TWI525524B - Transmitter set for concurrent transmitting, transmitting method thereof, and touch sensitive system - Google Patents

Description

Simultaneous transmitter combination and its signaling method and touch system

The present invention relates to a transmitter suitable for use in a touch panel, and more particularly to a group of simultaneously transmitting transmitter combinations.

Touch panels or touch screens are important human-machine interfaces, especially on consumer electronics such as mobile phones, tablets, or personal digital assistants. Touch screens are the most important output and input devices. Since capacitive touch screens, especially in the form of projected capacitors, are particularly sensitive to partial finger sensing, they are one of the major touch panel/screen designs on the market.

Touching a fingertip can block a portion of the screen, and the user cannot clearly confirm with the eyes where the touch screen detects. Moreover, writing with a fingertip may not be precisely controlled like using a pen. Therefore, in addition to the user's desire to touch with a finger, the user may also want to input the touch screen with a pen.

In general, the area of the nib that touches the touch screen is much smaller than the area of the fingertip. For capacitive touch screens, it is a challenge to detect the change in capacitance caused by the pen. Especially in many professional drawing or typesetting applications, many function buttons need to be added to the design of the pen. Under such demand, the touch screen not only needs to detect tiny nibs, but also Ability to detect if these function buttons have been pressed. In some cases, in addition to detecting a single pen, it may be necessary to detect multiple pens while drawing or writing on the touch screen.

In general, the market needs a set of stylus pens that support multiple function input interfaces, so that the touch screen can detect the function of each pen while detecting multiple styluses. status.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a set of simultaneously transmitting transmitter combinations including a first character transmitter for transmitting a first electrical signal to a touch according to a first character transmitter status And a second role transmitter for transmitting a second electrical signal to the touch device according to a second character transmitter status. After the touch device analyzes the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal that are simultaneously sent, the first character transmitter state and the second character transmitter state are known, and the first character transmitter is configured. a first relative position with the touch device and a second relative position of the second character transmitter and the touch device.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of signaling. The signaling method is applicable to a set of simultaneously transmitting transmitter combinations, the sender combination comprising a first character transmitter and a second character transmitter. The sending method includes: generating a first role sender state according to the state of the first role sender; generating a second role sender state according to the state of the second role sender; The role sender state causes the first character transmitter to emit a first electrical signal; and the second character transmitter simultaneously issues a second electrical signal according to the second character transmitter state. After the touch device analyzes the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal that are simultaneously sent, the first character transmitter state and the second character transmitter state are known, and the first character transmitter is configured. a first relative position with the touch device and the second character transmitter and the touch A second relative position of the control device.

In a further embodiment, the present invention provides a touch system including the first character transmitter, the second character transmitter, and the touch device.

In summary, one of the main spirits of the present invention is to provide a transmitter combination including a plurality of transmitters, and by transmitting different electrical signals, the touch device can learn the respective transmissions according to different electrical signals. The state of the device and the relative position of each sender and touch device. .

100‧‧‧ sender

110‧‧‧Power Module

120‧‧‧Processing module

130‧‧‧Sensor module

140‧‧‧frequency synthesis module

150‧‧‧Signal amplification module

160‧‧‧Transmission module

210~220‧‧‧Steps

300‧‧‧ touch system

320‧‧‧Touch panel

321‧‧‧first electrode

322‧‧‧second electrode

330‧‧‧Touch processing device

340‧‧‧Host

410‧‧‧ Receiver analog front end

420‧‧‧Demodulation Transducer

510‧‧‧Signal Generator

520I/520Q‧‧‧Mixer

530I/530Q‧‧‧ integrator

540I/540Q‧‧‧ squarer

550‧‧‧ rms square root

600‧‧ amp amplifier

605‧‧‧ Analog Digital Converter

610‧‧‧Signal Generator

620I/620Q‧‧‧Mixer

630I/630Q‧‧‧Addition integrator

640I/640Q‧‧‧ squarer

650‧‧‧ rms square root

700‧‧‧Amplifier

710‧‧‧ Analog Digital Converter

720‧‧‧Fourier converter

905~930‧‧‧Steps

1000‧‧‧ sender

1000A‧‧‧ sender

1000B‧‧‧ sender

1110~1140‧‧‧Steps

The first figure is a schematic diagram of a transmitter according to an embodiment of the invention.

The second figure is a schematic flowchart of a signaling method according to an embodiment of the invention.

The third figure is a schematic diagram of a touch system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a partial block diagram of a touch processing device according to an embodiment of the invention.

The fifth figure is a partial block diagram of an analog demodulator according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 6 is a partial block diagram of a digital demodulation transformer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial block diagram of a digital demodulation transformer according to an embodiment of the invention.

The eighth figure is a schematic diagram showing the result of demodulation of the digital demodulator according to the seventh figure.

FIG. 9A is a schematic flow chart of a method for sensing a transmitter according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. IB is a schematic flow chart of a method for sensing a transmitter according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 11 is a block diagram of two identical transmitters in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

11 is a block diagram of a signaling method according to an embodiment of the invention.

The invention will be described in detail below with some embodiments. However, except for the revealed The scope of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments, and the scope of the subsequent patent application shall prevail. In order to provide a clearer description and to enable those skilled in the art to understand the present invention, the various parts of the drawings are not drawn according to their relative sizes, and the ratio of certain dimensions or other related scales may be highlighted. It is exaggerated to come out, and the irrelevant details are not completely drawn, in order to simplify the illustration.

