TWI644242B - Touch device, electronic device having same, and driving method for creating haptic feedback - Google Patents

Abstract

A touch device includes a touch panel, an addressing structure, a vibration structure, and a control center. The touch panel includes a touch surface, and defines an operator's contact point with the touch surface as a contact when performing an operation. The addressing structure and the vibration structure are disposed on one side of the touchpad away from the touch surface, the addressing structure includes a plurality of scattered ultrasonic wave transmitting units and ultrasonic wave receiving units, and the vibrating structure It includes a plurality of scattered vibration units; the ultrasonic transmitting unit emits ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic receiving unit receives ultrasonic waves and generates electrical signals; the control center determines the position of the contact according to the change of the electrical signals fed back by the ultrasonic receiving unit, The position of the contact adjusts the start-up time of the plurality of vibration units so that vibration feedback is generated at the contact. The invention also provides a touch feedback driving method of the touch device, and an electronic device using the touch device.

Description

Touch device, electronic device using the same, and driving method of touch feedback

The invention relates to a touch device, an electronic device using the touch device, and a touch feedback driving method suitable for the touch device.

Touch is the most important way for humans to perceive. It is the most natural way for humans to interact with machines. The development of touch devices has been widely used in many fields such as personal computers, smart phones, public information, smart home appliances, and industrial control. In the conventional touch field, there are mainly a resistive touch device, a photoelectric touch device, an acoustic wave touch device, a planar capacitive touch device, and a projected capacitive touch device.

Acoustic touch device is a new type of human-computer interaction mode. In the known acoustic wave touch technology, the acoustic wave generator can send a high-frequency sound wave and reach the surface of the cover. When a finger touches the cover, the sound waves on the contact are reflected. Due to the occurrence of the reflection, the propagation state of the sound waves in the cover plate is changed, and the sound wave signal received by the sound wave receiver is changed. The sound wave receiver processes the sound wave signal and analyzes and calculates the finger compared to the cover. The coordinate position of the board, based on the coordinate position of the finger, performs corresponding operations to achieve the interaction between the operator and the terminal. When the operator performs touch operation, if the touch device can provide vibration feedback, it will greatly improve the product experience. However, touch panels used in large electronic devices such as home appliances often have larger sizes and cannot be vibrated back by small gyro vibration structures like small electronic devices (such as smart phones). If a large gyro vibration structure is used, it will increase power consumption and take up space. At the same time, accurate touch feedback in a small area cannot be achieved.

In view of this, the present invention provides a touch device, which includes a vibrating structure. The touch device can be applied to large household appliances or small and medium-sized mobile devices, which can realize accurate touch of a touch panel in a small area. Give feedback.

In addition, an electronic device using the touch device and a driving method of touch feedback are also provided.

A touch device includes a touch panel, an addressing structure, a vibration structure, and a control center. The touch panel includes a touch surface, and defines an operator's contact point with the touch surface as a contact when performing an operation. The addressing structure and the vibration structure are disposed on one side of the touchpad away from the touch surface, the addressing structure includes a plurality of scattered ultrasonic wave transmitting units and ultrasonic wave receiving units, and the vibrating structure It includes a plurality of scattered starting units; the ultrasonic transmitting unit emits ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic receiving unit receives ultrasonic waves and generates an electrical signal; the control center determines the position of the contact according to the change of the electrical signal of the ultrasonic feedback, and The position of the point adjusts the start-up time of the plurality of start-up units so that vibration feedback is generated at the contact.

An electronic device includes a main body and the touch control device provided in the main body.

A touch feedback driving method for driving the above-mentioned touch device. The touch feedback driving method includes: the ultrasonic transmitting unit emits ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic receiving unit receives ultrasonic waves and generates electrical signals; and the control center receives the ultrasonic waves. The receiving unit returns the electric signal, and determines the position of the contact on the touch surface according to the change of the electric signal; The control center adjusts the start-up time of the complex vibration unit according to the position of the contact point, so that the crests of the mechanical waves emitted by the complex vibration unit overlap at the contact point and generate vibration feedback.

