User interface interaction using touch input force

• US 10,248,262 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2012
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• 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): Li, Lin
• Application Number:
  US13/681,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20130141364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,325 Days
• Field of Search: 200 5 A, 307119, 315291, 34081573, 345173, 345211, 345419, 455566, 600504, 715863
• 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

Providing a user interface interaction is disclosed. A first set of one or more indicators associated with a first location on a touch input surface and a first force intensity of a touch input provided on the touch input surface is received. A user interface object associated with the first location is determined. A second set of one or more indicators associated with a second location on the touch input surface and a second force intensity of the touch input that has been in continuous contact with the touch input surface at least since the touch input was provided at the first location is received. The user interface interaction based at least in part on the user interface object, the first set of indicators, and the second set of indicators is provided.

Claims

1. A system for providing a user interface interaction, comprising:

a communication interface configured to;

receive a first set of one or more indicators associated with a first location on a touch input surface and a first force intensity of a touch input provided on and in direct contact with the touch input surface, wherein the first force intensity is within a first threshold range and corresponds to a first type of user interface indication, and

receive a second set of one or more indicators associated with a second location on the touch input surface and a second force intensity of the touch input that has been in continuous direct contact with the touch input surface at least since the touch input was provided at the first location, wherein the second force intensity is within a second threshold range and corresponds to a user selection of a second user interface object located at the second location; and

a processor configured to;

detect the first location at least in part by detecting a disturbance to an acoustic wave, wherein the acoustic wave is propagated freely in multiple directions by a same transmitter to a plurality of sensors through a touch input region of a propagating medium of the touch input surface and the disturbance is caused by the touch input,

determine a value of the first force intensity based at least in part on a measurement of an amplitude associated with a disturbed portion of the acoustic wave disturbed by the touch input associated with the first location of the touch input, wherein the same disturbed portion of the same acoustic wave is used determine both the first location of the touch input and the value of the first force intensity,

determine a first user interface object associated with the first location,

determine that the touch input has been in continuous direct contact with the touch input surface at least from when the touch input was provided at the first location to when the touch input was dragged to the second location,

determine that the second force intensity corresponds to a different type of user interface indication than the first force intensity, wherein the second force intensity indicates a selection of the second user interface object with respect to the first user interface object, and

provide the user interface interaction based at least in part on the second user interface object with respect to the first user interface object, the determination that the touch input has been in continuous direct contact, the determination that the second force intensity corresponds to a different type of user interface indication than the first force intensity, the first set of one or more indicators, and the second set of one or more indicators.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch input is associated with dragging the first user interface object to the second user interface object.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch input is associated with dragging the first user interface object from the first location to the second location.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first user interface object is a file system object.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first threshold range and the second threshold range are each configurable.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second user interface object is a file directory object.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface interaction is associated with descending a file system hierarchy of a file system folder represented by an icon located at the second location in the event the second force intensity meets a threshold that was not met by the first force intensity.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second user interface object is a user interface menu.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch input is associated with navigating a user interface menu.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface interaction is associated with selecting a menu item located at the second location in the event the second force intensity meets a threshold that was not met by the first force intensity.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch input is associated with selecting content located within an area.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface interaction is associated with providing a context menu associated with the second user interface object in the event the second force intensity meets a threshold that was not met by the first force intensity.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface interaction is associated with an object magnifying at least a portion of an area surrounding a current location associated with the touch input.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface interaction is associated with selecting the second user interface object displayed at the second location in a magnified view in the event the second force intensity meets a threshold that was not met by the first force intensity.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface interaction is associated with changing a window tab.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the first user interface object includes a file folder.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface interaction is associated with descending a file directory.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first user interface object represents a file and the second user interface object represents a folder and a variation in applied force intensity corresponds to navigation of a folder hierarchy of the second user interface object.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the acoustic wave is propagated through the propagating medium without a reflective array.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the first force intensity is determined based at least in part on a difference in amplitude between the acoustic wave and a reference signal unaffected by the disturbance.

21. A method for providing a user interface interaction, comprising:

receiving a first set of one or more indicators associated with a first location on a touch input surface and a first force intensity of a touch input provided on and in direct contact with the touch input surface, wherein the first force intensity is within a first threshold range and corresponds to a first type of user interface indication;

determining a first user interface object associated with the first location;

detecting the first location at least in part by detecting a disturbance to an acoustic wave, wherein the acoustic wave is propagated freely in multiple directions by a same transmitter to a plurality of sensors through a touch input region of a propagating medium of the touch input surface and the disturbance is caused by the touch input;

determining a value of the first force intensity based at least in part on a measurement of an amplitude associated with a disturbed portion of the acoustic wave disturbed by the touch input associated with the first location of the touch input, wherein the same disturbed portion of the same acoustic wave is used determine both the first location of the touch input and the value of the first force intensity;

receiving a second set of one or more indicators associated with a second location on the touch input surface and a second force intensity of the touch input that has been in continuous direct contact with the touch input surface at least since the touch input was provided at the first location, wherein the second force intensity is within a second threshold range and corresponds to a user selection of a second user interface object located at the second location;

determining that the touch input has been in continuous direct contact with the touch input surface at least from when the touch input was provided at the first location to when the touch input was dragged to the second location;

determining that the second force intensity corresponds to a different type of user interface indication than the first force intensity, wherein the second force intensity indicates a selection of the second user interface object with respect to the first user interface object; and

using a processor to provide the user interface interaction based at least in part on the second user interface object with respect to the first user interface object, the determination that the touch input has been in continuous direct contact, the determination that the second force intensity corresponds to a different type of user interface indication than the first force intensity, the first set of one or more indicators, and the second set of one or more indicators.

22. A computer program product for providing a user interface interaction, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a first set of one or more indicators associated with a first location on a touch input surface and a first force intensity of a touch input provided on and in direct contact with the touch input surface, wherein the first force intensity is within a first threshold range and corresponds to a first type of user interface indication;

determining a first user interface object associated with the first location;

detecting the first location at least in part by detecting a disturbance to an acoustic wave, wherein the acoustic wave is propagated freely in multiple directions by a same transmitter to a plurality of sensors through a touch input region of a propagating medium of the touch input surface and the disturbance is caused by the touch input;

determining a value of the first force intensity based at least in part on a measurement of an amplitude associated with a disturbed portion of the acoustic wave disturbed by the touch input associated with the first location of the touch input, wherein the same disturbed portion of the same acoustic wave is used determine both the first location of the touch input and the value of the first force intensity;

receiving a second set of one or more indicators associated with a second location on the touch input surface and a second force intensity of the touch input that has been in continuous direct contact with the touch input surface at least since the touch input was provided at the first location, wherein the second force intensity is within a second threshold range and corresponds to a user selection of a second user interface object located at the second location;

determining that the touch input has been in continuous direct contact with the touch input surface at least from when the touch input was provided at the first location to when the touch input was dragged to the second location;

determining that the second force intensity corresponds to a different type of user interface indication than the first force intensity, wherein the second force intensity indicates a selection of the second user interface object with respect to the first user interface object; and

providing the user interface interaction based at least in part on the second user interface object with respect to the first user interface object, the determination that the touch input has been in continuous direct contact, the determination that the second force intensity corresponds to a different type of user interface indication than the first force intensity, the first set of one or more indicators, and the second set of one or more indicators.