Apparatus and method for detecting hard and soft touch by using acoustic sensors

• US 10,437,392 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2012
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Bajaj, Nitin, Ankapura, Madan
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/542,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,651 Days
• Field of Search: 345173
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for detecting a touch input to a touchscreen and distinguishing between different types of touch inputs are provided. The method includes detecting the input to a touch screen of the terminal, and determining an input type that is input to the touch screen based on characteristics of the input.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an input to a device comprising:

providing a prompt to select a user configurable input type;

receiving a user input, which defines a function with the input type, a first function being defined with a soft touch input type and a second function being defined with a hard touch input type;

detecting an input to a touch screen of the device via a plurality of acoustic sensors;

determining the type of the input based on an acoustic characteristic of the input detected via the plurality of acoustic sensors; and

performing the defined function based on the type of the input,

wherein the characteristic of the input distinguishes between a touch input from a fingertip and a knuckle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the function with the input type is user configurable.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the function with the input type includes a context of the input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input type is determined based on physical characteristics of the input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the input to the touch screen includes determining a location on the touch screen at which the input occurred.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first function corresponds to a function associated with the location at which the input occurred.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of whether the input is the hard touch or the soft touch includes detecting a sound generated by the input to the touch screen.

8. The method of claim 7,

wherein a plurality of acoustic sensors positioned around the touch screen detect the sound generated by the input, and

wherein a controller determines whether the input is the hard touch or the soft touch.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second function corresponds to a function associated with an advanced function.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the advanced function includes at least one of initiating unlocking of the device, or initiating display of a menu.

11. A device comprising:

a touch screen;

a plurality of acoustic sensors; and

a controller configured to;

provide a prompt to select a user configurable input type,

receive a user input, which defines a function with the input type, a first function being defined with a soft touch input type and a second function being defined with a hard touch input type,

detect an input to a touch screen of the device via the plurality of acoustic sensors,

determine the type of the input based on an acoustic characteristic of the input detected via the plurality of acoustic sensors, and

perform the defined function based on the type of the input,

wherein the characteristic of the input distinguishes between a touch input from a fingertip and a knuckle.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the defining of the function with the input type is user configurable.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the defining of the function with the input type includes a context of the input.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the input type based on physical characteristics of the input detected by the audio sensor.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the input is the hard touch or the soft touch according to sound generated by the input to the touch screen.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the audio sensor comprises a plurality of audio sensors positioned around the touch screen and are configured to detect the sound generated by the input.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the controller is further configured to determine, based on data received from the touch screen, a location on the touch screen at which an input occurred.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the first function corresponds to a function associated with a location at which the input occurred.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the second function corresponds to a function associated with an advanced function.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the advanced function includes at least one of initiating unlocking of the device, or initiating display of a menu.

21. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, including instructions executable by a processor, the instructions comprising:

providing a prompt to select a user configurable input type;

receiving a user input, which defines a function with the input type, a first function being defined with a soft touch input type and a second function being defined with a hard touch input type;

detecting an input to a touch screen of the device via a plurality of acoustic sensors;

determining the type of the input based on an acoustic characteristic of the input detected via the plurality of acoustic sensors; and

performing the defined function based on the type of the input,

wherein the characteristic of the input distinguishes between a touch input from a fingertip and a knuckle.