Capacitive sensing knob or slider apparatus and touch sensitive processing apparatus thereof and touch system

Abstract

A method for detecting an input device, wherein the input device includes an input electrode, a driving electrode, and a plurality of sensing electrodes that are not in contact with each other, wherein each of the plurality of sensing electrodes is equidistant from the driving electrode, and a specific portion of the input electrode simultaneously covers the driving electrode and one or two of the plurality of sensing electrodes, the method for detecting the input device comprising: emitting a driving signal from the driving electrode; simultaneously detecting a plurality of signal intensities of the driving signal sensed by the plurality of sensing electrodes; and determining the position between the specific portion and the plurality of sensing electrodes based on the plurality of signal intensities.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to input devices, and more particularly to capacitive touch knobs and sliders. Prior Technology

[0002] Knobs and sliders are common control components on control panels. However, traditional knobs and sliders have moving parts with electrical contact, which are prone to wear and failure. Therefore, there is an urgent need for capacitive touch knobs and sliders that do not require electrical contact in order to increase their service life. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one embodiment of this application, a method for detecting an input device is provided, wherein the input device includes an input electrode, a driving electrode, and a plurality of sensing electrodes that are not in contact with each other, wherein each of the plurality of sensing electrodes is equidistant from the driving electrode, and a specific portion of the input electrode simultaneously covers the driving electrode and one or two of the plurality of sensing electrodes, the method for detecting the input device includes: emitting a driving signal from the driving electrode; simultaneously detecting a plurality of signal intensities of the driving signal sensed by the plurality of sensing electrodes; and determining the position between the specific portion and the plurality of sensing electrodes based on the plurality of signal intensities.

[0004] According to one embodiment of this application, a capacitive sensing knob device is provided, comprising: a knob electrode area, which includes: a plurality of first ring electrodes, which are evenly disposed on the circumference of a first circle, each of the first ring electrodes having the same area, each of the first ring electrodes having a similar shape and pointing concentrically towards the center of the first circle; and a second ring electrode, which is disposed on the circumference of a second circle, the first circle and the second circle being concentric circles; and a knob that rotates around the center of the circle, the knob including a first knob electrode, wherein when the knob is pointed to a first angle, the first knob electrode simultaneously covers a portion of two adjacent first ring electrodes and a portion of the second ring electrode.

[0005] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to indicate the direction of the knob, the number of the plurality of first ring electrodes is N, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3, wherein when the knob is pointed to the first angle, the first knob electrode does not cover one of the first ring electrodes at the same time, but covers a portion of the remaining (N-1) adjacent first ring electrodes and a portion of the second ring electrodes.

[0006] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to indicate the direction of the knob, when the knob is pointed to the second angle, the first knob electrode simultaneously covers a portion of the first coil electrode and a portion of the second coil electrode.

[0007] Preferably, in order to enable the touch processing device to better detect the direction of the knob, the knob electrode area further includes one or more third-circle electrodes disposed on the circumference of the third circle, the third circle being concentric with the second circle and the first circle, wherein the diameter of the third circle is larger than the diameter of the second circle, and the diameter of the second circle is larger than the diameter of the first circle.

[0008] Preferably, to allow the user to use the knob as a direction button, the plurality of third-circle electrodes included in the knob electrode area are evenly distributed around the circumference of the third circle, each of the third-circle electrodes having the same area, similar shapes, and pointing concentrically towards the center of the third circle. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 14. Preferably, to allow the user to use the knob as a direction button, the distance between the knob electrode and at least one of the plurality of third-circle electrodes is reduced due to force.

[0009] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to indicate the direction of the knob, the diameter of the first circle is larger than the diameter of the second circle. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 10. Preferably, to allow the drive signal to originate from the center of the circle, the shape of the second ring electrode is a circle containing the center of the second circle. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 10. Preferably, to allow the touch processing device to better detect the direction of the knob, the area of ​​the knob electrode covering the second ring electrode remains unchanged regardless of the knob's direction.

[0010] Preferably, in order to allow the user to use the knob as a button, the capacitive sensing knob device further includes: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the vertical distance between the knob electrode and the second ring electrode to a first distance or a second distance, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance.

[0011] Preferably, in order to allow the user to use the knob as a force sensor, the capacitive sensing knob device further includes: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the distance between the knob electrode and the second coil electrode between a first distance and a second distance, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance, wherein when the knob does not receive force from the user, the connecting mechanism sets the distance between the knob electrode and the second coil electrode at the second distance.

[0012] Preferably, to prevent the knob from freezing in low temperatures, the capacitive sensing knob device further includes a connecting mechanism for selectively disengaging or engaging the knob with the knob electrode area.

[0013] Preferably, in order to save manufacturing costs, the plurality of first ring electrodes in the aforementioned knob electrode area are located on the same layer as the plurality of first electrodes parallel to the first axis of a touch panel, and the plurality of second ring electrodes in the aforementioned knob electrode area are located on the same layer as the plurality of second electrodes parallel to the second axis of the touch panel.

[0014] Preferably, in order to reduce thickness, the plurality of first-ring electrodes and the second-ring electrodes are located in the same layer.

[0015] Preferably, in order to make the touch processing device easier to detect and increase the signal-to-noise ratio, the knob includes a second knob electrode parallel to the first knob electrode, the second knob electrode being electrically coupled to the first knob electrode, and the first knob electrode being closer to the knob electrode area than the second knob electrode.

[0016] According to one embodiment of this application, a capacitive sensing slider device is provided, comprising: a slider electrode region including: a plurality of sensing slider electrodes parallel to an axis, each of the sensing slider electrodes having the same area and the same distance between any two adjacent sensing slider electrodes; a driving slider electrode parallel to the plurality of sensing slider electrodes; and a slider on the slider electrode region, the slider being selectively set at a plurality of positions parallel to the axis, the slider including a slider electrode, wherein when the slider is in a first position, the slider electrode simultaneously covers a portion of two adjacent sensing slider electrodes and a portion of the driving slider electrode.

[0017] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to set the position of the slider, when the slider is in the second position, the slider electrode simultaneously covers a portion of a single sensing slider electrode and a portion of the driving slider electrode.

[0018] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to set the position of the slider, the area of ​​the slider electrode covering one or more sensing slider electrodes is smaller than the area of ​​the slider electrode covering the driving slider electrode.

[0019] Preferably, to enable the touch processing device to better detect the position of the slider, the slider electrode area further includes one or more third electrodes parallel to the driving slider electrode, and the one or more third electrodes and the multiple sensing slider electrodes are respectively located on both sides of the driving slider electrode. For example, the embodiment shown in FIG25A.

[0020] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to set the position of the slider, the area of ​​the slider electrode covering one or more sensing slider electrodes is smaller than the area of ​​the slider electrode covering the one or more electrodes.

[0021] Preferably, in order to allow the user to use the slider as a button, the capacitive sensing slider device further includes: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the plurality of sensing slider electrodes at a first distance or a second distance, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance.

[0022] Preferably, in order to allow the user to use the slider as a force sensor, the capacitive sensing slider device further includes: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the plurality of sensing slider electrodes between a first distance and a second distance, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance, wherein when the slider does not receive force from the user, the connecting mechanism sets the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the plurality of sensing slider electrodes at the second distance.

[0023] Preferably, to prevent the slider from freezing in low temperatures, the capacitive sensing slider device further includes a connecting mechanism for selectively disengaging or engaging the slider electrode area.

[0024] Preferably, in order to save manufacturing costs, the plurality of sensing slider electrodes in the aforementioned slider electrode area are located on the same layer as the plurality of first electrodes of a touch panel that are parallel to the first axis.

[0025] Preferably, in order to reduce thickness, the plurality of sensing slider electrodes and the driving slider electrode are located on the same layer.

[0026] According to one embodiment of this application, a touch processing device suitable for a capacitive sensing knob device is provided, comprising: a connection network module for connecting a plurality of first ring electrodes and a second ring electrode respectively; a sensing circuit module for connecting the plurality of first ring electrodes through the connection network module; a driving circuit module for connecting the second ring electrode through the connection network module; and a processor module for executing a plurality of instructions stored in a non-volatile memory to perform the following steps: causing the driving circuit module to provide a driving signal to the second ring electrode; causing the sensing circuit module to sense the driving signal sensed by the plurality of first ring electrodes respectively to generate a plurality of sensing values ​​respectively; calculating the direction of the knob based on the plurality of sensing values; and reporting the direction of the knob to a host computer.

[0027] Preferably, in order to calculate the direction of the knob, the step of calculating the direction of the knob based on the plurality of sensing values ​​further includes: finding the two largest adjacent sensing values ​​among the plurality of sensing values; calculating the ratio of the two largest adjacent sensing values; and calculating the direction of the knob based on the ratio.

[0028] Preferably, in order for the user to use the knob as a button, the processor module is further configured to: determine, based on the plurality of sensing values, whether the vertical distance between the knob electrode and the second ring electrode is set at the first distance or the second distance; when it is determined that the distance is set at the first distance, report to the host that the knob is in a pressed state; and when it is determined that the distance is set at the second distance, report to the host that the knob is in a non-pressed state.

[0029] Preferably, in order for the user to use the knob as a force sensor, the processor module is further configured to: determine the vertical distance between the knob electrode and the second-circle electrode based on the multiple sensing values; calculate the force value of the knob based on the vertical distance; and report the force value to the host.

[0030] Preferably, in order for the touch processing device to better detect the direction of the knob, the processor module is further configured to: connect the one or more third-circle electrodes to a ground potential or a DC potential.

[0031] Preferably, in order for the user to use the knob as a directional button, the processor module is further configured to: connect the network module to the plurality of third-ring electrodes respectively; allow the sensing circuit module to sense the drive signal sensed by the plurality of third-ring electrodes respectively, so as to generate a plurality of second sensing values ​​respectively; and calculate the direction in which the knob is pressed based on the plurality of second sensing values.

[0032] According to one embodiment of this application, a touch processing device suitable for a capacitive sensing slider device is provided, comprising: a connection network module for connecting the plurality of sensing slider electrodes and the driving slider electrode respectively; a sensing circuit module for connecting the plurality of sensing slider electrodes through the connection network module; a driving circuit module for connecting the driving slider electrode through the connection network module; and a processor module for executing a plurality of instructions stored in a non-volatile memory to perform the following steps: causing the driving circuit module to provide a driving signal to the driving slider electrode; causing the sensing circuit module to sense the driving signal sensed by the plurality of sensing slider electrodes respectively to generate a plurality of sensing values ​​respectively; calculating the position of the slider based on the plurality of sensing values; and reporting the position of the slider to a host.

[0033] Preferably, in order to calculate the position of the slider between the two sensing slider electrodes, the step of calculating the position of the slider based on the plurality of sensing values ​​further includes: finding the two largest adjacent sensing values ​​among the plurality of sensing values; calculating the ratio of the two largest adjacent sensing values; and calculating the position of the slider based on the ratio.

[0034] Preferably, in order to allow the user to use the slider as a button, the processor module is further configured to: determine, based on the plurality of sensing values, whether the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the sensing slider electrode is set at the first distance or the second distance; when it is determined that the distance is set at the first distance, report to the host that the slider is in a pressed state; and when it is determined that the distance is set at the second distance, report to the host that the slider is in a non-pressed state.

[0035] Preferably, in order for the user to use the slider as a force sensor, the processor module is further configured to: determine the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the sensing slider electrode based on the multiple sensing values; calculate the force value of the slider based on the vertical distance; and report the force value to the host.

[0036] Preferably, in order for the touch processing device to better detect the position of the slider, the processor module is further configured to: connect the network module to the one or more third electrodes to ground potential or DC potential.

[0037] According to one embodiment of this application, a touch system is provided, comprising the aforementioned touch processing device and capacitive knob device.

[0038] According to one embodiment of this application, a touch system is provided, including the aforementioned touch processing device and capacitive slider device.

