Touch control device and method

Abstract

A method for controlling a touch control device includes defining a first area and a second area on a touchpad, detecting whether a touched position on the touchpad that is touched by an operating object falls in the first area or the second area, and calculating the corresponding on-screen coordinates of the operating object with different sets of ratios depending on the touched position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A touch control device, comprising:
 an input element having a touchpad and a control unit, the touchpad comprising a first area and a second area, the first area being a peripheral area of the touchpad, the control unit being connected to the touchpad and configured for detecting a touch on the touchpad by an operating object and a movement of the operating object on the touchpad; and   a computation unit connected to the control unit, wherein if the computation unit determines that the operating object has moved from the first area toward the second area, an instruction window is opened on a screen.   
     
     
         2 . The touch control device of  claim 1 , wherein the touchpad generates a detection signal in response to the touch by the operating object and sends the detection signal to the control unit, and the control unit generates coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad according to the detection signal. 
     
     
         3 . The touch control device of  claim 2 , wherein the control unit determines according to the detection signal whether the touch on the touchpad by the operating object starts in the first area or the second area. 
     
     
         4 . The touch control device of  claim 2 , wherein the computation unit determines according to coordinates output from the control unit whether the touch on the touchpad by the operating object starts in the first area or the second area. 
     
     
         5 . The touch control device of  claim 1 , wherein the second area is defined in a central area of the touchpad and surrounded by the first area. 
     
     
         6 . The touch control device of  claim 1 , wherein the computation unit is connected to an operating system and is provided with an event receiver for receiving an event signal from the operating system. 
     
     
         7 . A method for controlling a touch control device including a touchpad having a first area and a second area, the first area being a peripheral area of the touchpad, the method comprising steps of:
 A.) detecting a touch on the touchpad by an operating object and a movement of the operating object on the touchpad;   B.) determining whether the operating object has moved from the first area toward the second area; and   C.) opening an instruction window on a screen according to the movement of the operating object, if the operating object has moved from the first area toward the second area.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step A comprises steps of:
 generating a detection signal in response to the touch on the touchpad by the operating object; and   generating first coordinates according to the detection signal.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step A comprises a step of determining according to the detection signal whether the touch on the touchpad by the operating object starts in the first area or the second area. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the step A comprises a step of determining whether the touch by the operating object starts in the first area or the second area according to coordinates provided by a control unit. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising a step of calculating corresponding coordinates of the operating object on the screen according to coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad and a width ratio and a height ratio between the screen and the touchpad if the touch by the operating object starts in the first area. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the second area is defined in a central area of the touchpad and surrounded by the first area. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising a step of defining a virtual instruction area on the touchpad according to a position of the instruction window on the screen after the instruction window is opened. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the virtual instruction area is defined in the peripheral area of the touchpad and has at least two borders coinciding respectively with borders of the touchpad. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising a step of calculating corresponding coordinates of the operating object in the instruction window according to coordinates of the operating object in the virtual instruction area and a width ratio and a height ratio between the instruction window and the virtual instruction area. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising a step of defining a third area corresponding to the instruction window on the touchpad after the instruction window is opened. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the third area is defined in a peripheral area of the touchpad and has at least two borders coinciding respectively with borders of the touchpad. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising a step of calculating corresponding coordinates of the operating object in the instruction window according to coordinates of the operating object in the third area and a width ratio and a height ratio between the instruction window and the third area. 
     
     
         19 . A method for controlling a touch control device, comprising steps of:
 A) determining the number of operating objects on a touchpad;   B) determining, if there is one and only one said operating object, whether the operating object has double-clicked the touchpad;   C) detecting, if the operating object has double-clicked the touchpad, whether the operating object has displaced on the touchpad; and   D) executing a window page switching instruction if the operating object has displaced on the touchpad.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising a step of defining a control window frame on a screen and calculating corresponding first coordinates of the operating object in the control window frame according to coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad and a second set of ratios if the operating object has double-clicked the touchpad. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising a step of generating a virtual touch control element at the first coordinates if the operating object has double-clicked the touchpad. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the second set of ratios are a width ratio and a height ratio between the control window frame and the touchpad. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising a step of using a position of a virtual touch control element or cursor last appearing on the screen as a reference coordinate position and mapping the first coordinates in the control window frame to the reference coordinate position so as to define a position of the control window frame on the screen. 
     
     
         24 . A method for controlling a touch control device, comprising steps of:
 determining the number of operating objects on a touchpad;   determining, if there is one and only one said operating object, whether the operating object has performed a touch control action on the touchpad; and   defining a control window frame on a screen and calculating, according to coordinates of the operating object on the touchpad and a second set of ratios, corresponding first coordinates of the operating object in the control window frame, if the operating object has performed the touch control action on the touchpad.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising a step of generating a virtual touch control element at the first coordinates if the touch control action is double clicking. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the second set of ratios are a width ratio and a height ratio between the control window frame and the touchpad. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising a step of using a position of a said virtual touch control element or cursor last appearing on the screen as a reference coordinate position and mapping the first coordinates in the control window frame to the reference coordinate position so as to define a position of the control window frame on the screen. 
     
     
         28 . The Method of  claim 25 , further comprising a step of detecting whether the operating object has displaced on the touchpad after the virtual touch control element is generated, and executing a window page switching instruction according to the displacement by the virtual touch control element if a displacement of the operating object on the touchpad is detected.