Touch device and terminal device having haptic feedback function

Abstract

To provide a touch device having a mechanical structure with low complexity, configured to generate tactile feedback.SOLUTION: A touch device 10 includes: a circuit substrate 120 having a first surface 122 and a second surface 124 facing the first surface; a plurality of pads 110 having elasticity and directly or indirectly provided below the circuit substrate; a touch sensor having a sensing surface and provided on the first surface for detecting a touch input; a vibrator 140 joined to the second surface; and a control circuit 150 which is electrically connected to the touch sensor and the vibrator, receives the touch input detected by the touch sensor, and detects the touch input as a touch operation, and transmits at least one corresponding operation signal to a terminal device. When detecting a first touch operation on the sensing surface, the control circuit starts the vibrator within a time interval to vibrate the touch device, and transmits the first operation signal to the terminal device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a touch device, and more particularly to a touch device having a haptic feedback function and a terminal device in which the touch device is installed. [Background technology]

[0002] In the use of conventional computers, input devices such as touch pads and pen tablets have been developed with the development of touch technology, but since users are accustomed to the operation method and experience of using a mouse, the mouse is still used as an important input device. However, since the mouse has a mechanical button structure and cannot generate operation commands without the user's movement, the development of the mouse's technology is limited. In addition, the currently popular multi-touch point operation method is incompatible with the mouse operation method, making it difficult to realize it on a mouse. Furthermore, if a user clicks the mouse button or performs similar actions such as dragging for a long time, it may damage the health of the hand and cause a disorder called "mouse tendonitis" (also known as carpal tunnel syndrome).

[0003] Therefore, in the computer field, in order to introduce the touchpad as an alternative to the mouse, efforts have been made to improve the touchpad to provide users with a better user experience. For example, a touchpad with a physical button is provided on a conventional laptop. Although such a touchpad can simulate the function of a mouse, it is still inconvenient for users to operate, and in particular, the small touch area of ​​the touchpad obviously limits the user's operation. In order to increase the area of ​​the touchpad, most recent touchpads have removed the physical button and adopted a "diving board" design, in which the top end of the touchpad close to the laptop keyboard is fixed and a depressible button is provided below the touchpad, allowing the user to click the remaining part of the touchpad surface and experience pressing the physical button of a conventional mouse. However, users may have experienced that the click command is rejected when they try to click too close to the top end.

[0004] Meanwhile, in order to provide users with a better experience, manufacturers have recently been providing touchpads with a tactile feedback function that can avoid the click rejection experience based on mechanical structure and operating principle, and vibrate according to the click action of the user. Therefore, in this industry, the development of touchpads has been moving in the same direction in recent years, that is, a metal housing is fixed to the touchpad, and an electromagnet consisting of multiple coils is arranged at a fixed position corresponding to the touchpad of the notebook computer, in accordance with a specially designed support frame, and the metal housing and electromagnet are arranged to be fixed to the touchpad so that when an alternating current is applied to the electromagnet to generate an alternating magnetic field, the touchpad vibrates as tactile feedback. In the above-mentioned touchpad realization method, the desired vibration is generated and the user can experience tactile feedback, but the structure and electromagnet required for this realization method are complex and require special design, and the vibration of the touchpad by the electromagnet also consumes relatively large energy, which causes other technical problems. Therefore, in order to provide users with a better experience and to introduce a touchpad instead of a mouse, there is still room for improvement in the technology related to the touchpad. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a touch device that can generate tactile feedback and has a low-complexity mechanical structure, and is arranged to generate tactile feedback when receiving mouse button simulation or multi-touch operation commands, thereby enhancing the tactile experience of the user's clicking operation and enabling operation confirmation to prevent reduced operation efficiency or operation failure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a touch device having a haptic feedback function for controlling a terminal device, the touch device comprising: a circuit board having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a plurality of elastic pads directly or indirectly disposed under the circuit board, a touch sensor having a sensing surface, disposed on the first surface, and configured to detect a touch input, a vibrator bonded to the second surface, and a control circuit electrically connecting the touch sensor and the vibrator, receiving the touch input detected by the touch sensor, detecting it as a touch action, and transmitting at least one corresponding operation signal to the terminal device, wherein when the control circuit detects a first touch action on the sensing surface, the control circuit activates the vibrator within a time interval to vibrate the touch device, and transmits a first operation signal to the terminal device.

