TWI441057B - Touch input apparatus and operating method thereof - Google Patents

Description

Touch input device and operation method thereof

The present invention relates to the field of touch technology, and in particular to a touch input device using a carbon nanotube and a method of operating the same.

Due to the inherent structural limitations, most resistive touch panels can only sense the movement trajectory of a single touch point and the touch force of a single touch point. Although a small number of manufacturers will combine many small single-touch resistive touch panels into one large multi-touch panel, this practice will be limited by the lack of yield, so it is not obtained. broadly used.

In addition, the projected capacitive touch panel can support multi-touch in the innate structure. However, since the sensing method is to detect the small capacitance value of each touch point, it is often because the sensed signal is too Weak and vulnerable to outside interference. A disadvantage of the projected capacitive touch panel is that the touch panel cannot be operated with a general pen or the like.

The invention provides a plurality of touch input devices, all of which adopt nano carbon tubes to achieve multi-touch.

The present invention further provides various methods of operation corresponding to the touch input device described above.

The invention provides a touch input device comprising a first carbon nanotube layer, a second carbon nanotube layer, a plurality of first contact pads, a plurality of second contact pads and a processing circuit. Each of the first carbon nanotube layers in the first carbon nanotube layer is substantially parallel to the first direction. Each of the carbon nanotube layers in the second carbon nanotube layer is substantially parallel to the second direction, and the second carbon nanotube layer is spaced apart from the first carbon nanotube layer by a predetermined distance. The first contact pads are electrically connected to the edges of the first carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a row perpendicular to the first direction. The second contact pads are electrically connected to the edges of the second carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a row perpendicular to the second direction. As for the processing circuit described above, the first contact pad and the second contact pad are electrically connected. The processing circuit is configured to provide a first comparison voltage to the second contact pad in the first time period, and float the first contact pad according to the first preset sequence, and simultaneously unfloat the first contact pad Electrically connected to the first reference voltage to sequentially read the voltage value on the floating first contact pad. The processing circuit is further configured to provide a second comparison voltage to the first contact pad in the second time period, and float the second contact pad according to the second predetermined sequence, and simultaneously connect the second contact that is not floating The pad is electrically connected to the second reference voltage to sequentially read the voltage value on the floating second contact pad. When the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to an external force to electrically contact the second carbon nanotube layer corresponding to one of the external forces, the processing circuit calculates the force of the external force according to the read voltage value. .

In an embodiment of the touch input device, when the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to a plurality of external forces to electrically contact the second carbon nanotube layer corresponding to the plurality of force points of the external force, the treatment is performed. The circuit calculates the force of these external forces based on the read voltage value.

The present invention further provides an operation method corresponding to the touch input device described above. The touch input device includes a first carbon nanotube layer, a second carbon nanotube layer, a plurality of first contact pads and a plurality of second contact pads. Each of the first carbon nanotube layers is substantially parallel to the first direction, and each of the second carbon nanotube layers is substantially parallel to the second direction And the second carbon nanotube layer is separated from the first carbon nanotube layer by a predetermined distance. The first contact pads are electrically connected to the edges of the first carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a line perpendicular to the first direction. The second contact pads are electrically connected to the edges of the second carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a row perpendicular to the second direction. The operating method includes the steps of: providing a first comparison voltage to the second contact pad in a first time period, and floating the first contact pad according to the first predetermined sequence, while not floating The first contact pad is electrically connected to the first reference voltage to sequentially read the voltage value on the floating first contact pad; the second comparison voltage is supplied to the first contact pad in the second time period, and The second predetermined sequence suspends the second contact pad, and electrically connects the unfloating second contact pad to the second reference voltage to sequentially read the voltage value on the floating second contact pad; And when the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to an external force to electrically contact the second carbon nanotube layer corresponding to one of the external forces, the force of the external force is calculated according to the read voltage value.

In an embodiment of the above operation method, when the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to a plurality of external forces to electrically contact the second carbon nanotube layer corresponding to the plurality of force points of the external force, the first carbon nanotube layer is read according to the reading. Take the voltage value to calculate the force of these external forces.

The invention further provides a touch input device comprising a first carbon nanotube layer, a second carbon nanotube layer, a plurality of first contact pads, a plurality of second contact pads and a processing circuit. Each of the first carbon nanotube layers is substantially parallel to the first direction. Each of the carbon nanotube layers in the second layer of carbon nanotubes is substantially parallel to the second direction, and the second layer of carbon nanotubes is spaced apart from the first layer of carbon nanotubes by a predetermined distance. The first contact pads are electrically connected to the edges of the first carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a line perpendicular to the first direction. The second contact pads are electrically connected to the edges of the second carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a row perpendicular to the second direction. The processing circuit is electrically connected to the first contact pad and the second contact pad. The processing circuit is configured to provide a first comparison voltage to the second contact pad in the first time period and read the voltage value on the first contact pad. The processing circuit is further configured to provide a second comparison voltage to the first contact pad in the second period of time and read the voltage value on the second contact pad. When the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to an external force to electrically contact the second carbon nanotube layer corresponding to one of the external forces, the processing circuit calculates the force of the external force according to the read voltage value. .

In an embodiment of the above other touch input device, when the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to a plurality of external forces, the plurality of force points corresponding to the external forces are electrically contacted with the second carbon nanotube layer. When the processing circuit calculates the force of these external forces based on the read voltage value.