The touch device of the present invention includes an addressing structure and a vibration structure. The ultrasonic emitting element of the addressing structure emits ultrasonic waves of a specific frequency. The ultrasonic waves of the specific frequency can propagate along the medium of the touch panel. When the panel performs touch operation, reflection of ultrasonic waves occurs at the contacts, and the ultrasonic receiving device of the addressing structure receives and determines the position of the contacts on the touch surface. The touch device includes a plurality of vibrating units, and each vibrating unit emits vibrations of the same frequency to cause mechanical waves of the same frequency. These mechanical waves of the same frequency have the same propagation speed in the touch panel and the wave speed is known. According to the distance from the contact to each vibration unit and the propagation speed of the mechanical wave in the touch panel, the time when the peak of the mechanical wave reaches the contact and the time difference between the time when the peak of the mechanical wave of the different vibration units reaches the contact can be calculated. (△ t), adjust the start time of the corresponding vibration unit according to the time difference, so that the peaks of the complex mechanical waves overlap at the contact point, the vibration intensity at this point will be enhanced, and the mechanical vibration intensity from a single vibration unit is weak and difficult Perceived by the operator, but the superimposed mechanical vibration will be perceived by the operator. Moreover, a single vibrating unit has a small volume and low energy consumption. Based on this, the touch device of the present invention can achieve accurate touch feedback in a small area and occupy a small space.

30, 50, 70, 90‧‧‧ touch devices

31, 51, 71, 91‧‧‧ touchpad

33, 53, 73, 93‧‧‧ addressing structure

35, 55, 75, 95‧‧‧ Vibration structure

311, 511, 711, 911‧‧‧ touch surface

716, 916‧‧‧ display structure

714‧‧‧Adhesive layer

331, 531, 731, 931‧‧‧ Ultrasonic transmitting unit

332, 532, 732, 932‧‧‧ Ultrasonic receiving unit

351, 951, 551, 751‧‧‧ vibration units

9111‧‧‧The first child touch area

9112‧‧‧Second child touch area

9113‧‧‧Third child touch area

9114‧‧‧ Fourth child touch area

20‧‧‧Electronic device

22‧‧‧ Subject

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a propagation state of ultrasonic waves in a touch device corresponding to a touch device of the present invention when no operator applies a touch action.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a propagation state of ultrasonic waves in a touch device of the touch device of the present invention when an operator applies an arbitrary touch action.

FIG. 3 is a schematic bottom view of a touch device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of a touch device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic bottom view of a touch device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of a touch device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic bottom view of a touch device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic front view of a touch device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an electronic device using a touch device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a schematic bottom view of a touch device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a schematic front view of a touch device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an electronic device using a touch device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

In order to make the technical content disclosed in this application more detailed and complete, reference may be made to the drawings and the following specific embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in the drawings represent the same or similar components. However, those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments provided below are not intended to limit the scope covered by the present invention. In addition, the drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and are not drawn to their original dimensions.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First embodiment

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the touch device 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a touch panel 31, an addressing structure 33, and a vibration structure 35.

The touchpad 31 includes a touch surface 311. An operator performs a touch operation on the touch surface 311, and a contact point between the operator and the touch surface 311 during the operation is defined as a contact point. In this embodiment, the touchpad 31 is substantially rectangular; in other embodiments, the touchpad 31 may also have a regular shape such as a circle, a diamond, a pentagon, or any irregular shape that meets actual requirements. . The material of the touch panel 31 may be metal, glass, ceramic, or other materials that are favorable for ultrasonic transmission.

The addressing structure 33 is disposed on one side of the touch panel 31 away from the touch surface 311. The addressing structure 33 includes a plurality of ultrasonic transmitting units 331 and ultrasonic receiving units 332 scattered on one surface of the touch panel 31. . In this embodiment, the number of the ultrasonic transmitting units 331 is four. The ultrasonic transmitting units 331 are respectively disposed at four corners of the rectangular touch panel 31. The ultrasonic receiving units 332 are opposite to each other along the rectangular touch panel 31. The two sides are arranged at intervals, preferably along two long sides, the number of which is four; in other embodiments, the positions where the ultrasonic transmitting unit 331 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 332 can be set are not limited to the edge of the touchpad 31 It can also be arranged in any feasible position on the touchpad 31 in any number and in any arrangement according to actual needs.

The ultrasonic transmitting unit 331 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 332 both contain a piezoelectric material, such as an inorganic material lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramic (PZT) or an organic material Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF). The ultrasonic transmitting unit 331 is configured to emit an ultrasonic wave, and the ultrasonic wave may have an arbitrary frequency. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic frequency range emitted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit 331 is preferably 100 to 1000 KHz. The ultrasonic waves in this frequency range are beneficial to the board. In a media-like medium. The ultrasonic receiving unit 332 is configured to receive ultrasonic waves and generate corresponding induced electrical signals according to the piezoelectric principle. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 1 corresponds to the propagation state of ultrasonic waves on the touch panel when no touch action is applied by the operator, and FIG. 2 corresponds to the propagation of ultrasonic waves on the touch panel when the operator applies any touch action. Status signal. When no operator applies a touch action, the propagation state of the ultrasonic wave in the touch panel is unchanged. Furthermore, the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic receiving unit is also unchanged. The electricity generated by the piezoelectric material in the ultrasonic receiving unit is excited. The signal does not change; when a finger or other effective touching object comes into contact with the touch surface, ultrasonic waves are reflected at the contact point, the propagation state of the ultrasonic wave in the touchpad changes, and the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic receiving unit changes. Accordingly, The piezoelectric material in the ultrasonic receiving unit is affected by The electrical signal produced by the excitation changes. By discriminating the change of the electrical signal of the ultrasonic receiving unit 332, it can be determined whether a touch action occurs.

