Touch sensing system and device

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of household appliances, and discloses a touch sensing system and equipment, which comprises a touch panel connected with a touch sensing module through a conducting medium, and the touch panel is a curved surface or a plane; the touch sensing module and the identification control module are arranged on the same circuit board; the touch sensing module comprises a main sensing area provided with a sensing unit and an auxiliary sensing area provided with an auxiliary sensing channel, and the sensing unit and the auxiliary sensing channel are both used for sensing touch input operation to generate a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal respectively and are both connected with the recognition control module. The first induction signal and the second induction signal are respectively sent to an identification control module; and the identification control module determines an identification result of the touch input operation according to the first induction signal and the second induction signal, and outputs a corresponding control instruction. The utility model aims to avoid the problem of touch sensing false triggering and improve the accuracy of touch sensing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of household appliance technology, and in particular to a touch sensing system and device. Background Technology

[0002] Touch sensing is widely used in various home appliances due to its advantages such as a clean and beautiful user interface. The design of touch sensing generally includes a button panel for user interaction, a circuit board, and a conductive medium between the button panel and the circuit board.

[0003] Currently, due to improvements in the design of some home appliances, the button panels may be designed with a curved shape. Because the curved surface has an arc, the distance between the circuit board and each button on the button panel may be different. In some cases, the area outside the button panel may be closest to the circuit board. This may cause users to accidentally trigger the touch sensor when touching areas outside the button panel, affecting the accuracy of the touch sensor and the user experience. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a touch sensing system and device to solve one or more technical problems existing in the prior art, and at least provide a beneficial option or create conditions.

[0005] The solution to the technical problem of this utility model is:

[0006] A touch sensing system is provided, the touch sensing system comprising: a touch panel, a touch sensing module, and a recognition control module;

[0007] The touch panel is connected to the touch sensing module through a conductive medium. The touch panel is curved or flat and is used to receive external touch input operations.

[0008] The touch sensing module and the recognition control module are mounted on the same circuit board;

[0009] The touch sensing module includes several main sensing areas and several auxiliary sensing areas, which do not overlap. Each main sensing area is provided with a sensing unit for sensing the touch input operation and generating a first sensing signal. Each auxiliary sensing area is provided with an auxiliary sensing channel for sensing the touch input operation and generating a second sensing signal. Both the sensing unit and the auxiliary sensing channel are connected to the recognition control module and send the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal to the recognition control module, respectively.

[0010] The recognition control module is used to determine the recognition result of the touch input operation based on the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal, and output the corresponding control command.

[0011] In some embodiments, each of the main sensing areas extends a corresponding wire, one end of which is connected to the sensing unit, and the other end of which extends to the input pin of the identification control module and is connected to the identification control module. The sensing unit is connected to the identification control module through the wire.

[0012] In some embodiments, the main sensing area and the wire are both separated from the auxiliary sensing channel by at least a preset distance, the preset distance being 1 times the maximum linewidth of the wire and the auxiliary sensing channel.

[0013] In some embodiments, one end of the auxiliary sensing channel extends to a preset position, and the other end of the auxiliary sensing channel extends to the input pin of the identification control module and is connected to the identification control module. The preset position includes above, below, to the left or to the right of the main sensing area.

[0014] In some embodiments, the auxiliary sensing channel extends into several branch channels, and the auxiliary sensing channel extends through the branch channels to at least one of the following positions: above, below, to the left, or to the right of the main sensing area.

[0015] In some embodiments, the conductive medium is air.

[0016] In some embodiments, the touch panel is provided with a plurality of touch buttons, and different touch buttons are used to trigger different touch input operations.

[0017] In some embodiments, each of the main sensing areas is connected to at least one of the touch buttons via air as the conductive medium.

[0018] In some embodiments, the sensing unit and the auxiliary sensing channel can be one or more of PCB copper foil, metal sheet, metal spring or conductive rubber.

