Controlling audio volume using touch input force

• US 10,055,066 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sentons, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sentons, Inc.
• Inventors: Lynn, Lapoe E., Sheng, Samuel W., Shih, Shih-Ming, Hsieh, Yenyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Con P
• Application Number:
  US15/419,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20170139499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 381109, 381104, 381107, 345177, 345173, 345176, 345178, 715716, 73 182, 178 1804, 178 1803, 178 1802, 178 1801, 3404071
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0436 in which generating transducers and detecting transducers are attached to a single acoustic waves transmission substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/02 Manually-operated control H03G3/001 and H03G3/002 take precedence

Abstract

Controlling an audio volume is disclosed. An indicator identifying a force intensity of a touch input provided on a touch input surface is received. It is determined that the touch input is associated with an audio volume control. The audio volume is controlled based at least in part on the indicator identifying the force intensity of the touch input.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an audio volume, comprising:

transmitting a signal propagated in a medium of a touch input surface prior to a touch input, wherein the signal propagated in the medium of the touch input surface prior to the touch input is an acoustic signal or an ultrasonic signal; and

receiving an indicator identifying a force intensity of the touch input provided on the touch input surface, wherein receiving the indicator includes receiving the transmitted signal that has been propagated in the medium and disturbed by the touch input, and the transmitted signal propagated in the medium prior to the touch input has been disturbed by the touch input in a manner that affects a signal property of the transmitted signal; and

determining the force intensity at least in part by analyzing an effect of the touch input on the transmitted signal that has been propagated in the medium and disturbed by the touch input; and

determining that the touch input is associated with an audio volume control and controlling the audio volume based at least in part on the indicator identifying the force intensity of the touch input;

wherein the medium of the touch input surface is made of a metal and the signal propagated in the medium of the touch input surface is propagated through the metal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the force intensity of the touch input was at least in part determined by a detected signal amplitude of the received transmitted signal that has been disturbed by the touch input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the force intensity of the touch input was at least in part determined by comparing a reference signal property of the acoustic signal or the ultrasonic signal propagating in the medium of the touch input surface prior to the touch input to a detected signal property of the transmitted signal that has been disturbed by the touch input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the audio volume includes increasing the audio volume in the event the force intensity is above a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the threshold value is dynamically determined.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the audio volume includes decreasing the audio volume in the event the force intensity is below a threshold value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the audio volume includes increasing the audio volume in the event the force intensity is within a threshold range.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein an upper bound of the threshold range is associated with a maximum force intensity value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the audio volume includes decreasing the audio volume in the event the force intensity is within a threshold range.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a lower bound of the threshold range is associated with a zero force intensity value.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a lower bound of the threshold range is associated with a non-zero force intensity value.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the audio volume includes decreasing the audio volume in the event the force intensity is within a first threshold range and increasing the audio volume in the event the force intensity is within a second threshold range.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein controlling the audio volume includes not adjusting the audio volume in the event the force intensity is below a lower bound of the first threshold range.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the audio volume includes determining a rate of change of the audio volume based at least in part on the force intensity.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the audio volume includes selecting an audio output destination based at least in part on an identifier.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the audio volume includes engaging a speakerphone in the event the force intensity meets a threshold.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch input was provided at a location on the surface assigned to control the audio volume.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch input was provided at a location on the touch input surface where an adjustment bar was displayed.

19. A system for controlling an audio volume, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a signal propagated in a medium of a touch input surface prior to a touch input, wherein the signal propagated in the medium of the touch input surface prior to the touch input is an acoustic signal or an ultrasonic signal; and

a processor coupled with the transmitter and configured to;

receive an indicator identifying a force intensity of the touch input provided on the touch input surface, wherein receiving the indicator includes receiving the transmitted signal that has been propagated in the medium and disturbed by the touch input, and the transmitted signal propagated in the medium prior to the touch input has been disturbed by the touch input in a manner that affects a signal property of the transmitted signal;

determine the force intensity at least in part by analyzing an effect of the touch input on the transmitted signal that has been propagated in the medium and disturbed by the touch input;

determine that the touch input is associated with an audio volume control; and

control the audio volume based at least in part on the indicator identifying the force intensity of the touch input;

wherein the medium of the touch input surface is made of a metal and the signal propagated in the medium of the touch input surface is propagated through the metal.

20. A computer program product for controlling an audio volume, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

transmitting a signal propagated in a medium of a touch input surface prior to a touch input, wherein the signal propagated in the medium of the touch input surface prior to the touch input is an acoustic signal or an ultrasonic signal;

receiving an indicator identifying a force intensity of the touch input provided on the touch input surface, wherein receiving the indicator includes receiving the transmitted signal that has been propagated in the medium and disturbed by the touch input, and the transmitted signal propagated in the medium prior to the touch input has been disturbed by the touch input in a manner that affects a signal property of the transmitted signal;

determining the force intensity at least in part by analyzing an effect of the touch input on the transmitted signal that has been propagated in the medium and disturbed by the touch input;

determining that the touch input is associated with an audio volume control; and

controlling the audio volume based at least in part on the indicator identifying the force intensity of the touch input;

wherein the medium of the touch input surface is made of a metal and the signal propagated in the medium of the touch input surface is propagated through the metal.