[0007] In some embodiments, the touch device further comprises a receiving seat having a receiving surface and a bottom surface facing the receiving surface, the circuit board is placed above the receiving surface with the second surface facing the receiving surface, and the pad is bonded to the bottom surface and placed below the circuit board.

[0008] In some embodiments, the pad is bonded to the second surface and disposed beneath the circuit board.

[0009] In some embodiments, a bond layer is provided between the vibrator and the second surface of the circuit board, bonding the vibrator to the second surface.

[0010] In some embodiments, the device further comprises a mating seat mounted on the second surface of the circuit board, the mating seat having a groove for receiving and mating with the vibrator.

[0011] In some embodiments, the vibrator comprises a housing having a first housing surface, a housing side surface, and a second housing surface, the housing side surface being positioned between the first housing surface and the second housing surface, and further comprising a first joint positioned between the second housing surface and the second surface of the circuit board and joining the second housing surface to the circuit board, and a second joint surrounding at least a portion of the housing side surface and extending between the second surface of the circuit board and joining the housing side surface to the circuit board.

[0012] In some embodiments, the vibrator is bonded to a central region of the second surface of the circuit board.

[0013] In some embodiments, the pad has elasticity that transmits a vibration force to the touch device when the vibrator vibrates.

[0014] In some embodiments, the device further comprises a control switch electrically connected between the control circuit and the vibrator.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first touch action is a touch action based on a single touch point, and the first operation signal includes information of an operation instruction corresponding to the touch action based on the single touch point.

[0016] In some embodiments, the first touch action is a touch action based on a plurality of touch points, and the first operation signal includes information of an operation instruction corresponding to the touch action based on the plurality of touch points.

[0017] In some embodiments, the sensing surface includes a plurality of functional areas, and when the first touch action detected by the control circuit is a touch action in a first mouse button area that occurs within the functional area, the control circuit transmits the first operation signal to the terminal device, the first operation signal including information that a simulated mouse button, which is one of a left button, a middle button, and a right button, has been pressed.

[0018] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a terminal device comprising an arithmetic circuit module, a display panel electrically connected to the arithmetic circuit module, and a touch device communicatively connected to one or more of the arithmetic circuit modules according to the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0019] In some embodiments, the terminal device is a laptop computer, the laptop computer has a housing, the circuit board of the touch device is installed within the laptop computer housing, the pad of the touch device is installed on an inner wall of the laptop computer housing, and the sensing surface of the touch device is arranged to face an opening of the laptop computer housing to detect touch input. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a reference diagram illustrating a touch device with a haptic feedback function according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the touch device of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the touch device of FIG. [Figure 4A] FIG. 4A is a reference diagram showing an embodiment in which the vibrator is bonded to a circuit board in the touch device of FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4A. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a side view of one embodiment of the touch device of FIG. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a side view of another embodiment of the touch device of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a touch device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a reference diagram illustrating an embodiment of a sensing surface of a touch device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the internal operation of the touch device of FIG. 6 and communication with a terminal device. [Figure 9] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a terminal device in which the touch device of FIG. 1 is installed according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] In order to fully understand the objects, features and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following specific embodiments and drawings.

