JP2005309599A - Method for drag control and its control module - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for drag control for improving convenience at the time of operation of a user and to provide its control module. <P>SOLUTION: This method for drag control is provided to make the control module of a touch controller to identify the drag operation on a touch controller of an object, and to supply a control signal to be generated corresponding to the drag operation for the use of the following control function of a host. A first reference time is set in the control module, and the generation of a drag operation to be generated mainly when an object is moving in the touch controller is detected, and measurement is started at the same time. When it is judged that the object is moving, and the retention time on the touch controller exceeds the first reference time, the control signal expressing the drag operation is outputted, and supplied for the use of the host, and when the object stops, and keeps in contact with the touch controller, the control signal is continuously outputted, and supplied for the use of the host, and when the object is not brought into contact with the touch controller, the output of the control signal is stopped. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a touch control method and a control module thereof, and more particularly, to a drag control method and a control module thereof that can continuously output a control signal even when the operation is stopped and can save a user more power during operation.

Most software currently set up on computers displays window screens using a graphical user interface (GUI) method. The advantage of this is that the user can place auxiliary pointing devices such as mice and trackballs on a flat surface. When moving in each direction, the pointer displayed on the computer screen moves correspondingly on the window screen, and various operations such as selection and execution can be performed on the window screen on the computer screen. Since this method matches the operation control method visualized by mankind, such a simple method is universally applied to various electronic products having a window screen.

The function of the pointing device is explained using the mouse as an example. When using the mouse, the pointer moves as the mouse moves, and if you press the mouse key at the position of the button or scroll bar that you want to execute on the window screen on the screen, An execution command can be issued in response to For example, if you continue to press the mouse key, the left key is the default in the general system, but you can complete the function of the button immediately by double-clicking, or scroll the scroll bar by dragging.

In addition to commonly used pointing devices such as mouse devices and trackball devices, there are also devices that perform similar operations with touch pad and touch panel combined with screen, etc. In view of the trend of laptop computers to gradually replace desktop computers, the application range of touch control devices such as touchpads and touch panels that are small in volume and can be combined with electronic products will increase accordingly. .

As shown in FIG. 1, when taking a case where a general window screen 91 is opened and a sentence is read as an example, a first scroll bar 92 and an X axis along the Y axis direction are respectively provided on the side and the lower side of the window screen 91. A second scroll bar 93 is provided along the direction. When the content of the text is long, the user can move the pointer 94 by first tapping the touch control device (not shown in the figure) with a finger or other object or dragging the touch control device for a certain distance to perform the first scrolling. The position of the bars and the second scroll bars 92 and 93 can be moved and scrolled, and the document in the window screen 91 can be moved up and down or left and right to view the whole without being limited by the size of the window screen 91. Can do.

As shown in FIG. S. Pat. No. In 6,414,671 the method of identifying a drag gesture on the known touch device has submitted, first object and residence time t ₄ of the pressing signal 801 that appeared first time on the touch control device reference time value comparing, when residence time t ₄ one time occurrence is less than the reference time value, and generates a control signal 802, then, the time interval t ₅ between the first time the appearance and the pressing signals 801 a second time occurrence second reference comparing the time value when the time interval t ₅ less than the second reference time value, control continues to output the signal 802, X in the second time objects touch device on the appearance of residence time t _6, Y position data Is detected and output.
U. S. Pat. No. 6,414,671

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, when the first scroll bar 92 of the window screen 91 is scrolled by a certain distance ΔY, the user can drag a distance on the touch control device with a finger or another object. by generates a pressing signal 801 in response to the drag gesture begins to generate a control signal 802 from the time t ₄ when there after the start of the pressing signal 801, the object touches the second time in the appearance of the residence time t ₆ The Y position data on the control device is detected and output.
However, the disadvantage of the drag control method described above is that the method for determining the length of the movement distance ΔY for scrolling the first scroll bar is determined by the total amount of movement of the Y position data corresponding to the drag gesture, and the user once When it is desired to scroll a long distance, it is necessary to move the general distance on the touch control device, or the drag operation must be repeated many times on the touch control device.

