Method of optimizing touch detection

• US 10,152,162 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2015
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bokma, Louis W., O'Connor, Sean E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Polo, Gustavo
• Application Number:
  US14/859,021
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• 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 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is disclosed. The method includes: receiving a first signal from a first sensor of the device, the first signal indicative of a grounding condition of the device; setting one or more touch detection thresholds based on the grounding condition; receiving a touch signal from a touch sensor of the device, the touch signal indicative of a touch by an object; and determining whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceeds the one or more touch detection thresholds.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising:

a first sensor configured to provide signals indicative of whether the wearable device is being worn;

a touch sensor configured to provide a touch signal indicative of a touch by a touch object; and

a processor operably coupled to both the first sensor and the touch sensor and configured to

set one or more touch detection thresholds based on whether the wearable device is being worn, and

determine whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceed the one or more touch detection thresholds.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to register a touch corresponding to the touch signal when the one or more parameters of the touch signal exceed the one or more touch detection thresholds and not register a touch when the one or more parameters of the touch signal do not exceed the one or more touch detection thresholds.

3. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises at least one of a proximity sensor, physiological sensor, optical sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, color sensor, and capacitive sensor.

4. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor and the touch sensor are on opposite surfaces of the wearable device.

5. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the one or more touch detection thresholds are set higher when the wearable device is determined to be worn by the person than when the wearable device is determined not to be worn by the person.

6. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor comprises a physiological sensor.

7. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the one or more touch detection thresholds comprise at least one of a touch volume threshold, a touch density threshold, and an ellipse radius threshold.

8. The wearable device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceed the one or more touch detection thresholds by calculating a touch volume based on the touch signal and comparing the calculated touch volume to the touch volume threshold.

9. The wearable device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceed the one or more touch detection thresholds by calculating a touch density from the touch signal and compare the calculated touch density to the touch density threshold.

20. The wearable device of claim 8, wherein the touch volume is calculated based on a touch area and amplitudes of touch signals within the touch area.

21. The wearable device of claim 9, wherein the touch density is calculated based on a dimension of the touch area and peak capacitance values from the touch area, wherein the dimension of the touch area and peak capacitance values are derivable from the touch signal.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first sensor of a wearable device, the first signal indicative of whether the wearable device is being worn;

setting one or more touch detection thresholds based on whether the wearable device is being worn;

receiving a touch signal from a touch sensor of the wearable device, the touch signal indicative of a touch by an object; and

determining whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceed the one or more touch detection thresholds.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

registering a touch corresponding to the touch signal when the one or more parameters of the touch signal exceed the one or more touch detection thresholds; and

not registering a touch when the one or more parameters of the touch signal do not exceed the one or more touch detection thresholds.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the one or more touch detection thresholds comprise at least one of a touch volume threshold, a touch density threshold, and an ellipse radius threshold.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising determining whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceed the one or more touch detection threshold by calculating a touch volume based on the touch signal and comparing the calculated touch volume to the touch volume threshold.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising determining whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceed the one or more touch thresholds by calculating a touch density from the touch signal and comparing the calculated touch density to the touch density threshold.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising setting the one or more touch detection thresholds higher when the wearable device is determined to be worn by a person than when the wearable device is determined not to be worn by the person.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the touch volume is calculated based on a touch area and amplitudes of the touch signals within the touch area.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the touch density is calculated based on a dimension of the touch area and peak capacitance values from the touch area, wherein the dimensions of the touch area and peak capacitance values are derivable from the touch signal.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, the computer readable medium containing instructions that, when executed by a wearable device including a processor, can perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a first signal from a first sensor of a wearable device, the first signal indicative of whether the wearable device is being worn;

setting one or more touch detection thresholds based on whether the wearable device is being worn;

receiving a touch signal from a touch sensor of the wearable device, the touch signal indicative of a touch by an object; and

determining whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceed the one or more touch detection thresholds.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising:

registering a touch corresponding to the touch signal when the one or more parameters of the touch signal exceed the one or more touch detection thresholds; and

not registering a touch when the one or more parameters of the touch signal do not exceed the one or more touch detection thresholds.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more touch detection thresholds comprise at least one of a touch volume threshold, a touch density threshold, and an ellipse radius threshold.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising setting the one or more touch detection thresholds higher when the wearable device is determined to be worn by a person than when the wearable device is determined not to be worn by the person.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16, the method further comprising determining whether one or more parameters of the touch signal exceed the one or more touch detection threshold by calculating a touch volume based on the touch signal and comparing the calculated touch volume to the touch volume threshold or by calculating a touch density from the touch signal and comparing the calculated touch density to the touch density threshold.