[0039] The capacitive sensing knob and slider devices provided in this application reduce the number of moving parts with electrically coupled contacts, preventing malfunctions due to wear of electrical connectors and thus increasing their service life. Furthermore, the touch processing method and device provided in this application can accurately calculate the knob direction and slider position of the capacitive sensing knob device based on the principle of mutual capacitance induction. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0040] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a touch system 9900 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a top view of a knob electrode area 100 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a longitudinal section of a knob and knob electrode area 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 is a top view of a knob electrode 310 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a knob 300 and a knob electrode area 100 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of the sensing signal and angle according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 6B is a schematic diagram of experimental data of sensing signals and angles according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 is a top view of the knob electrode area 100 according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 8 is a top view of a knob 300 according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the sensing signal and angle according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 10 is a top view of a knob electrode area 1000 according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 11 is a top view of a knob 1100 according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 12 is a top view of the knob electrode area 1200 according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the knob electrode 1310 and the knob electrode area 1200 according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 14 is a top view of the knob electrode area 1400 according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a knob electrode 1310 and a knob electrode area 1400 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 16 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the knob electrode 310, the driving knob electrode 110, and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 17 is another cross-sectional schematic diagram of the knob electrode 310, the driving knob electrode 110, and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 16. Figure 18 is another cross-sectional schematic diagram of the knob electrode 310, the driving knob electrode 110, and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 17. Figure 19 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the knob electrode 1310, drive knob electrode 110, sensing knob electrode 120-1, and third ring electrode 1230 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 14. Figure 20A is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the knob electrode 310, the driving knob electrode 110, and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 3. Figure 20B is a variation of the embodiment shown in Figure 20A. Figure 21 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the knob electrode 1310, drive knob electrode 110, sensing knob electrode 120-1, and third ring electrode 1440-1 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 15. Figure 22 is a top view of a slider electrode area 2200 according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 23 shows a variation of the slider electrode area 2200 of the embodiment shown in Figure 22. Figure 24A is a top view of a slider electrode 2410A covering the slider electrode area 2200 shown in Figure 22. Figure 24B is a top view of another slider electrode 2410B covering the slider electrode area 2200 shown in Figure 22. Figure 25A is a top view of a slider electrode 2510A covering the slider electrode area 2200 shown in Figure 23. Figure 25B is a top view of another slider electrode 2510B covering the slider electrode area 2200 shown in Figure 23. Figure 26 is a block diagram of a touch system 2600 according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 27 is a flowchart illustrating a touch processing method 2700 for a capacitive sensing knob device according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 28 is a flowchart illustrating a touch processing method 2800 for a capacitive sensing knob device according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 29 is a flowchart illustrating a touch processing method 2900 for a capacitive sensing slider device according to an embodiment of this application. Implementation

[0041] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be described in detail below. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other implementation methods obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] The terms "first," "second," "third," etc. (if present) in the specification, claims, and drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the objects described are interchangeable where appropriate. In the description of this application, "plural" means two or more, unless otherwise expressly and specifically defined. Furthermore, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. Some block diagrams shown in the drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. Such functional entities may be implemented in software, in one or more hardware circuits or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0043] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections, electrical connections, or connections that allow for communication; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections via an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the aforementioned terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0044] To make the objectives, features and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the application will be further described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments.

[0045] Please refer to Figure 1, which is a block diagram of a touch system 9900 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The touch system 9900 can be a common desktop, laptop, tablet personal computer, industrial control computer, smartphone, or other form of computer system with touch functionality.

[0046] The touch system 9900 may include a touch processing device 9910, a touch panel or screen 9920 connected to the touch processing device, and a host 9940 connected to the touch processing device. The touch system 9900 may further include one or more styluses 9930 and / or touchpads 9935. In this application, the touch panel or screen 9920 may be generally referred to as a touch screen 9920; however, in embodiments lacking display functionality, those skilled in the art will recognize that the touch screen referred to in this application is a touch panel.

[0047] The touchscreen 9920 includes multiple first electrodes 9921 parallel to a first axis and multiple second electrodes 9922 parallel to a second axis. The first electrodes 9921 can be interleaved with the multiple second electrodes 9922 to form multiple sensing points or sensing areas. Similarly, the second electrodes 9922 can be interleaved with the multiple first electrodes 9921 to form multiple sensing points or sensing areas. In some embodiments, the first electrode 9921 may be referred to as a first touch electrode 9921, and the second electrode 9922 may be referred to as a second touch electrode 9922. The first electrode 9921 and the second electrode 9922 are also collectively referred to as touch electrodes. In some embodiments of the touchscreen 9920, the first electrode 9921 and the second electrode 9922 are made of a transparent material. The first electrode 9921 and the second electrode 9922 can be on the same electrode layer, and the multiple conductive sheets of each first electrode 9921 or second electrode 9922 are connected by a bridge. The first electrode 9921 and the second electrode 9922 may also be on different, stacked electrode layers. Unless otherwise specified, this application is generally applicable to embodiments with a single layer or multiple electrode layers. The first axis and the second axis are generally perpendicular to each other, but this application does not limit the first axis to necessarily being perpendicular to the second axis. In one embodiment, the first axis may be a horizontal axis or the update axis of the touch screen 9920.

[0048] The touch processing device 9910 may include the following hardware circuit modules: an Interconnection Network module 9911, a driving circuit module 9912, a sensing circuit module 9913, a processor module 9914, and an interface module 9915. The touch processing device 9910 may be implemented within a single integrated circuit, which may include one or more chips. Alternatively, multiple integrated circuits and interconnecting circuit boards supporting these multiple integrated circuits may be used to implement the touch processing device 9910. The touch processing device 9910 may also be implemented in the same integrated circuit as the aforementioned host 9940, or in the same chip as the aforementioned host 9940. In other words, this application does not limit the implementation of the touch processing device 9910.

[0049] The connection network module 9911 is used to connect multiple first electrodes 9921 and / or multiple second electrodes 9922 of the touch screen 9920 respectively. The connection network module 9911 can receive control commands from the processor module 9914 to connect the drive circuit module 9912 to one or more touch electrodes, and also to connect the sensing circuit module 9913 to one or more touch electrodes. The connection network module 9911 may include a combination of one or more multiplexers (MUX) to implement the above functions.

[0050] The drive circuit module 9912 may include components such as a clock generator, frequency divider, frequency multiplier, phase-locked loop, power amplifier, DC-DC voltage converter, rectifier, and / or filter. It is used to provide drive signals to one or more touch electrodes via the aforementioned connection network module 9911, according to the control commands of the processor module 9914. Various analog or digital signal modulations can be applied to the drive signals to transmit certain information. The aforementioned modulation methods include, but are not limited to, frequency modulation (FM), phase modulation (Phase Modulation), amplitude modulation (AM), dual-sideband modulation (DSB), single-sideband modulation (SSB-AM), vestigial sideband modulation (VSSB-AM), amplitude-shifted modulation (ASK), phase-shifted modulation (PSK), quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), frequency-shifted modulation (FSK), continuous phase modulation (CPM), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), quadrature frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), and pulse width modulation (PWM). The drive signal can contain one or more square waves, sine waves, or any modulated waveform. The drive circuit module 9912 can contain one or more channels, and each channel can be connected to any or more touch electrodes through the connection network module 9911.

[0051] The sensing circuit module 9913 may include components such as an integrator, sampler, clock generator, frequency divider, frequency multiplier, phase-locked loop, power amplifier, operational amplifier, multiplier, DC-DC voltage converter, rectifier, and / or filter. It is used to sense one or more touch electrodes through the connection network module 9911 according to the control commands of the processor module 9914. When a touch signal is emitted through one touch electrode, another touch electrode can sense the touch signal. The sensing circuit module 9913 can cooperate with the modulation method performed by the driving circuit module 9912 to demodulate the driving signal sensed by the other touch electrode to recover the information carried by the driving signal. The sensing circuit module 9913 may include one or more channels, each channel can be connected to one or more touch electrodes through the connection network module 9911. Simultaneously, each channel can perform sensing and demodulation.

[0052] In one embodiment, the driving circuit module 9912 and sensing circuit module 9913 may include analog front-end (AFE) circuitry. In another embodiment, in addition to the analog front-end circuitry, the driving circuit module 9912 and sensing circuit module 9913 may include digital back-end (DBE) circuitry. When the driving circuit module 9912 and sensing circuit module 9913 only include analog front-end circuitry, the digital back-end circuitry may be implemented within the processor module 9914.

[0053] The processor module 9914 may include a digital signal processor for connecting the analog front-end circuits of the aforementioned drive circuit module 9912 and sensing circuit module 9913, and may also connect the digital back-end circuits of the aforementioned drive circuit module 9912 and sensing circuit module 9913. The processor module 9914 may include an embedded processor, non-volatile memory, and volatile memory. The non-volatile memory may store a general operating system or a real-time operating system, and applications running under that operating system. The aforementioned operating system and applications include multiple instructions and data. After these instructions are executed by the processor (including the embedded processor and / or digital signal processor), they can be used to control other modules of the touch processing device 9910, including the network module 9911, the drive circuit module 9912, the sensing circuit module 9913, and the interface module 9915. For example, the processor module 9914 may include commonly used processors such as the 8051 series, Intel's i960 series, and ARM's Cortex-M series. This application does not limit the type or number of processors included in the processor module 9914.

[0054] The aforementioned instructions and data can be used to implement the various steps mentioned in this application, as well as the processes and methods comprised of these steps. Some instructions can operate independently within the processor module 9914, such as arithmetic and logic operations. Other instructions can be used to control other modules of the touch processing device 9910; these instructions may include the input / output interface of the processor module 9914 to control other modules. Other modules can also provide information to the operating system and / or application executed by the processor module 9914 through the input / output interface of the processor module 9914. Those skilled in the art should possess general knowledge of computer organization and architecture and can understand that the processes and methods mentioned in this application can be implemented using the aforementioned modules and instructions.

[0055] The aforementioned interface module 9915 can include various serial or parallel buses, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), Integrated Circuit Bus (I2C), PCI, PCI-Express, IEEE 1394, and other industry standard input / output interfaces. The touch processing device 9910 is connected to the host 9940 through the interface module 9915.

[0056] The touch system 9900 may include one or more styluses 9930 and / or touchpads 9935. The stylus 9930 or touchpad 9935 may be a transmitter that emits electrical signals; it may be an active transmitter that actively emits electrical signals, a passive transmitter that passively emits electrical signals, or a reactive transmitter that emits electrical signals in response to external electrical signals. The stylus 9930 or touchpad 9935 may include one or more electrodes for synchronously or asynchronously receiving electrical signals from the touchscreen 9920, or synchronously or asynchronously emitting electrical signals to the touchscreen 9920. These electrical signals may employ one or more modulation methods as described above.

[0057] The stylus 9930 or touchpad 9935 described above can be a conductor, used to conduct drive signals or ground through the user's hand or body. The stylus 9930 or touchpad 9935 described above can be connected to the input / output interface module 9941 of the host 9940, or other modules under the input / output interface module 9941, in a wired or wireless manner.

[0058] The touch processing device 9910 can detect one or more external conductive objects, such as human fingers, palms, or passive styluses 9930 or touchpads 9935, via the touchscreen 9920. It can also detect styluses 9930 or touchpads 9935 that emit electrical signals. The touch processing device 9910 can detect external conductive objects using mutual capacitance or self-capacitance. The stylus 9930 or touchpad 9935 and the touch processing device 9910 can use the aforementioned signal modulation and corresponding signal demodulation methods to transmit information using electrical signals. The touch processing device 9910 can use electrical signals to detect one or more proximity positions of the stylus 9930 or touchpad 9935 near or in contact with the touch screen 9920, the sensor status (e.g., pressure sensor or button) on the stylus 9930 or touchpad 9935, the direction of the stylus 9930 or touchpad 9935, or the tilt angle of the stylus 9930 or touchpad 9935 relative to the plane of the touch screen 9920, etc.

[0059] The host 9940 is the main device for controlling the touch system 9910, and may include an input / output interface module 9941 connected to the interface module 9915, a central processing unit module 9942, a graphics processing unit module 9943, a memory module 9944 connected to the central processing unit module 9942, a network interface module 9945 connected to the input / output interface module 9941, and a memory module 9946.

[0060] The memory module 9946 contains non-volatile memory, common examples of which are hard drives, electronically eraseable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. The memory module 9946 can store a typical operating system and applications running under that operating system. The network interface module 9945 can include a hardware network connection interface for wired and / or wireless connections. The network interface module 9945 can comply with common industry standards, such as the IEEE 802.11 wireless local area network standard, the IEEE 802.3 wired local area network standard, 3G, 4G, and / or 5G wireless communication network standards, and Bluetooth wireless communication network standards.

[0061] The central processing unit (CPU) module 9942 can be directly or indirectly connected to the aforementioned input / output interface module 9941, graphics processor module 9943, memory module 9944, network interface module 9945, and a memory module 9946. The CPU module 9942 can contain one or more processors or processor cores. Common processors may include x86 and x64 instruction set processors from Indelta, AMD, and VIA Technologies, or ARM instruction set processors from Apple, Qualcomm, and MediaTek. It may also include other forms of Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC) or Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) processors. The aforementioned operating system and applications contain multiple instructions and data corresponding to the above instruction sets. After these instructions are executed by the CPU module 9942, they can be used to control other modules of the touch system 9900.

[0062] The optional graphics processing unit (GPU) module 9943 is typically used to handle calculations related to graphics output. This GPU module 9943 can be connected to the aforementioned touchscreen 9920 to control its output. In some applications, the host computer 9940 may not require dedicated processing from the GPU module 9943; instead, the central processing unit (CPU) module 9942 can directly perform the calculations related to graphics output.

