Stacked structure touchpad

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of laminated structure touchpad, including touchpad surface layer, circuit board layer and touch control layer, and circuit board layer is located below the touchpad surface layer;Touch control layer is arranged below the circuit board layer, and the touch control layer is equipped with laminated structure touchpad, and the laminated structure touchpad includes detection control module, touch controller and vibration feedback device.Such, through laminated structure, the structure mode of commonly used touch band button is simplified, cancel button mode, button is realized by pressure sensor component, so that button hand feeling does not need to be considered, touch support can also be saved, and circuit board layer does not need to adopt multilayer circuit board, and then the cost of whole touchpad can be reduced by a large part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of touch panel technology, and in particular to a layered touch panel. Background Technology

[0002] A touchpad is a common input device widely used in laptops, smartphones, and other devices. It works by sensing human touch and converting it into corresponding commands. When pressed, a button is located beneath the touchpad. Because of this button, the structure requires significant travel to avoid poor tactile feedback. Additionally, space is needed for spring-loaded movement in addition to the touch support, resulting in a relatively thicker and heavier overall device. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to at least partially solve one of the technical problems in the related art. Therefore, one objective of the present invention is to provide a layered touchpad.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the stacked touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0005] Touchpad surface;

[0006] A circuit board layer, which is located below the surface layer of the touchpad;

[0007] A touch control layer is disposed below the circuit board layer. The touch control layer contains a stacked touch panel, which includes a detection control module, a touch controller, and a vibration feedback device.

[0008] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the detection and control module includes a pressure sensing module, a pressure processing module, and a vibration feedback processing module; wherein, the pressure sensing module includes: a pressure sensor and a pressure sensing controller, and multiple pressure sensors are provided, which are respectively located around the perimeter below the circuit board layer to obtain pressure information of multiple touch points in the touch area.

[0009] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the stacked touch panel further includes:

[0010] A touchpad bracket is located below the circuit board layer to support the circuit board layer.

[0011] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the surface layer of the touch panel is made of Mylar sheet or glass.

[0012] The touchpad bracket is made of metal or plastic.

[0013] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the detection and control module is used to acquire pressure information of the touch area;

[0014] The touch controller is used to acquire touch information of the touch area in order to perform touch operations on the electronic device;

[0015] The vibration feedback device is connected to the detection and control module, and the detection and control module controls the vibration of the vibration feedback device according to the magnitude of the pressure information.

[0016] The touch controller or detection control module is further configured to determine the pressing position based on the touch information or pressure information. When the pressing position is located on the left side of the touch area, it is determined to be a left button press; when the pressing position is located on the right side of the touch area, it is determined to be a right button press.

[0017] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the pressure sensing controller is connected to the pressure sensor to obtain pressure information of the touch area through the pressure sensor, and the pressure sensing controller is also connected to the vibration feedback device to perform vibration control on the vibration feedback device according to the pressure information.

[0018] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of pressure sensors are evenly distributed in the touch area.

[0019] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the vibration feedback device includes:

[0020] vibrator;

[0021] A vibration drive controller is connected to the vibrator and a pressure sensor controller respectively, so as to drive the vibrator to vibrate under the control of the pressure sensor controller.

[0022] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the touch controller is also connected to the pressure sensor controller, and the pressure sensor controller also obtains touch information through the touch controller, and performs vibration control on the vibration feedback device according to the touch information and pressure information.

[0023] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the stacked touch panel further includes:

[0024] The pressure-sensitive controller is connected to the keyboard controller via the touchpad connection port to transmit the status information of the touch area to the controlled electronic device through the keyboard controller.

[0025] The stacked touch panel provided in this embodiment of the invention has a circuit board layer located below the surface layer of the touch panel; a touch control layer is disposed below the circuit board layer, and the stacked touch panel is housed within the touch control layer. The stacked touch panel includes a detection and control module, a touch controller, and a vibration feedback device. This stacked structure simplifies the commonly used touch panel structure with buttons, eliminating the need for physical buttons. The buttons are implemented using a pressure sensor assembly, thus eliminating the need for button feel, a touch bracket, and multiple circuit boards, thereby significantly reducing the overall cost of the touch panel. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 A side view of the stacked touch panel provided by this utility model;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the front view structure of the stacked touch panel provided by this utility model;

[0028] Figure 3 A side view of another layered touch panel provided by this utility model;

[0029] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the main structure of another layered touch panel provided by this utility model;

[0030] Figure 5 A side view of another layered touch panel provided by this utility model;

[0031] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the main structure of another layered touch panel provided by this utility model;

[0032] Figure 7 A side view of another layered touch panel provided by this utility model;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of another layered touch panel provided by this utility model.

