0005]    For a portable communication device now, a touch panel facing a user, or buttons (or keys) disposed at the side edge of the casing of the portable communication device are usually employed to control the operation of the portable communication device (e.g. the turning-on and the adjustment of volume). However, another surface of the portable communication device, where an image capturing device is disposed, is not used efficiently. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The disclosure relates to a portable communication device, which includes a first casing including a first input unit, and a second casing attached to the first casing. A space for placing a processing unit is defined by the second casing and the first casing. The second casing includes a second input unit electrically connected to the processing unit. The second input unit includes at least one touch zone. When the at least one touch zone is touched, a sensing signal indicating a touched state of the at least one touch zone is transmitted to the processing unit. The processing unit controls a preset operation of the portable communication device according to the touched state of the at least one touch zone. 
         [0007]    Moreover, the disclosure relates to an operation method of the foregoing portable communication device. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the operation method includes the following steps. A sensing signal is received from the second input unit. A touched state of the at least one touch zone corresponding to the sensing signal is determined. According to the touched state of the at least one touch zone, the portable communication device is controlled to perform the preset operation. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The disclosure will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only and thus does not limit the disclosure, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a portable communication device according to one embodiment of the disclosure; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2A  is a schematic diagram of a second casing according to one embodiment of the disclosure; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2B  is a schematic diagram of a second casing according to another embodiment of the disclosure; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a circuit block diagram of a portable communication device according to one embodiment of the disclosure; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a flow chart of a method of controlling the portable communication device according to one embodiment of the disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    In the following detailed description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in sequence to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed embodiments. It will be apparent, however, that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are schematically shown in sequence to simplify the drawing. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a portable communication device  100  according to an embodiment of the disclosure. The portable communication device  100  can be, for example, a mobile phone, a tablet computer or an electronic reader. The portable communication device  100  includes a first casing  102  and a second casing  104 . A space defined by the first casing  102  and the second casing  104  is used for placing a circuit element or a control circuit (not shown) capable of controlling the operation of the portable communication device  100 . The second casing  104  is, for example, a back cover of the portable communication device  100 . 
         [0016]    The portable communication device  100  further includes a first input unit  106  disposed on or integrated with the first casing  102 . The first input unit  106  is used for receiving an input formed by operating the portable communication device  100 , and also serves as a display screen. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B  are schematic diagrams of the second casings  204  and  206  according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In the portable communication device, a space defined on the second casing  204  is used for disposing a second input unit  208 . The second input unit  208  includes a single touch zone as the same as the first input unit  106  in  FIG. 1 . The touch zone is used for receiving touch inputs. On the second casing  206 , the second input unit includes a plurality of touch zones  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266 . The touch zones  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266  respectively receive touch inputs. The second input unit  208  can be, for example, a capacitive touch panel. In this and some embodiments, the second input, unit  208  can include a single touch zone  209 . 
         [0018]    When one touch zone of the second casing  204  or  206  is touched, a corresponding sensing signal is generated. Specifically, the sensing signal is generated when any one of the touch zones  209 ,  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266  is touched. The corresponding sensing signal is transmitted to a circuit element (not shown) disposed in a space defined by the first casing and the second casing  204  or  206  in the portable communication device. The circuit element can be, for example, a processing unit. The processing unit processes the received sensing signal to determine whether to perform a corresponding preset operation. Specifically, the preset operation can defined according to a touched area of any one of the touch zones  209 ,  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266 , or according to a quantity of touched ones in the touch zones  209 ,  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266 . 
         [0019]    For example, the sensing signal, which is generated when the touch zones  256  and  258  are touched, is different from the sensing signal, which is generated when the touch zones  262 ,  264  and  266  are touched. Various sensing signals are used for determining which preset operation should be performed, and for determining whether to perform the preset operation. Specifically, the portable communication device is unlocked when the touch zones  256  and  258  are touched, the portable communication device is waken up when the touch zones  262 ,  264  and  266  are touched, and the volume played by the portable communication device can be adjusted when the touch zones  256  and  262  are touched. 
         [0020]    In this and some embodiments, according to a touched area of any one of the touch zones  209 ,  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266 , the portable communication device determines whether to perform the preset operation. For example, when more than a half of the touch zone  209  is touched, the portable communication device is unlocked, and when less than a half of the touch zone  209  is touched, the portable communication device is not unlocked. In this and some embodiments, the processing unit can also accumulate the touched area of the touch zones  209 ,  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266 , so as to determine whether to perform the preset operation. 