[0063] The host 9940 may also include other components or devices not shown in Figure 1, such as audio input / output interfaces, keyboard input interfaces, mouse input interfaces, trackball input interfaces, and / or other hardware modules. Those skilled in the art should possess general knowledge of computer architecture and structure, and will understand that the touch system 9900 mentioned in this application is merely illustrative; for other parts related to the inventive features provided in this application, please refer to the specification and the claims.

[0064] As shown in Figure 1, in addition to the touch screen 9920, at least one knob electrode area 100 is included. This knob electrode area 100 can be placed next to the touch screen 9920 or in other locations within the touch system 9900. The touch processing device 9910 can be connected to multiple knob electrodes of the knob electrode area 100 via the connection network module 9911 and multiple wires.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 2, which is a top view of a knob electrode area 100 according to an embodiment of this application. The knob electrode area 100 may include two concentric ring electrode patterns. The outer concentric ring is a drive knob electrode 110, and the drive circuit module 9912 can be connected to the drive knob electrode 110 through the connection network module 9911 to emit a drive signal. The inner concentric ring contains multiple sensing knob electrodes. As shown in Figure 2, it includes three sensing knob electrodes 120-1 to 120-3.

[0066] In one embodiment, the area of ​​each of the plurality of sensing knob electrodes is the same. In another embodiment, the shape of each of the plurality of sensing knob electrodes is the same, only their orientations differ. In yet another embodiment, the distance between each of the plurality of sensing knob electrodes and the drive knob electrode 110 is the same.

[0067] In one embodiment, multiple sensing knob electrodes and driving knob electrodes 110 are located on the same layer. For example, they can be on the same layer as multiple first electrodes 9921 of the touch screen 9920. Alternatively, they can be on the same layer as multiple second electrodes 9922. The driving knob electrode 110 can be connected to the aforementioned connection network module 9911 via wires 111. The three sensing knob electrodes 120-1 to 120-3 can be connected to the aforementioned connection network module 9911 via wires 121-1 to 121-3, respectively. Wires 121-1 to 121-3 can be located on different layers than the multiple sensing knob electrodes and driving knob electrodes 110.

[0068] In one embodiment, the plurality of sensing knob electrodes and the driving knob electrodes 110 are located on different layers. For example, the driving knob electrodes 110 may be on the same layer as the plurality of first electrodes 9921 of the touch screen 9920, and the plurality of sensing knob electrodes may be on the same layer as the plurality of second electrodes 9922. Conversely, in another embodiment, the driving knob electrodes 110 may be on the same layer as the plurality of second electrodes 9922 of the touch screen 9920, and the plurality of sensing knob electrodes may be on the same layer as the plurality of first electrodes 9921. Wires 121-1 to 121-3 may be located on the same layer as the plurality of sensing knob electrodes; wire 111 may be located on the same layer as the driving knob electrodes 110.

[0069] In one embodiment, the material of the plurality of sensing knob electrodes and driving knob electrodes 110 can be the same as that of the aforementioned first electrode 9921 or second electrode 9922. In one embodiment, the substrate carrying the plurality of sensing knob electrodes and driving knob electrodes 110 can be the same as the substrate of the touch screen 9920. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the above features are limited to certain embodiments and are not intended to limit this application.

[0070] Please refer to Figure 3, which is a schematic longitudinal section of a knob and knob electrode area 100 according to an embodiment of this application. The longitudinal section shown in Figure 3 can be the section of line segment AA in Figure 2. The knob electrode area 100 may sequentially include a substrate 130 and a protective layer 140 on the substrate 130. The upper surface or interior of the substrate 130 may include the aforementioned plurality of sensing knob electrodes and driving knob electrodes 110. As mentioned above, in one embodiment, the substrate 130 may be the same as the substrate of the touch screen 9920. Wires 121-1 to 121-3 may be located on the lower surface of the substrate 130 and connected to the plurality of sensing knob electrodes respectively through circuits passing through the substrate 130. Wire 111 may also be located on the upper surface or interior of the substrate 130.

[0071] The protective layer 140 can be made of a transparent or opaque material. Outside the protective layer 140 is a knob 300 corresponding to the knob electrode area 100. The knob 300 includes a conductive layer or a knob electrode 310. The knob electrode 310 does not actually contact the aforementioned plurality of sensing knob electrodes or the driving knob electrode 110. The knob electrode 310 is used to form at least one first capacitance with at least one of the aforementioned plurality of sensing knob electrodes. The electrode 310 forms a second capacitance with the driving knob electrode 110. When the knob 300 is rotated, the touch processing device 9910 can determine the knob's orientation by the change in at least one first capacitance.

[0072] Although the mechanical structure by which the knob 300 is fixed to the knob electrode area 100 is not shown in Figure 3, those skilled in the art will understand that a locking mechanism such as a concentric ring can be used to ensure that the knob 300 is positioned precisely at the corresponding location in the knob electrode area 100, and that the center of rotation of the knob 300 is precisely located at the center of the knob electrode area 100. Furthermore, although the knob electrode 310 shown in Figure 3 is located at the top of the knob 300, the knob 300 may have a visually indicated printed layer, graphics, or other structures to inform the user of the knob 300's orientation.

[0073] Please refer to Figure 4, which is a top view of a knob electrode 310 according to an embodiment of this application. Please refer to Figure 5, which is a schematic diagram of a knob 300 and a knob electrode area 100 according to an embodiment of this application. The knob electrode 310 can be considered as a ring, used to cover all or part of the aforementioned drive knob electrode 110. The center of the ring is the rotation center of the knob 300. Inside the ring is a sector-shaped portion 320, which corresponds to one of the plurality of sensing knob electrodes. The sector-shaped portion 320 can be used to cover all or part of one of the plurality of sensing knob electrodes.

[0074] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, since the corresponding knob electrode area 100 has three sensing knob electrodes, the unfolding angle of the fan-shaped portion 320 is approximately 120 degrees. Depending on the distance between the three sensing knob electrodes, the unfolding angle of the fan-shaped portion 320 can be increased or decreased, so that the fan-shaped portion 320 can correspond to a single sensing knob electrode.

[0075] Those skilled in the art will understand that when the corresponding knob electrode area 100 has N sensing knob electrodes, the unfolding angle of the sector portion 320 is approximately (360 / N) degrees, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0076] In addition, the fan-shaped portion 320 can also have other variations in shape. For example, the fan-shaped portion 320 can have gaps. The portion of the fan-shaped portion 320 near the center of rotation can have a gap. Those skilled in the art will understand that the fan-shaped portion 320 is mainly used to form the aforementioned first capacitance for one of the multiple sensing knob electrodes or two adjacent sensing knob electrodes. Therefore, this application does not limit the shape of the fan-shaped portion 320, as long as it corresponds to one or two adjacent sensing knob electrodes.

[0077] In one embodiment, the pointing orientation of the knob 300 can be set to 0 degrees when the fan-shaped portion 320 covers only a single sensing knob electrode. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG5, the pointing orientation of the knob 300 is set to 0 degrees when the fan-shaped portion 320 completely covers the sensing knob electrode 120-1. Those skilled in the art will understand that this 0-degree pointing orientation can be any direction. For the sake of convenience in the following explanation, in the embodiment shown in FIG5, the sensing knob electrode 120-1 can be positioned on the center line corresponding to the rotation center.

[0078] Please refer to Figure 6A, which is a schematic diagram of the sensing signal and angle according to an embodiment of this application. The embodiment shown in Figure 6A corresponds to the knob 300 and knob electrode area 100 shown in Figure 5. The vertical axis represents the signal intensity, and the horizontal axis represents the direction of the knob, i.e., 0 to 360 degrees. Signal 610 is the signal received by sensing knob electrode 120-1, signal 620 is the signal received by sensing knob electrode 120-2, and signal 630 is the signal received by sensing knob electrode 120-3.

[0079] Please refer to Figure 6B, which is a schematic diagram of the experimental results of sensing signals and angles according to an embodiment of this application. Similarly, signal 610 is the signal received by sensing knob electrode 120-1, signal 620 is the signal received by sensing knob electrode 120-2, and signal 630 is the signal received by sensing knob electrode 120-3. Signals 610 to 630 shown in Figure 6B differ from the ideal situation shown in Figure 6A, possibly due to interference during the experiment. However, all three signals in Figure 6B have relatively obvious peaks. Those skilled in the art will understand that the ideal situation in Figure 6A can be considered a calculation model, and the position of the knob can be calculated based on the ideal situation in Figure 6A.

[0080] The drive circuit module 9912 of the touch processing device 9910 sends a drive signal to the drive knob electrode 110 via the network module 9911 and the wire 111. This drive signal can be a sine wave or a square wave, or a signal generated through any modulation method. In one embodiment, the drive signal can be the same as the signal used by the touch processing device 9910 to detect nearby objects on the touch screen 9920, in order to reduce the processing complexity during demodulation.

[0081] The knob electrode 310 senses the drive signal through the second capacitance between it and the drive knob electrode 110. Then, through the first capacitance between the fan-shaped portion and one or two of the plurality of sensing knob electrodes, those one or two sensing knob electrodes also sense the drive signal from the knob electrode 310. The sensed drive signal is then returned to the sensing circuit module 9913 via the corresponding wires and the connection network module 9911. The sensing circuit module 9913 can detect the intensity of the drive signals sensed by all the sensing knob electrodes.

[0082] For example, when knob 300 points to the 0-degree angle shown in Figure 5, signal 610 will be at its maximum value because the sector portion 320 only covers sensing knob electrode 120-1. When knob 300 rotates clockwise, signal 620 corresponding to sensing knob electrode 120-2 gradually increases, while signal 630 corresponding to sensing knob electrode 120-3 gradually decreases. Therefore, the processor module 9914 of the touch processing device 9910 can determine that knob 300 is rotating clockwise based on the changes in the three signals 610-630. Conversely, when knob 300 rotates counterclockwise, signal 620 corresponding to sensing knob electrode 120-2 gradually decreases, while signal 630 corresponding to sensing knob electrode 120-3 gradually increases. Therefore, the processor module 9914 of the touch processing device 9910 can determine that knob 300 is rotating counterclockwise based on the changes in the three signals 610-630.

[0083] In one embodiment shown in Figure 6A, the orientation of the knob 300 can be determined based on the combination of the values ​​of the three signals 610-630. For example, when the knob 300 points to 60 degrees, since the fan-shaped portion 320 is furthest from the sensing knob electrode 120-3, signal 630 is at its minimum value. Therefore, the processor module 9914 of the touch processing device 9910 can determine that the orientation of the knob 300 is 60 degrees. In another example, when the knob 300 points to 240 degrees, since the fan-shaped portion 320 completely covers the sensing knob electrode 120-3, signal 630 is at its maximum value. Therefore, the processor module 9914 of the touch processing device 9910 can determine that the orientation of the knob 300 is 240 degrees.

[0084] In one embodiment shown in Figure 6A, the pointing orientation of the knob 300 can be determined based on the ratio of the two larger values ​​of the three signals 610-630. For example, when the knob 300 points to 60 degrees, since the fan-shaped portion 320 is furthest from the sensing knob electrode 120-3, signal 630 is at its minimum value. Therefore, the processor module 9914 of the touch processing device 9910 can use the ratio of signal 610 to signal 620 to determine that the pointing orientation of the knob 300 is 60 degrees. The ratio of signal 610 to signal 620 corresponds to the ratio of the areas covered by knob electrode 310 to knob electrode 120-1 and knob electrode 120-2, respectively. Therefore, by calculating the ratio of signal 610 to signal 620, the ratio of the areas covered by knob electrode 310 to knob electrode 120-1 and knob electrode 120-2, respectively, can be calculated. In other words, the relative positions of knob electrode 310 with knob electrodes 120-1 and 120-2 can be determined, which is the direction in which knob 300 points.

[0085] In one embodiment shown in Figure 6A, the signals 610-630 can be the original signal value or the difference between the original signal value and the reference signal value. In some embodiments, the reference signal values ​​relative to signals 610-630 are the same. In another embodiment, due to the different lengths of wires 121-1-121-3, the reference signal values ​​relative to signals 610-630 are different.

[0086] The basis for determining the knob's orientation, rotation direction, rotation angular rate, and angular acceleration of the rotation angular rate can be the original signal value or the difference between the original signal value and the reference signal value. The processor module 9914 of the touch processing device 9910 can report one or any combination of the knob's orientation, rotation direction, rotation angular rate, and angular acceleration of the rotation angular rate to the host 9940.