[0034] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of the stacked touch panel provided by this utility model;

[0035] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of the touch controller circuit provided by this utility model;

[0036] Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the touchpad connection port circuit provided by this utility model;

[0037] Figure 12A schematic diagram of the pressure sensing controller circuit provided by this utility model;

[0038] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the pressure sensor assembly circuit provided by this utility model;

[0039] Figure 14 A schematic diagram of the vibration drive controller and vibrator circuit provided by this utility model;

[0040] Attached Figure

[0041] Touchpad surface 10;

[0042] Circuit board layer 20;

[0043] Touch controller 201;

[0044] Vibrator 202;

[0045] Pressure sensor controller 203;

[0046] Pressure Testing Department 2031;

[0047] Vibration control unit 2032;

[0048] Pressure sensor 204;

[0049] Detection and control module 205;

[0050] Input / output ribbon cable interface 206;

[0051] Ribbon cable connector 207;

[0052] Touchpad bracket 30.

[0053] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of this utility model will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0054] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the present invention.

[0055] In this document, the term "embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. The appearance of this phrase in various places throughout the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a separate or alternative embodiment mutually exclusive with other embodiments. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0056] See Figures 1 to 8 This utility model embodiment provides a stacked touch panel, including: a touch panel surface layer 10, a circuit board layer 20, and a touch control layer. The circuit board layer 20 is located below the touch panel surface layer 10. The touch control layer is disposed below the circuit board layer 20, and the stacked touch panel is disposed within the touch control layer. The stacked touch panel includes a detection control module 205, a touch controller 201, and a vibration feedback device. Figures 1 to 8As shown, the modular design using a stacked structure simplifies the manufacturing process, reduces costs, and eliminates the need for additional wiring on the touchpad. This reduces the number of PCB layers required, such as eliminating the need for a four-layer circuit board, thus improving reliability and lowering costs. The touchpad structure can be configured with different numbers and distributions depending on the touchpad size. This pressure-sensitive touchpad structure simplifies the common touchpad with buttons by using a stacked structure, eliminating the need for physical buttons. The buttons are implemented using the pressure sensor 204 component, eliminating the need for button feel and the need for a touch bracket, significantly reducing costs. The touchpad does not require physical buttons. When the user touches and slides the touchpad, the sensor detects the piezoresistive feedback and simultaneously controls the vibrator 202 to vibrate, creating a touch sliding trajectory. When the finger pauses and presses firmly, the vibration intensifies. When a certain piezoresistive value is reached, the keyboard function (left or right button) is activated. The bottom of the touchpad does not need space for the travel of physical buttons, resulting in a simpler structure and eliminating button feel issues. Furthermore, it can rapidly generate vibrations when a user's finger touches the touch area, simulating the feeling of a physical button being pressed when the force reaches a certain level. It can provide variable tactile or force feedback based on the user's pressure. The detection and control module 205 includes a pressure sensing module, a pressure processing module, and a vibration feedback processing module. The pressure sensing module includes pressure sensors 204 and a pressure sensing controller 203. Multiple pressure sensors 204 are distributed around the perimeter below the circuit board layer 20 to acquire pressure information from multiple touch points in the touch area. Distributing multiple pressure sensors 204 within the touch area makes pressure sensing more accurate. Data from the detection and control module 205, the touch controller 201, and the vibration feedback device can be transmitted to the electronic device via input / output ribbon cable interfaces 207 / 206 or 207 for processing or control by the electronic device.

[0057] See Figures 1 to 8 The stacked touchpad further includes a touchpad support 30, which is located below the circuit board layer 20 to support the circuit board layer 20. The touchpad support 30 provides support for the touchpad surface layer 10 and the circuit board layer 20, thus forming a complete touchpad structure. In one embodiment of this invention, the touchpad surface layer 10 is made of Mylar film or glass; the touchpad support 30 is made of metal or plastic.

[0058] In other words, in this pressure-sensitive touch stacked structure, the first layer is the top layer of the touchpad surface, either a mylar or glass layer. The second layer is a PCB circuit board, with the mylar or glass layer closely attached to the sensing and driving surfaces. The third layer is a touch control chip with a PCB, containing a pressure sensor control chip, a vibrator 202 sensing control chip, and a sensor; the pressure sensor control chip and the vibrator 202 sensing control chip can be a single module, with all circuitry except the sensor and vibrator 202 located on a separate PCB board from the touch control chip; alternatively, they can be integrated with the touchpad, sharing a single PCB board. The fourth layer is the touchpad support (which can be metal or made of other materials).

