Touchpad, display apparatus, and method for controlling touchpad

A method for controlling a touchpad, the method comprising:

• determining whether an object close to a touch surface exists, based on a proximity event;
• obtaining a proximity based on the proximity event of the object upon determining that the object is close to the touch surface;
• comparing the obtained proximity to a reference proximity;
• if the obtained proximity is equal to or less than the reference proximity, predicting coordinates of a touch point in an absolute coordinate mapping mode and outputting the predicted coordinates of the touch point to a display apparatus;
• calculating variation in the obtained proximity while predicting the coordinates of the touch point in the absolute coordinate mapping mode;
• automatically controlling switching of a coordinate mapping mode for prediction of the touch point between the absolute coordinate mapping mode and a relative coordinate mapping mode, by comparing the calculated variation in the proximity to a reference variation so as to predict the coordinates of the touch point;
• and
• outputting the coordinates of the touch point predicted correspondingly to the controlling of switching of the coordinate mapping mode, to the display apparatus.

A system of controlling a display apparatus with a touchpad, the system comprising:

• a touchpad;
• and
• a display apparatus,
• wherein the touchpad comprises:
• a proximity detector configured to generate a proximity event by detecting whether an object is close to a touch surface;
• a coordinate recognizer configured to select one from among a relative coordinate mapping mode and an absolute coordinate mapping mode, based on the proximity event and to predict coordinates of a touch point to be touched by the object, using the selected coordinate mapping mode;
• and
• a controller configured to control output of information about the predicted coordinates,
• wherein, if the proximity event varies, the coordinate recognizer determines whether to switch the selected coordinate mapping mode based on the varied proximity event,
• and wherein the display apparatus comprises:
• a display panel;
• and
• a controller configured to control a size and location of a touch point displayed on the display panel based on information about a proximity between an object and a touch surface and coordinates of the touch point, which is transmitted from a touchpad, to determine whether the location of the touch point displayed on the display panel is within a recognition area of a target, and to select and control the target in the recognition area upon determining that the location of the touch point is within the recognition area of the target.