In one embodiment, the transmitter referred to in the present invention may be a stylus. In some embodiments, the transmitter can be other items placed on the touch panel or screen. For example, when the touch screen presents the board of the game, the sender can be a piece. After the game program detects the position of the piece on the touch screen, the position of the piece can be known.

Regardless of the contact area of the transmitter with the touch panel, there are several contact points, and the transmitter includes at least one signaling anchor point. The touch panel or the screen can detect the position of the transmitting positioning point as a representative position of the object represented by the sender on the touch panel or the screen. In an embodiment, the transmitter can contact the touch panel, and only needs to send the positioning point to the touch panel, so that the touch panel can detect the sending location.

In an embodiment, the sender may include a plurality of signaling anchors. When the touch panel detects the plurality of signaling anchor points, the facing direction of the transmitter can be detected. In a further embodiment, the sender may include m signaling anchor points, and when the touch panel detects n of the signaling positioning points, the transmitter may be detected to be in touch. The pose on the panel. For example, the sender can be a triangle with four signaling fix points, each of which is placed at the top of the triangle. By detecting the three signaling positioning points on the touch panel, it is possible to detect which side of the triangle is in contact with the touch panel. The sender can be a cube with eight signaling fix points, each of which is placed at the top of the cube. This kind of sender can Used as a dice.

Please refer to the first figure, which is a schematic diagram of a transmitter 100 according to an embodiment of the invention. The transmitter 100 includes a power module 110, a processing module 120, a sensor module 130, a frequency synthesizing module 140, a signal amplifying module 150, and a signaling module 160. As described above, the appearance of the transmitter 100 can be used as the shape of a stylus. In an embodiment, each of the above modules may be arranged in the interior of the stylus in the order shown in the first figure, and the lower end is used to contact or approach the touch panel. The transmitter 100 can include a master switch for turning the power of the transmitter 100 on and off.

The power module 110 may include circuits related to power supply and control, such as a battery pack, a direct current to direct current voltage conversion circuit, and a power management unit. The above battery pack may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable disposable battery. When the battery pack is a rechargeable battery, the power module 110 may further include a charging circuit for inputting an external power source into the rechargeable battery. In an embodiment, the charging circuit may be included in the power management unit for protecting the overdischarge and overcharge of the rechargeable battery.

The processing module 120 described above is used to control the transmitter 100, which may include a microprocessor. The sensor module 130 described above may include at least one sensor. The sensor can include a sensor such as a pressure sensor of a stylus tip, a button, an accelerometer, an inductometer, a knob, and the like. The state of the sensor can be binary in nature, for example the button can be in a pressed state or a popped state. The state of the accelerometer can be either stationary or in motion. The state of the sensor can also be a discrete value of diversity. For example, the pressure felt by the pressure sensor can be divided into four segments, ten segments, or sixteen segments. The state of the knob can also be divided into four segments, eight segments, sixteen segments, and the like. The state of the sensor can also be an analogous interval. The processing module 120 can detect the sense of the sensor module 130 The state of the detector, in accordance with which a sender state is generated.

The frequency synthesizing module 140 includes a plurality of frequency generators and a frequency synthesizing module or a mixer. In an embodiment, the plurality of frequency generators described above may comprise a plurality of quartz oscillators. In another embodiment, the complex frequency generator described above can generate a plurality of frequencies using a single frequency source, using a frequency divider, a frequency multiplier, a phase lock circuit, and other suitable circuitry. These frequencies are not mutually resonant waves, and are different from the frequencies emitted by the touch panel for detecting the transmitter 100, and are not mutually resonant waves. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the situation in which the frequencies interfere with each other.

In some embodiments, the range of the plurality of frequencies described above falls within a frequency range detectable by the touch panel. For example, the frequency range that a typical touch panel can detect is about 90 kHz to 250 kHz, so the frequency generated by a plurality of frequency generators can fall within this range.

In an embodiment, the processing module 120 may determine that the frequency synthesis module 140 mixes those frequencies in the plurality of frequencies. That is, it is possible to individually control whether a certain frequency is to be added to the mixer, and of course, it is also possible to control the signal strength of the individual frequencies. In another embodiment, the processing module 120 can determine the ratio of the signal strength of each frequency of the frequency synthesis module 140. For example, the ratio of the signal strength of the first frequency to the signal strength of the second frequency can be set to 3:7. It is also possible to set the ratio of the signal strengths of the first frequency, the second frequency, and the third frequency to 24:47:29 or the like. A person skilled in the art can understand that although the frequency synthesis module 140 can be used to generate and mix multiple frequencies, the processing module 120 may also synthesize the frequency according to the state of each sensor of the sensor module 130. Module 140 produces a single frequency that is not mixed with other frequencies.

In an embodiment, the signal strength of a certain frequency may correspond to a pressure sensor of the device in the sensor module 130 at the tip of the pen, or a knob having a plurality of segments. For example, in a drawing software, the pressure sensor of the stylus pen tip indicates the richness of the pen color, and the degree of rotation of the stylus knob indicates the diameter of the brush. Therefore, the signal intensity of the first frequency can be used to represent the pressure of the pressure sensor, and the signal strength of the second frequency can also be used to indicate the degree of rotation of the knob.

In another embodiment, the ratio of the signal strength of a certain frequency to the combined signal strength may be utilized to correspond to the multi-state of a certain sensor. For example, when the ratio of the signal strength of the first frequency to the signal strength of the second frequency is 3:7, it indicates that the state of the sensor is the third segment of the ten segments, if the intensity ratio is changed to 6:4. , indicating that the state of the sensor is the sixth segment in the time period. In other words, if there are three frequencies, then the first signal intensity ratio of the first frequency to the second frequency, the second signal strength ratio of the second frequency to the third frequency, and the third frequency to the third frequency of the first frequency may be utilized. The signal strength ratios represent the states of three sensors with multiple states, respectively.