[0087] Please refer to Figure 7, which is a top view of the knob electrode area 100 according to another embodiment of this application. Compared with the knob electrode area 100 shown in Figure 2, the embodiment of Figure 7 includes four sensing knob electrodes 120-1 to 120-4 in a clockwise direction. Not only has the number increased to four, but their shape has also become a right-angled triangle. For the remaining inventive features, please refer to the description of the embodiment shown in Figure 2. Those skilled in the art will understand that the knob electrode 310 corresponding to the knob electrode area 100 in the embodiment shown in Figure 7 may include a fan-shaped portion 320 of approximately 360 / 4 degrees, so it will not be described in detail here.

[0088] Please refer to Figure 8, which is a top view of a knob 300 according to another embodiment of this application. Similar to the embodiment shown in Figure 4, this knob 300 corresponds to the knob electrode area 100 shown in Figure 2. The difference from the embodiment shown in Figure 4 is that the inverted fan-shaped portion 330 in Figure 8 corresponds exactly to the fan-shaped portion 320 in Figure 4. The inverted fan-shaped portion 330 described here is blank and has no electrodes.

[0089] Please refer to Figure 9, which is a schematic diagram of the sensing signal and angle according to another embodiment of this application. The embodiment shown in Figure 9 corresponds to the knob 300 shown in Figure 8 and the knob electrode area 100 shown in Figure 2. Since the inverted fan-shaped portion 330 covers all or part of the sensing knob electrode 120-1 when it is at angle 0, the second capacitance between the knob electrode 310 and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 is at its minimum, so the signal 910 corresponding to the sensing knob electrode 120-1 will be at its minimum value. Similarly, since the inverted fan-shaped portion 330 covers all or part of the sensing knob electrode 120-2 when it is at angle 120, the second capacitance between the knob electrode 310 and the sensing knob electrode 120-2 is at its minimum, so the signal 920 corresponding to the sensing knob electrode 120-2 will be at its minimum value. Similarly, since the inverted fan-shaped portion 330 covers all or part of the sensing knob electrode 120-3 when it is located at angle 240, the second capacitance between the knob electrode 310 and the sensing knob electrode 120-3 is at its minimum, so the signal 930 corresponding to the sensing knob electrode 120-3 will be at its minimum value.

[0090] Please refer to Figure 10, which is a top view of a knob electrode area 1000 according to another embodiment of this application. Similar to the knob electrode area 100 shown in Figure 2, the knob electrode area 1000 includes inner and outer rings of electrodes. However, the difference lies in that the inner ring of the knob electrode area 1000 is a driving knob electrode 1010, while the outer ring consists of N sensing knob electrodes. Although the driving knob electrode 1010 shown in Figure 10 is a solid circle, in other embodiments, the driving knob electrode 1010 can also be a ring, a regular M-sided polygon, a regular M-sided ring, etc., where M is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0091] The features of the multiple sensing knob electrodes 1020-1 to 1020-3 shown in Figure 10 can be applied to the features of the multiple sensing knob electrodes 120-1 to 120-3 shown in Figure 2. For example, the knob electrode area 1000 can contain N sensing knob electrodes, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0092] Multiple sensing knob electrodes 120-1 to 120-3 can be connected to the connection network module 9911 of the touch processing device 9910 via wires 1021-1 to 1021-3, respectively. Wire 1011 can be used to connect the connection network module 9911 of the touch processing device 9910 and the driving knob electrode 1010. The features of wires 1021-1 to 1021-3 and wire 1011 shown in FIG. 10 can follow the features of the multiple wires shown in FIG. 2. For example, wires 1021-1 to 1021-3 can be on the upper surface or the first surface of the substrate 110, and wire 1011 can be on the lower surface of the substrate 110 or the second surface relative to the first surface.

[0093] Please refer to Figure 11, which is a top view of a knob 1100 according to another embodiment of this application. The knob 1100 corresponds to the knob electrode area 1000 shown in Figure 10. The knob 1100 includes a knob electrode 1110, which includes a solid inner ring portion and a fan-shaped portion 1120 protruding from the solid inner ring portion. The solid inner ring portion corresponds to the aforementioned drive knob electrode 1010. The protruding fan-shaped portion 1120 may correspond to one or two of the aforementioned plurality of sensing knob electrodes 1020-1 to 1020-3.

[0094] Those skilled in the art will understand that the angle versus signal graph and related description shown in FIG6A can also be applied to the embodiments shown in FIG10 and FIG11. When the sector portion 1120 is located at angle 0, covering all or part of the sensing knob electrode 1020-1, the second capacitance between the knob electrode 1110 and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 is at its maximum, so the signal 610 corresponding to the sensing knob electrode 1020-1 will be at its maximum value. Similarly, when the sector portion 1120 is located at angle 120, covering all or part of the sensing knob electrode 1120-2, the second capacitance between the knob electrode 1110 and the sensing knob electrode 1120-2 is at its maximum, so the signal 620 corresponding to the sensing knob electrode 1120-2 will be at its maximum value. Similarly, since the sector portion 1120 covers all or part of the sensing knob electrode 1120-3 when it is located at angle 240, the second capacitance between the knob electrode 1110 and the sensing knob electrode 1120-3 is at its maximum, so the signal 630 corresponding to the sensing knob electrode 1120-3 will be at its maximum value.

[0095] Similarly, in a variation of the knob 1100, it may have an inverted fan-shaped portion as shown in FIG8. This inverted fan-shaped portion may be used to cover one or two of the multiple sensing knob electrodes. When this variation of the knob 1100 is applied to the embodiment shown in FIG10, the graph of its angle versus signal can be as shown in FIG9.

[0096] Please refer to Figure 12, which is a top view of a knob electrode area 1200 according to another embodiment of this application. Compared with the knob electrode area 100 shown in Figure 2, the knob electrode area 1200 further includes a third ring of electrodes 1230 connected to ground potential or a certain DC potential. The third ring of electrodes 1230 may consist of a complete ring of electrodes or multiple electrodes. The third ring of electrodes 1230 sequentially surrounds the drive knob electrode 110 and multiple sensing knob electrodes 1120-1 to 1120-3. The third ring of electrodes 1230 and the aforementioned drive knob electrode 110 and multiple sensing knob electrodes 1120-1 to 1120-3 revolve around a common center.

[0097] Please refer to Figure 13, which is a schematic diagram of the knob electrode 1310 and the knob electrode area 1200 according to another embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 13, the knob electrode 1310 covers the corresponding knob electrode area 1200, and the knob electrode 1310 and the knob electrode area 1200 correspond to a common axis of rotation. Regardless of the direction in which the knob is turned, the outer ring of the knob electrode 1310 covers the third ring electrode 1230, so that a capacitance is formed between the knob electrode 1310 and the third ring electrode 1230.

[0098] When the drive knob electrode 110 sends a drive signal, since the potential of the third coil electrode 1230 is ground potential or a certain DC potential, the drive signal sensed by the knob electrode 1310 will be lost through the third coil electrode 1230, resulting in a reduction in the amount of drive signal sensed by the corresponding sensing knob electrode. Because the reduction in the sensed drive signal increases, the touch processing device 9910 can better detect the knob electrode 310 corresponding to the sensing knob electrode. In other words, the third coil electrode 1230 can increase detection sensitivity or signal-to-noise ratio.

[0099] Please refer to Figure 14, which is a top view of the knob electrode area 1400 according to another embodiment of this application. Compared with the embodiment shown in Figure 12, the embodiment shown in Figure 14 includes multiple third-ring electrodes, and each third-ring electrode is connected to the connection network module 9911 of the touch processing device 9910 via a wire, rather than being connected to ground potential or DC potential. The embodiment shown in Figure 14 includes four third-ring electrodes 1440-1 to 1440-4, which are respectively connected to the touch processing device 9910 via wires 1441-1 to 1441-4.

[0100] Those skilled in the art will understand that the number of third-ring electrodes can be greater than or equal to two. In the embodiment shown in Figure 14, the four third-ring electrodes correspond to the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west). For example, when the user presses the north-facing knob, causing the knob electrode to move closer to the third-ring electrode 1440-1 and further away from the third-ring electrode 1440-3, the touch processing device 9910 can sense the change in the drive signal sensed by the two third-ring electrodes 1440-1 and 1440-3 via wires 1441-1 and 1441-3. In this example, because the distance between the third-ring electrode 1440-1 and the knob electrode becomes shorter, its capacitance increases. Conversely, the distance between the third-ring electrode 1440-3 and the knob electrode becomes longer, its capacitance decreases. Therefore, the drive signal sensed by the third-ring electrode 1440-1 corresponding to the north increases, while the drive signal sensed by the third-ring electrode 1440-3 corresponding to the south decreases. The touch processing device 9910 can detect that the knob electrode is tilted to the north. The touch processing device 9910 can report to the host 9940 that the user pressed the knob to the north.

[0101] In one embodiment, the touch processing device 9910 can identify, from among a plurality of third-ring electrodes, the third-ring electrode with the largest change in its sensed drive signal, or the third-ring electrode with a change in its sensed drive signal exceeding a threshold value, and then locate the direction corresponding to that third-ring electrode. In other words, the user can not only rotate the knob to control its pointing direction, but also tilt the knob in one of several directions to provide another type of control, similar to a button. The user can click, double-click, or long-press the knob in a certain direction. For example, in the embodiment shown in Figure 14, the user can control its click, double-click, and long-press in one of the four directions: east, south, west, or north.

[0102] In another embodiment, the touch processing device 9910 can identify two adjacent third-ring electrodes whose sensed drive signal change is greater than a threshold, and find the middle direction between the two corresponding directions. For example, when the sensed drive signal changes of adjacent third-ring electrodes 1440-1 and 1440-2 are the largest, it means the user wants to control the northeast direction, which is between north and east. In the embodiment shown in Figure 14, in addition to the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west), the user can control single-click, double-click, and long-press in one of the four directions: southeast, southwest, northwest, or northeast.

[0103] Those skilled in the art will understand that when the ring angles occupied by the N third ring electrodes of the knob electrode area 1400 are the same, the touch processing device 9910 of this application can provide knob button control in N directions or knob button control in 2N directions, where N is a natural number greater than 1.

[0104] However, the annular angles occupied by the N third-ring electrodes are not necessarily the same, and the area or size of each third-ring electrode is not necessarily equal. For example, when the area of ​​a certain third-ring electrode is particularly small, or the annular angle occupied by that third-ring electrode is particularly small, the user must more precisely control the knob to tilt in the direction of that third-ring electrode. Conversely, when the area of ​​a certain third-ring electrode is particularly large, or the annular angle occupied by that third-ring electrode is particularly large, the user must more easily control the knob to tilt in the direction of that third-ring electrode.

[0105] Please refer to Figure 15, which is a schematic diagram of the knob electrode 1310 and knob electrode area 1400 according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in Figure 15, the knob electrode 1310 covers the corresponding knob electrode area 1400, and the knob electrode 1310 and the knob electrode area 1400 correspond to a common axis of rotation. Regardless of the direction in which the knob is turned, the outer ring of the knob electrode 1310 covers a plurality of third ring electrodes, so that a capacitance is formed between the knob electrode 1310 and the plurality of third ring electrodes.

[0106] Please refer to Figure 16, which is a schematic cross-sectional view of the knob electrode 310, drive knob electrode 110, and sensing knob electrode 120-1 according to an embodiment of this application. The drive knob electrode 110 and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 form a capacitor. The multiple arrows in Figure 16 represent multiple electric field lines between the drive knob electrode 110 and the sensing knob electrode 120-1. The drive signal emitted from the drive knob electrode 110 can reach the sensing knob electrode 120-1 via these electric field lines. When the fan-shaped portion 320 of the knob electrode 310 does not cover the sensing knob electrode 120-1, only the outer ring portion of the knob electrode 310 blocks part of the electric field lines.

[0107] Please refer to Figure 17, which is another cross-sectional view of the knob electrode 310, drive knob electrode 110, and sensing knob electrode 120-1 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 16. When the fan-shaped portion 320 of the knob electrode 310 covers the sensing knob electrode 120-1, it blocks most of the electric field lines. The drive signal emitted from the drive knob electrode 110 can only reach the sensing knob electrode 120-1 through a smaller number of electric field lines. Therefore, the amount of drive signal sensed by the touch processing device 9910 from the sensing knob electrode 120-1 is reduced.

[0108] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, through the illustration of Figures 16 and 17, when the fan-shaped portion 320 of the knob electrode 310 covers the sensing knob electrode 120-1, the touch processing device 9910 can determine from the change in the amount of drive signal sensed by the sensing knob electrode 120-1 that the fan-shaped portion 320 covers the sensing knob electrode 120-1. When the fan-shaped portion 320 of the knob electrode 310 covers two adjacent sensing knob electrodes, the touch processing device 9910 can determine from the change in the amount of drive signal sensed by the two adjacent sensing knob electrodes that the fan-shaped portion 320 covers the two adjacent sensing knob electrodes, and then calculate the pointing direction of the knob 300.