When the user wants to scroll the window screen for a long distance at a time, he / she has to move a considerable distance on the touch control device or repeat the drag operation, which solves the disadvantage of the known method that takes time and effort. Alternatively, even if another object is stopped on the touch control device after the drag operation, the window screen is displayed when the control screen is continuously output and the window screen is continuously scrolled and the finger or the other object does not contact the touch control device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a drag control method and a control module for the drag control that improve the convenience of the user's operation.

According to the drag control method of the present invention, the control module of the touch control device identifies the drag operation of the object on the touch control device, and generates a control signal corresponding to the drag operation, and generates a control signal subsequent to the host control function. A first reference time is set in the control module.
The drag control method starts timing at the same time as detecting the occurrence of a drag operation generated by moving the object on the touch control device, and then determining that the object is moving, When the stop time on the touch control device exceeds the first reference time, a control signal indicating the drag operation is output for use by the host. When the object is stationary but is in contact with the touch control device, the control signal is continuously output to be used by the host, and the object and the touch control device are not in contact with each other. And immediately stop the output of the control signal.

The control module of the present invention is used to identify a drag operation on an object touch control device, and further uses a control signal generated in response to the drag operation for use in a subsequent control function of the host. A first reference time is set in the control module, and the control module includes a calculation unit and a gesture unit connected to the calculation unit and the host.
Each time the computing unit detects the appearance of the object on the touch control device, it generates a corresponding press signal, and each press signal corresponds to the start of appearance on the touch control. Generation starts and stops when the appearance of that time is finished. The gesture unit receives these pressure signals and further calculates the length of time of appearance of the object on the touch control device based on the pressure signals to identify the movement of the object.

If the gesture unit determines that the object is moving and the time that the gesture unit is stopped on the touch control device exceeds the first reference time, the control unit outputs a control signal indicating the drag operation and uses the host. When the object is stationary and is in contact with the touch control device, the control signal is continuously output for use by the host, and the object and the touch control device are in contact with each other. When it disappears, the output of the control signal is immediately stopped.

According to the drag control method of the present invention, the control module of the touch control device identifies a finger drag operation on the touch control device, and generates a control signal corresponding to the drag operation to a subsequent control function of the host. The first reference time is set in the control module for use, and the control module detects the occurrence of the drag action generated mainly by the movement of the finger touch control device, and at the same time starts counting, and the finger is moving If the stop time on the touch control device exceeds the first reference time when it is determined that the control signal is output, a control signal indicating a drag operation is output for use by the host, the finger is stationary and the touch control device continues to contact. If the stationary time exceeds the second reference time in the Subjecting stops outputting the control signal when the finger and touch device is no longer in contact. Since the method of determining the length of the scroll moving distance is determined by the drag operation and the stop time in contact with the touch control device, an effect that the user can save more labor is achieved.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the preferred embodiment of the control module 13 of the present invention, the control module 13 is mounted in the touch control device 1 and electrically connected between the touch pad 10 and the host 3. The touch pad 10 is electrically connected by the X direction processing unit 11 and the Y direction processing unit 12, and the touch pad 10 is a capacitance type, resistance film type, electromagnetic type, pressure type, inductance type, surface acoustic wave type, super It may be sonic or optical.
In this embodiment, the touch pad 10 is exemplified by a capacitance type, and the change in the capacitance at the contact position of the finger 2 on the touch pad 10 can be detected, that is, at the moment when the finger 2 contacts the touch pad 10, the touch pad 10 is touched. Since the surface of the pad 10 is a sensor matrix, contact capacitance is generated, and the X-direction processing unit 11 and the Y-direction processing unit 12 can continuously track the trace of the contact capacitance of the finger 2, The calculation unit 131 in the control module 13 measures the X and Y coordinate position parameters of the position of the finger 2 and calculates the movement amounts ΔX and ΔY in the X and Y directions. Different pressure changes that press the touch control device 10 are detected, and a pressing signal 501 related to the degree of pressing is output.