The invention further provides a touch input device comprising a carbon nanotube layer, a conductive layer, a plurality of contact pads and a processing circuit. Each of the carbon nanotube layers in the carbon nanotube layer is substantially parallel to a predetermined direction. The conductive layer is disposed above or below the carbon nanotube layer and separated by a predetermined distance. The contact pads are electrically connected to the edges of the carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a row perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The processing circuit is electrically connected to the contact pad and the conductive layer. The processing circuit is configured to provide a comparison voltage to the conductive layer and to read the voltage value on the contact pad. When the carbon nanotube layer or the conductive layer is subjected to an external force to electrically contact the other side corresponding to one of the external forces, the processing circuit calculates the force of the external force according to the read voltage value.

In an embodiment of the above-mentioned other touch input device, when the carbon nanotube layer is subjected to a plurality of external forces to electrically contact the conductive layers corresponding to the plurality of force points of the external force, the processing circuit is read according to the reading. The voltage value is used to calculate the force of these external forces.

The method for solving the conventional problem of the present invention is to construct a touch input device (which is suitable for detecting two-dimensional positions of a plurality of touch points) by using two carbon nanotube layers, or adopt a nano carbon. The tube layer and a conductive layer construct a touch input device (which is suitable for detecting one-dimensional positions of a plurality of touch points). Therefore, in the case of a hardware structure in which two carbon nanotube layers are used and the arrangement of the carbon nanotubes in the two carbon nanotube layers are different from each other, a comparison voltage (for example, a power supply voltage) is provided. To one of the edges of one of the carbon nanotube layers, and reading a plurality of voltage values from one of the edges of the other carbon nanotube layer, then when one of the carbon nanotube layers is subjected to an external force, it corresponds to When one of the external forces is electrically contacted with another carbon nanotube layer, the touch point can be found according to the resistance anisotropy characteristic of the carbon nanotube and the read voltage value, and further The force applied to the touch point is calculated, scaled, or estimated based on the magnitude of the read voltage value. Since the carbon nanotube has a resistance anisotropy characteristic, the interference between the sensing signals corresponding to the plurality of touch points is extremely small, so that the present invention is very suitable for multi-touch and can detect the touch points. Two-dimensional position.

In the hardware architecture using a carbon nanotube layer and a conductive layer, as long as a comparison voltage is applied to the conductive layer and a plurality of voltage values are read from one edge of the carbon nanotube layer, then when the nanometer is used, When the carbon tube layer or the conductive layer is subjected to an external force such that one of the external forces is electrically contacted with the other side, the resistance anisotropy characteristic of the carbon nanotube and the read voltage value can be determined. To find the touch point, and then calculate, convert or estimate the force applied to the touch point according to the magnitude of the read voltage value. Since the carbon nanotube has a resistance anisotropy characteristic, the interference between the sensing signals corresponding to the plurality of touch points is extremely small, so that the present invention is very suitable for multi-touch and can detect the touch points. One-dimensional position.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more <RTIgt;

First embodiment:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a touch input device according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 1 , the touch input device 100 includes a carbon nanotube layer 110 , contact pads 120 - 128 , a carbon nanotube layer 130 , contact pads 140 - 148 , and a processing circuit 150 . Each of the carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube layer 110 (shown as indicated at 112) is generally parallel to the first direction, and each carbon nanotube in the carbon nanotube layer 130 (shown by numeral 132) ) is generally parallel to the second direction. In this example, the first direction is a direction along the Y axis, and the second direction is a direction along the X axis. Further, the carbon nanotube layers 110 and 130 are separated by a predetermined distance T. The contact pads 120-128 are electrically connected to the edges of the carbon nanotube layer 110, and are arranged in a line perpendicular to the first direction, that is, arranged in a row along the X-axis. The contact pads 140-148 are electrically connected to the edges of the carbon nanotube layer 130, and are arranged in a line perpendicular to the second direction, that is, arranged in a row along the Y-axis.

As for the processing circuit 150, the contact pads 120-128 and the contact pads 140-148 are electrically connected. The manner of operation of this processing circuit 150 will be illustrated by way of FIG. Please refer to FIG. 2 , which is used to illustrate the touch sensing mode of the touch input device of FIG. 1 . As shown in FIG. 2, during the first time period, the processing circuit 150 provides a first comparison voltage (eg, the power supply voltage VDD) to the contact pads 140-148, and according to the first preset sequence (eg, from left to right) To float the contact pads 120-128 while electrically connecting the unfloating contact pads to the first reference voltage (the reference voltage is, for example, the ground voltage GND), to sequentially read the floating contact pads. Voltage value. Therefore, when the carbon nanotube layer 110 is subjected to an external force (indicated by an arrow 202) so as to correspond to one of the external forces, the treatment circuit 150 can be sequentially contacted. The floating contact pads 120-128 read five voltage values to calculate the position of the force point relative to the plane of the carbon nanotube layer 110 in the X-axis direction according to the read voltage value. described as follows.