[0109] Please refer to Figure 18, which is another cross-sectional schematic diagram of the knob electrode 310, drive knob electrode 110, and sensing knob electrode 120-1 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 17. Compared with the embodiment of Figure 18, in the embodiment of Figure 17, the distance 1710 between the knob electrode 310 and the drive knob electrode 110 is closer, and the knob electrode 310 blocks more electric field lines. In the embodiment shown in Figure 18, the distance 1810 is longer than the distance 1710, and the knob electrode 310 blocks fewer electric field lines.

[0110] Those skilled in the art will understand that a knob can have a telescopic mechanism that allows the user to control the distance between the knob electrode 310 and the drive knob electrode 110. Since the distance can control the capacitance, the touch processing device 9910 can deduce the aforementioned distance based on the change in signal received by the sensing knob electrode 120-1.

[0111] In one embodiment, the aforementioned telescopic mechanism can be elastic in the vertical direction. When the user applies force, the distance shortens. When the user does not apply force, the distance increases. In other words, the distance pushed back by the aforementioned touch processing device 9910 can reflect the force applied to the knob in the vertical direction. In other words, the touch processing device 9910 can output the force value applied to the knob. This force value is between a maximum value and a minimum value.

[0112] In another embodiment, the aforementioned extension mechanism may have multiple stages. For example, the knob force may have two stages. When the knob is in the stage of maximum force, the touch processing device 9910 can consider the knob to be pressed by the user. When the knob is in the stage of minimum force, the touch processing device 9910 can consider the knob to have rebounded. When the force value is between the maximum and minimum values, the touch processing device 9910 can output the closest maximum or minimum value based on the force value. Alternatively, the touch processing device 9910 can output whether the knob is pressed or rebounded. Those skilled in the art will understand that the knob force may have N stages, where N is a positive integer greater than 1.

[0113] Please refer to Figure 19, which is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the knob electrode 1310, drive knob electrode 110, sensing knob electrode 120-1, and third coil electrode 1230 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 14. Compared with the embodiment shown in Figure 17, the knob electrode 1310 forms a capacitor with the drive knob electrode 110, sensing knob electrode 120-1, and third coil electrode 1230, respectively. However, in the embodiment shown in Figure 12, the third coil electrode 1230 is connected to the ground potential. The touch processing device 9910 is also connected to the same ground potential.

[0114] After the drive signal is emitted from the drive knob electrode 110, a portion of it flows back to the touch processing device 9910 sequentially via the knob electrode 1310 and the third ring electrode 1230. Therefore, the drive signal sensed by the touch processing device 9910 via the knob electrode 1310 and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 is reduced. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will understand that when the knob electrode area 1200 has the third ring electrode 1230, the drive signal sensed by the touch processing device 9910 via the sensing knob electrode 120-1 will be less than the drive signal in the embodiment shown in FIG. 17. The touch processing device 9910 can then more clearly determine that the knob electrode 1310 covers the sensing knob electrode 120-1.

[0115] Please refer to Figure 20A, which is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the knob electrode 310, drive knob electrode 110, and sensing knob electrode 120-1 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 20A, a finger can directly touch the knob electrode 310, or the distance between the finger and the knob electrode 310 is very close, for example, through a layer of paint, plastic film, or sticker. The finger is connected to the ground potential through the human body, and the touch processing device 9910 can also be connected to the ground potential through the human body or other objects (such as a table).

[0116] After the drive signal is emitted from the drive knob electrode 110, a portion of it flows back to the touch processing device 9910 sequentially via the knob electrode 310, the finger, and the human body. Therefore, the drive signal sensed by the touch processing device 9910 via the knob electrode 310 and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 is reduced. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will understand that when a finger can directly touch the knob electrode 310, or when the finger is very close to the knob electrode 310, the drive signal sensed by the touch processing device 9910 via the sensing knob electrode 120-1 will be less than the drive signal in the embodiment shown in FIG. 17. The touch processing device 9910 can then more clearly determine whether the knob electrode 310 covers the sensing knob electrode 120-1.

[0117] Please refer to Figure 20B, which is a variation of the embodiment shown in Figure 20A. The knob shown in Figure 20B typically includes a second knob electrode 2010. This second knob electrode 2010 can be electrically coupled to the knob electrode 310 via a conductor or wire. A finger can directly touch the second knob electrode 2010, or the distance between the finger and the second knob electrode 2010 may be very close, for example, separated by a layer of paint, plastic film, or sticker. The finger is connected to the ground potential via the human body, and the touch processing device 9910 can also be connected to the ground potential via the human body or other objects (e.g., a table).

[0118] After the drive signal is emitted from the drive knob electrode 110, a portion of it flows back to the touch processing device 9910 sequentially via the knob electrode 310, the second knob electrode 1310, the finger, and the human body. Therefore, the drive signal sensed by the touch processing device 9910 via the knob electrode 310 and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 is reduced. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will understand that when a finger can directly touch the second knob electrode 2010, or when the distance between the finger and the second knob electrode 2010 is very close, the drive signal sensed by the touch processing device 9910 via the sensing knob electrode 120-1 will be less than the drive signal in the embodiment shown in FIG. 17. The touch processing device 9910 can then more clearly determine whether the knob electrode 310 covers the sensing knob electrode 120-1.

[0119] Please refer to Figure 21, which is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the knob electrode 1310, drive knob electrode 110, sensing knob electrode 120-1, and third coil electrode 1440-1 according to the embodiment shown in Figure 15. The knob electrode 1310 forms a capacitor with the drive knob electrode 110, sensing knob electrode 120-1, and third coil electrode 1440-1, respectively. In Figure 21, the knob electrode 1310 is tilted towards the direction of the third coil electrode 1440-1. Those skilled in the art will understand that the knob may include a mechanism design that allows the corresponding plane of the knob electrode 1310 to tilt in a certain direction. For example, this mechanism design may include an elastic mechanism at the center of the knob for connecting the knob electrode 1310.

[0120] Compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the (vertical) distance 2110 between the knob electrode 1310 and the third coil electrode 1440-1 is smaller than the (vertical) distance 1710 shown in FIG. 17. When the knob electrode 1310 is tilted, the (vertical) distance between the knob electrode 1310 and the third coil electrode 1440-1 is shortened, thus increasing the capacitance between the knob electrode 1310 and the third coil electrode 1440-1. Therefore, the touch processing device 9910 can detect that the user has pressed the knob electrode 1310 in the direction of the third coil electrode 1440-1. Conversely, when the knob electrode 1310 is tilted, the (vertical) distance between the knob electrode 1310 and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 is increased, thus decreasing the capacitance between the knob electrode 1310 and the third coil electrode 1440-1.

[0121] After the drive signal is emitted from the drive knob electrode 110, a portion of it flows back to the touch processing device 9910 sequentially via the knob electrode 1310 and the third-circle electrode 1440-1. Therefore, the drive signal sensed by the touch processing device 9910 via the knob electrode 1310 and the sensing knob electrode 120-1 is reduced. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will understand that the touch processing device 9910 can more clearly determine whether the knob electrode 1310 covers the sensing knob electrode 120-1.

[0122] In previous embodiments, the knob electrode area included a driving knob electrode 110 and a plurality of sensing knob electrodes forming two concentric circles. If these two concentric circles are unfolded and straightened, they can form a sliding knob electrode area. Those skilled in the art will understand that the touch processing device 9910 shown in FIG1 can also be connected to the sliding knob electrode area via a network module. The direction of user control also changes from rotating the knob to linearly moving the sliding knob.

[0123] Please refer to Figure 22, which is a top view of a slider electrode area 2200 according to an embodiment of this application. The slider electrode area 2200 includes a long, strip-shaped drive slider electrode 2210 and N sensing slider electrodes corresponding to the drive slider electrode 2210, where N is a positive integer greater than 1. The drive slider electrode 2210 has a longer length in a first direction (e.g., the horizontal axis). The N sensing slider electrodes are evenly arranged in this first direction. The drive slider electrode 2210 is connected to the connection network module 9911 of the touch processing device 9910 via wires 2211. The three sensing slider electrodes 2220-1 to 2220-3 are connected to the connection network module 9911 of the touch processing device 9910 via wires 2221-1 to 2221-3, respectively.

[0124] Although in the embodiment shown in FIG22, the left edge of the leftmost sensing slider electrode 2220-1 is aligned with the left edge of the driving slider electrode 2210, and the right edge of the rightmost sensing slider electrode 2220-3 is aligned with the right edge of the driving slider electrode 2210, those skilled in the art will understand that alignment is not required in other embodiments.

[0125] For ease of calculation, the area and shape of each of the N sensing slider electrodes can be the same, and the distance between each sensing slider electrode and the driving slider electrode 2210 can also be the same.

[0126] Please refer to Figure 23, which is a variation of the slider electrode area 2200 of the embodiment shown in Figure 22. Unless otherwise specified, the variation shown in Figure 23 is applicable to the description of the embodiment of Figure 22. Compared with Figure 22, the slider electrode area 2200 shown in Figure 23 further includes a third electrode 2230 connected to the ground potential and the DC potential. Those skilled in the art will understand that the third electrode 2230 has the same function as the third ring electrode 1230 shown in Figure 12. The shape of the third electrode 2230 is an unfolded and straightened version of the shape of the third ring electrode 1230.

[0127] In one embodiment, the third electrode 2230 and the N sensing slider electrodes are respectively located on both sides of the driving slider electrode 2210. In one embodiment, the length of the third electrode 2230 in a first direction (e.g., the horizontal axis) is equivalent to the length of the driving slider electrode 2210. In one embodiment, the length of the third electrode 2230 in a second direction (e.g., the vertical axis) is equivalent to the length of the driving slider electrode 2210. Those skilled in the art will understand that this application does not limit the shape of the third electrode 2230.

[0128] Please refer to Figure 24A, which is a top view showing a slider electrode 2410A covering the slider electrode area 2200 shown in Figure 22. The slider electrode 2410A may be part of a slider. The slider electrode 2410A may be directly connected to a finger, or there may be an insulating material between the slider and the finger. The slider electrode 2410A may be movable in a first direction (e.g., a horizontal axis) 2420.

[0129] The slider electrode 2410A is not in direct contact with the driving slider electrode 2210 and the N sensing slider electrodes. The slider electrode 2410A may cover one or two adjacent sensing slider electrodes. The touch processing device 9910 can emit a driving signal through the driving slider electrode 2210. After the slider electrode 2410A senses the driving signal, one or two adjacent sensing slider electrodes below it will also sense the driving signal. The touch processing device 9910 can then sense the driving signal based on these one or two adjacent sensing slider electrodes. Based on the intensity change of the driving signal sensed by each sensing slider electrode, the touch processing device 9910 can calculate the position of the slider electrode 2210.

[0130] Please refer to Figure 24B, which is a top view showing another slider electrode 2410B covering the slider electrode area 2200 shown in Figure 22. To enhance the capacitance between slider electrode 2410A and the driving slider electrode 2210, the shape of slider electrode 2410B is enlarged in the portion above the driving slider electrode 2210. Compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 24A, the driving signal sensed by the sensing slider electrode 2220-3 shown in Figure 24B has a greater intensity, allowing the touch processing device 9910 to calculate the position of the slider electrode 2210 more accurately.

[0131] Please refer to Figure 25A, which is a top view showing a slider electrode 2510A covering the slider electrode area 2200 shown in Figure 23. The embodiment shown in Figure 25A is also a variation of the embodiment shown in Figure 24A. Since the slider electrode 2510A covers the third electrode 2230, a portion of the drive signal flows to the ground potential via the third electrode 2230.

[0132] Please refer to Figure 25B, which is a top view showing another slider electrode 2510B covering the slider electrode area 2200 shown in Figure 23. The embodiment shown in Figure 25B is also a variation of the embodiment shown in Figure 24B. To enhance the capacitance between the slider electrode 2510B and the drive slider electrode 2210, the shape of the slider electrode 2510B is enlarged in the portion above the drive slider electrode 2210. To enhance the capacitance between the slider electrode 2510B and the third electrode 2230, the shape of the slider electrode 2510B is enlarged in the portion above the third electrode 2230. Compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 25A, because the portion of the third electrode 2230 covered by the slider electrode 2510B is increased, a larger portion of the drive signal flows to the ground potential via the third electrode 2230.

[0133] In the embodiments shown in Figures 22 to 25B, the pointing position of the slider can be determined based on the ratio of the two larger values ​​among the sensing signals of the N sensing slider electrodes. For example, when the knob 2200 is positioned above the sensing slider electrode 2220-3, the signal sensed by the sensing slider electrode 2220-3 is at its maximum value. The signals sensed by the sensing slider electrodes 2220-1 and 2220-2 should be less than a certain threshold value. Therefore, the processor module 9914 of the touch processing device 9910 can determine that the knob 2200 is positioned above the sensing slider electrode 2220-3.