[0022] Hereinafter, a number of embodiments are provided that can realize a touch device having a haptic feedback function. The touch device may be realized as a peripheral device (as shown in Figs. 1-3) of a terminal device (for example, a desktop computer or a notebook computer), such as a touch pad or a pen tablet. The touch device may also be realized as a touch device in the terminal device (for example, a notebook computer). The touch device includes a circuit board, a plurality of pads, a touch sensor, a vibrator, and a control circuit. The circuit board has a first surface and a second surface facing the first surface. The pad has elasticity and is indirectly (as shown in Fig. 2) or directly (as shown in Fig. 9) installed below the circuit board. The touch sensor has a sensing surface and is installed on the first surface to detect a touch input. The vibrator is bonded to the second surface. The control circuit receives the touch input detected by the touch sensor to detect a touch operation, and electrically connects the touch sensor and the vibrator to transmit at least one corresponding operation signal to the terminal device (or its arithmetic circuit module). When the control circuit detects a first touch operation on the sensing surface, the control circuit activates the vibrator within a time interval to vibrate the touch device, and transmits a first operation signal to the terminal device (or its arithmetic circuit module).

[0023] Please refer to a touch device 10 with haptic feedback function according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a reference diagram of the touch device 10, and Figures 2 and 3 are exploded perspective views of the touch device 10 of Figure 1.

[0024] The touch device 10 is connected to a terminal device to control the terminal device. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the touch device 10 includes a receiving base 100, a plurality of pads 110, a circuit board 120, a touch sensor 130, a vibrator 140, and a control circuit 150.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, the receiving base 100 has a receiving surface 102 and a bottom surface 104 facing the receiving surface 102. The receiving base 100 is realized by, for example, metal or plastic. The pad 110 is bonded to the bottom surface 104. The circuit board 120 has a first surface 122 and a second surface 124 facing the first surface 122. The touch sensor 130 has a sensing surface 131 and is installed on the first surface 122 to detect touch input. A user can perform a touch operation by touching the sensing surface 131 with a finger. The touch sensor 130 includes, for example, a plurality of touch detection units installed on the first surface 122, and may be realized by, for example, a capacitive sensor circuit consisting of a plurality of vertical conductor wirings and a plurality of horizontal conductor wirings, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the touch device 10 may further include a cover layer 190, such as a polyester film or a Mylar sheet, which is provided on the first surface 122 and is realized by a transparent, semi-transparent or opaque film. In addition, when the touch device 10 is realized as a peripheral device, the receiving base 100 can be realized as a housing of the touch device 10.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, the vibrator 140 is bonded to the second surface 124 to generate vibration for haptic feedback. The vibrator 140 is a flat DC or AC vibration motor, such as an eccentric motor or any suitable motor or vibrator. The number of the vibrators 140 may be one or more. In some embodiments, the vibrator 140 may be bonded to any position on the second surface 124. For example, when the vibrator 140 is bonded to the center portion of the second surface 124, it contributes to uniformity of vibration force transmission and improvement of haptic feedback when the vibrator 140 vibrates. The center portion may be, for example, a position at or near the middle of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the second surface 124.

[0027] 2 and 3, the circuit board 120 is placed above the receiving surface 102 so that the second surface 124 faces the receiving surface 102. For example, the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120 may be joined to the receiving surface 102 by bonding. Also, the receiving surface 102 of the receiving seat 100 may be realized as a flat surface or a shape having grooves or ribs.

[0028] In addition, the control circuit 150 electrically connects the touch sensor 130 and the vibrator 140, receives the touch input detected by the touch sensor 130, detects it as a touch action, and transmits at least one corresponding operation signal to the terminal device. When the control circuit 150 detects a first touch action on the sensing surface 131, the control circuit 150 activates the vibrator 140 within a time interval to vibrate the touch device 10, and transmits a corresponding first operation signal to the terminal device.

[0029] 3, the circuitry represented by the dashed lines is provided on the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120. The control circuit 150 is, for example, provided on the second surface 124. In other embodiments, the control circuit 150 may be provided on a circuit board other than the circuit board 120.

[0030] The vibrator 140 can be attached to the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120. In some embodiments, a bond layer is provided between the vibrator 140 and the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120, the bond layer bonding the vibrator 140 to the second surface 124.

[0031] The touch device 10 may also be implemented to be communicatively connected to a terminal device via wires or wirelessly, and may also be implemented to utilize the power supply of the terminal device or include a battery to power the circuitry of the touch device 10.