Since each of the carbon nanotubes 112 in the carbon nanotube layer 110 is substantially parallel to the direction of the Y-axis, and based on the anisotropy of the resistance of the carbon nanotubes, the resistance of the carbon nanotube layer 110 in the X-axis direction The value is much larger than the resistance in the Y-axis direction, so among the five voltage values read, the voltage value corresponding to the contact pad 124 is the largest. In this way, the processing circuit 150 can calculate the X of the force point relative to the plane of the carbon nanotube layer 110 according to the position of the contact pad 124 in the X-axis direction of the plane of the carbon nanotube layer 110. Coordinates in the direction of the axis. That is, the processing circuit 150 can find the largest value among the voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 120-128 to depend on the plane of the contact pad corresponding to the found voltage value relative to the plane of the carbon nanotube layer 110. The position is used to calculate the coordinates of the force point in the X-axis direction (ie, the second direction). Since the carbon nanotubes have resistance anisotropy characteristics, even if the carbon nanotube layer 110 senses a plurality of touch points at the same time, the voltage values of the contact pads 120 to 128 do not interfere with each other. Therefore, the touch input device of the present invention is suitable for detecting multi-touch.

Similarly, the processing circuit 150 is further configured to provide a second comparison voltage (in this case, the power supply voltage VDD) to the contact pads 120-128 in the second time period, and according to the second preset sequence (eg, from top to bottom). The contact pads 140~148 are floated, and the unfloating contact pads are electrically connected to the second reference voltage (in this case also the ground voltage GND) to sequentially read the voltage values on the floating contact pads. Therefore, when the carbon nanotube layer 110 is subjected to the external force to electrically contact the carbon nanotube layer 130 corresponding to the force of the external force, the processing circuit 150 can float from the contact pads 140 to 188 in sequence. The other five voltage values are read to calculate the position of the above-mentioned force point in the Y-axis direction with respect to the plane of the carbon nanotube layer 110 in accordance with the read voltage value.

In addition, the carbon nanotube layers 110 and 130 preferably have the opposite polarity. For example, in the second time period, the contact pads 120-128 can be electrically connected to the second comparison voltage (for example, the ground voltage GND), and the contact pads 140-148 are floated according to the second preset sequence. The unfloating contact pad is electrically connected to the second reference voltage (for example, the power supply voltage VDD), so that the processing circuit 150 finds the minimum voltage value among the contact pads 140-148, thereby calculating the stress point in the Y-axis direction. The location on the top. In this way, the polarity of the carbon nanotube layers 110 and 130 can be fixed without reversing the polarity of the carbon nanotube layers 110 and 130 at each voltage reading scan to achieve power saving effect. That is, in an embodiment, the first comparison voltage and the second comparison voltage can be implemented by the power supply voltage VDD, and the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage can be implemented by the ground voltage GND. In another embodiment, the first comparison voltage and the second reference voltage can be implemented by the power supply voltage VDD, and the second comparison voltage and the first reference voltage can be implemented by the ground voltage GND.

Since each of the carbon nanotubes 132 in the carbon nanotube layer 130 is substantially parallel to the direction of the X-axis, and based on the resistance anisotropy of the carbon nanotubes, the resistance of the carbon nanotube layer 130 in the Y-axis direction The value is much larger than the resistance in the X-axis direction, so among the five voltage values read, the voltage value corresponding to the contact pad 144 is the largest (or smallest). In this way, the processing circuit 150 can calculate the Y of the force point relative to the plane of the carbon nanotube layer 110 according to the position of the contact pad 144 in the Y-axis direction of the plane of the carbon nanotube layer 110. Coordinates in the direction of the axis. That is, the processing circuit 150 can find the largest (or least) of the voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 140-148 to correspond to the contact pad corresponding to the nanocarbon according to the found voltage value. The position of the plane of the tube layer 110 is used to calculate the coordinates of the force point in the Y-axis direction (i.e., the first direction).

In addition, the processing circuit 150 can also calculate the force of the external force according to the read voltage value, and several calculation methods will be described below.

In the first mode, the processing circuit 150 may be a voltage value corresponding to the contact pad of the force receiving point from the five voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 120-128, and the left side of the contact pad found. And a voltage representative value of the at least one contact pad and the voltage value of the at least one contact pad on the right side of the contact pad, and summing or summing the obtained voltage values to obtain a voltage representative value, according to the voltage representative The value is used to calculate the force of the above external force. For example, in FIG. 2, the processing circuit 150 needs to perform a total or weighted average of three voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 122-126 to obtain a voltage representative value, wherein the contact pads 124 are corresponding to the above force. Point contact pad.

Similarly, in the second mode, the processing circuit 150 may be a voltage value from the five voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 140-148 to find the contact pad corresponding to the force receiving point, and the contact pad found. The voltage value of at least one of the contact pads on the left side and the voltage value of at least one contact pad on the right side of the contact pad are found, and the voltage values found are summed or weighted averaged to obtain a voltage representative value. This voltage represents the value to calculate the force of the above external force. For example, in FIG. 2, the processing circuit 150 needs to perform a total or weighted average of three voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 142-146 to obtain a voltage representative value, wherein the contact pads 144 are corresponding to the above force. Point contact pad.

In the third mode, the processing circuit 150 may be a voltage value from the five voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 120-128 to find a contact pad corresponding to the force receiving point, and the left side of the contact pad found. At least one of the square or the right side contacts the voltage value of the pad, and obtains a slope or a shape of the voltage distribution of the found voltage value to estimate the force of the external force according to the slope or the shape. For example, in FIG. 2, the processing circuit 150 needs to obtain at least two voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 124 and 122, or at least two voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 124 and 126 to obtain the found voltage value. A slope or a shape of the voltage distribution, wherein the contact pads 124 are contact pads corresponding to the points of force mentioned above.