[0019] To achieve the above objectives, another aspect of the embodiments of this application provides a touch sensing device, which includes the touch sensing system as described in any of the preceding claims.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: A touch sensing system is constructed by a touch panel, a touch sensing module, and a recognition control module. The touch panel can be curved or flat. It receives external touch input operations and is connected to the touch sensing module via a conductive medium. The touch sensing module and the recognition control module are mounted on the same circuit board. On this circuit board, the touch sensing module includes several main sensing areas and several auxiliary sensing areas. The main and auxiliary sensing areas do not overlap to avoid mutual interference. In the main sensing area, a sensing unit is provided that can sense touch input operations and generate a first sensing signal. In the auxiliary sensing areas, a sensing unit is provided that can also sense touch input operations and generate a first sensing signal. An auxiliary sensing channel generates a second sensing signal based on the touch input operation. Both the sensing unit and the auxiliary sensing channel are connected to the recognition control module to send the first and second sensing signals to the recognition control module. Compared with the current situation where touch sensing false triggers are caused by the different distances between various positions on the curved touch panel and the circuit board, this application combines the first sensing signal of the main sensing area and the second sensing signal of the auxiliary sensing area, enabling the recognition control module to accurately determine the trigger position of the touch input operation based on the difference in signal strength between the first and second sensing signals, thereby avoiding the problem of touch sensing false triggers and improving the accuracy of touch sensing. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly explained below. Obviously, the described drawings are only a part of the embodiments of this utility model, and not all of them. Those skilled in the art can obtain other design schemes and drawings based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a touch sensing system according to the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the touch panel and the circuit board of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the main sensing area and the auxiliary sensing area of ​​this utility model;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the circuit board of this utility model.

[0026] In the diagram: Touch panel-100, circuit board-200, touch sensing module-210, main sensing area-211, auxiliary sensing area-212, recognition control module-220. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0028] It should be noted that although functional modules are divided in the system diagram and the logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be performed in a different order than the module division in the system or the order in the flowchart. The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and the aforementioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence.

[0029] In related technologies, some household appliances may have curved button panels due to improvements in their shape design. Because curved surfaces have an arc, while circuit boards are flat, when the touch panel and circuit board are assembled together, the distance between the circuit board and each button on the button panel may be different. In fact, the area outside the button panel may be closest to the circuit board due to the curved design. Due to the reduced distance, the circuit board may generate a larger sensing signal when the user touches the area outside the button panel. This may cause the user to accidentally trigger the touch sensor when touching the area outside the button panel, affecting the accuracy of the touch sensor and the user experience.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a touch sensing system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 1 The touch sensing system may include, but is not limited to: touch panel 100, touch sensing module 210 and recognition control module 220.

[0031] The touch panel 100 is connected to the touch sensing module 210 through a conductive medium. The touch panel 100 is curved or flat and is used to receive external touch input operations.

[0032] The touch sensing module 210 and the recognition control module 220 are mounted on the same circuit board 200.

[0033] The touch sensing module 210 includes several main sensing areas 211 and several auxiliary sensing areas 212. The main sensing areas 211 and the auxiliary sensing areas 212 do not overlap. The main sensing areas 211 are provided with sensing units, which are used to sense touch input operations and generate a first sensing signal. The auxiliary sensing areas 212 are provided with auxiliary sensing channels, which are used to sense touch input operations and generate a second sensing signal. The sensing units and auxiliary sensing channels are both connected to the recognition control module 220 and send the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal to the recognition control module 220 respectively.

[0034] The recognition control module 220 is used to determine the recognition result of the touch input operation based on the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal, and output the corresponding control command.

[0035] This application embodiment can be applied to a touch sensing system where the touch panel 100 is designed as a curved surface or a flat surface. If the touch panel 100 is designed as a curved surface, there is a problem of accidental touch due to the different distances between the circuit board and each button on the button panel. In this touch sensing system, at least a touch panel 100, a touch sensing module 210, and a recognition control module 220 are included.

[0036] The touch panel 100 is used to receive touch input operations from the user. Touch input operations can include clicks and swipes, etc., which are not limited here. The touch panel 100 is a panel on a home appliance product used for touch interaction with the user. It represents the area where the user can input touch input operations. In actual application scenarios, the touch panel 100 can be a standalone panel or a panel embedded in the outer surface of the home appliance product.

[0037] The touch sensing module 210 is used to sense the touch input operation of the user, and the recognition control module 220 is used to recognize the sensed signal and perform corresponding control. Therefore, the touch sensing module 210 is connected to the touch panel 100 and the recognition control module 220 respectively, and the touch sensing module 210 and the recognition control module 220 are disposed on the same circuit board 200.