[0032] Please refer to Figures 4A and 4B. Figures 4A and 4B are diagrams showing an embodiment in which the vibrator 140 of the touch device 10 of Figure 1 is joined to the circuit board 120. Figure 4A is a reference diagram showing an embodiment in which the vibrator 140 on the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120 of the touch device 10 of Figure 3 is seen from above, and Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view along the line AA in Figure 4A. For example, the vibrator 140 includes a housing and a vibrator body 145. The vibrator body 145 is, for example, an eccentric motor or any suitable motor or vibrator body (i.e., an electric part), and is shown in a block form in Figure 4B for convenience of explanation. The housing is, for example, cylindrical (or other columnar or suitable) in shape, and has a first housing surface 141, a housing side surface 142, and a second housing surface 143, and the housing side surface 142 is located between the first housing surface 141 and the second housing surface 143. In the embodiment of the housing of the vibrator 140 in FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B, the touch device 10 may further include a first joint 161 and a second joint 163. The first joint 161 is located between the second housing surface 143 and the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120, and the first joint 161 joins (for example, by sticking, bonding, or elastically joining) the second housing surface 143 and the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120. The first joint 161 is realized, for example, by double-sided tape, adhesive, or any adhesive method. The second joint 163 surrounds at least a part of the housing side surface 142 (for example, a cylindrical surface) and extends between the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120, and the second joint 163 joins (for example, by sticking, bonding, or elastically joining) the housing side surface 142 and the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120. The second joint 163 is realized by, for example, an adhesive or any other adhesive method. As a result, the vibrator 140 is bonded to the second surface 124, and vibration for haptic feedback can be generated. In the above embodiment, the vibrator 140 and the circuit board 120 are connected by a plurality of joints (for example, a bond layer or an elastic bond, etc.), which enhances the transmission of vibration and prevents the vibrator 140 from coming off. In addition, according to the embodiment of FIG. 4, the bond layer is not covered by the first housing surface 141, thereby enhancing the effect of vibration.

[0033] In some embodiments, the touch device 10 further includes a mating seat having a groove for receiving and mating with the vibrator 140 and installed on the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120. The mating seat has a shape that is the same as or similar to the combination of the first mating portion 161 and the second mating portion 163 of FIG. 4. For example, the mating seat has a first mating portion and a second mating portion, the first mating portion being the bottom of the mating seat for mating with the second housing surface 143, and the second mating portion being provided on the edge of the first mating portion to surround the first mating portion and form a wall, and mating with at least a part of the housing side surface 142 (e.g., a cylinder surface). Thus, a groove is formed from the first mating portion and the second mating portion for installing and mating the vibrator 140.

[0034] In some embodiments, the pad 110 has elasticity to enhance the vibration or transmit the vibration force to the circuit board and cover layer of the touch device when the vibrator 140 vibrates. In addition, for the touch device realized by the structure shown in FIG. 1, the strength of the tactile feedback when the vibrator vibrates is not only related to the voltage magnitude and time length of the driving signal applied to the vibrator, but also related to the material of the pad of the touch device. Through repeated experiments, the inventors have found that when tactile feedback is realized by a vibrator, the thickness and area of ​​the pad, as well as the elasticity of the material, are all factors that affect the strength of the tactile feedback.

[0035] For the effect of the pad on the tactile feedback, please refer to Figures 5A and 5B. Figures 5A and 5B are side views of the embodiment of the touch device in Figure 1. The height between the pad 110A of the touch device 10A in Figure 5A and the plane on which the touch device 10A is located is H1, and the height between the pad 110B of the touch device 10B in Figure 5B and the plane on which the touch device 10B is located is H2. The pad 110A is a cushion such as rubber, similar to the pad 110B. For example, if the difference between the touch devices 10A and 10B is only in the height of the pad, when the vibrator 140 is driven with the same power, the strength of the tactile feedback felt by the user's finger in the touch device 10B will be greater than the strength of the tactile feedback felt in the touch device 10A.