The signal amplifying module 150 is configured to amplify a signal generated by mixing the frequency synthesizing module 140. In one embodiment, the signal amplification described above corresponds to a pressure sensor of the device in the sensor module 130 at the tip of the pen. Assuming that the circuit of the pressure sensor corresponds to a variable gain amplifier (VGA) of the signal amplifying module 150, the circuit of the pressure sensor can directly control the variable gain without passing through the processing module 120. The gain of the amplifier. Therefore, the mixed signal output by the frequency synthesizing module 140 is amplified by the variable gain amplifier and sent to the transmitting module 160.

As mentioned earlier, the signal strength of a certain frequency in the mixed signal can be used to represent Shows the multi-state of a sensor. It is also possible to use the ratio of the signal intensities of the two frequencies in the mixed signal to represent the multivariate state of a sensor. At the same time, the signal amplification module 150 can be utilized to amplify the mixed signal for indicating the multi-state of the other sensor. For example, the transmitter 100 includes two sensors having a multi-state state, one being a pressure sensor of the device at the tip of the pen, and the other being a knob of the device at the pen body. The two are used to indicate the color depth and diameter of the stroke. In one embodiment, the intensity of the mixed signal can be used to represent the magnitude of the pressure experienced by the pressure sensor, and the state of the knob is represented by the ratio of the signal strengths of the two frequencies in the mixed signal.

In an embodiment of the invention, the signaling module 160 includes a pressure sensor with a device at the tip of the pen. The signaling module 160 can be a set of antennas or a conductor or electrode having a suitable impedance value, or can be referred to as an excitation electrode. The conductor or electrode of the nib is connected to the pressure sensor. When the signaling module 160 signals and touches the touch panel/screen, the signal flows into the sensing electrodes of the touch panel/screen. When the transmitting module 160 is close to but not touched to the touch panel/screen, the sensing electrodes of the touch panel/screen also sense the amount of signal change on the transmitting module 160, thereby enabling the touch panel/screen The sender 100 is detected to be close.

When the frequency synthesizing module 140 can synthesize n kinds of frequencies, the frequency of the signal can be used to modulate 2 ⁿ states. For example, when n is equal to three, eight states can be modulated by the frequency of the signal. Referring to Table 1, it is a representation of the state of the transmitter and the state of each sensor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

In the embodiment shown in Table 1, the sensor module 130 includes three sensors, which are a pressure sensor of the pen tip, a first button, and a second button. The states of these three sensors are all binary states, so there are eight transmitter states combined, as shown in Table 1. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above-mentioned transmitter state and each sensor state can be arbitrarily changed positions. For example, the first sender state can be reversed with other transmitter states, such as the seventh transmitter state.

Please refer to Table 2, which is a representation of the state of the transmitter and each frequency in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the frequency synthesis module 140 can synthesize three different frequencies. Therefore, each sender state can be mapped to each frequency. As shown in Table 2. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above-mentioned transmitter state and each sensor state can be arbitrarily changed positions. For example, the first sender state can be reversed with other transmitter states, such as the eighth transmitter state.

In one embodiment, the transmitter 100 still mixes the frequency and signals when the pressure sensor sensor of the pen tip does not sense the pressure. In another embodiment, the transmitter 100 does not mix frequencies and does not signal when the pressure sensor sensor of the pen tip does not sense the pressure. Referring to Table 2, this state is the seventh sender state. In this embodiment, Table 1 can be modified to Table 3.

In the embodiment shown in Tables 1 to 3, the letter sent by the sender 100 The number only uses the synthesis of the frequency as a factor of signal modulation. In the following embodiments, in addition to the synthesis of the frequency, the transmitter 100 may add a ratio of signal strength and/or signal strength of each frequency as a factor of signal modulation.

Please refer to Table 4, which is a representation of the transmitter frequency state and the state of each sensor in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Compared with the embodiment shown in Table 1, the state sensed by the pressure sensor is no longer limited to the binary state with/without contact pressure, but to the multi-state of greater than two. Therefore, the left column of Table 4 cannot be called the sender state and can only be called the sender frequency state. The modulation factor of the transmitter state of this embodiment takes into account the signal strength in addition to the frequency state.

Please refer to Table 5, which is a representation of the transmitter state and each frequency and signal strength according to an embodiment of the present invention. Wherein, the signal strength modulation may be a signal strength value of the mixed signal, for example, the number of contact pressure segments of the pressure sensor.

In the embodiment of Table 5, since the number of contact pressure segments of the pressure sensor corresponding to the fifth to eighth transmitter frequency states is zero, the result of the signal strength modulation can also be zero. In other words, no signal is sent. In another embodiment, the signal strength modulation may be a fixed value, and the fixed signal strength may be different from the signal strength corresponding to the number of contact pressure segments of the pressure sensor.

Please refer to the second figure, which is a schematic flowchart of a signaling method according to an embodiment of the invention. The signaling method can be applied to the transmitter 100 shown in the first figure, but is not limited thereto. The method of transmitting includes two steps. In step 210, a transmitter state is generated based on a state within a sensor module included in the transmitter. And in step 220, sending an electrical signal to the touch device according to the state of the transmitter, so that the touch device analyzes the electrical signal to know the state of the transmitter and the transmitter and the touch device. A relative position in which the electrical signal is a mixture of a plurality of frequencies.