The vibration structure 35 is disposed on a side of the touch panel 31 away from the touch surface 311. The vibration structure 35 includes a plurality of vibration generating units 351 scattered on one surface of the touch panel 31. In this embodiment, the number of the vibrating units 351 is four, which are distributed on the four corners of the rectangular touch panel 31 and are adjacent to the ultrasonic transmitting unit 331, respectively. In other embodiments, all The vibrating unit 351 can also be arranged at any feasible position on the touchpad 31 in any number and in any arrangement according to actual needs.

The vibrating unit 351 may be a mechanical vibration device, a linear resonance vibration device, a piezoelectric vibration device, or any other mechanical device that can generate pulse wave vibration according to actual requirements. The vibrating unit 351 is used to emit mechanical vibrations. These mechanical vibrations are transmitted in the form of waves in the touch panel 31. The intensity of the mechanical vibrations emitted by a single vibrating unit is small, which is not enough for the operator to detect. When the peaks of the mechanical vibration emitted by the unit overlap at the same point, according to the waveform superposition principle, it can be known that the intensity of the wave at this point will be enhanced, and the intensity of the mechanical vibration at this point will also be enhanced and perceived by the operator.

The touch device 30 further includes a control center and a plurality of traces (not shown), and the plurality of traces are electrically connected to the touchpad 31, the addressing structure 33, the vibration structure 35, and the control center. The control center receives the electric signal fed back by each ultrasonic receiving unit 332, and determines the position of the contact on the touchpad 31 according to this, and according to the distance from the contact to each vibration unit and the propagation of mechanical waves in the touch panel Speed, calculate the time when the peak of the mechanical wave of each vibration unit 351 reaches the contact point, and the time difference (△ t) of the time when the peak of the mechanical wave of different vibration units reaches the contact point. In time, the crests of the complex mechanical waves overlap at the contact points, thereby generating vibrations that the operator can perceive.

The mechanical vibration emitted by a single vibrating unit is difficult to be weak and difficult to be perceived by the operator, but the superimposed mechanical vibration will be perceived by the operator, and the single vibrating unit has a small volume and low energy consumption. Based on this, the touch device 30 can achieve accurate vibration feedback in a small area.

Second embodiment

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the touch device 50 according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a touch panel 51, an addressing structure 53, and a vibration structure 55.

The touchpad 51 includes a touch surface 511, which is a surface of the touchpad 51. An operator performs a touch operation on the touch surface 511, and the operator makes contact with the touch surface 511 during the operation. Points are defined as contacts. In this embodiment, the touchpad 51 is substantially rectangular; in other embodiments, the touchpad 51 may also have a regular shape such as a circle, a diamond, a pentagon, or any irregular shape that meets actual requirements. . The material of the touch panel 31 may be metal, glass, ceramic or other materials that are favorable for ultrasonic wave transmission.

The addressing structure 53 is disposed on a side of the touch panel 51 away from the touch surface 511. The addressing structure 53 includes a plurality of ultrasonic transmitting units 531 and ultrasonic receiving units 532 scattered on one surface of the touch panel 51. . In this embodiment, the number of the ultrasonic transmitting units 531 is four, and the ultrasonic transmitting units 531 are respectively disposed at four corners of the rectangular touch panel 51, and the ultrasonic receiving unit 332 is along two opposite sides of the rectangular touch panel 31 The interval setting is preferably set along two long sides, the number of which is four. In other embodiments, the positions where the ultrasonic transmitting unit 531 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 532 can be set are not limited to the edge of the touchpad 51, but can also be set according to actual conditions. Any number and any arrangement need to be provided at any feasible position on the touchpad 51.