[0036] Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a touch device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 6, the touch device 10 communicates with the terminal device 20 via a communication connection LK to control the terminal device 20. For example, the touch device 10 may be realized as a peripheral device of the terminal device 20, and the communication connection LK may be a wired or wireless communication connection such as USB, Bluetooth (registered trademark) (versions 1.0 to 4.0 or higher), Zigbee, etc., and the terminal device 20 may be any computer device such as a desktop personal computer, a notebook computer, an industrial computer, or a smart TV.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 6, the touch device 10 is used as an input device of the terminal device 20. The touch input by the user on the touch device 10 is converted into a corresponding control signal and transmitted to the calculation circuit module 21 of the terminal device 20 via the communication connection LK. The calculation circuit module 21 includes, for example, a processor and a communication circuit for executing a firmware system program, an operating system, or an application program. A user interface corresponding to any of the programs is displayed on a display panel 22 (for example, LCD, OLED, or any suitable display panel), and the user can control the operation of the terminal device 20, such as moving a cursor in the user interface, editing an object in a window, or processing materials, by the touch input on the touch device 10.

[0038] For example, the touch device 10 can be realized as an input device having both a mouse function and a multi-touch point operation function. In this embodiment, the touch device 10 is arranged to generate tactile feedback by vibration in response to a touch operation through an internal circuit, and the vibration of the touch device allows a user to confirm that a mouse button or multi-touch has been functioned, and thus allows the user to easily, efficiently and smoothly operate the pointing device function or gesture function of the terminal device to control the operation of the terminal device.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 6, a control circuit 150A (which is an embodiment of the control circuit 150) of the touch device 10 includes a controller 151, a memory 153, a communication circuit 155 and a control switch 157.

[0040] The controller 151 may be, for example, a microprocessor-based controller, and is electrically connected to the touch sensor 130, the memory 153, the communication circuit 155, and the control switch 157 to receive a touch input signal from the touch sensor 130. When the controller 151 detects a first touch action on the sensing surface 131, the controller 151 outputs a control signal within a time interval to turn on the control switch 157, thereby transmitting a drive signal to the vibrator 140 to vibrate the touch device, and transmitting at least one corresponding operation signal to the terminal device 20 via the communication circuit 155. The controller 151 can also determine, for example, the type of touch action represented by the touch input and whether the touch input occurs in any of the functional areas of the sensing surface. For example, it can determine which area of ​​the mouse button areas MB1 to MB3 the touch input occurs in.

[0041] The memory 153 (volatile or non-volatile memory) stores operating parameters, configuration information, or programs for the controller 151. The controller 151 is operable to execute the programs or information in the memory 153.

[0042] The communication circuit 155 is for communicating with the terminal device 20. The communication circuit 155 may be realized as, for example, a USB, Bluetooth (registered trademark) (versions 1.0 to 4.0 or higher), Zigbee, or other wired or wireless communication circuit module in order to establish a wired or wireless communication connection LK with the terminal device 20.

[0043] FIG. 7 is a reference diagram showing an embodiment of the sensing surface 131 of the touch device 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the sensing surface 131 includes a plurality of functional areas, such as mouse button areas MB1 to MB3, function button areas FB1 to FB5, and a multi-touch area G1. When a user performs an appropriate touch operation on any of the functional areas, a result according to the corresponding function occurs. For example, when a user performs a touch operation (e.g., clicks a single touch point) on the functional button areas FB1 to FB5, a corresponding function button operation (e.g., copy, paste, pause playback, etc.) is performed. Furthermore, the sensing surface 131 corresponds to a coordinate system, and the controller 151 generates detection information of a touch input, such as the coordinates of a touch point, based on the coordinate system. A touch input by a user, such as a movement of a single touch point in the multi-touch area G1, can be performed across different functional areas without activating the operation of another functional area. In addition, in some embodiments, the functions of some functional areas can be enabled or disabled. For example, the functions of the mouse button areas MB1 to MB3 can be disabled by a specific touch action (eg, clicking on the function button area FB1), and similarly the functions of the mouse button areas MB1 to MB3 can be re-enabled.