In an embodiment, the sensor in the sensor module includes the following ones One: buttons, knobs, pressure sensors (or pressure sensors), accelerometers, or gyroscopes. The pressure sensor can be used to sense the degree of contact pressure between the transmitter and the touch device.

When the sensor module includes a plurality of sensors, the number of possible states of the transmitter state is the sum of the number of possible states of each of the plurality of sensors. Or in another embodiment, the transmitter status is represented as one of any combination of state representations for each of the plurality of sensors. In one embodiment, the state of a sensor within the sensor module is represented as a multiple of two, where n is an integer greater than or equal to zero.

The modulation factor of the above electrical signal includes one or a combination of the following: frequency, and intensity. In one embodiment, the signal strength of the electrical signal corresponds to the state of the sensor having a multivariate state within the sensor module. In another embodiment, the signal strength of the first frequency and the second frequency mixed by the electrical signal corresponds to a state of the sensor having a multi-state in the sensor module. In a further embodiment, the signal strength of the electrical signal corresponds to a state of the first sensor having a multi-state in the sensor module, wherein the electrical signal is mixed with a first frequency and a first The signal strength ratio of the two frequencies corresponds to the state of the second sensor having a multivariate state in the sensor module.

One of the main spirits of the present invention is to use an electrical signal mixed with a plurality of frequencies so that the touch device can detect the position of the transmitter that emits the electrical signal and the state of the sensor thereon.

Please refer to the third figure, which is a schematic diagram of a touch system 300 according to an embodiment of the invention. The touch system 300 includes at least one transmitter 100, a touch panel 320, a touch processing device 330, and a host 340. In the present embodiment, the transmitter 100 can be applied to the transmitter described in the above embodiments, and is particularly suitable for the embodiments shown in the first and second figures. Also worth It is noted that the touch system 300 can include a plurality of transmitters 100. The touch panel 320 is formed on a substrate, and the touch panel 320 can be a touch screen. The invention does not limit the form of the touch panel 320.

In an embodiment, the touch panel 320 includes a plurality of first electrodes 321 and a plurality of second electrodes 322, and a plurality of sensing points are formed at the overlapping portions. The first electrode 321 and the second electrode 322 are respectively connected to the touch processing device 330. In the mutual capacitance detection mode, the first electrode 321 may be referred to as a first conductive strip or a driving electrode, and the second electrode 322 may be referred to as a second conductive strip or a sensing electrode. The touch processing device 330 can use the driving voltage to the first electrodes 321 and measure the signal changes of the second electrodes 322 to know that the external conductive objects are close to or in contact with each other (referred to as the proximity) of the touch panel 320. . A person skilled in the art can understand that the touch processing device 330 can detect the proximity event and the proximity object by means of mutual capacitance or self-capacitance, and will not be described in detail herein. In addition to the mutual capacitance or self-capacitance detection method, the touch processing device 330 can also detect the electrical signal emitted by the transmitter 100, thereby detecting the relative relationship between the transmitter 100 and the touch panel 320. position. The present invention will be described in detail in the following paragraphs.

Also included in the third figure is a host 340, which may be an operating system such as a central processing unit, or a main processor within an embedded system, or other form of computer. In one embodiment, the touch system 300 can be a tablet computer, and the host computer 340 can be a central processing unit that executes a tablet operating program. For example, the tablet executes an Android operating system, which is an ARM (ARM) processor that executes an Android operating system. The present invention does not limit the form of information transmitted between the host 340 and the touch processing device 330, as long as the transmitted information is related to the proximity event occurring on the touch panel 320.

Please refer to the fourth figure, which is a partial block diagram of a touch processing device 330 according to an embodiment of the invention. As described above, the touch processing device 300 can detect a proximity event by using the principle of mutual capacitance or self-capacitance, and thus the portion that is detected with capacitance is omitted here. In the embodiment shown in the fourth figure, a receiver analog front end 410 and a demodulation transformer 420 are included.

The receiver analog front end 410 is used to connect the aforementioned first electrode 321 or second electrode 322. In one embodiment, each of the first electrodes 321 and each of the second electrodes 322 are coupled to a receiver analog front end 410. In another embodiment, the plurality of first electrodes 321 are grouped, and the plurality of second electrodes 322 are grouped. Each group of first electrodes 321 corresponds to one receiver analog front end 410, and each group of second electrodes 322 Corresponds to another receiver analogy front end 410. Each receiver analog receives the signals of the first electrode 321 or the second electrode 322 in the group in turn. In another embodiment, a set of first electrodes 321 and a set of second electrodes 322 correspond to a receiver analog front end 410. The receiver analog front end 410 may firstly connect the first electrode 321 in the group of the first electrodes 321 in turn, and then connect the second electrodes 322 in the group of the second electrodes 322 in turn. Conversely, the receiver analog front end 410 may firstly connect the second electrode 322 in the group of the second electrodes 322 in turn, and then connect the first electrodes 321 in the group of the first electrodes 321 in turn. In an embodiment, the touch processing device 300 can include only one receiver analog front end 410. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present invention does not limit the configuration of the first electrode 321 or the second electrode 322 to the receiver analog front end 410. In other words, the number of receiver analog front ends 410 included in the touch processing device 300 will be less than or equal to the sum of the first electrode 321 and the second electrode 322.

The receiver analog front end 410 can perform some filtering, amplification, or other analog signal processing. In some embodiments, the receiver analog front end 410 can receive the difference between two adjacent first electrodes 321 or the difference between two adjacent second electrodes 322. In an embodiment, Each receiver analog front end 410 can output to a demodulation transformer 420. In another embodiment, each of the N receiver analog front ends 410 can be output to a demodulation transformer 420. In a further embodiment, each receiver analog output 410 can be output to N demodulators 420, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to one. In some embodiments, the touch processing device 300 can include only one demodulator 420. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present invention does not limit the configuration of the receiver analog front end 410 to the demodulation transformer 420.

