Dial device and related interactive display device capable of determining a rotation angle

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a dial device and related interactive display device, and more particularly, to a dial device and related interactive display device capable of determining a rotation angle.

2. Description of the Prior Art

As the development and applications of touch control panel and the population of various kinds of electronic products grow, in order to allow users to finish their works through more operations and input ways, there are different kinds of auxiliary input devices in the market, such as a touch control pen, a dial device, and so on. When the dial device is connected to the electronic product, a user may press the dial device to input a confirm command to the electronic product, and rotate the dial device to input a change selection command to the electronic product.

Commonly, a dial device is equipped with an upper case and a bottom base, and designed with a circle shape for rotation operation. When it is desired to use the dial device as a pointing input device (e.g., used as a mouse or a rocker to move an index on the screen toward a desired direction), a relative location between the dial device and the electronic device may not be accurate enough for input operation, or the electronic device cannot map a direction corresponding to a relative movement between the upper case and the bottom base to a moving direction corresponding to a display image after the dial device has been rotated, which limited operations of the dial device.

It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a dial device and related interactive display device adaptive to rotating signal and moving signal inputted by a user.

The present invention discloses a dial device configured to couple to an interactive display device. The dial device includes a bottom base comprising an electrode pattern configured to couple to a touch control circuit of the interactive display device; an upper case disposed on the bottom base, and capable of performing a relative movement and a relative rotation relative to the bottom base; a plurality of sensing elements configured to sense the moving operation between the upper case and the bottom base to correspondingly generate a plurality of moving signals, and configured to sense the rotating operation between the upper case and the bottom base to correspondingly generate a plurality of rotating signals; a first communication circuit couple to the plurality of sensing elements, and configured to transmit the plurality of moving signals and the plurality of rotating signals to the interactive display device. Wherein the electrode pattern has a directivity, when the upper case moves relative to the bottom base toward a first direction moving of the interactive display device, the plurality of sensing elements correspondingly generates a plurality of first moving signals, the plurality of first moving signals is transmitted to the interactive display device by the first communication circuit, thereby an image object displayed by the interactive display device moves toward the first direction; when the upper case moves relative to the bottom base toward a second direction of the display, the plurality of sensing elements correspondingly generates a plurality of second moving signals, the plurality of second moving signals is transmit to the interactive display device by the first communication circuit, thereby the image object displayed by the interactive display device moves toward the second direction moving; and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

The present invention discloses an interactive display device configured to couple to a dial device; wherein the dial device comprises a bottom base, an upper case and a plurality of sensing elements, the bottom base comprises an electrode pattern with a directivity, the plurality of sensing elements is configured to sense a relative movement between the upper case and the bottom base to correspondingly generate a plurality of moving signals, and the plurality of sensing elements is configured to sense a relative rotation between the upper case and the bottom base to correspondingly generate a plurality of rotating signals. The interactive display device includes a display; a touch control circuit configured to sense the electrode pattern to generate a plurality of first sensing signals; a second communication circuit configured to receive the plurality of moving signals; and a control circuit coupled to the touch control circuit, the second communication circuit and the display, and configured to make an image object displayed by the display show a visual effect according to the plurality of first sensing signals and the plurality of moving signals. Wherein the electrode pattern has a directivity, when the upper case moves relative to the bottom base toward a first direction moving of the interactive display device, the plurality of sensing elements correspondingly generates a plurality of first moving signals, the plurality of first moving signals is transmitted to the interactive display device by the first communication circuit, thereby an image object displayed by the interactive display device moves toward the first direction; when the upper case moves relative to the bottom base toward a second direction of the display, the plurality of sensing elements correspondingly generates a plurality of second moving signals, the plurality of second moving signals is transmit to the interactive display device by the first communication circuit, thereby the image object displayed by the interactive display device moves toward the second direction moving; and the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.

FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram, interactive display device and a top view of a dial device and an interactive display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively.

FIG. 4A to FIG. 4E is a schematic diagram of an electrode pattern according to various embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an interactive display operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an interactive display operation according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram, interactive display device and a top view of a dial device 10 and an interactive display device 12 according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively. In FIG. 1 , the dial device 10 includes a bottom base 100 , an upper case 102 , a first communication circuit 106 , and a plurality of sensing elements RS 1 , RS 2 and RS 3 . The interactive display device 12 includes a control circuit 124 , a second communication circuit 126 , and a touch control display 120 , wherein the touch control display 120 includes a display 121 and a touch control circuit 123 .

In FIG. 2 , the interactive display device 12 may be an electronic device having a touch control display 120 , such as a 360-degree flip over laptop computer, a 2-in-1 computer, a tablet computer, an all in one (AIO) computer, and so on. In this embodiment, a tablet computer is used for example, which is not limited.