Similarly, in the fourth mode, the processing circuit 150 may be a voltage value from the five voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 140-148 to find a contact pad corresponding to the force receiving point, and the contact found. The left or right side of the pad contacts at least the voltage value of the pad, and obtains a slope or a shape of the voltage distribution of the found voltage value to estimate the force of the external force according to the slope or the shape. Taking FIG. 2 as an example, the processing circuit 150 needs to obtain at least two voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 144 and 142, or at least two voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 144 and 146 to obtain the found voltage value. A slope or a shape of the voltage distribution, wherein the contact pads 144 are contact pads corresponding to the force points described above.

In the fifth mode, the processing circuit 150 may be a voltage value corresponding to the contact pad corresponding to the force receiving point from the five voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 120-128, and according to a voltage-force relationship curve. The force corresponding to the voltage value found is converted to use the converted force as the force of the external force. Taking FIG. 2 as an example, the processing circuit 150 will find the voltage value of the contact pad 124 because the contact pad 124 is a contact pad corresponding to the above-mentioned force receiving point.

Similarly, in the sixth mode, the processing circuit 150 may be a voltage value corresponding to the contact pad corresponding to the force receiving point from the five voltage values corresponding to the contact pads 140-148, and according to a voltage-force channel The relationship curve is used to convert the force channel corresponding to the found voltage value, so that the converted force channel is regarded as the force of the external force. Taking FIG. 2 as an example, the processing circuit 150 will find the voltage value of the contact pad 144 because the contact pad 144 is a contact pad corresponding to the above-mentioned force receiving point.

With the above teachings, those skilled in the art should know that when the carbon nanotube layer 110 is subjected to a plurality of external forces to electrically contact the plurality of force points of the external force to the carbon nanotube layer 130, the treatment is performed. The circuit 150 can calculate the force of these external forces based on the read voltage values.

It should be noted that the touch input device of FIG. 1 may further include a spacer layer, which is illustrated in FIG. 3. Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the spacer layer. Referring to FIG. 3, the spacer layer 310 can be disposed between the carbon nanotube layers 110 and 130. In addition, the thickness of the spacer layer 310 is a predetermined distance T as described above, and the spacer layer 310 has a plurality of spacers (as indicated by the numeral 312). In addition, in the above embodiment, each of the carbon nanotube layers is electrically connected to the five contact pads, which is not intended to limit the present invention, and the designer can follow the actual needs of the resolution of the touch recognition. Increase or decrease the number of contact pads electrically connected to each carbon nanotube layer. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that the present invention can be practiced even if the positions of both carbon nanotube layers 110 and 130 are mutually adjusted.

Based on the teachings of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can summarize some of the basic operational steps of the touch input device described above, as shown in FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method of operating a touch input device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The touch input device includes a first carbon nanotube layer, a second carbon nanotube layer, a plurality of first contact pads and a plurality of second contact pads. Each of the first carbon nanotube layers is substantially parallel to the first direction. Each of the carbon nanotube layers in the second carbon nanotube layer is substantially parallel to the second direction, and the second carbon nanotube layer is spaced apart from the first carbon nanotube layer by a predetermined distance. The first contact pads are electrically connected to the edges of the first carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a line perpendicular to the first direction. The second contact pads are electrically connected to the edges of the second carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a row perpendicular to the second direction. Referring to FIG. 4, the operation method includes the steps of: providing a first comparison voltage to the second contact pad in a first time period, and floating the first contact pad according to a first preset sequence, Simultaneously connecting the unfloating first contact pad to the first reference voltage to sequentially read the voltage value on the floating first contact pad (as shown in step S402); providing the second in the second time period Comparing the voltage to the first contact pad, and floating the second contact pad according to the second predetermined sequence, and electrically connecting the unfloating second contact pad to the second reference voltage to read sequentially Taking the voltage value on the floating second contact pad (as shown in step S404); and when the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to an external force to electrically contact the second nanometer corresponding to one of the external forces In the case of the carbon tube layer, the force of the external force is calculated based on the read voltage value (as shown in step S406).

Of course, in the above operation method, the method may further include the step of calculating the position of the force receiving point relative to the plane of the first carbon nanotube layer according to the read voltage value. In addition, when the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to a plurality of external forces to electrically contact the second carbon nanotube layer corresponding to the plurality of force points of the external forces, the step S406 can be changed according to the read voltage. Value to calculate the strength of these external forces.

Second embodiment:

The touch input device of this embodiment adopts the same hardware structure as the touch input device of the first embodiment. However, the difference between the two is that the processing circuit in the touch input device of the embodiment is adopted. Different ways of operation. Therefore, the present embodiment will be described below using FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1 again, in this embodiment, the processing circuit 150 is configured to provide a first comparison voltage (eg, a power supply voltage VDD) to the contact pads 140-148 in a first time period, and read the contact pads 120-128. The voltage value on it. In addition, the processing circuit 150 is further configured to provide a second comparison voltage (also in this case, the power supply voltage VDD) to the contact pads 120-128 during the second time period, and read the voltage values on the contact pads 140-148. Therefore, when the carbon nanotube layer 110 is subjected to an external force (indicated by an arrow 202) so as to correspond to one of the external forces, the processing circuit 150 can be read according to the electrical contact point. The voltage value is used to calculate the force of the above external force. That is to say, the processing circuit 150 of this embodiment does not perform the operation of sequentially floating the contact pads, nor does it electrically connect the unfloating contact pads to the reference voltage (for example, the ground voltage GND). Instead, the voltage value on the contact pad is read directly.