The demodulator 420 is configured to demodulate and generate an electrical signal emitted by the transmitter 100 for obtaining information and signals of respective frequencies among the signals received by the corresponding first electrode 321 or the second electrode 322. Strength information. For example, the transmitter 100 can emit signals of three frequencies. The demodulator 420 can be used to resolve the signal strength of the three frequencies, the signal strength ratio for each of the two frequencies, and the overall signal strength. In the present invention, the demodulation transformer 420 can be implemented in an analog or digital manner, which is divided into three embodiments to illustrate.

Please refer to the fifth figure, which is a partial block diagram of an analog demodulator 420 according to an embodiment of the invention. An analog demodulator as shown in the fifth figure can be used to demodulate each frequency. It is also possible to use a plurality of analog demodulators shown in the fifth figure to demodulate multiple frequencies, for example, when the transmitter 100 can emit N kinds of frequencies, the analogy shown by the N fifth figures can be used immediately. Demodulation transformer to demodulate each frequency. Signal generator 510 is used to generate signals of corresponding frequencies.

The analog signal received from the receiver analog front end 410 can be sent to the two mixers 520I and 520Q via an optional amplifier. The mixer 520I receives the cosine signal output by the signal generator 510, and the mixer 520Q receives the sinusoidal signal output by the signal generator 510. The mixed signals output by the two mixers 520I and 520Q will be output to the integrator 530I, respectively. With 530Q. Next, the integrated signal will be sent by the integrators 530I and 530Q to the squarers 540I and 540Q, respectively. Finally, the outputs of the squarers 540I and 540Q will be summed by the rms 550 of the sum before the root mean square. In this way, the signal strength corresponding to the frequency of the signal generated by the signal generator 510 can be obtained. When the signal strengths of all frequencies are obtained, the ratio of the signal strength for each of the two frequencies, as well as the total signal strength, can be generated.

Please refer to the sixth figure, which is a partial block diagram of a digital demodulation transformer 420 according to an embodiment of the invention. Compared with the embodiment shown in the fifth figure, the embodiment shown in the sixth figure is performed in a digital manner. Similarly, a digital demodulator as shown in the sixth figure can be used to demodulate each frequency. It is also possible to use a plurality of digital demodulation transformers shown in the sixth figure to demodulate a plurality of frequencies, for example, when the transmitter 100 can emit N kinds of frequencies, the N digits shown in the sixth figure are immediately used. Demodulation transformer to demodulate each frequency. Signal generator 610 is used to generate digital signals of corresponding frequencies.

The analog signal received from the receiver analog front end 410 can be sent to the analog digital converter 605 via the optional amplifier 600. The sampling frequency of the analog to digital converter 605 will correspond to the frequency of the signal emitted by the signal generator 610. In other words, when the analog to digital converter 605 performs a sampling, the signal generator 610 will send a signal to the two mixers 620I and 620Q, respectively. The mixer 620I receives the cosine signal output by the signal generator 610, and the mixer 620Q receives the sinusoidal signal output by the signal generator 610. The mixed signals output by the two mixers 620I and 620Q are output to the adder integrators 630I and 630Q, respectively. Next, the addition-completed signal is sent by the adder integrators 630I and 630Q to the squarers 640I and 640Q, respectively. Finally, the outputs of the squarers 640I and 640Q will be summed by the rms 650 of the sum, and then the root mean square. In this way, a letter corresponding to the frequency of the signal generated by the signal generator 610 can be obtained. Strength. When the signal strengths of all frequencies are obtained, the ratio of the signal strength for each of the two frequencies, as well as the total signal strength, can be generated.

Please refer to the seventh figure, which is a partial block diagram of a digital demodulator 420 according to an embodiment of the invention. The embodiment shown in the seventh figure is performed in a digital manner, and a digital demodulator as shown in the seventh figure can be used to demodulate and change each frequency. The analog signal received from the receiver analog front end 410 can be sent to the analog digital converter 710 via the optional amplifier 700. Then, the output digital signal is sent to the Fourier converter 720, and the signal strength of each frequency in the frequency domain can be demodulated. The above-described Fourier converter may be a digitalized fast Fourier converter.

Please refer to the eighth figure, which is a schematic diagram of the result of demodulation of the digital demodulator 420 according to the seventh figure. The results shown in the eighth figure are only an example, and in addition to the use of a graphical representation, a variety of data structures can be used to store the results of the demodulation. The horizontal axis of the eighth graph is the signal frequency, and the vertical axis is the signal strength. The signal strength corresponding to the N frequencies that may be emitted by the transmitter 100 can be obtained from the calculation result of the Fourier converter 720. In an embodiment, a threshold value can be set for the signal strength. A signal strength greater than the threshold value is considered to contain its corresponding frequency. After the signal strengths of the respective frequencies are obtained, the signal strength ratio for each of the two frequencies and the total signal strength can be calculated.

Although the embodiments of the three demodulation transformers 420 illustrated in the fifth to seventh embodiments can be implemented in the touch processing device 330 shown in the third embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the touch processing device. All steps of the demodulator 420 must be implemented 330. In some embodiments, certain steps of demodulator 420 may be performed by host 340. It is also worth noting that although embodiments of digital demodulation 420 can be implemented using specific hardware, conventional techniques in the art The skilled person will understand that the components of the digital demodulator 420 can also be implemented using software or firmware. For example, a mixer can be implemented by multiplication, an addition integrator can be implemented by addition, and multiplication and addition are the most common operational instructions of a general processor.