The ultrasonic transmitting unit 531 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 532 both contain a piezoelectric material, such as an inorganic material lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramic (PZT) or an organic material Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF). The ultrasonic transmitting unit 531 is configured to emit an ultrasonic wave, and the ultrasonic wave may have an arbitrary frequency; in this embodiment, the The frequency range of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the ultrasonic wave transmitting unit 531 is preferably 100 to 1000 KHz, and the ultrasonic wave in this frequency range is convenient for propagation in a plate-shaped medium. The ultrasonic receiving unit 532 can receive ultrasonic waves and generate corresponding induced electrical signals according to the piezoelectric principle. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 1 corresponds to the propagation state of ultrasonic waves on the touch panel when no touch action is applied by the operator, and FIG. 2 corresponds to the propagation of ultrasonic waves on the touch panel when the operator applies any touch action. Status signal. When no operator applies a touch action, the propagation state of the ultrasonic wave in the touch panel is unchanged. Furthermore, the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic receiving unit is also unchanged. The electricity generated by the piezoelectric material in the ultrasonic receiving unit is excited. The signal does not change; when a finger or other effective touching object comes into contact with the touch surface, ultrasonic waves are reflected at the contact point, the propagation state of the ultrasonic wave in the touchpad changes, and the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic receiving unit changes. Accordingly, The electrical signal generated by the excitation of the piezoelectric material in the ultrasonic receiving unit changes. By detecting changes in the electrical signal of the ultrasonic receiving unit 532, it can be determined whether a touch action occurs.

The vibration structure 55 is disposed on a side of the touch panel 51 away from the touch surface 511. The vibration structure 55 includes a plurality of vibration generating units 551 scattered on one surface of the touch panel 51. In this embodiment, the number of the vibrating units 551 is eight, four of which are distributed on the four corners of the rectangular touch pad 51 and are adjacent to the ultrasonic transmitting unit 531 respectively, and some of the vibrating units 551 are It is disposed on two opposite sides of the rectangular touch pad 51, and the remaining part of the vibrating unit 551 is located in a non-edge region of the touch pad 51 to vibrate.

The vibrating unit 551 may be a mechanical vibration device, a linear resonance vibration structure, a piezoelectric vibration structure, or any other mechanical device that can generate pulse wave vibration in accordance with actual requirements. The vibration unit 551 is used to emit mechanical vibrations. These mechanical vibrations propagate in the form of waves in the touch panel 51. The intensity of the mechanical vibrations emitted by a single vibration unit is small, which is not enough for the operator to detect. When the peaks of the mechanical vibration emitted by the unit overlap at the same point, they are superimposed according to the waveform. The principle shows that the intensity of the wave at this point will increase, and the intensity of the mechanical vibration at this point will also increase and be perceived by the operator.

The touch device 50 further includes a control center and a plurality of traces (not shown), and the plurality of traces are electrically connected to the touch pad 51, the addressing structure 53, the vibration structure 55, and the control center. The control center receives the electric signals fed back by each ultrasonic receiving unit 532, and determines the position of the contact on the touchpad 51 according to this, and according to the distance from the contact to each vibration unit and the propagation of mechanical waves in the touch panel Speed, calculate the time when the peak of the mechanical wave of each vibration unit reaches the contact point, and the time difference (△ t) of the time when the peak of the mechanical wave of different vibration units reaches the contact point. In time, the crests of the complex mechanical waves overlap at the contact point, thereby generating a vibration that the operator can detect. When the touch point falls on any of the sub-touch areas, the control center will preferably select the vibration unit corresponding to the sub-touch area to complete the vibration operation to improve the response speed as much as possible.

The mechanical vibration emitted by a single vibrating unit is difficult to be weak and difficult to be perceived by the operator, but the superimposed mechanical vibration will be perceived by the operator, and the single vibrating unit has a small volume and low energy consumption. Based on this, the touch device 50 can achieve accurate touch feedback in a small area.

Third embodiment

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the touch device 70 according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a touch panel 71, an addressing structure 73, and a vibration structure 75.

The touch panel 71 includes a substrate 712, an adhesive layer 714, and a display structure 716. The display structure 716 has a display function, and the display structure 716 is bonded to the substrate 712 through an adhesive layer 714. The touch device 70 further includes a touch surface 711. The touch surface 711 is located on a side of the display structure 716 away from the substrate. The operator performs touch operations on the touch surface 711, and the operator interacts with the touch surface 711 during the operation. The contact point is defined as a contact. In this embodiment, the touchpad 71 is substantially rectangular; in other embodiments, the touchpad 71 may also be a regular shape such as a circle, a diamond, a pentagon, or any other shape. Irregular shapes that meet actual requirements. The material of the touch panel 71 may be metal, glass, ceramic, or other materials that are favorable for ultrasonic wave transmission.