[0059] See Figures 9 to 14 The detection and control module 205 is used to acquire pressure information of the touch area; the touch controller 201 is used to acquire touch information of the touch area to perform touch operation on the electronic device; the vibration feedback device is connected to the detection and control module 205, and the detection and control module 205 performs vibration control on the vibration feedback device according to the magnitude of the pressure information.

[0060] Specifically, such as Figure 9 , Figure 12 and Figure 13 The detection and control module 205 includes a pressure sensing module, a pressure processing module, and a vibration feedback processing module. The pressure sensing module may include a pressure sensor 204 and a pressure sensor controller 203. The pressure sensor controller 203 is connected to the pressure sensor 204 to acquire pressure information of the touch area through the pressure sensor 204. The pressure sensor controller 203 is also connected to the vibration feedback device to control the vibration of the vibration feedback device based on the pressure information. For example... Figure 9 and Figure 13 As shown, one or more pressure sensors 204 can be provided. By providing multiple pressure sensors 204, pressure information of multiple touch points in the touch area can be obtained. In one embodiment of this invention, multiple pressure sensors 204 are evenly distributed in the touch area. By evenly distributing multiple pressure sensors 204 in the touch area, pressure sensing becomes more accurate. The force feedback principle of the touchpad is mainly achieved through a built-in pressure sensor and / or elastic material. When the user applies different pressures to the touchpad, the pressure sensor detects the changes in pressure and converts them into electrical signals. The electrical signals are then processed by the pressure sensor 204 and reported to the host while controlling the vibrator 202 to transmit corresponding force vibration feedback to the user.

[0061] In implementation, a pressure sensor processing module can be installed below the touchpad. This pressure sensor 204 processing module can be a single module or integrated with the touchpad as a single unit; that is, the module or touchpad can be integrated with the pressure sensor. When a user's finger touches the touchpad, it provides a pressure resistance change to determine the pressure applied by the finger, identifying whether it is a light touch or a full press. When the finger pressure is light, it is considered a light touch, a normal touch, and there will be a slight vibration. When it is determined to be a full press, the vibration feedback device provides feedback to the user that they are using the left or right touch button. The touch controller 201 or the detection control module 205 also determines the press position based on the touch information or pressure information. When the press position is located on the left side of the touch area, it is determined to be a left button press; when the press position is located on the right side of the touch area, it is determined to be a right button press. The determination of left and right buttons can be based on the vertical center line of the touchpad, with the left side being the reference and the right side being the reference.

[0062] See Figure 9 and Figure 14 The vibration feedback device includes a vibrator 202 and a vibration drive controller. The vibration drive controller is connected to both the vibrator 202 and a pressure sensing controller 203, so as to drive the vibrator 202 to vibrate under the control of the pressure sensing controller 203. The application of force feedback technology allows the touchpad to simulate various realistic touch sensations. For example, in a sliding operation, a light touch on the touchpad provides a gentle sliding sensation, while increased pressure increases the sliding speed, giving a smooth feel. In a clicking operation, a light click on the touchpad produces a crisp sound and noticeable vibration, while increasing the clicking force provides stronger vibration feedback.

[0063] The touchpad uses several pressure sensors to detect changes in force transmitted from it. The pressure sensor 203 reports the detected pressure to the host computer. Simultaneously, the pressure sensor 203, upon detecting changes in force, instructs the vibration drive controller's vibrator 202 (motor) to adjust the vibration intensity. The touch control chip also reports the touch area information to the host computer via the pressure sensor 203. When the user's hand lightly slides on the touchpad, the pressure sensor 204 detects less data, resulting in a weaker vibration from the motor. Conversely, a stronger pressure result in a stronger vibration from the motor. When the user's finger touches the touch area, a rapid vibration is generated. When the pressure reaches a certain level, it simulates the feeling of a physical button being pressed, providing variable tactile or force feedback based on the user's pressure.

[0064] The stacked touchpad provided in this embodiment adds a pressure touch communication logic detection and control module 205 and a vibration feedback device to the touchpad. In addition to the touchpad function, it also has force feedback functionality, allowing users to experience a more realistic touch experience. Thus, physical buttons are unnecessary on the touchpad. When the user presses the touchpad, the information detected by the pressure sensor 204 is fed back to the pressure sensor controller 203 for processing, then reported and sent to the vibration drive controller, which in turn drives the vibrator 202 to rapidly generate vibration. Through the communication logic circuit described above, the user's finger touching the touchpad creates a control experience on the touchpad, and the structure is simpler, eliminating the tactile issues associated with buttons.