[0134] When knob 2200 is positioned above two adjacent sensing slider electrodes, the position of knob 2200 relative to these two adjacent sensing slider electrodes can be determined by using the ratio of their sensing signal intensities. The ratio of the two adjacent sensing signals corresponds to the ratio of the areas covered by each slider electrode. Therefore, by calculating the ratio of the two adjacent sensing signals, the ratio of the areas covered by each slider electrode can be estimated. In other words, the relative position of the slider electrode to the two adjacent sensing slider electrodes, i.e., the pointing position of knob 2200, can be determined.

[0135] Those skilled in the art will understand that although the various embodiments of this application may use the touch processing device 9910 shown in FIG1, this application does not limit the touch processing device 9910 to being connected to the touch screen 9920. In some embodiments, the touch processing device 9910 may only be connected to the knob electrode area or the slider electrode area, without needing to be connected to the touch screen 9920. In these embodiments, the touch processing device 9910 may not need to be connected to the network module 9911, and may be directly connected to the aforementioned driving knob electrode or driving slider electrode through the driving circuit module 9912, or directly connected to the aforementioned sensing knob electrode or sensing slider electrode through the sensing circuit module 9913, or may directly connect the third ring electrode or the third electrode to ground potential or DC potential. Since it is not necessary to connect the network module 9911 to connect dozens or hundreds of touch electrodes of the touch screen 9920 in a time-division manner, a large amount of chip area and control circuitry can be saved.

[0136] In addition, when the touch processing device 9910 is only connected to the knob electrode area or the slider electrode area, the complex processor module 9914 is not required. In some embodiments, the knob detection method or slider detection method provided in this application can be implemented using a field-effect programmable gate array (FPGA) and / or specific custom circuits. In this way, the microprocessor, system memory, and read-only memory for storing firmware required by the processor module 9914 can be omitted, thus saving more costs.

[0137] However, those skilled in the art will understand that when the touch processing device 9910 needs to be connected to the touch screen 9920, the aforementioned processor module 9914 and network module 9911 are required. Beyond the necessary cost, the touch processing device 9910 can be used to connect to the knob electrode area or the slider electrode area. Since the required hardware cost has already been amortized, the touch processing device 9910 can achieve knob or slider detection functionality at a minimal cost in terms of firmware and system memory space.

[0138] Please refer to Figure 26, which is a block diagram of a touch system 2600 according to an embodiment of this application. The touch system 2600 is a variation of the touch system 9900 shown in Figure 1, and the touch processing device 2601 is also a variation of the touch processing device 9910. The touch processing device 2601 also includes a network module 9910, a driving circuit module 9912, a sensing circuit module 9913, a processor module 9914, and an interface module 9915. The network module 9910 of the touch processing device 2600 can be connected to a touch screen 9920, a rotary electrode area 100, a slider electrode area 2200, and one or more touch buttons 2640.

[0139] The aforementioned touch button 2640 can be a capacitive touch button, comprising a first button electrode and a second button electrode respectively connected to the network module 9910. The touch processing device 2600 can emit a drive signal through the first button electrode and sense the drive signal sensed by the second button electrode, thereby determining whether the user is near or in contact with the touch button 2640 based on changes in the drive signal.

[0140] The touch processing device 2601 may include a peripheral device connection interface 2610, such as commonly used industry standard interfaces like I2C or USB. This peripheral device connection interface 2610 may include a master module responsible for connecting to other external modules. As shown in Figure 26, the peripheral device connection interface 2610 may include one or more modules, such as one or more temperature sensors 2611, external memory modules 2612 (e.g., flash memory or electronically erasable read-only memory), near-field communication readers 2613, etc. Those skilled in the art will understand that the number and type of external modules connected to the peripheral device connection interface 2610 are limited only by the specifications of the industry standard interface.

[0141] The host 9940 can execute the drivers for the aforementioned external modules, connecting each external module through the interface module 9915 and peripheral device connection interface 2610 included in the touch processing device 2601. Since the touch processing device 2601 is only responsible for transmitting messages between the external modules and the host 9940, it is transparent to the host 9940's drivers. The host 9940 can directly control or communicate with the external modules.

[0142] Accordingly, the touch processing device 2601 can also serve as a hub for various peripheral devices. This allows the host 9940 to connect to more external modules through the touch processing device 2601, gaining more functionality, without needing to expand the connection ports of its own input / output interface module 9941. With this flexibility, the touch system 2600 can be further reduced in size.

[0143] The touch processing device 2601 may include a pulse width modulation (PWM) unit 2620 for outputting a PWM signal to an external amplifier module 2622. The amplifier module 2622 can be used to drive a haptic speaker module 2623. The haptic speaker module 2623 is typically mounted on the back of the touchscreen 9920 or touch panel. When a user touches the touchscreen 9920, the haptic speaker module 2623 emits a sound, causing the touchscreen 9920 to vibrate tactilely. This provides tactile feedback to the user through their fingers. Those skilled in the art will understand that the aforementioned haptic speaker module 2623 can be mounted near the knob electrode area 100, the slider electrode area 2200, or one or more touch buttons 2640 to provide haptic feedback signals to the user.

[0144] Since the processor module 9914 can detect the touch status of the touch screen 9920, the knob electrode area 100, the slider electrode area 2200, or one or more touch buttons 2640, the processor module 9914 can directly instruct the pulse width modulator (PWM) 2620 to send a modulation signal via digital instructions, thereby activating the aforementioned amplifier module 2622 and haptic speaker module 2623 to provide haptic feedback.

[0145] The touch processing device 2601 may include one or more Universal Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (UART) interfaces 2630 for controlling or communicating with external modules. In the embodiment shown in FIG26, the UART interface 2630 may be used to connect one or more fan controllers 2631. The fan controller 2631 may use a motor 2632 to rotate a fan for cooling. The motor 2632 may be a brushless DC motor or other type of motor.

[0146] Those skilled in the art will understand that the aforementioned UART interface 2630 can also be replaced by a general purpose input / output (GPIO) interface. The aforementioned pulse width modulator (PWM) 2620, general purpose asynchronous transceiver (UART) interface 2630, or general purpose input / output (GPIO) interface all facilitate the processor module 9914 to control external modules using digital instructions.

[0147] In the embodiments shown in Figures 3, 24A, and 24B, if the temperature is extremely cold, the knobs or sliders may freeze due to moisture, preventing them from rotating or sliding smoothly. In such cases, in the embodiments of this application, the knob or slider's mechanical structure can be detached from its electrode area. When the touch processing device 9900 detects that the knob or slider has been detached, it can enter a finger-driven mode. In this way, a finger can act as the knob or slider electrode.

[0148] When a finger approaches the drive knob electrode 110 and the sensing knob electrode 120-1, or when a finger approaches the sensing knob electrode 120-1, the touch processing device 9900 can determine that the user wants to press the sensing knob electrode 120-1 based on whether the sensing value of the sensing knob electrode 120-1 is different from the sensing values ​​of the other two sensing knob electrodes 120-2 and 120-3, or based on whether the sensing value of the sensing knob electrode 120-1 is different from a reference value.

[0149] When a finger approaches the drive knob electrode 110 and the sensing knob electrodes 120-1 and 120-2, or when a finger approaches the sensing knob electrodes 120-1 and 120-2, the touch processing device 9900 can determine that the user wants to press the sensing knob electrodes 120-1 and 120-2 simultaneously based on the difference between the sensing values ​​of the sensing knob electrodes 120-1 and 120-2 and the reference value.

[0150] Similarly, when a finger approaches the drive slider electrode 2210 and the sensing slider electrode 2220-1, or when a finger approaches the sensing slider electrode 2220-1, the touch processing device 9900 can determine that the user wants to press the sensing slider electrode 2220-1 based on whether the sensing value of the sensing slider electrode 2220-1 is different from the sensing values ​​of the other two sensing slider electrodes 2220-2 and 2220-3, or based on whether the sensing value of the sensing slider electrode 2220-1 is different from a reference value.

[0151] Similarly, when a finger approaches the drive slider electrode 2210 and the sensing slider electrodes 2220-1 and 2220-2, or when a finger approaches the sensing slider electrodes 2220-1 and 2220-2, the touch processing device 9900 can determine that the user wants to press the sensing slider electrodes 2220-1 and 2220-2 simultaneously based on the difference between the sensing values ​​of the sensing slider electrodes 2220-1 and 2220-2 and the reference value.

[0152] Please refer to Figure 27, which is a flowchart illustrating a touch processing method 2700 for a capacitive sensing knob device according to an embodiment of this application. This touch processing method 2700 can be applied to the touch system 9900 shown in Figure 1, and is particularly suitable for the touch processing device 9910. The processor module 9914 can implement the touch processing method 2700 using multiple instructions and data stored in non-volatile memory. This application does not limit the order in which any two steps are executed when there is no direct or indirect causal relationship between them. The touch processing method 2700 can begin with step 2710.

[0153] Step 2710: Instruct the drive circuit module to provide a drive signal to the second coil electrode. The second coil electrode may include a drive knob electrode.

[0154] Optional step 2720: Connect the network module to the one or more third-circle electrodes to ground potential or DC potential.

[0155] Step 2730: The sensing circuit module senses the drive signal sensed by the plurality of first-ring electrodes respectively, so as to generate a plurality of sensing values ​​respectively. The plurality of first-ring electrodes may include sensing knob electrodes.

[0156] Step 2740: Calculate the direction of the knob based on the multiple sensing values. This step further includes: finding the two largest adjacent sensing values ​​among the multiple sensing values; calculating the ratio of the two largest adjacent sensing values; and calculating the direction of the knob based on the ratio. The process can then proceed to steps 2750, 2760, or 2770.

[0157] Optional step 2750: Based on the multiple sensing values, determine whether the vertical distance between the knob electrode and the second-circle electrode is set at the first distance or the second distance. When it is determined that the distance is set at the first distance, the knob is considered to be in a pressed state, and when it is determined that the distance is set at the second distance, the knob is considered to be in a non-pressed state.

[0158] Optional step 2760: Based on the multiple sensing values, determine the vertical distance between the knob electrode and the second-circle electrode, and based on the vertical distance, calculate the force value of the knob.

[0159] Step 2770: Report the aforementioned sensing results back to the host.

[0160] Please refer to Figure 28, which is a flowchart illustrating a touch processing method 2800 for a capacitive sensing knob device according to an embodiment of this application. This touch processing method 2800 is applicable to the touch system 9900 shown in Figure 1, and particularly to the touch processing device 9910. The processor module 9914 can implement the touch processing method 2800 using multiple instructions and data stored in non-volatile memory. This application does not limit the order in which any two steps are executed when there is no direct or indirect causal relationship between them. The touch processing method 2800 is a variation of the touch processing method 2700, and is particularly applicable to the embodiment shown in Figure 21. The touch processing method 2800 utilizes certain steps of the touch processing method 2700, so they will not be described further. The touch processing method 2800 can begin with step 2710.

[0161] Step 2810: Connect the network module to the plurality of third-ring electrodes respectively, and make the sensing circuit module sense the driving signal sensed by the plurality of third-ring electrodes respectively, so as to generate a plurality of second sensing values ​​respectively.

[0162] Step 2820: Calculate the direction in which the knob is pressed based on the multiple second sensing values.

[0163] Please refer to Figure 29, which is a flowchart illustrating a touch processing method 2900 for a capacitive sensing slider device according to an embodiment of this application. This touch processing method 2900 can be applied to the touch system 9900 shown in Figure 1, and is particularly suitable for the touch processing device 9910. The processor module 9914 can implement the touch processing method 2900 using multiple instructions and data stored in non-volatile memory. This application does not limit the order in which any two steps are executed when there is no direct or indirect causal relationship between them. The touch processing method 2900 can begin with step 210.

[0164] Step 2910: Instruct the drive circuit module to provide a drive signal to the drive slider electrode.

[0165] Optional step 2920: Connect one or more third electrodes to the ground potential or DC potential via the network module.

[0166] Step 2930: The sensing circuit module senses the drive signal sensed by the multiple sensing slider electrodes respectively, so as to generate multiple sensing values ​​respectively.

[0167] Step 2940: Calculate the position of the slider based on the multiple sensing values. This step further includes: finding the two largest adjacent sensing values ​​among the multiple sensing values; calculating the ratio between the two largest adjacent sensing values; and calculating the position of the slider based on the ratio. The process can then proceed to steps 2950, ​​2960, or 2970.

[0168] Optional step 2950: Based on the multiple sensing values, determine whether the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the sensing slider electrode is set at the first distance or the second distance. When it is determined that the distance is set at the first distance, it is considered that the slider is in a pressed state, and when it is determined that the distance is set at the second distance, it is considered that the slider is in a non-pressed state.