[0044] FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the internal operation of the touch device 10 of FIG. 1 and the communication with the terminal device 20. In FIG. 8, the user 90 performs a touch operation as shown by an arrow A110, and the touch sensor 130 detects a touch input in response to the touch operation as shown by an arrow A120. The controller 151 receives the touch input as shown by an arrow A130 and detects the touch operation. When detecting a first touch operation, the controller 151 turns on the control switch 157 within a time interval and transmits a drive signal to the vibrator 140 to vibrate the touch device, thereby allowing the user to obtain tactile feedback by vibration as shown by an arrow A135. The controller 151 transmits a first operation signal corresponding to the first touch operation to the terminal device 20 via the communication circuit 155 as shown by arrows A140 to A150.

[0045] In some embodiments, the first touch action is a touch action based on a single touch point, and the first operation signal includes information of an operation instruction corresponding to the touch action based on the single touch point.

[0046] In some embodiments, the first touch action is a touch action based on a plurality of touch points, and the first operation signal includes information of an operation instruction corresponding to the touch action based on the plurality of touch points.

[0047] In some embodiments, the sensing surface includes a plurality of functional areas, and when the first touch action detected by the control circuit is a touch action that occurs in a first mouse button area within the functional area, the control circuit transmits the first operation signal to the terminal device, the first operation signal including information that a simulated mouse button, which is one of a left button, a middle button, and a right button, has been pressed.

[0048] Compared with the touch device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the conventional touch device, which includes a touch pad, a metal frame, a plurality of thin piezoelectric sensors, and a vibrator, is structurally complex, and a user needs to apply an appropriate pressure with a finger on the touch pad, make the thin piezoelectric sensor detect the pressure, and inform the microprocessor of the conventional touch device to drive the vibrator to generate a corresponding vibration on the metal frame. In contrast, according to the touch device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, when a user touches a specific position of the touch pad with one finger (e.g., the position of the mouse button area) or operates a gesture function at any position of the touch pad with multiple fingers (e.g., a gesture of three or four fingers), the controller 151 can drive the vibrator device to generate a corresponding vibration. As shown by the arrow A130 in FIG. 8, the controller 151 of the touch device 10 receives a touch input and detects a touch action, and when a first touch action is detected, the controller 151 vibrates the vibrator 140 within a time interval, thereby vibrating the touch device 10. Thereby, the touch device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention can realize haptic feedback with a simple structure with low complexity.

[0049] Also, in some embodiments, the receiving seat 100 in the touch device embodiments of FIGS. 2-3, 5A-5B, or related thereto may be considered as an optional member. For example, a structure formed by directly bonding a plurality of pads (e.g., 110) of a touch device to the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120 may also be considered as a touch device with tactile feedback. In the case of a touch device with tactile feedback realized by directly bonding a plurality of pads (e.g., 110) to the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120, the pads have elasticity, so that the pads can transmit the vibration force when the vibrator vibrates to the touch device even when the touch device is placed on a flat surface, as shown in FIGS. 5A-5B and related touch device embodiments. Also, a structure formed by indirectly bonding a plurality of pads (e.g., 110) to the second surface 124 of the circuit board 120 via a member capable of transmitting vibration force other than the receiving seat may also be considered as a touch device with tactile feedback.

[0050] In some embodiments, a terminal device is provided that can be realized with an arithmetic circuit module (as shown in FIG. 6 at 21), a display panel (as shown in FIG. 6 at 21), and a touch device having haptic feedback function of one (or more than one or a combination) of the above-mentioned embodiments. The display panel is electrically connected to the arithmetic circuit module. The touch device is communicatively connected to the arithmetic circuit module of the terminal device, and can detect touch input and send an operation signal to the arithmetic circuit module. The terminal device can be considered as a computer system, which is a combination of any computing device, such as a desktop computer, a notebook computer, an industrial computer, a smart TV, etc., and its touch device.