Each press signal 501 is generated in response to the start of appearance on the touch pad 10 and is stopped when the appearance of the time is finished. The calculation unit 131 transmits the detected X, Y direction movement amounts ΔX, ΔY and the pressing signal 501 to the gesture unit 132, and the gesture unit 132 is based on the numerical values of the X, Y direction movement amounts ΔX, ΔY, the pressing signal 501, and the like. To determine how to press the finger 2. In this example, a drag gesture operation is performed, and a control signal 503 corresponding to the gesture is transmitted to the host 3 via the transmission interface 14 for subsequent use.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, according to the drag control method of the present invention, as shown in flows 401 and 402, first, a touching operation of the finger 2 on the touchpad 10 occurs, and the gesture unit 132. Is detected and starts counting, and is continuously detected and the stop time of the finger 2 on the touch pad 10 is recorded. The positive edge (temporary state during the transition from the low level to the high level) of the waveform of the pressing signal 501 in FIG. 5 indicates the occurrence of the contact operation.

As shown in flow 403 and have set the first reference time T ₁ to no gesture unit 132, the gesture unit 132, the time, stationed on the touch pad 10 when it is determined that the finger 2 is moved Exceeds the first reference time T ₁ , that is, when the contact movement of the finger on the touch pad 10 exceeds the first reference time T ₁ , the finger 2 is generated on the touch pad 10 as shown in a flow 404 next. When the detected movement amount 502 exceeds the reference movement amount, it can be determined that this contact operation is a drag gesture, and when the conditions of the flow 403 and 404 are not met, the non-dragging is performed as in the flow 405 and flow 409. Judge as a gesture and perform other actions.

Flow 403 “Condition that the time during which the finger is moving on the touch pad 10 has exceeded the first reference time T ₁ ” and Flow 404 “Moving amount 502 generated by the finger on the touch pad 10. If the condition that “the reference movement amount has been exceeded” is met, then the flow 406 is executed, and a control signal 503 representing a drag gesture as shown in FIG. 5 is output. This control signal 503 is output only after the first reference time T ₁ has elapsed from the occurrence of the drag gesture and is used for the host 3. Here, the control signal 503 representing the drag operation is a series of pulse signals.

As shown in flow 407 and have set further second reference time gesture unit 132 T _2, in a state in which the finger 2 is not moved stationary, has continued and in contact with the touch pad 10, the finger 2 When the second reference time T ₂ exceeds the second reference time T ₂ , the flow 408 is executed, the control signal 503 is output, and the host 3 is used through the transmission interface 14. Then make decisions flow 407, when the finger 2 have time to rest on the touch pad 10 whether newly calculated exceeds a second reference time T _2, exceeds the second reference time T _2, Subsequently, the control signal 503 is output, and so on. If the finger 2 is still on the touch pad 10, the control signal 503 is continuously output. When the finger 2 and the touch pad 10 are not in contact with each other, the output of the control signal 503 is stopped, as shown by the negative edge of the waveform of the pressing signal 501 in FIG. 5 (a temporary state during the transition from the high level to the low level). .

As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6, in the preferred embodiment of the drag control method of the present invention, when the first scroll bar 32 of the window screen 31 is scrolled by a certain distance ΔY, for example, just continue a short distance drag on the on the touch pad 10 with a finger 2, the pressing signal 501 starts to generate in response to the drag gesture, and after the T ₁ of first reference time, the generation of the control signal 503 At first, when it is determined that the movement amount 502 of the finger 2 has exceeded the reference movement amount, a control signal 503 indicating a drag operation is output, and then the finger 2 does not move and does not move and is in contact with the touch pad 10. Even if the state is reached, the control signal 503 is continuously output to be used by the host 3. That is, the method of determining the length of the moving distance ΔY for scrolling the first scroll bar 92 is determined by the drag operation and the stop time during which the touchpad 10 is in contact, and therefore the user moves the finger 2 to correspond. It is not necessary to accumulate a large amount of movement and scroll the first scroll bar 92 for a long distance.