In addition, in this embodiment, the calculation circuit 150 calculates the calculation manner of the force force of the external force and calculates the calculation manner of the position of the force point relative to the plane of the carbon nanotube layer 110, which can be compared with the first embodiment. The calculation is the same and will not be repeated here. In addition, those skilled in the art should know that in this embodiment, when the carbon nanotube layer 110 is subjected to a plurality of external forces such that a plurality of force points corresponding to the external forces are electrically contacted with the carbon nanotube layer 130, The processing circuit 150 can calculate the force of these external forces according to the read voltage value.

Third embodiment:

The touch input device of this embodiment is different from the previous embodiment. In the touch input device of this embodiment, one of the carbon nanotube layers is replaced by a conductive layer, as shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a touch input device according to an embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5 , the touch input device 500 includes a carbon nanotube layer 510 , contact pads 520 528 528 , a conductive layer 530 , and a processing circuit 550 .

Each of the carbon nanotubes in the carbon nanotube layer 510 (shown as indicated by numeral 512) is generally parallel to the first direction. In this example, the first direction is the direction along the Y axis. In addition, the carbon nanotube layer 510 and the conductive layer 530 are separated by a predetermined distance T. The conductive layer 530 can be implemented, for example, by using Indium Tin Oxide (ITO). The contact pads 520-528 are electrically connected to the edges of the carbon nanotube layer 510, and are arranged in a row perpendicular to the first direction, that is, along the X axis (ie, along the second direction). Ways to line up.

As for the processing circuit 550, the contact pads 520-528 and the conductive layer 530 are electrically connected. The processing circuit 550 is configured to provide a comparison voltage (eg, a power supply voltage VDD) to the conductive layer 530 and read voltage values on the contact pads 520-528. When the carbon nanotube layer 510 is subjected to an external force (indicated by an arrow 602) to electrically contact the conductive layer 530 corresponding to one of the additional forces, the processing circuit 550 calculates the above based on the read voltage value. The force of external force. Of course, the processing circuit 550 can also calculate the position of the force receiving point relative to the plane of the carbon nanotube layer 510 according to the read voltage value.

In addition, in this embodiment, the processing circuit 550 calculates the calculation manner of the force force of the external force and calculates the calculation manner of the position of the force point relative to the plane of the carbon nanotube layer 510, which can be compared with the first embodiment. The calculation is the same and will not be repeated here. In addition, those skilled in the art should know that in this embodiment, when the carbon nanotube layer 510 is subjected to a plurality of external forces to electrically contact the conductive layers 530 corresponding to the plurality of external force points, the processing circuit The 550 can calculate the force of these external forces based on the read voltage value.

It is to be noted that, in this embodiment, the conductive layer 530 is disposed under the carbon nanotube layer 510. However, the present invention is not intended to limit the present invention, and the designer may also configure the conductive layer 530 to be Above the carbon nanotube layer 510. In addition, it is also known to those skilled in the art that even if each of the carbon nanotubes 512 in the carbon nanotube layer 510 is changed substantially parallel to the second direction (ie, along the X-axis), The invention is implemented.

In summary, the method for solving the conventional problem of the present invention is to construct a touch input device (which is suitable for detecting a two-dimensional position of a plurality of touch points) by using two carbon nanotube layers, or A carbon nanotube layer and a conductive layer are used to construct a touch input device (which is suitable for detecting one-dimensional positions of a plurality of touch points). Therefore, in the case of a hardware structure in which two carbon nanotube layers are used and the arrangement of the carbon nanotubes in the two carbon nanotube layers are different from each other, a comparison voltage (for example, a power supply voltage) is provided. To one of the edges of one of the carbon nanotube layers, and reading a plurality of voltage values from one of the edges of the other carbon nanotube layer, then when one of the carbon nanotube layers is subjected to an external force, it corresponds to When one of the external forces is electrically contacted with another carbon nanotube layer, the touch point can be found according to the resistance anisotropy characteristic of the carbon nanotube and the read voltage value, and further The force applied to the touch point is calculated, scaled, or estimated based on the magnitude of the read voltage value. Since the carbon nanotube has a resistance anisotropy characteristic, the interference between the sensing signals corresponding to the plurality of touch points is extremely small, so that the present invention is very suitable for multi-touch and can detect the touch points. Two-dimensional position.

In the hardware architecture using a carbon nanotube layer and a conductive layer, as long as a comparison voltage is applied to the conductive layer and a plurality of voltage values are read from one edge of the carbon nanotube layer, then when the nanometer is used, When the carbon tube layer or the conductive layer is subjected to an external force such that one of the external forces is electrically contacted with the other side, the resistance anisotropy characteristic of the carbon nanotube and the read voltage value can be determined. To find the touch point, and then calculate, convert or estimate the force applied to the touch point according to the magnitude of the read voltage value. Since the carbon nanotube has a resistance anisotropy characteristic, the interference between the sensing signals corresponding to the plurality of touch points is extremely small, so that the present invention is very suitable for multi-touch and can detect the touch points. One-dimensional position.