[0038] The touch sensing module 210 includes several main sensing areas 211 and several auxiliary sensing areas 212. The main sensing areas 211 and the auxiliary sensing areas 212 do not overlap. The main sensing areas 211 are provided with sensing units, and the auxiliary sensing areas 212 are provided with auxiliary sensing channels. In this embodiment, the main sensing areas 211 can be regarded as the area occupied by the sensing units, and the auxiliary sensing areas 212 can be regarded as the area occupied by the auxiliary sensing channels. Both the sensing units and the auxiliary sensing channels can sense the touch input operation input by the user and generate a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal respectively. Specifically, the main sensing area 211 and the auxiliary sensing area 212 are positioned differently. The main sensing area 211 is located in the area where the user would input touch input, such as the area corresponding to a touch button. Even without the auxiliary sensing area 212, the main sensing area 211 should be able to independently generate a first sensing signal to detect touch input. The auxiliary sensing area 212 is located in the area where the user would not input touch input, such as the area on the touch panel 100 other than the touch buttons. The auxiliary sensing area 212 is positioned based on the main sensing area 211. It is only used to assist the recognition control module 220 in judging the first sensing signal by generating a second sensing signal, provided that the main sensing area 211 has completed sensing. Through a design that approximates the binaural effect, the specific location of the touch input operation can be determined, thereby improving the accuracy of touch sensing. In addition, the sensing unit and the auxiliary sensing channel are also connected to the recognition control module 220 respectively, so as to send the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal generated by them to the recognition control module 220 respectively.

[0039] Due to the difference in the positions of the main sensing area 211 and the auxiliary sensing area 212, even for the same touch input operation, the signal strengths of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal will be different. The recognition control module 220 can accurately determine whether a touch input operation has occurred by comparing the signal strengths of the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal, and by comparing them with the signal strength thresholds corresponding to different touch buttons. It can also determine the location where the touch input operation occurred, obtain the corresponding recognition result, and then output the corresponding control command based on the recognition result to complete the touch sensing process.

[0040] Compared to the current situation where touch sensing mis-triggering occurs due to varying distances between different positions on the curved touch panel 100 and the circuit board 200, this embodiment combines the first sensing signal of the main sensing area 211 and the second sensing signal of the auxiliary sensing area 212. This allows the recognition control module 220 to accurately determine the trigger position of the touch input operation based on the signal strength difference between the first and second sensing signals, thereby avoiding the problem of touch sensing mis-triggering and improving the accuracy of touch sensing.

[0041] In some embodiments, the touch panel 100 is provided with a plurality of touch buttons, and different touch buttons are used to trigger different touch input operations.

[0042] Specifically, the touch panel 100 is equipped with multiple touch buttons, which can be soft buttons that conform to touch sensing characteristics. The number of these buttons is set according to the touch functions that the corresponding home appliance product wants to provide. Different touch buttons are used to trigger different touch input operations, thereby providing users with different touch input options. By setting multiple touch buttons, the functional expandability of the corresponding home appliance product is improved.

[0043] In some embodiments, the conductive medium is air.

[0044] Furthermore, this embodiment also improves the conductive medium of the touch sensing system. In the prior art, a metal spring is generally chosen as the conductive medium to connect the touch panel 100 and the touch sensing module 210. However, this embodiment uses air as the conductive medium connecting the touch panel 100 and the touch sensing module 210, that is, the touch panel 100 and the touch sensing module 210 are connected in the air. (Refer to...) Figure 2 , Figure 2 This is a top view of the positional relationship between the touch panel 100 and the touch sensing module 210 on the circuit board 200. Figure 2 (a) A schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the curved touch panel 100 and the circuit board 200 from a top-down view. Figure 2 (b) The positional relationship between the touch panel 100, which is designed as a flat surface, and the circuit board 200 is shown from a top view. The dimensions and curvature of the surface are for reference only.

[0045] By optimizing the removal of the metal spring, the risk of current backflow from the circuit board 200 to the touch panel 100 is reduced, improving the safety of users when touching the touch panel 100. On the other hand, removing the metal spring also helps to reduce the cost of the touch sensing system, and the reduced insulation requirements of the touch panel 100 also helps to further reduce the cost of the touch sensing system.

[0046] It should be noted that, compared with using a metal spring as the conductive medium, the signal strength of the first sensing signal generated on the sensing unit will be weakened when using air as the conductive medium. The same applies to the auxiliary sensing channel. However, this problem can still be addressed by adjusting the signal strength threshold. Furthermore, by combining the improvement of the auxiliary sensing area 212 added in this application embodiment, and combining the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal to identify and judge the touch input operation, this application embodiment can avoid the problems that may occur when using air as the conductive medium, thereby improving the safety of the touch panel 100 and reducing costs.

[0047] In some embodiments, each main sensing area 211 is connected to at least one touch button via air as the conductive medium.

[0048] Corresponding to the multiple touch buttons on the touch panel 100, the touch sensing module 210 has a corresponding main sensing area 211 for each touch button. This main sensing area 211 is used to sense touch input operations for the corresponding touch button. Secondly, in some cases, different touch buttons may actually trigger the same function, which can be considered as the same touch input operation. Therefore, these different touch buttons can be connected through the same main sensing area 211, so that each main sensing area 211 is connected to at least one touch button. Furthermore, since the circuit board 200 of the touch sensing module 210 is located behind the touch panel 100 and is connected to it in a non-contact manner, the main sensing area 211 is also located behind its corresponding touch button, thereby sensing touch input operations for that touch button.