[0169] Optional step 2960: Based on the multiple sensing values, determine the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the sensing slider electrode, and calculate the force value of the slider based on the vertical distance.

[0170] Step 2970: Report the aforementioned sensing results back to the host.

[0171] According to one embodiment of this application, a capacitive sensing knob device is provided, comprising: a knob electrode area, which includes: a plurality of first ring electrodes, which are evenly disposed on the circumference of a first circle, each of the first ring electrodes having the same area, each of the first ring electrodes having a similar shape and pointing concentrically towards the center of the first circle; and a second ring electrode, which is disposed on the circumference of a second circle, the first circle and the second circle being concentric circles; and a knob that rotates around the center of the circle, the knob including a first knob electrode, wherein when the knob is pointed to a first angle, the first knob electrode simultaneously covers a portion of two adjacent first ring electrodes and a portion of the second ring electrode.

[0172] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to indicate the direction of the knob, the number of the plurality of first ring electrodes is N, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3. When the knob is pointed to a first angle, the first knob electrode does not cover one of the first ring electrodes at the same time, but covers a portion of the remaining (N-1) adjacent first ring electrodes and a portion of the second ring electrodes. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 8.

[0173] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to indicate the direction of the knob, when the knob is pointed to the second angle, the first knob electrode simultaneously covers a portion of both the first and second turns of the electrode. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 4.

[0174] Preferably, to enable the touch processing device to better detect the direction of the knob, the knob electrode area further includes one or more third-circle electrodes disposed on the circumference of the third circle, which is concentric with the second circle and the first circle, wherein the diameter of the third circle is larger than the diameter of the second circle, and the diameter of the second circle is larger than the diameter of the first circle. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 12.

[0175] Preferably, to allow the user to use the knob as a direction button, the plurality of third-circle electrodes included in the knob electrode area are evenly distributed around the circumference of the third circle, each third-circle electrode has the same area, each third-circle electrode has a similar shape, and each third-circle electrode points concentrically towards the center of the third circle. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 14. Preferably, to allow the user to use the knob as a direction button, the distance between the knob electrode and at least one of the plurality of third-circle electrodes is reduced due to force. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 21.

[0176] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to indicate the direction of the knob, the diameter of the first circle is larger than the diameter of the second circle. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 10. Preferably, to allow the drive signal to originate from the center of the circle, the shape of the second ring electrode is a circle containing the center of the second circle. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 10. Preferably, to allow the touch processing device to better detect the direction of the knob, the area of ​​the knob electrode covering the second ring electrode remains unchanged regardless of the knob's direction. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 11.

[0177] Preferably, to allow the user to use the knob as a button, the capacitive sensing knob device further includes: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the vertical distance between the knob electrode and the second-circle electrode to a first distance or a second distance, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance. Examples include the embodiments shown in Figures 17 and 18.

[0178] Preferably, to allow the user to use the knob as a force sensor, the aforementioned capacitive sensing knob device further includes: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the distance between the knob electrode and the second-turn electrode between a first distance and a second distance, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance, wherein when the knob is not subjected to force by the user, the connecting mechanism sets the distance between the knob electrode and the second-turn electrode at the second distance. Examples include the embodiments shown in Figures 17 and 18.

[0179] Preferably, to prevent the knob from freezing in low temperatures, the capacitive sensing knob device further includes a connecting mechanism for selectively disengaging or engaging the knob with the knob electrode area.

[0180] Preferably, in order to save manufacturing costs, the plurality of first ring electrodes in the aforementioned knob electrode area are located on the same layer as the plurality of first electrodes parallel to the first axis of a touch panel, and the plurality of second ring electrodes in the aforementioned knob electrode area are located on the same layer as the plurality of second electrodes parallel to the second axis of the touch panel.

[0181] Preferably, in order to reduce thickness, the plurality of first-ring electrodes and the second-ring electrodes are located in the same layer.

[0182] Preferably, to facilitate detection by the touch processing device and increase the signal-to-noise ratio, the aforementioned knob includes a second knob electrode parallel to the first knob electrode, the second knob electrode being electrically coupled to the first knob electrode, and the first knob electrode being closer to the knob electrode region than the second knob electrode. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 20B.

[0183] According to one embodiment of this application, a capacitive sensing slider device is provided, comprising: a slider electrode region including: a plurality of sensing slider electrodes parallel to an axis, each of the sensing slider electrodes having the same area and the same distance between any two adjacent sensing slider electrodes; a driving slider electrode parallel to the plurality of sensing slider electrodes; and a slider on the slider electrode region, the slider being selectively set at a plurality of positions parallel to the axis, the slider including a slider electrode, wherein when the slider is in a first position, the slider electrode simultaneously covers a portion of two adjacent sensing slider electrodes and a portion of the driving slider electrode.

[0184] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to set the position of the slider, when the slider is in the second position, the slider electrode simultaneously covers a portion of both the sensing slider electrode and the driving slider electrode. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 24A.

[0185] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to set the position of the slider, the area of ​​the slider electrode covering one or more sensing slider electrodes is smaller than the area of ​​the slider electrode covering the driving slider electrode. For example, the embodiment shown in Figure 24B.

[0186] Preferably, to enable the touch processing device to better detect the position of the slider, the slider electrode area further includes one or more third electrodes parallel to the driving slider electrode, wherein the one or more third electrodes and the multiple sensing slider electrodes are respectively located on both sides of the driving slider electrode. For example, the embodiment shown in FIG25A. For example, the embodiment shown in FIG25B.

[0187] Preferably, to make it easier for the user to set the position of the slider, the area of ​​the slider electrode covering one or more sensing slider electrodes is smaller than the area of ​​the slider electrode covering the one or more electrodes.

[0188] Preferably, in order to allow the user to use the slider as a button, the capacitive sensing slider device further includes: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the plurality of sensing slider electrodes at a first distance or a second distance, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance.

[0189] Preferably, in order to allow the user to use the slider as a force sensor, the capacitive sensing slider device further includes: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the plurality of sensing slider electrodes between a first distance and a second distance, wherein the first distance is less than the second distance, wherein when the slider does not receive force from the user, the connecting mechanism sets the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the plurality of sensing slider electrodes at the second distance.

[0190] Preferably, to prevent the slider from freezing in low temperatures, the capacitive sensing slider device further includes a connecting mechanism for selectively disengaging or engaging the slider electrode area.

[0191] Preferably, in order to save manufacturing costs, the plurality of sensing slider electrodes in the aforementioned slider electrode area are located on the same layer as the plurality of first electrodes of a touch panel that are parallel to the first axis.

[0192] Preferably, in order to reduce thickness, the plurality of sensing slider electrodes and the driving slider electrode are located on the same layer.

[0193] According to one embodiment of this application, a touch processing device suitable for a capacitive sensing knob device is provided, comprising: a connection network module for connecting a plurality of first ring electrodes and a second ring electrode respectively; a sensing circuit module for connecting the plurality of first ring electrodes through the connection network module; a driving circuit module for connecting the second ring electrode through the connection network module; and a processor module for executing a plurality of instructions stored in a non-volatile memory to perform the following steps: causing the driving circuit module to provide a driving signal to the second ring electrode; causing the sensing circuit module to sense the driving signal sensed by the plurality of first ring electrodes respectively to generate a plurality of sensing values ​​respectively; calculating the direction of the knob based on the plurality of sensing values; and reporting the direction of the knob to a host computer.

[0194] Preferably, in order to calculate the direction of the knob, the step of calculating the direction of the knob based on the plurality of sensing values ​​further includes: finding the two largest adjacent sensing values ​​among the plurality of sensing values; calculating the ratio of the two largest adjacent sensing values; and calculating the direction of the knob based on the ratio.

[0195] Preferably, in order for the user to use the knob as a button, the processor module is further configured to: determine, based on the plurality of sensing values, whether the vertical distance between the knob electrode and the second ring electrode is set at the first distance or the second distance; when it is determined that the distance is set at the first distance, report to the host that the knob is in a pressed state; and when it is determined that the distance is set at the second distance, report to the host that the knob is in a non-pressed state.

[0196] Preferably, in order for the user to use the knob as a force sensor, the processor module is further configured to: determine the vertical distance between the knob electrode and the second-circle electrode based on the multiple sensing values; calculate the force value of the knob based on the vertical distance; and report the force value to the host.

[0197] Preferably, in order for the touch processing device to better detect the direction of the knob, the processor module is further configured to: connect the one or more third-circle electrodes to a ground potential or a DC potential.

[0198] Preferably, in order for the user to use the knob as a directional button, the processor module is further configured to: connect the network module to the plurality of third-ring electrodes respectively; allow the sensing circuit module to sense the drive signal sensed by the plurality of third-ring electrodes respectively, so as to generate a plurality of second sensing values ​​respectively; and calculate the direction in which the knob is pressed based on the plurality of second sensing values.

[0199] According to one embodiment of this application, a touch processing device suitable for a capacitive sensing slider device is provided, comprising: a connection network module for connecting the plurality of sensing slider electrodes and the driving slider electrode respectively; a sensing circuit module for connecting the plurality of sensing slider electrodes through the connection network module; a driving circuit module for connecting the driving slider electrode through the connection network module; and a processor module for executing a plurality of instructions stored in a non-volatile memory to perform the following steps: causing the driving circuit module to provide a driving signal to the driving slider electrode; causing the sensing circuit module to sense the driving signal sensed by the plurality of sensing slider electrodes respectively to generate a plurality of sensing values ​​respectively; calculating the position of the slider based on the plurality of sensing values; and reporting the position of the slider to a host.

[0200] Preferably, in order to calculate the position of the slider between the two sensing slider electrodes, the step of calculating the position of the slider based on the plurality of sensing values ​​further includes: finding the two largest adjacent sensing values ​​among the plurality of sensing values; calculating the ratio of the two largest adjacent sensing values; and calculating the position of the slider based on the ratio.

[0201] Preferably, in order to allow the user to use the slider as a button, the processor module is further configured to: determine, based on the plurality of sensing values, whether the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the sensing slider electrode is set at the first distance or the second distance; when it is determined that the distance is set at the first distance, report to the host that the slider is in a pressed state; and when it is determined that the distance is set at the second distance, report to the host that the slider is in a non-pressed state.

[0202] Preferably, in order for the user to use the slider as a force sensor, the processor module is further configured to: determine the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the sensing slider electrode based on the multiple sensing values; calculate the force value of the slider based on the vertical distance; and report the force value to the host.

[0203] Preferably, in order for the touch processing device to better detect the position of the slider, the processor module is further configured to: connect the network module to the one or more third electrodes to ground potential or DC potential.

[0204] According to one embodiment of this application, a touch system is provided, comprising the aforementioned touch processing device and capacitive knob device.

[0205] According to one embodiment of this application, a touch system is provided, including the aforementioned touch processing device and capacitive slider device.

[0206] The capacitive sensing knob and slider devices provided in this application reduce the number of moving parts with electrically coupled contacts, preventing malfunctions due to wear of electrical connectors and thus increasing their service life. Furthermore, the touch processing method and device provided in this application can accurately calculate the knob direction and slider position of the capacitive sensing knob device based on the principle of mutual capacitance induction.

