Gestures and touches on force-sensitive input devices

• US 10,019,096 B1
• Filed: 01/21/2016
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Ilya D., Beguin, Julien George, Perlin, Kenneth H., Moscovich, Tomer
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Afroza
• Application Number:
  US15/003,086
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04112 Electrode mesh in capacitive digitiser: electrode for touch sensing is formed of a mesh of very fine, normally metallic, interconnected lines that are almost invisible to see. This provides a quite large but transparent electrode surface, without need for ITO or similar transparent conductive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04144 using an array of force sensing means position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells G06F3/0447
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A force-sensitive touch sensor detects location and force of touches applied to the sensor. Movement of an object touching the force-sensitive touch sensor correlates to movement of a pointer on a display device. Varying levels of force applied to the force-sensitive touch sensor are interpreted as different commands. Objects displayed on the display device can be manipulated by a combination of gestures across a surface of the force-sensitive touch sensor and changes in force applied to the force-sensitive touch sensor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions,

displaying a representation of a three-dimensional object on a display;

detecting, via a force-sensitive touch sensor, a first indication of a first touch input;

determining a first value representing a first magnitude of force associated with the first touch input;

detecting, via the force-sensitive touch sensor, a second indication of a second touch input;

determining a second value representing a second magnitude of force associated with the second touch input;

detecting, via the force-sensitive touch sensor, a third indication of a third touch input;

determining a threshold force value, wherein the threshold force value is based at least in part on detecting the third indication of the third touch input for an amount of time greater than a threshold period of time;

determining that a sum of the first value and the second value exceeds the threshold force value; and

modifying, based at least in part on the first value and the second value exceeding the threshold force value, the representation of the three-dimensional object.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a first change in a location of the first touch input from a first location on the force-sensitive touch sensor to a second location on the force-sensitive touch sensor;

detecting a second change in a location of the second touch input from a third location on the force-sensitive touch sensor to a fourth location on the force-sensitive touch sensor; and

modifying, based at least in part on the first change and the second change, the representation of the three-dimensional object on the display.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first change in a location of the first touch input from a first location of the force-sensitive touch sensor to a second location of the force-sensitive touch sensor;

determining a second change in a location of the second touch input from a third location of the force-sensitive touch sensor to the second location of the force-sensitive touch sensor; and

modifying a size of the representation of the three-dimensional object so that the representation of the three-dimensional object appears smaller on the display.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first change in a location of the first touch input from a first location of the force-sensitive touch sensor to a second location of the force-sensitive touch sensor;

determining a second change in a location of the second touch input from a third location of the force-sensitive touch sensor to a fourth location of the force-sensitive touch sensor in a direction substantially opposite the first direction; and

modifying a size of the representation of the three-dimensional object so that the representation of the three-dimensional object appears larger on the display.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, via the force-sensitive touch sensor, a fourth indication of a fourth touch input;

determining a fourth value representing a fourth magnitude of force associated with the fourth touch input;

determining that a sum of the first value, the second value, and the fourth value exceeds the threshold force value;

determining a first change in a location of the first touch input from a first location of the force-sensitive touch sensor to a second location of the force-sensitive touch sensor, the first change representing a first rotation of the first touch input about a point on the force-sensitive touch sensor from the first location to the second location;

determining a second change in a location of the second touch input from a third location of the force-sensitive touch sensor to a fourth location of the force-sensitive touch sensor, the second change representing a second rotation of the second touch input about the point on the force-sensitive touch sensor from the third location to the fourth location;

determining a fourth change in a location of the fourth touch input from a fifth location of the force-sensitive touch sensor to a sixth location of the force-sensitive touch sensor, the fourth change representing a fourth rotation of the fourth touch input about the point on the force-sensitive touch sensor from the fifth location to the sixth location; and

rotating the representation of the three-dimensional object on the display about the point on the force-sensitive touch sensor based at least in part on the first change, the second change, and the fourth change.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining a difference between the first value and the second value; and

modifying the representation of the three-dimensional object by rotating the three-dimensional object about an axis parallel to the display and perpendicular about an axis between the first touch input and the second touch input.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying on display, a first indicator associated with the first touch input, the first indicator corresponding in size to the first value; and

displaying, on the display, a second indicator associated with the second touch input, the second indicator corresponding in size to the second value.

8. A device comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the one or more processors;

an input/output interface coupled to the one or more processors configured to receive input from a force-sensitive touch sensor and send an image to a display; and

a touch control component stored in the memory and configured to execute on the one or more processors to;

determine a first contact point associated with a first touch input on the force-sensitive touch sensor;

determine a second contact point associated with a second touch input on the force-sensitive touch sensor;

determine a third contact point associated with a third touch input on the force-sensitive touch sensor;

determine a first value representing a first magnitude of force corresponding to the first touch input;

determine a second value representing a second magnitude of force corresponding to the second touch input;

determine a third value representing a third magnitude of force corresponding to the third touch input;

determine that the third value is greater than a first threshold force value for a period of time greater than a threshold period of time;

determine that a sum of the first value and the second value exceeds a second threshold force value, wherein the second threshold force value is based at least in part on the third value being greater than the first threshold force value for the threshold period of time;

determine a change in a location associated with at least one of the first touch input or the second touch input; and

modify the image on the display based at least in part on the sum of the first value and the second value exceeding the threshold force value and the change in location.

9. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the touch control module is further configured to execute on the one or more processors to:

determine a first surface area on the force-sensitive touch sensor corresponding to the first touch input;

determine a second surface area on the force-sensitive touch sensor corresponding to the second touch input; and

determine, for the first touch input and the second touch input, a type of object contacting the first contact point and the second contact point on the force-sensitive touch sensor.

10. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the touch control module is further configured to execute on the one or more processors to:

determine a first change in the location associated with the first touch input in a first direction on the display;

determine a second change in the location associated with the second touch input in the first direction on the display; and

modify the image on the display by moving the image in the first direction on the display.

11. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the touch control module is further configured to execute on the one or more processors to:

determine a change in the location associated with the first touch input from a first location on the force-sensitive touch sensor to a second location on the force-sensitive touch sensor;

determine a change in the location associated with the second touch input from a third location on the force-sensitive touch sensor to the second location on the force-sensitive touch sensor; and

modify the image on the display by decreasing a scale of the image on the display.

12. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the touch control module is further configured to execute on the one or more processors to:

determine a first change in the location associated with the first touch input from a first location on the force-sensitive touch sensor to a second location on the force-sensitive touch sensor;

determine a second change in the location associated with the second touch input from a third location on the force-sensitive touch sensor to a fourth location on the force-sensitive touch sensor, the fourth location substantially in a direction opposite the second location on the force-sensitive touch sensor; and

modify the image on the display by increasing a scale of the image on the display.

13. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the touch control module is further configured to execute on the one or more processors to:

determine a fourth contact point associated with a fourth touch input on the force-sensitive touch sensor;

determine a fourth value representing a fourth magnitude of force corresponding to the fourth touch input;

determine that a sum of the first value, the second value, and the fourth value exceeds the threshold force value;

determine a change in the location associated with the first touch input, the second touch input, and the fourth touch input, wherein the change in the location indicates a movement of each of the first contact point, second contact point, and fourth contact point in a counterclockwise direction around a point on the force-sensitive touch sensor; and

rotate, based at least in part on the change in location, the image on the display.

14. The device as recited in claim 8, wherein the touch control module is further configured to execute on the one or more processors to:

determine that the first value corresponding to the first touch input is greater than the second value corresponding to the second touch input;

modify the image on the display by rotating the image about a point midway between a first location of the first touch input and a second location of the second touch input, wherein the image is rotated in a direction substantially toward the first location of the first touch input.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems with executable instructions,

displaying an image on a display coupled with a touch sensor;

detecting, via the touch sensor, a first indication of a first touch input on the display;

determining a first value representing a first magnitude of force associated with the first touch input;

presenting, on the display, a first pointer corresponding to the first touch input;

detecting, via the touch sensor, a second indication of a second touch input on the display;

determining a second value representing a second magnitude of force associated with the touch input;

presenting, on the display, a second pointer corresponding to the second touch input;

determining that a sum of the first value and the second value exceeds a first threshold force value;

updating, based at least in part on the sum of the first value and the second value exceeding the first threshold force value, display of the first pointer and the second pointer;

determining that a difference between the first value and the second value exceeds a second threshold force value;

modifying the image on the display by rotating the image in a first direction towards a first location of the first touch input based at least in part on;

the sum of the first value and the second value exceeding the first threshold force value, and

the difference between the first value and the second value exceeding the second threshold force value;

detecting, via the touch sensor, one or more touches for a period of time that is greater than a threshold period of time; and

adjusting, based at least in part on detecting the one or more touches for the period of time that is greater than the threshold period of time, the first threshold force value.

16. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

detecting, via the touch sensor, a fourth indication of a fourth touch input on the display;

determining a fourth value representing a fourth magnitude of force associated with the fourth touch input;

determining that a sum of the first value, the second value, and the fourth value exceeds the threshold force value;

determining a first change in a location of the first touch input, the first change representing a first rotation of the first location of the first touch input about a point on the touch sensor;

determining a second change in a location of the second touch input, the second change representing a second rotation of the second location of the second touch input about the point on the touch sensor;

determining a fourth change in a location of the fourth touch input, the fourth change representing a fourth rotation of the fourth location of the fourth touch input about the point on the touch sensor; and

rotating the image on the display at the point on the touch sensor based at least in part on the first change, the second change, and the fourth change.

17. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

determining a first change of a location of the first touch input from the first location of the touch sensor toward a third location of the touch sensor in a second direction;

determining a second change of a location of the second touch input from the second location toward a fourth location, the second change in substantially the second direction; and

modifying the image on the display by moving the image in the second direction across the surface of the display.

18. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

determining a first change of a location of the first touch input from the first location of the touch sensor toward a third location of the touch sensor;

determining a second change of a location of the second touch input from the second location toward the third location of the touch sensor; and

modifying the image on the display by decreasing a scale of the image on the display.

19. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

determining a first change of a location of the first touch input from the first location of the touch sensor toward a third location of the touch sensor;

determining a second change of a location of the second touch input from the second location toward a fourth location of the touch sensor, the fourth location substantially in a second direction opposite the third location on the force-sensitive touch sensor; and

modifying the image on the display by increasing a scale of the image on the display.