While the present invention has been described above in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the invention, and those of ordinary skill in the art can make a few changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

100, 500‧‧‧ touch input device

110, 130, 510‧ ‧ nm carbon tube layer

120~128, 140~148, 520~528‧‧‧ contact pads

112, 132, 512‧‧‧ carbon nanotubes

150, 550‧‧‧ processing circuit

202, 602‧‧‧ indicates the external force by the arrow

310‧‧‧Interstitial layer

312‧‧ ‧ spacers

530‧‧‧ Conductive layer

GND‧‧‧ Grounding voltage

T‧‧‧Predetermined distance

VDD‧‧‧Power supply voltage

S402~S406, S602~S604‧‧‧ steps

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a touch input device according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a touch sensing manner of the touch input device of FIG. 1.

Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the spacer layer.

4 is a flow chart of a method of operating a touch input device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a touch input device according to an embodiment of the invention.

100. . . Touch input device

110, 130. . . Carbon nanotube layer

120~128, 140~148. . . Contact pad

112, 132. . . Carbon nanotube

150. . . Processing circuit

T. . . Predetermined distance

Claims (39)

A touch input device includes: a first carbon nanotube layer, each of which is substantially parallel to a first direction; a second carbon nanotube layer, each of which has a carbon nanotube system Substantially parallel to a second direction, and the second carbon nanotube layer is spaced apart from the first carbon nanotube layer by a predetermined distance; a plurality of first contact pads electrically connected to the first carbon nanotube layer An edge is arranged in a row perpendicular to the first direction; a plurality of second contact pads electrically connecting the edges of the second carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a column perpendicular to the second direction And a processing circuit electrically connecting the first contact pads and the second contact pads for providing a first comparison voltage to the second contact pads in a first time period, and according to a first The first contact pads are floated, and the unfloating first contact pads are electrically connected to a first reference voltage to sequentially read the voltage values on the floating first contact pads. The processing circuit is further configured to provide a second comparison voltage to the first contact pads in a second time period, and a second predetermined sequence suspending the second contact pads, and electrically connecting the unfloating second contact pads to a second reference voltage to sequentially read the voltage on the floating second contact pads a value, when the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to an external force to electrically contact the second carbon nanotube layer corresponding to one of the external forces, the processing circuit is based on the read voltage value. Calculating the force of the external force, wherein the processing circuit further calculates a position of the force point relative to a plane of the first carbon nanotube layer according to the read voltage value, wherein the processing circuit corresponds to the The voltage of a contact pad The value is found to be the largest value, and the force point is calculated in the second direction according to the position of the first contact pad corresponding to the found voltage value relative to the plane of the first carbon nanotube layer. a coordinate, and the processing circuit also finds the largest value among the voltage values corresponding to the second contact pads, so that the second contact pad corresponding to the found voltage value is relative to the first nanometer The position of the plane of the carbon tube layer is used to calculate the coordinates of the force point in the first direction. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the first comparison voltage and the second comparison voltage are both a power supply voltage, and the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage are both a ground voltage. . The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the first comparison voltage and the second reference voltage are both a power supply voltage, and the second comparison voltage and the first reference voltage are both a ground voltage. . The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to a plurality of external forces such that the plurality of force points corresponding to the external forces electrically contact the second nanometer When the carbon nanotube layer is used, the processing circuit calculates the force of the external force according to the read voltage value. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the first contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and finds the first contact The voltage value of at least one first contact pad on the left side of the pad and the voltage value of at least one first contact pad on the right side of the first contact pad found, and the found voltage values are summed or weighted averaged to obtain A voltage represents a value to calculate the force of the external force based on the representative value of the voltage. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit finds, from the voltage values, a voltage value corresponding to the second contact pad of the force receiving point, and the found second contact The voltage value of at least one second contact pad on the left side of the pad and the voltage value of at least one second contact pad on the right side of the second contact pad found, and the summed voltage values are summed or weighted averaged to obtain A voltage represents a value to calculate the force of the external force based on the representative value of the voltage. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the first contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and the first found The voltage value of at least one first contact pad on the left or right side of the contact pad, and a slope or a shape of the voltage distribution of the found voltage value is obtained to estimate the force of the external force according to the slope or the shape. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the second contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and the second found A voltage value of at least one second contact pad on the left or right side of the contact pad, and a slope or a shape of the voltage distribution of the found voltage value is obtained to estimate the force of the external force according to the slope or the shape. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the first contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and according to a voltage-force relationship The curve is used to convert the force channel corresponding to the found voltage value, so that the converted force channel is regarded as the force of the external force. The touch input device of claim 1, wherein the The processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the second contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and converts the force channel corresponding to the found voltage value according to a voltage-force relationship curve to convert the voltage The strength of the force is used as the force of the external force. The touch input device of claim 1, further comprising: a spacer layer disposed between the first carbon nanotube layer and the second carbon nanotube layer, and the spacer The thickness of the layer is the predetermined distance. A touch input device includes a first carbon nanotube layer, a second carbon nanotube layer, a plurality of first contact pads and a plurality of second contact pads, Each of the first carbon nanotube layers in the first carbon nanotube layer is substantially parallel to a first direction, and each of the second carbon nanotube layers is substantially parallel to a second direction, and The second carbon nanotube layer is spaced apart from the first carbon nanotube layer by a predetermined distance, and the first contact pads are electrically connected to the edge of the first carbon