The addressing structure 73 is disposed on a side of the touchpad 71 away from the touch surface 711. The addressing structure 73 includes a plurality of ultrasonic wave transmitting units 731 and ultrasonic wave receiving units 732 scattered on one surface of the touchpad 71. . In this embodiment, the number of the ultrasonic transmitting units 731 is four, and the ultrasonic transmitting units 731 are respectively disposed at four corners of the rectangular touch panel 71, and the ultrasonic receiving units 732 face each other along the rectangular touch panel 71. The two sides are arranged at intervals, preferably along two long sides, the number of which is four; in other embodiments, the positions that the ultrasound transmitting unit 731 and the ultrasound receiving unit 732 can set are not limited to those of the touchpad 71 The edges can also be set at any feasible position on the touchpad 71 in any number and in any arrangement according to actual needs.

The ultrasonic transmitting unit 731 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 732 both contain a piezoelectric material, such as an inorganic material lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramic (PZT) or an organic material Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF). The ultrasonic transmitting unit 731 is configured to emit ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic waves may have an arbitrary frequency. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic signal range emitted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit 731 is preferably 100 to 1000 KHz. Spread in the medium. The ultrasonic receiving unit 732 can receive ultrasonic waves and generate corresponding induced electrical signals according to the piezoelectric principle. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 1 corresponds to the propagation state of ultrasonic waves on the touch panel when no touch action is applied by the operator, and FIG. 2 corresponds to the propagation of ultrasonic waves on the touch panel when the operator applies any touch action. Status signal. When no operator applies a touch action, the propagation state of the ultrasonic wave in the touch panel is unchanged. Furthermore, the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic receiving unit is also unchanged. The electricity generated by the piezoelectric material in the ultrasonic receiving unit is excited. The signal does not change; when a finger or other effective touching object comes into contact with the touch surface, the ultrasonic waves are reflected at the contact points, the propagation state of the ultrasonic waves in the touchpad changes, and the ultrasonic receiving unit The received ultrasonic signal changes, and accordingly, the electrical signal generated by the piezoelectric material in the ultrasonic receiving unit is excited. By discriminating the change of the electrical signal of the ultrasonic receiving unit 732, it can be determined whether a touch action occurs.

The vibrating structure 75 is disposed on a side of the touch pad 71 away from the touch surface 711. The vibrating structure 75 includes a plurality of vibrating units 751 scattered on one surface of the touch pad 71. In this embodiment, the number of the vibrating units 751 is eight, of which four are distributed on the four corners of the rectangular touch pad 71 and are adjacent to the ultrasonic transmitting unit 731, respectively, and some of the vibrating units 751 are It is disposed on two opposite sides of the rectangular touch pad 71, and the remaining part of the vibrating unit 751 is located in a non-edge region of the touch pad 71 to vibrate and vibrate.

The vibrating unit 751 may be a mechanical vibration device, a linear resonance vibration structure, a piezoelectric vibration structure, or any other mechanical device that can generate pulse wave vibration according to actual requirements. The vibrating unit 751 is used to emit mechanical vibrations, and these mechanical vibrations propagate in the form of waves in the touch panel 71. The intensity of the mechanical vibrations emitted by a single vibrating unit is small, which is not enough for the operator to detect. When the peaks of the mechanical vibration emitted by the unit overlap at the same point, according to the waveform superposition principle, it can be known that the intensity of the wave at this point will be enhanced, and the intensity of the mechanical vibration at this point will also be enhanced and perceived by the operator.

The touch device 70 further includes a control center and a plurality of traces (not shown), and the plurality of traces are electrically connected to the touchpad 71, the addressing structure 73, the vibration structure 75, and the control center. The control center receives the electric signals fed back by each ultrasonic receiving unit 732, and determines the position of the contact on the touch panel 71 according to the control center, and according to the distance from the contact to each vibration unit and the propagation of mechanical waves in the touch panel Speed, calculate the time when the peak of the mechanical wave of each vibration unit 751 reaches the contact point, and the time difference (△ t) between the time of the peak of the mechanical wave of the different vibration units, and adjust the corresponding vibration unit In time, the crests of the complex mechanical waves overlap at the contact point, thereby generating a vibration that the operator can detect.

The mechanical vibration emitted by a single vibrating unit is difficult to be weak and difficult to be perceived by the operator, but the superimposed mechanical vibration will be perceived by the operator, and the single vibrating unit has a small volume and low energy consumption. Based on this, the touch device 70 can achieve accurate touch feedback in a small area.

As shown in FIG. 9, the display structure 716 can be displayed as a keyboard pattern. When the operator taps the keyboard, vibration feedback can be obtained at the corresponding key position. When the operator simultaneously presses a plurality of keys (such as “Ctrl + Alt + Del "), the control center can simultaneously call the vibration unit of the multiple touch points corresponding to the sub-touch area to achieve multiple contacts to obtain vibration feedback at the same time.