[0051] In one embodiment, the terminal device 20A is a notebook computer, as shown in FIG. 9, and includes an arithmetic circuit module 21A, a display panel 22A, and a touch device 10C. The arithmetic circuit module 21A may include a motherboard of the notebook computer, a processor, a communication circuit, a storage device, and related driving chips (e.g., a display driver) mounted on the motherboard to execute an operating system and application programs. The display panel 22A is electrically connected to the arithmetic circuit module 21A. The touch device 10C includes a circuit board 120C, a plurality of pads 110C, a touch sensor 130C, a vibrator 140C, and a control circuit 150C. For example, the touch device 10C is realized by directly or indirectly bonding a plurality of pads to a circuit board using the corresponding components of FIG. 1-FIG. 2 or related embodiments. Thus, the touch device 10C is arranged so that it can be suitably installed in the notebook computer. In addition to the circuit design of the terminal device 20A, FIG. 9 further shows the touch device 10C arranged in the case of the notebook computer in a side perspective view. The terminal device 20A includes, for example, a housing 200, the touch device 10C is disposed in the housing 200 of the terminal device 20A, the pads 110C of the touch device 10C are installed on the inner wall of the housing 200 of the terminal device 20A, and the sensing surface 131C of the touch device 10C is provided to face an opening (for example, an opening near the keyboard of a notebook computer) of the housing 200 of the terminal device 20A in order to detect a touch input (it may be disposed to cover the opening). Furthermore, a cover layer (such as 190 shown in FIG. 2) may be disposed above the sensing surface 131C.

[0052] According to the above-mentioned embodiments, a touch device that generates vibration tactile feedback, simplifies the structural design, and reduces the production cost can be provided. The touch device is arranged to generate a vibration tactile feedback effect when performing a single-point or multi-point touch operation, so that a user can easily check whether the touch operation is completed correctly, and can efficiently and smoothly operate the pointing device function or gesture function of the terminal device to control the operation of the terminal device. Therefore, the touch device according to the present embodiment can achieve the vibration tactile feedback function with a simpler structural design and low material cost, and contributes to the popularization and application of vibration tactile feedback technology. For example, according to the structure and circuit design of the touch device, a touchpad device having a tactile feedback function can be realized in a notebook computer.

[0053] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the above-mentioned various embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that these embodiments are merely for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, modifications and replacements equivalent to these embodiments should also be considered to be included within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be based on what is defined by the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10, 10A, 10B, 10C Touch Device 20, 20A Terminal Equipment 21, 21A Calculation Circuit Module 22, 22A Display Panel 90 User 100 Receiving seat 102 Receiving surface 104 Bottom 110, 110A, 110B, 110C Pads 120, 120C circuit board 122 1st surface 124 2nd surface 130, 130C Touch sensor 131, 131C Sensing surface 140, 140C Vibrator 141 First housing surface 142 Side of the case 143 Second housing surface 145 Vibrator body 150, 150A, 150C Control circuit 151 Controller 153 Memory 155 Communication Circuit 157 Control Switch 161 1st joint 163 2nd joint 190 Cover Layer 200 units LK communication connection MB1~MB3 Mouse button area FB1~FB5 Function button area G1 Multi-touch Area A110~A150 Arrow

Claims

1. A touch device for controlling a terminal device having a haptic feedback function, comprising: a circuit board having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a plurality of resilient pads disposed directly below the circuit board; a touch sensor having a sensing surface and disposed on the first surface to detect a touch input; a vibrator attached to a central portion of the second surface; a control circuit that electrically connects the touch sensor and the vibrator, receives a touch input detected by the touch sensor, detects it as a touch operation, and transmits at least one corresponding operation signal to the terminal device; a bond layer is provided between the vibrator and the second surface of the circuit board for bonding the vibrator to the second surface; the pad is joined to a portion of the second surface other than the central portion and is disposed below the circuit board; When the control circuit detects a first touch operation on the sensing surface, the control circuit activates the vibrator to vibrate the touch device within a time interval and sends a first operation signal to the terminal device; When the touch device is placed on a flat surface, when the control circuit detects a first touch action on the sensing surface and activates the vibrator to vibrate the touch device, the pad transmits a vibration force to the touch device to enhance the generation of haptic feedback and affect the strength of the haptic feedback; Touch device.