Please refer to FIG. 9A, which is a schematic flowchart of a method for sensing a transmitter according to an embodiment of the invention. In step 910, a total signal strength of the electrical signal received by each of the first electrode and the second electrode is calculated. Step 910 can be implemented using the embodiments shown in the third to seventh figures. Next, in step 920, a relative position of the sender and the touch device is calculated based on the calculated total signal strength. In an embodiment, the position of the transmitter can be considered to correspond to the first electrode and the second electrode having the greatest total signal strength. In another embodiment, the position of the transmitter can be considered to correspond to the centroid of the adjacent first electrode and the adjacent second electrode having the largest total signal strength, the magnitude of which corresponds to the strength of the signal. Finally, in optional step 930, the sender status can be calculated based on the electrical signal information sent by the sender. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the implementation of step 930 can be pushed back according to the various tables described above.

Please refer to FIG. BB, which is a schematic flowchart of a method for sensing a transmitter according to an embodiment of the invention. In step 905, the total signal strength of the electrical signal received by each of the first or second electrodes can be calculated. After the demodulation changes the electrical signal received by the first electrode or the second electrode, the frequency of the signal sent by the transmitter can be known. For example, if the transmitter sends the first frequency and the second frequency without emitting the third frequency, the third frequency can be omitted during the calculation of the total signal strength of the other electrode performed in step 915. Calculation. If the digital demodulator shown in the seventh figure is used, the method shown in FIG. However, if the demodulator described in the fifth or sixth figure is used, and the number of demodulators is not This is enough to save some time and computing resources when scanning all frequencies at once. Moreover, if the electrical signal emitted by the transmitter is not found after the calculation of the first electrode or the second electrode, step 915 may be omitted. Conversely, after the electrical signal sent by the transmitter is found, step 915 can calculate the total signal strength of the electrical signal received by the other electrode based on the received frequency signal strength of the electrical signal. The remaining steps 920 and 930 may be applied to the description of the embodiment of Figure IX.

It is to be noted that, in the flow of the ninth A and ninth B, if the causal relationship or order between the steps is not mentioned, the present invention does not limit the order in which the steps are performed. Additionally, it is mentioned in steps 905, 910, 915 that the total signal strength of the electrical signal received by each of the first and/or second electrodes is calculated. In an embodiment, if only one single transmitter 100 is included in the touch system 300, the processes of the ninth A and ninth B diagrams may be modified to calculate at least one first electrode and the second Step 920 and step 930 may be performed when the total intensity of the electrical signal received by the electrode is greater than a threshold.

In summary, one of the main spirits of the present invention is to detect the signal strength corresponding to multiple frequencies in the signals received by the first electrode and the second electrode, thereby calculating the relationship between the starter and the touch device. In a relative position, the state of each sensor on the sender can also be known by pushing back the sender status. In addition, the present invention can also utilize the touch electrodes of the capacitive touch panel, so that the same capacitive touch panel can perform capacitive detection and can also detect the transmitter. In other words, the same capacitive touch panel can be used for finger detection, palm detection, and detection of a transmitter-type stylus.

In the current capacitive detection, multi-finger touch function can be supported. In the present invention, it is possible to support the detection functions of a plurality of transmitters, and can also support one object. The device has multiple transmitter detection functions. In an embodiment, the plurality of transmitters may be the same type of transmitter. For example, the complex frequencies mixed by these transmitters are the same, but the ratio of the signal strengths of the mixed frequencies of each transmitter is different. Or by software or hardware setting, each transmitter can mix different frequencies according to different settings. In another embodiment, the plurality of transmitters described above may be different types of transmitters. In other words, at least one of the plurality of frequencies mixed by the plurality of transmitters described above is different. The invention does not limit whether the plurality of transmitters are all the same, and the corresponding touch panel and the touch processing device respectively output the plurality of transmitters according to different electrical signals emitted by the touch panel.

Please refer to the tenth figure, which is a block diagram of two identical transmitters 1000 according to an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the types of transmitters 1000A and 1000B are identical. In contrast to the sender 100 shown in the first figure, the transmitter 1000 includes an optional setting module 170. The rest of the modules can refer to the first figure and other embodiments, so it will not be described in detail.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the sensor module 130 includes only one button and one tip pressure sensor, and the frequency synthesizing module 140 can synthesize signals of three different frequencies. Therefore, for the transmitters 1000A and 1000B, they can include up to four transmitter states. However, in order to save power, when the pressure sensor does not detect the pressure, the transmitter 1000 does not emit an electrical signal. . Therefore, as shown in Table 6, as long as the pressure sensor has no contact pressure, regardless of whether the button is pressed or bounced, it is classified into the third sender state. As can be seen from Table 6, the transmitter 1000 is to emit an electrical signal in the first and second transmitter states. When there are two transmitters 1000A and 1000B in the system, there are four cases of changes after the time when the electrical signal is sent.

As previously mentioned, since the frequency synthesizing module 140 can synthesize signals of three different frequencies, the arrangement of Table 7 is used to enable the touch device to distinguish between the two transmitters 1000A and 1000B simultaneously pressing on the touch panel. It is worth noting that since the signals of the three different frequencies can have eight different mixed arrangements, there are seven arrangements that can be used in addition to an arrangement that is not mixed at all.

In an embodiment, if the transmitter 1000B does not detect the contact pressure when the pressure sensor detects the contact pressure, the sensor further detects that the touch device detects the suspension or proximity to the transmitter 1000B above the touch panel. At this time, the sender state of the sender 1000B is restored to four as shown in one of the six tables.