[0049] By setting different main sensing areas 211, each connected to at least one touch button via air as the conductive medium, mutual interference between different touch buttons is avoided, reducing the possibility of false triggering or triggering errors, and improving the accuracy of touch sensing.

[0050] In some embodiments, each main sensing area 211 extends a corresponding wire, one end of which is connected to the sensing unit, and the other end of which extends to the input pin of the recognition control module 220 and is connected to the recognition control module 220. The sensing unit is connected to the recognition control module 220 through the wire.

[0051] Specifically, a wire extends from the main sensing area 211. One end of the wire is connected to the sensing unit within the main sensing area 211, and the other end extends to and is connected to the input pin of the recognition control module 220. Based on this wire, the first sensing signal generated by the sensing unit is transmitted to the recognition control module 220. For wires extending from different main sensing areas 211, they are respectively connected to different input pins of the recognition control module 220, so that the recognition control module 220 can directly identify the touch button that triggers the touch input operation based on the input pin.

[0052] It should be noted that the route of the wire extension should not overlap with other main sensing areas 211 or auxiliary sensing areas 212 to avoid mutual interference.

[0053] On the other hand, since the wire has the ability to conduct, a weak third sensing signal will also be generated at the location of the wire when the user triggers the touch input operation. In other embodiments, the first sensing signal, the second sensing signal and the third sensing signal can be combined to improve the recognition accuracy of the touch input operation.

[0054] By setting up wires to transmit the first sensing signal of the main sensing area 211 to the recognition control module 220, the recognition control module 220 can recognize the sensing result of the sensing unit, thereby supporting the implementation of touch sensing function.

[0055] In some embodiments, one end of the auxiliary sensing channel extends to a preset position, and the other end of the auxiliary sensing channel extends to the input pin of the recognition control module 220 and is connected to the recognition control module 220. The preset position includes above, below, to the left or right of the main sensing area 211.

[0056] Specifically, the auxiliary sensing channel is designed in the form of a wire similar to the main sensing area 211, and is therefore defined as a channel. As described in the above embodiment, the wire, due to its conductive capability, can also generate a weak third sensing signal. The auxiliary sensing channel also generates a second sensing signal based on this. The position to which the auxiliary sensing channel extends is the position of the auxiliary sensing area 212. Except for one end extending to the input pin of the recognition control module 220 to transmit the second sensing signal to the recognition control module 220, the other end extends to a preset position. This preset position is set based on the position of the main sensing area 211, including above, below, to the left, or to the right of the main sensing area 211, as shown in the reference. Figure 3 , Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of one possible positional relationship between the main sensing area 211 and the auxiliary sensing area 212. Other parts of the circuit board 200 are not shown in the figure. The auxiliary sensing area 212 is located to the left of the main sensing area 211.

[0057] By setting auxiliary sensing channels above, below, to the left, or to the right of the main sensing area 211, when the touch button corresponding to the main sensing area 211 triggers a touch input operation, the sensing unit of the main sensing area 211 and the auxiliary sensing channels can respectively sense and generate a first sensing signal and a second sensing signal, thereby improving the accuracy of recognition and judgment.

[0058] In some embodiments, the auxiliary sensing channel extends into several branch channels, and the auxiliary sensing channel extends to at least one of the following positions above, below, to the left or right of the main sensing area 211 through the branch channels.

[0059] To further improve the auxiliary sensing channel's effect on the accuracy of touch recognition of the main sensing area 211, in addition to one end being fixedly connected to the input pin of the recognition control module 220, the other end of the auxiliary sensing channel can extend into several branch channels. By extending into branch channels, the auxiliary sensing channel can extend to at least one position above, below, to the left, or to the right of each main sensing area 211.

[0060] refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the identification control module 220, the main sensing area 211, and the auxiliary sensing area 212 on the circuit board 200. For ease of observation, the auxiliary sensing area 212 is shown in black. For example, in the figure, there are two auxiliary sensing areas 212 above, below, to the left, or to the right of each main sensing area 211, that is, there are branch channels of the auxiliary sensing channel. In addition, the wires extending from the main sensing area 211 are not shown in the figure. The wires should also extend from the main sensing area 211 and connect to the identification control module 220, and should not overlap with the auxiliary sensing area 212.