2. The touch device according to claim 1 , further comprising a mating seat having a groove for receiving and mating with the vibrator, the mating seat being mounted on the second surface of the circuit board.

3. the vibrator comprises a housing having a first housing surface, a housing side surface, and a second housing surface, the housing side surface being positioned between the first housing surface and the second housing surface; a first joint portion located between the second housing surface and the second surface of the circuit board and joining the second housing surface and the circuit board; a second joint portion surrounding at least a portion of the side surface of the housing and extending to the second surface of the circuit board, and joining the side surface of the housing and the circuit board; The touch device of claim 1 further comprising:

4. The touch device of claim 1 , further comprising a control switch electrically connected between the control circuit and the vibrator.

5. The touch device according to claim 1 , wherein the first touch action is a touch action based on a single touch point, and the first operation signal includes information of an operation instruction corresponding to the touch action based on the single touch point.

6. The touch device according to claim 1 , wherein the first touch action is a touch action based on a plurality of touch points, and the first operation signal includes information of an operation instruction corresponding to the touch action based on the plurality of touch points.

7. 2. The touch device according to claim 1, wherein the sensing surface includes a plurality of functional areas, and when the first touch action detected by the control circuit is a touch action occurring in a first mouse button area within the functional area, the control circuit transmits the first operation signal including information that a simulated mouse button, which is one of a left button, a middle button, and a right button, has been pressed to the terminal device.

8. An arithmetic circuit module; a display panel electrically connected to the arithmetic circuit module; A terminal device comprising: a touch device communicatively connected to the arithmetic circuit module, The touch device includes: a circuit board having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface; a plurality of resilient pads disposed directly below the circuit board; a touch sensor having a sensing surface and disposed on the first surface to detect a touch input; a vibrator attached to a central portion of the second surface; a control circuit that receives a touch input detected by the touch sensor, detects a touch operation, transmits at least one corresponding operation signal to the terminal device, and electrically connects the touch sensor and the vibrator; a bond layer is provided between the vibrator and the second surface of the circuit board for bonding the vibrator to the second surface; the pad is joined to a portion of the second surface other than the central portion and is disposed below the circuit board; When the control circuit detects a first touch operation on the sensing surface, the control circuit activates the vibrator to vibrate the touch device within a time interval and sends a first operation signal to the terminal device; When the touch device is placed on a flat surface, the control circuit detects a first touch action on the sensing surface and activates the vibrator to vibrate the touch device, and the pad transmits a vibration force to the touch device. Terminal device.

9. 9. The terminal device according to claim 8, wherein the terminal device is a laptop computer having a housing, the circuit board of the touch device is installed within the housing of the laptop computer, the pad of the touch device is placed on an inner wall of the housing of the laptop computer, and the sensing surface of the touch device is arranged to face an opening of the housing of the laptop computer to detect touch input.

10. The terminal device according to claim 8 , further comprising a mating seat, the mating seat having a groove for receiving and mating with the vibrator, the mating seat being mounted on the second surface of the circuit board.

11. The vibrator includes a housing having a first housing surface, a housing side surface, and a second housing surface, the housing side surface being positioned between the first housing surface and the second housing surface; The touch device includes: a first joint portion located between the second housing surface and the second surface of the circuit board and joining the second housing surface and the circuit board; a second joint portion surrounding at least a portion of the side surface of the housing and extending to the second surface of the circuit board, and joining the side surface of the housing and the circuit board; The terminal device according to claim 8 , further comprising:

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