Fourth embodiment

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the touch device 90 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a touch panel 91, an addressing structure 93, a vibration structure 95, and a display structure 916.

The touchpad 91 includes a touch surface 911. The touch surface 911 is a surface of the touchpad 91. The operator performs touch operations on the touch surface 911, and the operator makes contact with the touch surface 911 during the operation. Points are defined as contacts. In this embodiment, the touchpad 91 is substantially rectangular; in other embodiments, the touchpad 91 may also have a regular shape such as a circle, a diamond, a pentagon, or any irregular shape that meets actual requirements. . The material of the touch panel 91 may be metal, glass, ceramic, or other materials suitable for ultrasonic wave transmission.

The addressing structure 93 is disposed on a side of the touchpad 91 away from the touch surface 911. The addressing structure 93 includes a plurality of ultrasonic transmitting units 931 and ultrasonic receiving units 932 scattered on one surface of the touchpad 91. . In this embodiment, the number of the ultrasonic transmitting units 931 is four, and the ultrasonic transmitting units 931 are respectively disposed at four corners of the rectangular touch panel 91. The ultrasonic receiving units 932 are opposite to each other along the rectangular touch panel 91. The two sides are arranged at intervals, preferably along two long sides, the number of which is four. In other embodiments, the positions where the ultrasonic transmitting unit 931 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 932 can be set are not limited to the edge of the touchpad. It can also be set at any feasible position on the touchpad 91 in any number and in any arrangement according to actual needs.

The ultrasonic transmitting unit 931 and the ultrasonic receiving unit 932 both contain a piezoelectric material, such as an inorganic material lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramic (PZT) or an organic material Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF). The ultrasonic transmitting unit 931 is configured to emit ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic waves may have an arbitrary frequency. In this embodiment, the ultrasonic signal range emitted by the ultrasonic transmitting unit 931 is preferably 100 to 1000 KHz. Spread in the medium. The ultrasonic receiving unit 932 can receive ultrasonic waves and generate corresponding induced electrical signals according to the piezoelectric principle. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 1 corresponds to the propagation state of ultrasonic waves on the touch panel when no touch action is applied by the operator, and FIG. 2 corresponds to the propagation of ultrasonic waves on the touch panel when the operator applies any touch action. Status signal. When no operator applies a touch action, the propagation state of the ultrasonic wave in the touch panel is unchanged. Furthermore, the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic receiving unit is also unchanged. The electricity generated by the piezoelectric material in the ultrasonic receiving unit is excited. The signal does not change; when a finger or other effective touching object comes into contact with the touch surface, ultrasonic waves are reflected at the contact point, the propagation state of the ultrasonic wave in the touchpad changes, and the ultrasonic signal received by the ultrasonic receiving unit changes. Accordingly, The electrical signal generated by the excitation of the piezoelectric material in the ultrasonic receiving unit changes. By detecting the change in the electrical signal of the ultrasonic receiving unit 932, it can be determined whether a touch action occurs.

The vibration structure 95 is disposed on a side of the touch panel 91 away from the touch surface 911. The vibration structure 95 includes a plurality of vibration generating units 951 scattered on one surface of the touch panel 91. In this embodiment, the number of the vibrating units 951 is four, which are distributed on the four corners of the rectangular touch panel 91 and are adjacent to the ultrasonic transmitting unit 931 respectively. In other embodiments, all The vibrating unit 951 can also be arranged at any feasible position on the touchpad 91 in any number and in any arrangement according to actual needs. The vibrating unit 951 may be a mechanical vibration device, a linear resonance vibration structure, a piezoelectric vibration structure, or any other mechanical device that can generate pulse wave vibration according to actual requirements. The vibrating unit 951 is configured to emit mechanical vibrations. The wave form propagates. The intensity of the mechanical vibration emitted by a single vibrating unit is small enough to be perceived by the operator. When the peaks of the mechanical vibration emitted by a plurality of vibrating units overlap at the same point, according to the waveform superposition principle, it can be known The intensity of the wave will increase, and the intensity of the mechanical vibration at this point will also increase and be perceived by the operator.

The touch device 90 further includes a control center and a plurality of traces (not shown), and the plurality of traces are electrically connected to the touchpad 91, the addressing structure 93, the vibration structure 95, and the control center. The control center receives the electric signals fed back by each ultrasonic receiving unit 932, and determines the position of the contact on the touchpad 91 according to this, and according to the distance from the contact to each vibration unit and the propagation of mechanical waves in the touch panel Speed, calculate the time when the peak of the mechanical wave of each vibration unit reaches the contact point, and the time difference (△ t) of the time when the peak of the mechanical wave of different vibration units reaches the contact point. In time, the crests of the complex mechanical waves overlap at the contact points, thereby generating vibrations that the operator can perceive.

