Intuitive touch screen calibration device and method

• US 10,133,412 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2014
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Baumgartner, Claus Christer
• Primary Examiner(s): Sitta, Grant
• Application Number:
  US14/508,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20160098149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-178
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

In the present invention a touch screen display optionally connected to a piece of monitoring equipment is configured with a calibration procedure that can be initiated directly through the screen of the touch screen display by the operator performing a predetermined pattern of points of contact with the screen. The calibration procedure uses the pattern of points of contact with the screen to calibrate the touch screen display, as well as to initiate the procedure.

Claims

1. A piece of equipment for monitoring and providing information about an item operably connected to the equipment, the piece of equipment comprising:

a touch screen display having a screen configured to display the information about the item from the equipment and to control the operation of the equipment, the touch screen display capable of sensing points of contact between the screen and an individual operating the touch screen display;

a central processing unit operably connected to the screen and configured to;

receive signals from the screen regarding the points of contact on the screen;

compare a pattern of the points of contact with a predefined calibration initiating pattern which is a pattern extending around the periphery of the screen, the predefined calibration initiating pattern defining calibration parameters for use in the calibration of the touch screen display; and

in response to determining that the pattern of the points of contact matches the predefined calibration initiating pattern, cause the screen to display a prompt message requesting the individual to confirm initiation of calibration by repeating the predefined calibration initiating pattern.

2. The equipment of claim 1 wherein the central processing unit is operably connected to a database in which the predefined calibration initiating pattern is stored for comparison with the signals transmitted from the screen to the central processing unit.

3. The equipment of claim 1 further comprising a number of sensors adapted to be disposed on the item to be monitored and operably connected to the central processing unit.

4. A method for initiating a calibration of a touch screen display, the method comprising the steps of:

providing the touch screen display with a screen configured to sense points of contact between the screen and an individual;

providing a central processing unit and an electronic storage medium operably connected to one another and to the screen, and in which a calibration initiating pattern of points of contact with the screen is stored which is a pattern extending around the periphery of the screen, the calibration initiating pattern defining calibration parameters for use in the calibration of the touch screen display;

comparing a first pattern of the points of contact with the calibration initiating pattern; and

in response to determining that the first pattern of the points of contact matches the calibration initiating pattern, displaying on the screen a prompt message requesting the individual to confirm initiation of calibration by repeating the calibration initiating pattern.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving a second pattern of points of contact as a confirmation of calibration; and

calibrating the touch screen display.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the second pattern matches the calibration initiating pattern.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the first pattern of points of contact on the screen can be conducted at any time during the operation of the touch screen display.

8. A touch screen display comprising:

a screen capable of sensing points of contact between the screen and an individual operating the screen and generating signals representing the points of contact with the screen;

a central processing unit operably connected to the screen and configured to receive the signals from the screen regarding the points of contact on the touch screen display;

a storage medium operably connected to the central processing unit and in which a calibration initiating pattern of points of user-initiated contact with the screen is stored which is a pattern extending around the periphery of the screen, the calibration initiating pattern defining calibration parameters for use in the calibration of the touch screen display,

wherein the central processing unit is configured to;

compare a first pattern of the points of contact with the calibration initiating pattern; and

in response to determining that the first pattern of the points of contact matches the calibration initiating pattern, cause the screen to display a prompt message requesting the individual to confirm initiation of calibration by repeating the calibration initiating pattern.

9. The touch screen display of claim 8, wherein in the central processing unit is further configured to:

receive a second pattern of points of contact as a confirmation of calibration; and

calibrate the touch screen display.

10. The touch screen display of claim 8, wherein the calibration initiating pattern includes individual contacts at discrete points in a specified order.