         [0021]    In this and some embodiments, a quantity of the touched ones in the touch zones  209 ,  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266  can also be used for determining whether to perform the preset operation. 
         [0022]    In this and some embodiments, the processing unit can determine whether to perform the preset operation, according to a sequence which the touch zones  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266  are touched. For example, when the touch zones  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266  are touched in a preset sequence (e.g. a sequence from the touch zone  256  to the touch zone  264 ), the portable communication device is unlocked. In contrast, when the touch zones  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266  are touched in a sequence from the touch zone  264  to the touch zone  256 , the portable communication device is waken up. 
         [0023]    In this and some embodiments, according to a time length of any touched one of the touch zones  209 ,  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266 , the corresponding sensing signal is generated and is used for determining whether to perform the preset operation. In an embodiment, the time length can be a time period a single touch zone, e.g. the touch zone  209 , is touched. In an embodiment, the time length can be a time period a plurality of touch zones, e.g. the touch zones  209 ,  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266 , are touched. In an embodiment, the time length can be a time interval two of the touch zones  209 ,  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266  are touched successively. 
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a circuit block diagram of a portable communication device  300  according to one embodiment of the disclosure. The portable communication device  300  includes a body  302  and a second casing  304 . The second casing  304  includes a second input unit  306  and a first communication interface  308 . The second input unit  306  is electrically connected to the body  302  through the first communication interface  308 . 
         [0025]    The body  302  includes a second communication interface  312 , a processing unit  314 , a storage unit  316  and a first input unit  318 . The second communication interface  312  is electrically connected to the first communication interface  308 . The processing unit  314  is electrically connected to the storage unit  316 , the second communication interface  312  and the first input unit  318  respectively, so as to control the operation of the portable communication device  300 . The operation herein includes the forgoing preset operations corresponding to the received sensing signal. 
         [0026]    The first input unit  318  can receive the input which a user inputs, so that the processing unit  314  can control the operation of the portable communication device  300 . Moreover, the first input unit  318  can serve as a display device. The second input unit  306  includes the touch zones  209 ,  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266  as shown in  FIG. 2A  and  FIG. 2B , so as to output the corresponding sensing signal after being touched. The sensing signal is transmitted to the processing unit  314  through the first communication interface  308  and the second communication interface  312 . According to the received sensing signal, the processing unit  314  can determine touched states of the touch zones  209 ,  256 ,  258 ,  262  and  266 , so that the portable communication device  300  can perform the corresponding preset operation. For example, the touched sates includes a touched area, whether the touch zone is touched or not, the sequence the touch zones are touched, the time length the touch zone is touched, and even the time interval the touch zones are touched. 
         [0027]    Refer to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the operation method  400  of the portable communication device  300  is illustrated, which includes following steps. A sensing signal generated by the second input unit, e.g. the second input unit  306 , is received by the processing unit  314  (step  402 ). In the step  404 , the processing unit  314  determines a touched state of the touch zone of the second input unit  306  corresponding to the received sensing signal. The touched states at least includes the touched area of touch zone, whether the touch zone is touched or not, the sequence of the touched touch zones, and the time length the touch zone is touched. In this and some embodiments, the determination of the touched state can be any one of the foregoing examples or a combination of some of the foregoing examples. 
         [0028]    In the step  406 , after determining the touched state of the touch zones in the second input unit  306 , the processing unit controls the portable communication device to perform the preset operation. For example, when the touched area of the touch zone is grater than a first preset value, when a quantity of the touched touch zones is greater than a second preset value, when the touch zones are touched in a preset sequence, when a time length of touch zone is greater than a preset time length, when a time interval two touch zones are touched is equal to a preset requirement, or when any combination of the foregoing conditions is satisfied, the portable communication device performs the preset operation. 
         [0029]    In the disclosure, the touch zones in the second input unit can be touched (or receive an input signal). When the touch zones are touched, a corresponding sensing signal is generated. The generated sensing signal indicates a touched state of the touch zones. When the touched state satisfies a preset condition (for example, the sequence the touch zones are touched is equal to the preset sequence), the portable communication device can perform the preset operation. Thus, the preset operation can be performed without the first input unit or any button or key on the casing (the side edge) of the portable communication device.