[0207] 100: Knob electrode area 110: Drive knob electrode 120-1: Sensing Knob Electrode 120-2: Sensing Knob Electrode 120-3: Sensing Knob Electrode 120-4: Sensing Knob Electrode 121-1: Conductor 121-2: Conductor 121-3: Conductor 130:Substrate 140: Protective layer 300: Knob 310: Knob Electrode 320: Sector-shaped section 330: Inverted fan-shaped section 610: Signal 620: Signal 630: Signal 910: Signal 920: Signal 930: Signal 1000: Knob electrode area 1010: Drive knob electrode 1020-1: Sensing Knob Electrode 1020-2: Sensing Knob Electrode 1020-3: Sensing Knob Electrode 1021-1: Conductor 1021-2: Conductor 1021-3: Conductor 1100: Knob 1110: Knob Electrode 1120: Sector-shaped section 1200: Knob electrode area 1230: Third ring of electrodes 1310: Second knob electrode 1400: Knob Electrode Area 1440-1: Third ring of electrodes 1440-2: Third ring of electrodes 1440-3: Third ring of electrodes 1440-4: Third ring of electrodes 1441-1: Conductor 1441-2: Conductor 1441-3: Conductor 1441-4: Conductor 1710: Distance 1810: Distance 2010: Second knob electrode 2110: Distance 2200: Slide electrode area 2210: Drive slider electrode 2211: Conductor 2220-1: Sensing slider electrode 2220-2: Sensing slider electrode 2220-3: Sensing slider electrode 2221-1: Conductor 2221-2: Conductor 2221-3: Conductor 2230: Third electrode 2231: Conductor 2420: Horizontal axis 2410A: Slide electrode 2410B: Slide electrode 2510A: Slide electrode 2510B: Slide electrode 2600: Touchscreen System 2601: Touch processing device 2610: Peripheral device connection interface 2611: Temperature sensor 2612: Memory Module 2613: Near Field Communication Reader 2620: Pulse Width Modulator 2622: Amplifier Module 2623: Haptic speaker module 2630: General Asynchronous Transceiver Interface 2631: Fan controller 2632: Motor 2633: Fan 2640: Touch button 2700: Touchscreen processing method 2710~2770: Steps 2800: Touchscreen processing method 2810~2820: Steps 2900: Touchscreen processing method 2910~2970: Steps 9900: Touchscreen System 9910: Touchscreen Processor 9911: Network Connection Module 9912: Drive circuit module 9913: Sensing Circuit Module 9914: Processor Module 9915: Interface Module 9920: Touch panel or screen 9921: First electrode 9922: Second electrode 9930: Stylus 9935: Touchpad wiper 9940: Host 9941: Input / Output Interface Module 9942: Central Processing Unit Module 9943: Graphics Processor Module 9944: Memory Module 9945: Network Interface Module 9946: Memory Module

[0208]

Claims

1. A capacitive sensing knob device, comprising: a knob electrode area including: a plurality of first ring electrodes evenly disposed on the circumference of a first circle, each of the first ring electrodes having the same area, each of the first ring electrodes having a similar shape and pointing concentrically towards the center of the first circle; and a second ring electrode disposed on the circumference of a second circle, the first circle and the second circle being concentric circles; a plurality of third ring electrodes disposed on the circumference of a third circle, the third circle being concentric circles with the second circle and the first circle; and a knob rotating around the center of the circle, the knob including a first knob electrode, wherein when the knob is pointed to a first angle, the first knob electrode simultaneously covers a portion of two adjacent first ring electrodes and a portion of the second ring electrode, wherein the first knob electrode reduces its distance from at least one of the plurality of third ring electrodes due to force.

2. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of the plurality of first ring electrodes is N, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3, wherein when the knob is pointed to a first angle, the first knob electrode does not simultaneously cover one of the first ring electrodes, but covers a portion of the remaining (N-1) adjacent first ring electrodes and a portion of the second ring electrodes.

3. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the knob is pointed to a second angle, the first knob electrode simultaneously covers a portion of a single first-circle electrode and a portion of the second-circle electrode.

4. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diameter of the third circle is larger than the diameter of the second circle, and the diameter of the second circle is larger than the diameter of the first circle.

5. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of third-circle electrodes included in the knob electrode area are evenly disposed on the circumference of the third circle, each of the third-circle electrodes having the same area, each of the third-circle electrodes having a similar shape and pointing concentrically towards the center of the third circle.

6. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the diameter of the first circle is larger than the diameter of the second circle.

7. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the second electrode is shaped as a circle including the center of the second circle.

8. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 67, wherein the area of ​​the knob electrode covering the second ring electrode remains unchanged regardless of the direction of the knob.

9. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 1 further includes: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the vertical distance between the first knob electrode and the second rotary electrode to a first distance or a second distance, the first distance being less than the second distance.

10. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the distance between the first knob electrode and the second rotary electrode between a first distance and a second distance, the first distance being less than the second distance, wherein when the knob is not subjected to force by a user, the connecting mechanism sets the distance between the first knob electrode and the second rotary electrode at the second distance.

11. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 1 further includes: a connection mechanism for selectively disengaging or engaging the knob with the knob electrode area.

12. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of first ring electrodes of the knob electrode area are located on the same layer as a plurality of first electrodes parallel to a first axis of a touch panel, and the second ring electrodes of the knob electrode area are located on the same layer as a plurality of second electrodes parallel to a second axis of the touch panel.

13. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of first-circle electrodes and the second-circle electrodes are located on the same layer.

14. The capacitive sensing knob device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the knob includes a second knob electrode parallel to the first knob electrode, the second knob electrode being electrically coupled to the first knob electrode, the first knob electrode being closer to the knob electrode region than the second knob electrode.

15. A capacitive sensing slider device, comprising: a slider electrode region including: a plurality of sensing slider electrodes parallel to an axis, each of the sensing slider electrodes having the same area and the distance between any two adjacent sensing slider electrodes being the same; a driving slider electrode parallel to the plurality of sensing slider electrodes; and one or more third electrodes parallel to the driving slider electrode, the one or more third electrodes and the plurality of sensing slider electrodes being located on opposite sides of the driving slider electrode; and a slider on the slider electrode region, the slider being selectively set to a plurality of positions parallel to the axis, the slider including a slider electrode, wherein when the slider is in a first position, the slider electrode simultaneously covers a portion of two adjacent sensing slider electrodes and a portion of the driving slider electrode.

16. The capacitive sensing slider device as claimed in claim 15, wherein when the slider is in the second position, the slider electrode simultaneously covers a portion of a single sensing slider electrode and a portion of the driving slider electrode.

17. The capacitive sensing slider device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the area of ​​the slider electrode covering one or more sensing slider electrodes is smaller than the area of ​​the slider electrode covering the driving slider electrode.

18. The capacitive sensing slider device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the area of ​​the slider electrode covering one or more sensing slider electrodes is smaller than the area of ​​the slider electrode covering the one or more third electrodes.

19. The capacitive sensing slider device as claimed in claim 15 further includes: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the plurality of sensing slider electrodes at a first distance or a second distance, the first distance being less than the second distance.

20. The capacitive sensing slider device as claimed in claim 15, further comprising: a connecting mechanism for selectively setting the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the plurality of sensing slider electrodes between a first distance and a second distance, the first distance being less than the second distance, wherein when the slider is not subjected to force by a user, the connecting mechanism sets the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the plurality of sensing slider electrodes at the second distance.

21. The capacitive sensing slider device as claimed in claim 15 further includes: a connection mechanism for selectively disengaging or engaging the slider electrode area.

22. The capacitive sensing slider device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of sensing slider electrodes in the slider electrode area are located on the same layer as a plurality of first electrodes parallel to a first axis of a touch panel.

23. The capacitive sensing slider device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the plurality of sensing slider electrodes and the driving slider electrode are located on the same layer.

24. A touch processing device applicable to a capacitive sensing knob device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 and 6 to 14, comprising: a connectivity network module for connecting the plurality of first coil electrodes and the second coil electrodes respectively; a sensing circuit module for connecting the plurality of first coil electrodes via the connectivity network module; a drive circuit module for connecting the second coil electrodes via the connectivity network module; and a processor module for executing a plurality of instructions stored in a non-volatile memory to perform the following steps: causing the drive circuit module to provide a drive signal to the second coil electrode; causing the sensing circuit module to sense the drive signal sensed by the plurality of first coil electrodes respectively to generate a plurality of sensing values ​​respectively; calculating the direction of the knob based on the plurality of sensing values; and reporting the direction of the knob to a host computer.

25. The touch processing device as claimed in claim 24, wherein the processor module is further configured to: determine, based on the plurality of sensed values, that the vertical distance between the first knob electrode and the second rotary electrode is set at a first distance or a second distance; when it is determined that the distance is set at the first distance, report to the host that the knob is in a pressed state; and when it is determined that the distance is set at the second distance, report to the host that the knob is in a non-pressed state.

26. The touch processing device as claimed in claim 24, wherein the processor module is further configured to: determine the vertical distance between the first knob electrode and the second rotary electrode based on the plurality of sensed values; calculate the force value of the knob based on the vertical distance; and report the force value to the host computer.

27. A touch processing device suitable for a capacitive sensing knob device as described in claim 4, comprising: a connectivity network module for connecting the plurality of first coil electrodes and the second coil electrodes respectively; a sensing circuit module for connecting the plurality of first coil electrodes via the connectivity network module; a drive circuit module for connecting the second coil electrodes via the connectivity network module; and a processor module for executing a plurality of instructions stored in a non-volatile memory to perform the following steps: connecting the connectivity network module to one or more third coil electrodes to a ground potential or a DC potential; providing a drive signal to the second coil electrode via the drive circuit module; sensing the drive signal sensed by the plurality of first coil electrodes respectively to generate a plurality of sensing values; calculating the direction of the knob based on the plurality of sensing values; and reporting the direction of the knob to a host computer.

28. The touch processing apparatus of claim 24, wherein the step of calculating the direction of the knob based on the plurality of sensing values ​​further comprises: finding the two largest adjacent sensing values ​​among the plurality of sensing values; calculating a ratio of the two largest adjacent sensing values; and calculating the direction of the knob based on the ratio.

29. A touch processing apparatus for a capacitive sensing knob device as described in claim 1, comprising: a connection network module for connecting a plurality of first coil electrodes and a plurality of second coil electrodes respectively; a sensing circuit module for connecting the plurality of first coil electrodes and a plurality of third coil electrodes respectively via the connection network module; a drive circuit module for connecting the second coil electrodes via the connection network module; and a processor module for executing a plurality of instructions stored in a non-volatile memory to perform the following steps: causing the drive circuit module to provide a drive signal to the second coil electrode; causing the sensing circuit module to sense the drive signal sensed by the plurality of first coil electrodes respectively to generate a plurality of sensing values ​​respectively; causing the sensing circuit module to sense the drive signal sensed by the plurality of third coil electrodes respectively to generate a plurality of second sensing values ​​respectively; calculating the direction of the knob based on the plurality of sensing values; calculating the direction in which the knob is pressed based on the plurality of second sensing values; and reporting the direction of the knob and the direction in which the knob is pressed to a host computer.

30. A touch processing apparatus applicable to a capacitive sensing slider device as described in any one of claims 16, 17, and 18 to 23, comprising: a connectivity network module for connecting the plurality of sensing slider electrodes and the driving slider electrode respectively; a sensing circuit module for connecting the plurality of sensing slider electrodes via the connectivity network module; a driving circuit module for connecting the driving slider electrode via the connectivity network module; and a processor module for executing a plurality of instructions stored in a non-volatile memory to perform the following steps: causing the driving circuit module to provide a driving signal to the driving slider electrode; causing the sensing circuit module to sense the driving signal sensed by the plurality of sensing slider electrodes respectively to generate a plurality of sensing values ​​respectively; calculating the position of the slider based on the plurality of sensing values; and reporting the position of the slider to a host.

31. The touch processing apparatus of claim 30, wherein the step of calculating the position of the slider based on the plurality of sensing values ​​further comprises: finding the two largest adjacent sensing values ​​among the plurality of sensing values; calculating the ratio of the two largest adjacent sensing values; and calculating the position of the slider based on the ratio.

32. The touch processing apparatus of claim 30, wherein the processor module is further configured to: determine, based on the plurality of sensed values, that the vertical distance between the slider electrode and the sensing slider electrode is set at a first distance or a second distance; when it is determined that the distance is set at the first distance, report to the host that the slider is in a pressed state; and when it is determined that the distance is set at the second distance, report to the host that the slider is in a non-pressed state.

33. The touch processing apparatus of claim 30, wherein the processor module is further configured to: determine a vertical distance between the slider electrode and the sensing slider electrode based on the plurality of sensing values; calculate a force value on the slider based on the vertical distance; and report the force value to the host.

34. A touch processing apparatus for a capacitive sensing slider device as described in claim 15, comprising: a connectivity network module for connecting the plurality of sensing slider electrodes and the driving slider electrode respectively; a sensing circuit module for connecting the plurality of sensing slider electrodes via the connectivity network module; a driving circuit module for connecting the driving slider electrode via the connectivity network module; and a processor module for executing a plurality of instructions stored in a non-volatile memory to perform the following steps: connecting the connectivity network module to one or more third electrodes to a ground potential or a DC potential; providing a driving signal to the driving slider electrode via the driving circuit module; sensing the driving signal sensed by the plurality of sensing slider electrodes respectively to generate a plurality of sensing values; calculating the position of the slider based on the plurality of sensing values; and reporting the position of the slider to a host computer.

35. A touch system comprising a capacitive sensing knob device and a touch processing device as described in claim 24.

36. A touch system comprising a capacitive sensing knob device and a touch processing device as described in claim 25.

37. A touch system comprising a capacitive sensing knob device and a touch processing device as described in claim 26.

38. A touch system comprising a capacitive sensing knob device and a touch processing device as described in claim 27.

39. A touch system comprising a capacitive sensing knob device and a touch processing device as described in claim 29.

40. A touch system comprising a capacitive sensing slider device and a touch processing device as described in claim 30.

41. A touch system comprising a capacitive sensing slider device and a touch processing device as described in claim 32.

42. A touch system comprising a capacitive sensing slider device and a touch processing device as described in claim 33.

43. A touch system comprising a capacitive sensing slider device and a touch processing device as described in claim 34.

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