The mechanical vibration emitted by a single vibrating unit is difficult to be weak and difficult to be perceived by the operator, but the superimposed mechanical vibration will be perceived by the operator, and the single vibrating unit has a small volume and low energy consumption. Based on this, the touch device 90 can achieve accurate vibration feedback in a small area.

Fifth Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 12, this embodiment provides an electronic device 20. The electronic device includes a main body 22 and a touch device 90 disposed in the main body 22. In this embodiment, the electronic device 20 is a refrigerator. The touch device 90 includes a display structure 916 adjacent to and in contact with one side edge of the touchpad 91. The display structure 916 can display some basic information of the electronic device 20. (Such as cooling temperature, cooling mode, refrigerator label, etc.). The touch surface 911 is divided into four sub-touch areas, namely a first sub-touch area 9111, a second sub-touch area 9112, a third sub-touch area 9113, and a fourth sub-touch area 9114. The selected refrigerator can be switched by touching the first sub-touch area 9111. During the selection process, the display structure 916 will display the label of the selected refrigerator; by touching the second sub-touch The area 9112 can switch the selected cooling mode. During the selection process, the display structure 916 will display an icon corresponding to the cooling mode; by touching the third sub-touch area 9113 and the fourth sub-touch area 9114, The cooling temperature is adjusted. Touching the third sub-touch area 9113 increases the temperature, and touching the fourth sub-touch area 9114 decreases the temperature. During the adjustment, the display structure 916 will display the cooling temperature. In other embodiments, the touch device 90 may also be any of the acoustic touch devices described in the first to third embodiments. The electronic device 20 in FIG. 12 only takes a refrigerator as an example. In other embodiments, the electronic device 20 may also be a personal computer, a smart home appliance, an industrial controller, or the like.

Sixth embodiment

This embodiment provides a touch feedback driving method for a touch device. The driving method is used to drive any one of the touch devices described in the first to fifth embodiments. The touch device includes a touch panel, an addressing structure, Vibration structure and control center. The touchpad includes a touch surface. The addressing structure and the vibration structure are disposed on a side of the touchpad away from the touch surface. The addressing structure includes a plurality of scattered ultrasonic waves. And an ultrasonic receiving unit, the vibration structure includes a plurality of scattered starting units, and the touch feedback driving method includes: the ultrasonic transmitting unit emits ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic receiving unit receives ultrasonic waves and generates electrical signals; and the control center receives the ultrasonic waves Receiving the electric signal fed back by the unit, and determining the position of the contact on the touch surface according to the change of the electric signal; the control center adjusts the starting time of the complex vibration unit according to the position of the contact to make the complex start The crests of the mechanical waves emitted by the vibrating unit overlap at the contacts and generate vibration feedback which can be perceived by the operator.

Specifically, the control center calculates the time when the peak of the mechanical wave of each vibration unit reaches the contact point according to the distance from the contact position to each vibration unit and the propagation speed of the mechanical wave in the touch panel, and the different vibrations Time difference (△ t) between the peak of the mechanical wave of the unit and the contact point, the root According to the time difference, the time when the corresponding vibration unit starts to vibrate is adjusted so that the peaks of the complex mechanical wave overlap at the contact point, thereby generating vibration that the operator can perceive.

The principle of the touch feedback driving method is as follows: the ultrasonic transmitting unit emits ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic waves propagate in the touch device, and the ultrasonic receiving unit receives the ultrasonic waves and generates corresponding electric signals. When no operator touches the touch surface, the propagation path and propagation state of ultrasonic waves in the touch device are almost unchanged because there is no external interference. Accordingly, the ultrasonic receiving unit receives electrical signals generated by the ultrasonic waves. Almost unchanged; when an operator performs a touch operation on the touch surface, an ultrasonic wave will contact a touched object at the contact point and emit, and the occurrence of reflection will cause the propagation path and state of the ultrasonic wave in the touch device Changes occur. Correspondingly, the electrical signals generated by the ultrasonic receiving unit receiving ultrasonic waves are changed. The ultrasonic receiving unit transmits the electrical signals to the control center. The control center processes and uses the electrical signals. A position of the contact point relative to the touch surface may be determined.