The bottom base 100 includes an electrode pattern PTN disposed for coupling to the touch control circuit 123 of the interactive display device 12 . The upper case 102 is disposed in the bottom base 100 , and able to perform a movement and a rotation relative to the bottom base 100 . The plurality of sensing elements RS 1 , RS 2 and RS 3 is used for sensing moving operations between the upper case 102 and the bottom base 100 to correspondingly generate a plurality of moving signals, and used for sensing rotating operations between the upper case 102 and the bottom base 100 to correspondingly generate a plurality of rotating signals RT 1 , RT 2 and RT 3 . The electrode pattern PTN has a directivity, when the upper case 102 moves relative to the bottom base 100 toward a first direction (e.g., X direction) of the display 121 of the interactive display device 12 , the sensing elements RS 1 , RS 2 and RS 3 may correspondingly generate a plurality of first moving signals MV 1 _X, MV 2 _X and MV 3 _X, and the first communication circuit 106 may transmit the plurality of first moving signals MV 1 _X, MV 2 _X and MV 3 _X to the interactive display device 12 . Then, an image object displayed by the display 120 may move toward the first direction (e.g., move toward the X direction). When the upper case 102 moves relative to the bottom base 100 toward a second direction moving (e.g., Y direction) of the display 121 of the interactive display device 12 , the sensing elements RS 1 , RS 2 and RS 3 may correspondingly generate a plurality of second moving signals MV 1 _Y, MV 2 _Y and MV 3 _Y, and the first communication circuit 106 may transmit the plurality of second moving signals MV 1 _Y, MV 2 _Y and MV 3 _Y to the interactive display device 12 . Then, the image object displayed by the display 120 may move toward the second direction moving (e.g., move toward Y direction). The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction (e.g., the X direction is perpendicular to the Y direction).

The first communication circuit 106 is coupled to the sensing elements RS 1 , RS 2 and RS 3 , and used for connecting to the interactive display device 12 through wireless communication technology (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth) to transmit the first moving signals MV 1 _X, MV 2 _X and MV 3 _X and the second moving signals MV 1 _Y, MV 2 _Y and MV 3 _Y to the interactive display device 12 .

In one embodiment, when the upper case 102 rotates clockwise relative to the bottom base 100 , the plurality of sensing elements RS 1 , RS 2 and RS 3 correspondingly generate a plurality of first rotating signals RT 1 _CW, RT 2 _CW and RT 3 _CW; when the upper case rotates counter clockwise relative to the bottom base, the plurality of sensing elements RS 1 , RS 2 and RS 3 correspondingly generate a plurality of second rotating signals RT 1 _CCW, RT 2 _CCW and RT 3 _CCW. The plurality of first rotating signals RT 1 _CW, RT 2 _CW and RT 3 _CW and the plurality of second rotating signals RT 1 _CCW, RT 2 _CCW and RT 3 _CCW are transmit to the interactive display device 12 by the first communication circuit 106 , and the image object displayed by the display 120 shows a clockwise rotating visual effect and a counter clockwise rotating visual effect, respectively.

In FIG. 3 , the electrode pattern (denoted with dot patterns) of the bottom base 100 includes two circle electrodes B 1 and B 2 with different areas. The only symmetry line of the electrode pattern (e.g., a line connecting centers of the circle electrodes B 1 and B 2 ) may be defined as a pointing direction Y_ 10 , and the pointing direction Y_ 10 and a perpendicular direction X_ 10 may form a two dimensional coordinate system. The sensing elements RS 1 , RS 2 and RS 3 is respectively disposed at 0 degree, 120 degrees, 240 degrees around the bearing 101 (denoted with slash patterns), which is not limited. In addition, the touch control display 120 may form another tow dimensional coordinate system with a perpendicular direction X_ 12 and a pointing direction Y_ 12 .

When the dial device 10 is disposed in a sensing area of the touch control display 120 , a rotation angle θ between the two coordinate systems may be obtained according to inductions between the touch control display 120 and the circle electrodes B 1 and B 2 . After the interactive display device 12 has obtained the relative rotation angle θ of the two coordinate systems, the relative rotation angle θ may be used as a calibration parameter for the following transmitted data of the dial device 10 (e.g., moving signals and rotating signals) to perform calibration and image processing, thereby generating various interactive display scenes.

FIG. 4A to FIG. 4E is a schematic diagram of an electrode pattern PTN according to various embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment, the electrode pattern PTN is not symmetry about any straight line or is symmetry about at most one straight line.