After combining the sender 1000A having three transmitter states and the transmitter 1000B having four transmitter states, the two can respectively mix the three frequencies in accordance with the arrangement of one of the seven tables.

Of course, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the arrangement of one of Tables 7 or 7 is merely an example of implementation, and in fact, each transmitter state can be assigned to an arrangement of non-repetitive frequency mixing. For example, Table 7 bis after rescheduling one of Table 7 can also satisfy the situation where there are two senders in the system at the same time.

In addition to this, the system may also include a transmitter 1000C that is different from the senders 1000A and 1000B. In one embodiment, the sensor module 130 of the transmitter 1000C has only a single pressure sensor, so the transmitter 1000C has only two transmitter states. The first transmitter state is that the pressure sensor senses the contact pressure, and the second transmitter state does not detect the contact pressure. In this embodiment, the allocation table shown in Table VII can be used to satisfy a touch system having three transmitters 1000.

It should be noted that in the embodiment of Table VII, the frequency synthesizing module 140 of the transmitter 1000C can support only a single frequency (third frequency) without performing the frequency synthesizing step. In other words, the transmitter 1000C may not include the frequency synthesis module 140. Similarly, in this embodiment, the transmitter 1000C may not include the setting module 170, because the transmitter 1000C supporting only a single frequency does not require any setting.

In an embodiment, the frequency mixing of the transmitter 1000 described above is already being processed. Arranged in the module 120, only the setting module 170 is required to set a role of the sender 1000 as the sender 1000A or the sender 1000B. In this case, the setting module 170 can be a simple button, a switch, a paddle, a knob, or a man-machine interface such as a wheel, and can switch between the A character and the B character. When the transmitter 1000 is manufactured, the preset value can be set to a certain role. One of ordinary skill in the art can understand that although only two roles are mentioned in the above examples, as long as the frequency of the frequency synthesis module is increased, the touch device can detect more characters at the same time. The letter 1000. Alternatively, the sensor module 130 of each transmitter 1000 can have a greater variety of sensor states than the pressure sensor and single button in the above example.

In another embodiment, the frequency mixing of the transmitter 1000 described above can be set by the more complicated setting module 170. For example, the setting module 170 can be a physical communication interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) or other wired interface. The correspondence between the transmitter state and the frequency mixing of the transmitter 1000 can be set by the software through the interface provided by the setting module 170. In some embodiments, the setting module 170 can also be a wireless communication interface, such as a wireless local area network (Wireless LAN) or Bluetooth.

It is worth mentioning that when the setting module 170 only uses a switch or a paddle to set a character, it may not be necessary to set the corresponding touch device. This is because when the sender 1000 and the touch device are shipped from the factory, the same relationship between the sender state and the frequency has been recorded. However, when the software can re-adjust the correspondence between the transmitter state and the frequency through the setting module 170, the same adjustment must be made to the touch device.

In the present invention, the touch device can still detect two transmitters 1000 having the same character setting, or it may be because the sensors on the two transmitters 1000 are in different states. It is possible to distinguish between two transmitters and to trace the trajectories of individual transmitters. For example, one is in the first sender state and the other is in the second transmitter state. However, when the sensors of the two transmitters are in the same state, the touch device may not be able to rely on the electrical signals emitted by the two transmitters to distinguish the two transmitters, but rely on techniques such as trajectory prediction. In order to trace the trajectory of individual senders.

In an embodiment, the present invention provides a set of simultaneously transmitting transmitter combinations, including a first role transmitter 1000A, for transmitting a first electrical signal to a first role transmitter status to a And a second character transmitter 1000B for transmitting a second electrical signal to the touch device according to a second character transmitter state. After the touch device analyzes the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal that are simultaneously sent, the first character transmitter state and the second character transmitter state are known, and the first character transmitter is configured. A first relative position of the touch device and a second relative position of the second character transmitter 1000B and the touch device.

In an embodiment, the first character transmitter and the second character transmitter are of the same type. In another embodiment, the first character transmitter and the second character transmitter are of a different type.

The first electrical signal described above is a mixture of a plurality of frequencies. In an embodiment, the second electrical signal is formed by mixing the plurality of frequencies. In another embodiment, the second electrical signal is a mixture of the subset of the plurality of frequencies.

The first character transmitter includes a first setting module to set a role of the first character transmitter, and the second character transmitter includes a second setting module to set the second character transmitter character of. When the role of the first character transmitter is different from the role of the second character transmitter, the frequency at which the first electrical signal is mixed is different from the frequency at which the second electrical signal is mixed.

In an embodiment, the first setting module includes a human interface, so that the user can manually set the role of the first character transmitter. In another embodiment, the first setting module includes a wireless connection interface or a wired connection interface for connecting to a computer through which the user can connect via the wireless connection interface or the wired connection interface. To set the role of the first character sender. The user can set a correspondence between the state of the first character transmitter and the frequency of the first electrical signal.

Please refer to FIG. 11 , which is a block diagram of a signaling method according to an embodiment of the invention. If there is no explicit causal relationship between the steps shown in the eleventh figure, the present invention does not limit the order of execution thereof. The signaling method is applicable to a set of simultaneously transmitting transmitter combinations, the sender combination comprising a first character transmitter and a second character transmitter. In step 1110, a first character sender state is generated based on the state of the first character transmitter. In step 1120, a second character transmitter state is generated based on the state of the second character transmitter. Next, in step 1130, the first character transmitter is caused to emit a first electrical signal according to the first character transmitter state. In step 1140, the second character transmitter simultaneously sends a second electrical signal according to the second character transmitter state. After the touch device analyzes the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal that are simultaneously sent, the first character transmitter state and the second character transmitter state are known, and the first character transmitter is configured. a first relative position with the touch device and a second relative position of the second character transmitter and the touch device.

