Apparatus, method and computer program for enabling a user to make user inputs

• US 10,466,840 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Williamson, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lamb, Christopher R
• Application Number:
  US15/108,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20160320915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An apparatus, method and computer program wherein the apparatus includes processing circuitry; and memory circuitry including computer program instructions; wherein the memory circuitry and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: detect a user input including one or more fingers; identify a tremor characteristic for each of the one or more fingers; determine a correlation between the tremor characteristic of a first finger and another detected tremor characteristic; wherein if the correlation is above a threshold a first output signal is provided and if the correlation is below a threshold a second output signal is provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

processing circuitry; and

memory circuitry including computer program instructions, wherein the memory circuitry and the computer program instructions are configured, with the processing circuitry, to cause the apparatus to;

detect a first user input and a second user input made simultaneously by a first finger and a second finger, respectively, on a touch-sensitive display having a sensor array and a display;

identify a tremor characteristic for each of the first and second fingers, said tremor characteristic being determined for each of the first and second fingers by measuring movement of each of said first and second fingers in a direction perpendicular to said touch-sensitive display;

determine a correlation between the tremor characteristic of the first finger and the tremor characteristic of the second finger; and

provide a first output signal from the first and second input signals when the correlation is above a threshold and a second output signal from the first and second input signals when the correlation is below a threshold,

whereby the apparatus performs one function in response to the first output signal and another function in response to the second output signal.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the additional user input is made by more than two fingers and a tremor characteristic is identified for each of the more than two fingers.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein a correlation among the tremor characteristics for the more than two fingers is determined.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein, when the correlation is above the threshold, it is determined that the first and second fingers belong to the same hand and, when the correlation is below the threshold, it is determined that the first and second fingers belong to different hands.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the detected first and second user inputs are made by the first and second fingers, respectively, positioned close to the touch-sensitive display.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first output signal causes a first function to be performed and the second output signal causes a second function different from the first function to be performed.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tremor characteristic comprises the phase of a tremor.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tremor characteristic comprises the amplitude of a tremor.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sensor array of the touch-sensitive display includes one or more capacitive sensors.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a tremor is caused by unintentional movement of a user of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein a tremor causes fluctuations in the signals provided by the sensor array within the touch-sensitive display.

12. An electronic device comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

13. A mobile telephone comprising the apparatus as claimed in claim 1.

14. A method comprising:

detecting a first user input and a second user input made simultaneously by a first finger and a second finger, respectively, on a touch-sensitive display having a sensor array and a display;

identifying a tremor characteristic for each of the first and second fingers, said tremor characteristic being determined for each of the first and second fingers by measuring movement of each of said first and second fingers in a direction perpendicular to said touch-sensitive display;

determining a correlation between the tremor characteristic of the first finger and the tremor characteristic of the second finger; and

providing a first output signal from the first and second input signals when the correlation is above a threshold and a second output signal from the first and second input signals when the correlation is below a threshold,

whereby one function is performed by an apparatus in response to the first output signal and another function in response to the second output signal.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein additional user input is made by more than two fingers and a tremor characteristic is determined for each of the more than two fingers.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein a correlation between the tremor characteristics for the more than two fingers is determined.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein, when the correlation is above the threshold, it is determined that the first and second fingers belong to the same hand and, when the correlation is below the threshold, it is determined that the first and second fingers belong to different hands.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein the detected first and second user inputs are made by the first and second fingers, respectively, positioned close to the touch-sensitive display.

19. The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein at least one of the following applies:

the first output signal causes a first function to be performed and the second output signal causes a second function different from the first function to be performed,

the tremor characteristic comprises the phase of a tremor,

the tremor characteristic comprises the amplitude of a tremor,

the sensor array of the touch-sensitive display includes one or more capacitive sensors, wherein

a tremor is caused by unintentional movement of a user of the apparatus, and

a tremor causes fluctuations in the signals provided by the sensor array within the touch-sensitive display.

20. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, said device tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by a machine for performing operations, where, when the program of instructions is executed by processing circuitry of the machine, the operations perform at least the method as claimed in claim 14.