[0061] Based on this, for each main sensing area 211, at least two of the positions above, below, left, or right are provided with branch channels of auxiliary sensing channels. By increasing the sensing and recognition positions, it is beneficial to combine the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal to determine whether a touch input operation has occurred, and to determine the location where the touch input operation occurred, thereby improving the accuracy of touch sensing.

[0062] In some embodiments, the main sensing area 211 and the wire are separated from the auxiliary sensing channel by at least a preset distance, which is 1 times the maximum line width of the wire and the auxiliary sensing channel.

[0063] Since the main sensing area 211 needs to extend wires to connect to the identification control module 220, and the auxiliary sensing channel may also extend branch channels, it also needs to connect to the identification control module 220. In order to avoid interference between the wires and the auxiliary sensing channel, a preset distance is set to regulate the distance between the wires and the auxiliary sensing channel, or between the main sensing area 211 and the auxiliary sensing channel. The preset distance is set to 1 times the maximum line width of the wires and the auxiliary sensing channel.

[0064] By standardizing the distance between the main sensing area 211 and the wire and the auxiliary sensing channel, the problem of mutual interference between the first sensing signal and the second sensing signal is avoided, thereby improving the accuracy of touch sensing.

[0065] In some embodiments, the sensing unit and the auxiliary sensing channel can be one or more of PCB copper foil, metal sheet, metal spring or conductive rubber.

[0066] In order to realize the touch input operation of sensing user touch and generate a first sensing signal or a second sensing signal, the sensing unit and the auxiliary sensing channel are one or more of PCB copper foil, metal sheet, metal spring or conductive rubber. For ease of production, their materials can be the same, for example, all of them are PCB copper foil, so as to support the sensing of user touch input operation and realize the touch sensing function.

[0067] In addition, this application also provides a touch sensing device, which includes the touch sensing system as described in any of the above embodiments, realizes the functions that the touch sensing system can achieve, and has the same effect.

[0068] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described. Those skilled in the art can make various equivalent modifications or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and these equivalent modifications or substitutions are all included within the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A touch sensing system, characterized by, The touch sensing system comprises a touch panel, a touch sensing module and a recognition control module; The touch panel is connected with the touch sensing module through a conductive medium, and is curved or flat and used for receiving external touch input operation; The touch sensing module and the recognition control module are arranged on the same circuit board; The touch sensing module comprises a plurality of main sensing areas and a plurality of auxiliary sensing areas, the main sensing areas and the auxiliary sensing areas are not overlapped, the main sensing areas are provided with sensing units, the sensing units are used for sensing the touch input operation to generate first sensing signals, the auxiliary sensing areas are provided with auxiliary sensing channels, the auxiliary sensing channels are used for sensing the touch input operation to generate second sensing signals, the sensing units and the auxiliary sensing channels are connected with the recognition control module and respectively send the first sensing signals and the second sensing signals to the recognition control module; The recognition control module is used for determining the recognition result of the touch input operation according to the first sensing signals and the second sensing signals, and outputting corresponding control instructions.

2. The touch sensitive system of claim 1, wherein, Each of the main sensing areas extends a corresponding wire, one end of the wire is connected with the sensing unit, the other end of the wire extends to an input pin of the recognition control module and is connected with the recognition control module, and the sensing unit is connected with the recognition control module through the wire.

3. A touch sensitive system according to claim 2, wherein, The main sensing areas and the wires are separated from the auxiliary sensing channels by at least a preset distance, and the preset distance is 1 times of the maximum line width of the wires and the auxiliary sensing channels.

4. The touch sensitive system of claim 1, wherein, One end of the auxiliary sensing channel extends to a preset position, and the other end of the auxiliary sensing channel extends to an input pin of the recognition control module and is connected with the recognition control module, and the preset position comprises above, below, left or right of the main sensing area.

5. A touch sensitive system according to claim 4, wherein, The auxiliary sensing channel extends a plurality of branch channels, and the auxiliary sensing channel extends to at least one of above, below, left or right of the main sensing area through the branch channels.

6. The touch sensitive system of claim 1, wherein, The conductive medium is air.

7. A touch sensitive system according to claim 6, wherein, The touch panel is provided with a plurality of touch keys, and different touch keys are used to trigger different touch input operations.

8. A touch sensitive system according to claim 7, wherein, Each of the main sensing areas is connected with at least one touch key through air as the conductive medium.

9. The touch sensitive system of claim 1, wherein, The sensing unit and the auxiliary sensing channel can be one or more of PCB copper foil, metal sheet, metal spring or conductive rubber.

10. A touch sensitive device comprising: The touch sensing device comprises the touch sensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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