[0065] See Figure 9 , Figure 10 and Figure 12 The touch controller 201 is also connected to the pressure sensor controller 203. The pressure sensor controller 203 acquires touch information through the touch controller 201 and controls the vibration feedback device based on the touch and pressure information. The communication connection between the pressure sensor controller 203 and the touch controller 201 enables mutual information transmission. When uploading touch information to a connected electronic device, the pressure sensor controller can uniformly upload both touch and pressure information. Thus, the electronic device can simultaneously acquire both touch and pressure information. From the above communication logic, the touch controller 201 (touch chip) acts as a slave device, while the pressure sensor controller 203 (pressure sensor control chip) acts as the master device for the touch end. Touch and pressure information are transmitted to the controller MCU at the keyboard end after being processed by the pressure sensor 204 control chip and then reported to the electronic device, such as a personal computer, tablet computer, or smartphone. This allows the system to quickly vibrate when a user touches the touch area with their finger, and when the force reaches a certain level, it will simulate the feeling of a physical button being pressed, providing variable tactile or force feedback based on the user's force.

[0066] See Figure 9 and Figure 11 The stacked touchpad further includes a touchpad connection port. The pressure-sensitive controller 203 connects to the keyboard controller via the touchpad connection port to transmit the status information of the touch area to the controlled electronic device through the keyboard controller. The touchpad connection port facilitates the installation and removal of the stacked touchpad from the keyboard motherboard. This stacked touchpad can be used in laptop touchpads, leather keyboard touchpads, or other host devices with touchpads.

[0067] The above are merely embodiments of this utility model, but do not limit the patent scope of this utility model. Although the utility model has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing specific embodiments, or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any equivalent structures made using the content of this utility model specification and drawings, directly or indirectly applied to other related technical fields, are similarly within the patent protection scope of this utility model.

[0068] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0069] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and all such changes and variations are within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A layered touch panel, characterized in that, include: Touchpad surface; A circuit board layer, which is located below the surface layer of the touchpad; A touch control layer is disposed below the circuit board layer. The touch control layer contains a stacked touch panel, which includes a detection control module, a touch controller, and a vibration feedback device.

2. The stacked touch panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection and control module includes a pressure sensing module, a pressure processing module, and a vibration feedback processing module; wherein, the pressure sensing module includes: a pressure sensor and a pressure sensing controller, and multiple pressure sensors are provided, which are respectively located around the perimeter below the circuit board layer to obtain pressure information of multiple touch points in the touch area.

3. The stacked touch panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A touchpad bracket is located below the circuit board layer to support the circuit board layer.

4. The stacked touch panel according to claim 3, characterized in that, The surface of the touchpad is made of Mylar film or glass. The touchpad bracket is made of metal or plastic.

5. The stacked touch panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The detection and control module is used to acquire pressure information of the touch area; The touch controller is used to acquire touch information of the touch area in order to perform touch operations on the electronic device; The vibration feedback device is connected to the detection and control module, and the detection and control module controls the vibration of the vibration feedback device according to the magnitude of the pressure information.

6. The stacked touch panel according to claim 5, characterized in that, The pressure sensing controller is connected to the pressure sensor to obtain pressure information of the touch area through the pressure sensor. The pressure sensing controller is also connected to the vibration feedback device to control the vibration of the vibration feedback device according to the pressure information.

7. The stacked touch panel according to claim 6, characterized in that, Multiple pressure sensors are evenly distributed in the touch area.

8. The stacked touch panel according to claim 5, characterized in that, The vibration feedback device includes: vibrator; A vibration drive controller is connected to the vibrator and a pressure sensor controller respectively, so as to drive the vibrator to vibrate under the control of the pressure sensor controller.

9. The stacked touch panel according to claim 5, characterized in that, The touch controller is also connected to the pressure sensor controller, which obtains touch information through the touch controller and performs vibration control on the vibration feedback device based on the touch information and pressure information.

10. The stacked touch panel according to claim 8, characterized in that, Also includes: The pressure-sensitive controller is connected to the keyboard controller via the touchpad connection port to transmit the status information of the touch area to the controlled electronic device through the keyboard controller.

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