nanotube layer and perpendicular to the first Directional manners are arranged in a row, and the second contact pads are electrically connected to the edges of the second carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a row perpendicular to the second direction, the operation method comprising: Providing a first comparison voltage to the second contact pads in a first period of time, and floating the first contact pads according to a first predetermined sequence, and electrically connecting the unfloating first contact pads to a first reference voltage for sequentially reading the voltage value on the floating first contact pad; a second comparison voltage is applied to the first contact pads, and the second contact pads are floated according to a second predetermined sequence, and the unfloating second contact pads are electrically connected to a second reference voltage Reading the voltage value on the floating second contact pad in sequence; When the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to an external force to electrically contact the second carbon nanotube layer corresponding to one of the external forces, the force of the external force is calculated according to the read voltage value. The position of the force point relative to the plane of the first carbon nanotube layer is further calculated according to the read voltage value, wherein the voltage values corresponding to the first contact pads are found out The value is the largest, and the coordinates of the force point in the second direction are calculated according to the position of the first contact pad corresponding to the determined voltage value relative to the plane of the first carbon nanotube layer, and Corresponding to the highest value among the voltage values corresponding to the second contact pads, according to the position of the second contact pad corresponding to the found voltage value relative to the plane of the first carbon nanotube layer Calculating the coordinates of the force point in the first direction. The operating method of claim 12, wherein the first comparison voltage and the second comparison voltage are both a power supply voltage, and the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage are both a ground voltage. The operating method of claim 12, wherein the first comparison voltage and the second reference voltage are both a power supply voltage, and the second comparison voltage and the first reference voltage are both a ground voltage. The method of claim 12, wherein the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to a plurality of external forces such that the plurality of force points corresponding to the external forces electrically contact the second nanocarbon When the tube layer is used, the force of the external force is calculated according to the read voltage value. The method of claim 12, wherein the voltage value corresponding to the first contact pad of the force point is found from the voltage values, and the left side of the first contact pad found is at least a voltage value of a first contact pad and a voltage value of at least one first contact pad on the right side of the first contact pad found, and summing or weighting the found voltage values to obtain a voltage representative value, The force of the external force is calculated based on the representative value of the voltage. The method of claim 12, wherein the voltage value corresponding to the second contact pad of the force point is found from the voltage values, and the left side of the second contact pad found is at least a voltage value of a second contact pad and a voltage value of at least one second contact pad on the right side of the second contact pad found, and summing or weighting the found voltage values to obtain a voltage representative value, The force of the external force is calculated based on the representative value of the voltage. The method of claim 12, wherein the voltage value corresponding to the first contact pad of the force point is found from the voltage values, and the left side of the first contact pad found Or a voltage value of at least one first contact pad on the right side, and obtaining a slope or a shape of the voltage distribution of the found voltage value to estimate the force of the external force according to the slope or the shape. The method of claim 12, wherein the voltage value corresponding to the second contact pad of the force point is found from the voltage values, and the left side of the second contact pad is found. Or a voltage value of at least one second contact pad on the right side, and obtaining a slope or a shape of the voltage distribution of the found voltage value to estimate the force of the external force according to the slope or the shape. The method of claim 12, wherein the voltage value corresponding to the first contact pad of the force point is found out from the voltage values, and is converted according to a voltage-force relationship curve. The force corresponding to the voltage value is used to take the converted force as the force of the external force. The method of claim 12, wherein the voltage value corresponding to the second contact pad of the force point is found out from the voltage values, and is converted according to a voltage-force relationship curve. The force corresponding to the voltage value is used to take the converted force as the force of the external force. A touch input device includes: a first carbon nanotube layer, each of which is substantially parallel to a first direction; a second carbon nanotube layer, each of which has a carbon nanotube system Substantially parallel to a second direction, and the second carbon nanotube layer is spaced apart from the first carbon nanotube layer by a predetermined distance; a plurality of first contact pads electrically connected to the first carbon nanotube layer An edge is arranged in a row perpendicular to the first direction; a plurality of second contact pads electrically connecting the edges of the second carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a column perpendicular to the second direction And a processing circuit electrically connecting the first contact pads and the second contact pads for providing a first comparison voltage to the second contact pads in a first time period, and reading the a voltage value on the first contact pad, the processing circuit is further configured to provide a second comparison voltage to the first contact pads in a second time period, and read voltage values on the second contact pads, when the first The carbon nanotube layer is subjected to an external force such that it corresponds to one of the external forces, and the second point is electrically contacted Carbon nanotube layer The processing circuit calculates the force of the external force according to the read voltage value, wherein the first comparison voltage and the second comparison voltage are both a power supply voltage. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the first carbon nanotube layer is subjected to a plurality of external forces to electrically contact the plurality of force points corresponding to the external forces When the carbon nanotube layer is used, the processing circuit calculates the force of the external force according to the read voltage value. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the first contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and finds the first contact The voltage value of at least one first contact pad on the left side of the pad and the voltage value of at least one first contact pad on the right side of the first contact pad found, and the found voltage values are summed or weighted averaged to obtain A voltage represents a value to calculate the force of the external force based on the representative value of the voltage. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the processing circuit finds, from the voltage values, a voltage value corresponding to the second contact pad of the force receiving point, and the found second contact The voltage value of at least one second contact pad on the left side of the pad and the voltage value of at least one second contact pad on the right side of the second contact pad found, and the summed voltage values are summed or weighted averaged to obtain A voltage represents a value to calculate the force of the external force based on the representative value of the voltage. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the first contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and the first found a voltage value of at least one first contact pad on the left or right side of the contact pad, and a slope of a voltage distribution of the found voltage value Or a shape to estimate the force of the external force based on the slope or the shape. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the second contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and the second found A voltage value of at least one second contact pad on the left or right side of the contact pad, and a slope or a shape of the voltage distribution of the found voltage value is obtained to estimate the force of the external force according to the slope or the shape. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the first contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and according to a voltage-force relationship The curve is used to convert the force channel corresponding to the found voltage value, so that the converted force channel is regarded as the force of the external force. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the second contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and according to a voltage-force relationship The curve is used to convert the force channel corresponding to the found voltage value, so that the converted force channel is regarded as the force of the external force. The touch input device of claim 22, wherein the processing circuit further calculates a position of the force point relative to a plane of the first carbon nanotube layer according to the read voltage value. The touch input device of claim 30, wherein the processing circuit finds the largest value among the voltage values corresponding to the first contact pads, according to the found voltage value. Calculating the force point on the second side of the corresponding first contact pad relative to the plane of the first carbon nanotube layer An upward coordinate, and the processing circuit also finds the largest value among the voltage values corresponding to the second contact pads, so that the second contact pad corresponding to the found voltage value is relative to the first The position of the plane of the carbon nanotube layer is used to calculate the coordinates of the force point in the first direction. The touch input device of claim 22, further comprising: a spacer layer disposed between the first carbon nanotube layer and the second carbon nanotube layer, and the spacer The thickness of the layer is the predetermined distance. A touch input device includes: a first carbon nanotube layer, each of which is substantially parallel to a first direction; a second carbon nanotube layer, each of which has a carbon nanotube system Substantially parallel to a second direction, and the second carbon nanotube layer is spaced apart from the first carbon nanotube layer by a predetermined distance; a plurality of first contact pads electrically connected to the first carbon nanotube layer An edge is arranged in a row perpendicular to the first direction; a plurality of second contact pads electrically connecting the edges of the second carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a column perpendicular to the second direction And a processing circuit electrically connecting the first contact pads and the second contact pads for providing a first comparison voltage to the second contact pads in a first time period, and reading the a voltage value on the first contact pad, the processing circuit is further configured to provide a second comparison voltage to the first contact pads in a second time period, and read voltage values on the second contact pads, when the first The carbon nanotube layer is subjected to an external force such that it corresponds to one of the external forces, and the second point is electrically contacted Carbon nanotube layer The processing circuit calculates the force of the external force according to the read voltage value, wherein the processing circuit further calculates the force point relative to the plane of the first carbon nanotube layer according to the read voltage value. a position, wherein the processing circuit finds the largest value among the voltage values corresponding to the first contact pads, so that the first contact pad corresponding to the found voltage value is relative to the first nanometer a position of a plane of the carbon tube layer to calculate a coordinate of the force point in the second direction, and the processing circuit also finds the largest value among the voltage values corresponding to the second contact pads, to The position of the force point in the first direction is calculated by the position of the second contact pad corresponding to the determined voltage value relative to the plane of the first carbon nanotube layer. A touch input device comprising: a carbon nanotube layer, each of which is substantially parallel to a predetermined direction; a conductive layer disposed above or below the carbon nanotube layer and spaced apart a predetermined distance; a plurality of contact pads electrically connected to the edges of the carbon nanotube layer and arranged in a row perpendicular to the predetermined direction; and a processing circuit electrically connecting the contact pads and the conductive a layer for providing a comparison voltage to the conductive layer, and reading voltage values on the contact pads, when the carbon nanotube layer or the conductive layer is subjected to an external force to correspond to one of the external force points When electrically contacting the other party, the processing circuit calculates the force of the external force according to the read voltage value, wherein the processing circuit further calculates the force point relative to the carbon nanotube layer according to the read voltage value. a position of the plane, wherein the processing circuit finds the largest value among the voltage values to The position of the contact point relative to the plane of the carbon nanotube layer corresponding to the found voltage value is used to calculate the coordinate of the force point in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined direction. The touch input device of claim 34, wherein the comparison voltage is a power supply voltage. The touch input device of claim 34, wherein when the carbon nanotube layer is subjected to a plurality of external forces to electrically contact the conductive layer corresponding to the plurality of force points of the external forces, The processing circuit calculates the force of the external forces based on the read voltage values. The touch input device of claim 34, wherein the processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and the left side of the contact pad found And a voltage representative value of at least one contact pad and a voltage value of the at least one contact pad on the right side of the contact pad, and summing or summing the obtained voltage values to obtain a voltage representative value according to the voltage representative The value is used to calculate the force of the external force. The touch input device of claim 34, wherein the processing circuit finds a voltage value corresponding to the contact pad of the force receiving point from the voltage values, and the left side of the contact pad found At least one of the square or the right side contacts the voltage value of the pad, and obtains a slope or a shape of the voltage distribution of the found voltage value to estimate the force of the external force according to the slope or the shape. The touch input device of claim 34, wherein the processing circuit finds a contact pad corresponding to the force point from the voltage values. The voltage value is converted according to a voltage-force relationship curve to the force channel corresponding to the found voltage value, so that the converted force channel is regarded as the force of the external force.