In an embodiment, the first character transmitter and the second character transmitter are of the same type. In another embodiment, the first character transmitter and the second character transmitter are of a different type.

The signaling method may further include mixing a plurality of frequencies to generate the first telecommunications number. In an embodiment, the signaling method can further include mixing the plurality of frequencies to generate the second electrical signal. In another embodiment, the signaling method can further include mixing a subset of the plurality of frequencies to generate the second electrical signal.

The signaling method may further include setting a role of the first character transmitter; and setting a role of the second character transmitter. When the role of the first character transmitter is different from the role of the second character transmitter, the frequency at which the first electrical signal is mixed is different from the frequency at which the second electrical signal is mixed.

The signaling method can further include a human machine interface through the first character transmitter, so that the user can manually set the role of the first character transmitter. The method can further include connecting to a computer through a wireless connection interface or a wired connection interface of the first character transmitter, so that the user can connect through the wireless connection interface or wired connection through the computer. The interface sets the role of the first character sender. The signaling method may further include setting a correspondence between a state of the first character transmitter and a frequency mixed by the first electrical signal.

One of the main spirits of the present invention is to provide a transmitter combination including a plurality of transmitters, by which different electrical signals are emitted, so that the touch device can know the status of each transmitter according to different electrical signals, and The relative position of each sender and touch device.

1110~1140‧‧‧Steps

Claims (19)

A set of simultaneously sent senders, comprising: a first character transmitter, configured to send a first electrical signal to a touch device according to a first character transmitter state, wherein the first electrical The signal system is formed by mixing a plurality of frequencies; and a second character transmitter is configured to send a second electrical signal to the touch device according to a second character transmitter state, so that the touch device analyzes and simultaneously sends out After the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal, the first character transmitter state and the second character transmitter state are known, and the first character transmitter and the touch device are a relative position and a second relative position of the second character transmitter and the touch device. The transmitter combination of claim 1, wherein the first character transmitter and the second character transmitter are of the same type. The transmitter combination of claim 1, wherein the second electrical signal is formed by mixing the plurality of frequencies. The transmitter combination of claim 1, wherein the second electrical signal is a mixture of the subset of the plurality of frequencies. The sender combination of claim 1, wherein the first character transmitter includes a first setting module to set a role of the first character transmitter, and the second character transmitter includes a The second setting module sets the role of the second character transmitter. The transmitter combination of claim 5, wherein when the role of the first character transmitter is different from the role of the second character transmitter, the frequency of the first electrical signal is different from the first The frequency at which the two electrical signals are mixed. For example, in the transmitter combination of claim 5, the first setting module includes a human machine interface, so that the user can manually set the role of the first character transmitter. The transmitter module of claim 5, wherein the first setting module comprises a wireless connection interface or a wired connection interface for connecting to a computer through which the user can connect via the wireless connection A line interface or a wired connection interface is used to set the role of the first character sender. The transmitter combination of claim 8 wherein the user can set a correspondence between the state of the first character transmitter and the frequency of the first electrical signal. A signaling method is applicable to a set of simultaneously transmitting transmitter combinations, the sender combination comprising a first character transmitter and a second role transmitter, the signaling method comprising: according to the first The state of the character sender generates a first role sender state; generating a second role sender state according to the state of the second role sender; and making the first according to the first role sender status The character transmitter sends a first electrical signal, wherein the first electrical signal is formed by mixing a plurality of frequencies; and according to the second character transmitter state, the second character transmitter simultaneously issues a first Second telecommunications No., after the touch device analyzes the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal that are simultaneously sent, the first character transmitter state and the second character transmitter state are known, and the first character sends a first relative position of the device and the touch device and a second relative position of the second character transmitter and the touch device. The method of claim 10, wherein the first character transmitter and the second character transmitter are of the same type. For example, the method of transmitting the patent of claim 10 further includes mixing the plurality of frequencies to generate the second electrical signal. For example, the method for transmitting the data of claim 10 further includes mixing a subset of the plurality of frequencies to generate the second electrical signal. For example, the method of sending a patent of the tenth aspect of the patent includes: setting a role of the first character sender; and setting a role of the second character transmitter. The method of claim 14, wherein the frequency of the first electrical signal is different from the second when the role of the first character transmitter is different from the role of the second character transmitter The frequency at which the electrical signals are mixed. For example, the method of transmitting the patent application scope 14 further includes a human-machine interface through the first character transmitter, so that the user can manually set the role of the first character transmitter. The method of transmitting the method of claim 14 further includes connecting to a computer through a wireless connection interface or a wired connection interface of the first character transmitter, so that the user can access the wireless device through the computer A connection interface or a wired connection interface is used to set the role of the first character sender. For example, the method for transmitting the method of claim 17 further includes setting a correspondence between the state of the first character transmitter and the frequency of the first electrical signal. A touch system includes: a first character transmitter for transmitting a first electrical signal to a touch device according to a first character transmitter state, wherein the first electrical signal is a plurality of frequencies a second character transmitter for transmitting a second electrical signal to the touch device according to a second character transmitter state; and the touch device for analyzing the first issued simultaneously After the electrical signal and the second electrical signal, the first character transmitter state and the second character transmitter state are obtained, and a first relative position of the first character transmitter and the touch device is a second relative position of the second character transmitter and the touch device.