The position of the vibrating unit on the touch device is known, so the distance from the contact point to the vibrating unit can be calculated; the mechanical waves of the mechanical vibrations emitted by the vibrating unit are in touch. The propagation speed in the control device is also known; further, when the speed and distance are known, the control center can calculate the required peak of the mechanical wave of the mechanical vibration from the vibration unit to reach the contact point. time. Therefore, the control center adjusts the start-up time of the plurality of vibration units so that the peaks of the mechanical waves of the mechanical vibration of the plurality of vibration units overlap at the contacts. It can be known from the superposition principle that when the peaks of a complex wave overlap at one point, the intensity of the wave here will increase, and the intensity of its mechanical vibration will also increase. The mechanical vibration emitted by a single vibrating unit is relatively weak and cannot be perceived by the operator, but the intensity of the mechanical wave superimposed on the contacts will be greatly enhanced and can be perceived by the operator.

When the operator performs a touch operation on the touch surface, vibration feedback can be obtained at the contact point.

Hereinabove, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that various changes and substitutions can be made to the specific embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. These changes and substitutions fall within the scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims (13)

A touch device includes a touch panel, an addressing structure, a vibration structure, and a control center. The touch panel includes a touch surface, and defines an operator's contact point with the touch surface as a contact when performing an operation. The addressing structure and the vibration structure are disposed on a side of the touchpad away from the touch surface. The improvement is that the addressing structure includes a plurality of scattered ultrasonic wave transmitting units and ultrasonic wave receiving units. The vibration structure includes a plurality of scattered starting units; the ultrasonic transmitting unit emits ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic receiving unit receives the ultrasonic waves and generates an electrical signal; and the control center determines a contact point based on changes in the electrical signals fed back by the ultrasonic receiving unit Position, adjusting the start-up time of the plurality of start-up units according to the position of the contact point, so that vibration feedback is generated at the contact point. The touch control device according to claim 1, wherein the control center calculates the time when the peak of the mechanical wave of each vibration unit reaches the contact point, and the time difference between the time of the peak of the mechanical wave of different vibration units reaches the contact point. , According to the time difference, adjust the time when the corresponding vibration unit starts to vibrate, so that the peaks of the complex mechanical wave overlap at the contact point. The touch device according to claim 2, wherein the vibration structure is a mechanical vibration device, a linear resonance vibration structure, or a piezoelectric vibration structure. The touch device according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transmitting unit and the ultrasonic receiving unit both contain a piezoelectric material. The touch device according to claim 1, wherein the touch device further includes a plurality of wires electrically connected to the control center, the addressing structure, and the vibration structure. The touch device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of vibrating units of the vibration structure are located on an edge of the touch panel. The touch device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of adjacent vibrating units are connected to form a sub-touch area, and the touch surface includes a plurality of sub-touch areas, and the sub-touch areas When the touch point falls on any sub-touch area, the control center will preferentially select the vibration unit corresponding to the sub-touch area for vibration. The touch device according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein when the touch surface has a plurality of contacts at the same time, the plurality of vibration units are adjusted by adjusting the start time of the plurality of vibration units. The peaks of the emitted mechanical vibrations are overlapped at the plurality of contacts at the same time, so that the plurality of contacts simultaneously obtain vibration feedback. The touch device according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the touch device further includes a display structure, and the display structure is electrically connected to the touch panel, the addressing structure, and the vibration structure. An electronic device includes a main body and a touch device disposed in the main body. The improvement is that the touch device is the touch device according to any one of claims 1-7. A touch feedback driving method for driving any one of the touch devices described in claim 1-7. The touch feedback driving method includes: the ultrasonic transmitting unit emits ultrasonic waves, and the ultrasonic receiving unit receives ultrasonic waves and generates Electrical signal; the control center receives the electrical signal fed back by the ultrasonic receiving unit, and determines the position of the contact on the touch surface according to the change of the electrical signal; the control center adjusts the plurality of vibrations according to the position of the contact The start-up time of the unit causes the peaks of the mechanical waves emitted by the plurality of start-up units to overlap at the contacts and generate vibration feedback. The touch feedback driving method according to claim 11, wherein the method for the control center to adjust the start-up time of the plurality of start-up units is: the control center calculates the peak arrival of the mechanical wave of each start-up unit The time of the contact and the time difference between the peaks of the mechanical waves of the vibration units reaching the contacts, and the time when the corresponding vibration units start to vibrate is adjusted according to the time difference, so that the peaks of the complex mechanical waves are at the contacts. Overlap everywhere. The touch feedback driving method according to claim 11, wherein when the plurality of contacts are simultaneously present on the touch surface, the plurality of vibrations are adjusted by adjusting the vibration time of the plurality of vibrations units. The peaks of the mechanical vibrations emitted by the unit are overlapped at the plurality of contacts at the same time, so that the plurality of contacts obtain vibration feedback at the same time.