As described above, in the drag control method of the present invention, the control module 13 of the touch control device 1 identifies the drag operation of the finger 2 on the touch control device 1 and generates the control signal 503 generated corresponding to the drag operation. subjected to use in subsequent control functions to the host 3, the control module 13 is configured to the T ₁ of first reference time, the control module 13 generates mainly moving finger in touch device 1 drag starts simultaneously counting upon detecting the occurrence of the operation, followed by finger 2 when the residence time of the touch device 1 when it is determined to be moving exceeds the T ₁ of first reference time, representing a drag operation The control signal 503 is output for use by the host 3, and the finger 2 is stationary and is in contact with the touch control device 1. If, when the rest time exceeds a second reference time T _2, subjected to the use of a host 3 the control signal 503 continues to output, when the finger 2 and the touch device 1 is no longer in contact, the output of the control signal 503 Since it stops, the effect that a user can save labor is achieved.

It is the schematic which moves a pointer on a well-known window screen and scrolls the position of a 1st scroll bar. It is a wave form diagram of the drag gesture discrimination | determination method on a well-known touch control apparatus. 3 is a circuit block chart in which a preferred embodiment of the control module of the present invention is mounted in a touch control device. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of the drag control method of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a waveform diagram of a pressing signal, a moving amount, and a control signal generated by pressing a touch control device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a schematic diagram of scrolling a window screen by moving a pointer by moving the pointer by the drag control method of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Touch control apparatus 10 Touch pad 11 X direction processing unit 12 Y direction processing unit 13 Control module 131 Calculation unit 132 Gesture unit 14 Transmission interface 2 Finger 3 Host 401-409 Flow 501 Press signal 502 Movement amount 503 Control signal T _1st One reference time T ₂ Second reference time ΔX X-direction movement amount ΔY Y-direction movement amount

Claims (6)

In the drag control method, a drag operation of an object on the touch control device is identified by the control module of the touch control device, and a control signal generated corresponding to the drag operation is used for a subsequent control function performed by the host. And a first reference time is set in the control module, and the drag control method is:
A) The timing of the drag operation generated by the movement of the object on the touch control device is detected, and the timing is started.
B) When it is determined that the object is moving, the dwell time on the touch control device exceeds the first reference time, and the object continues to move little by little on the touch control device. Flow C)
C) A control signal representing the drag operation is output for use by the host,
D) When the object stops moving and is still in contact with the touch control device, the control signal is continuously output for use by the host, and the object and the touch control device come into contact with each other. When it is gone, stop outputting the control signal,
A drag control method comprising the above flow.   When a reference movement amount is further set in the control module, and a movement signal generated by the object in the touch control device is further detected in flow B), and it is determined that the movement amount of the object exceeds the reference movement amount. 2. The method of drag control according to claim 1, wherein the control signal is continuously output in the flow D).   A second reference time is further set in the control module, and when the second reference time elapses when the object is stationary and in contact with the touch control device in flow D), the control is performed. 2. The method of drag control according to claim 1, wherein a signal is continuously output for use by the host. The control module is used to identify a drag operation on the touch control device of the object, and a control signal generated in response to the drag operation is used for a subsequent control function performed by the host. ,
A calculation unit, and each time the appearance of the object on the touch control device is detected, a corresponding press signal is generated, and each press signal has a start time of appearance on the touch control device. Generation is started in response to the end of the time, and is terminated when the appearance ends, and includes a gesture unit, connected to the computing unit and the host, receives the pressing signal, and based on the pressing signal the object The time of appearance on the touch control device is calculated to identify the movement of the object, and a first reference time is set in the gesture unit,
When the gesture unit determines that the object is moving and the time that the object is stopped on the touch control device exceeds the first reference time, the control unit outputs a control signal indicating the drag operation to When the object is stationary and in contact with the touch control device, the control signal is continuously output to be used by the host, and the object and the touch control device A control module characterized in that output of the control signal is stopped when contact is lost.   When the reference movement amount is also set in the gesture unit, and the gesture unit detects the movement amount generated by the object in the touch control device, and determines that the movement amount of the object exceeds the reference movement amount. 5. The control module according to claim 4, wherein the control signal is continuously output. A second reference time is further set in the gesture unit, the object is in a stationary state and is in contact with the touch control device, and when the second reference time elapses, the control signal is continuously output. 5. The control module according to claim 4, wherein the control module is adapted for use by the host.

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