In FIG. 4A , the electrode pattern PTN is an isosceles triangle electrode A 1 , and a pointing direction DIR corresponding to the electrode pattern PTN is parallel to a symmetry line of the isosceles triangle electrode A 1 . In FIG. 4B , the electrode pattern PTN includes two circle electrodes B 1 and B 2 with different areas, and a pointing direction DIR corresponding to the electrode pattern PTN is parallel to a line connecting the centers of the two circle electrodes B 1 and B 2 . In FIG. 4C , the electrode pattern PTN includes two ellipse electrodes C 1 and C 2 and one circle electrode C 3 with different areas, and a pointing direction DIR corresponding to the electrode pattern PTN is parallel to a line connecting centers of the two ellipse electrodes C 1 and C 2 and the one circle electrode C 3 . In FIG. 4D , the electrode pattern PTN includes four ellipse electrodes D 1 , D 2 , D 3 and D 4 with a same area, and a pointing direction DIR corresponding to the electrode pattern PTN is parallel to a line connecting centers of the two ellipse electrodes D 1 and D 2 and a symmetry line of the two ellipse electrodes D 3 and D 4 .

In other words, the touch control circuit 123 may provide sensing signals generated by inductions from the electrode pattern PTN to the control circuit 124 , and the control circuit 124 may determine location, distribution, shape, and pattern according to the sensing signals to determine the only symmetry line of the electrode pattern PTN, so as to determine the pointing direction DIR. As a result, once the coordinate system formed by the directions X_ 12 and Y_ 12 of the touch control circuit 123 is given, the control circuit 124 may determine the coordinate system formed by the directions X_ 10 , Y_ 10 and the pointing direction DIR of the electrode pattern PTN, thereby determining the relative rotation angle θ of the two coordinate systems.

In FIG. 4E , the electrode pattern PTN includes an active electrode area ACT and a passive electrode area PAS, the first active electrode area may transmit a first active signal to the touch control circuit 123 , the passive electrode area may not transmit any signal to the touch control circuit 123 . Areas and shapes of the active electrode area ACT and the passive electrode area PAS may be the same or different, in this embodiment two circle electrodes with different areas are given for example, which is not limited.

In other embodiments, the electrode pattern PTN includes a first active electrode area and a second active electrode area, the first active electrode area may transmit a first active signal to the touch control circuit 123 , the second active electrode area may transmit a second active signal to the touch control circuit 123 , and the first active signal is different from the second active signal.

Operations about the dial device 10 and the interactive display device 12 may be summarized into an interactive display operating process 5 , as shown in FIG. 5 , wherein the interactive display operating process 5 includes the following steps.

Step 51 : Dispose a touch control circuit in an interactive display device to sense an electrode pattern of a dial device to generate a plurality of first sensing signals.

Step 52 : when an upper case of the dial device moves relative to a bottom base of the dial device toward a first direction of a display of the interactive display device, a plurality of sensing elements of the dial device correspondingly generates a plurality of first moving signals.

Step 53 : A control circuit of the interactive display device make an image object displayed by the interactive display device move toward the first direction according to the plurality of first moving signals and the plurality of first sensing signals.

Step 54 : When the upper case of the dial device move relative to the bottom base, toward a second direction of the display, the plurality of sensing elements correspondingly generates a plurality of second moving signals.

Step 55 : The control circuit of the interactive display device make the image object displayed by the interactive display device move toward the second direction according to the plurality of second moving signals and the plurality of second sensing signals.

Detailed operations regarding the interactive display operating process 5 may be obtained by referring to descriptions regarding FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4A to FIG. 4D (embodiments including the passive electrodes), which is omitted.

Operations about the dial device 10 and the interactive display device 12 may be summarized into an interactive display operating process 6 , as shown in FIG. 6 , wherein the interactive display operating process 6 includes the following steps.

Step 61 : Dispose a touch control circuit in the interactive display device to sense an electrode pattern of a dial device to generate a plurality of first sensing signals and receive a first active signal transmitted by the dial device.

Step 62 : When an upper case of the dial device moves relative to a bottom base of dial device toward a first direction of a display of the interactive display device, a plurality of sensing elements of the dial device correspondingly generates a plurality of first moving signals.

Step 63 : A control circuit of the interactive display device make an image object displayed by the interactive display device move toward the first direction according to the plurality of first moving signals, the first active signals, and the plurality of first sensing signals.

Step 64 : When the upper case of the dial device move relative to the bottom base toward a second direction of the display, the plurality of sensing elements correspondingly generate a plurality of second moving signals.

Step 65 : The control circuit of the interactive display device make the image object displayed by the interactive display device move toward the second direction according to plurality of second moving signal, first active signal and plurality of second sensing signal.

Detailed operations regarding the interactive display operating process 6 may be obtained by referring to descriptions regarding FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4E (embodiment including the passive and active electrodes), which is omitted.

To sum up, the dial device of the present invention is disposed with an electrode pattern formed in the bottom base and with a pointing pattern corresponding to a pointing direction, the interactive display device may regard the dial device as a pointing input device (e.g., use the dial device as a mouse or a rocker to move an index on the screen toward a desired direction) according to a moving signal transmitted by the dial device and a sensing signal generated by sensing the electrode pattern by the touch control circuit, therefore the interactive display device may correspond the direction corresponding to a relative movement between the upper case and the bottom base to a moving direction of displayed object, which adds an operation of the dial device.

Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.