Information handling system touch device false touch detection and mitigation

• US 10,664,101 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2018
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Files, Jace W., Yildiz, Yagiz Can, Morrison, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yodichkas, Aneeta
• Application Number:
  US16/021,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20200004377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• 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 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03548 Sliders, in which the moving part moves in a plane
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0393 Accessories for touch pads or touch screens, e.g. mechanical guides added to touch screens for drawing straight lines, hard keys overlaying touch screens or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Detection and tracking of a totem by a touchscreen touch controller mitigates false touches and false inputs by adapting capacitance at the totem feet. Totem feet have a capacitance that falls between a noise threshold and a finger touch threshold so that a pattern of the totem feet is detected separate from finger touches. Active capacitance is applied to one or more of the totem feet to enhance totem detection, such as by highlighting totem contact points of interest to an end user for a rotational versus linear input.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions to process information;

a memory interfaced with the processor to store the instructions and information;

a graphics processor interfaced with the processor to generate visual information from the information, the visual information configured to present visual images at a display;

a touchscreen display interfaced with the graphics processor and operable to present the visual images;

a touch controller interfaced with the touchscreen display, the touch controller detecting touches at the touchscreen; and

a totem disposed on the touchscreen and touching the touchscreen with plural feet having a predetermined touch pattern, at least one of the plural feet having an active capacitance selectively applied based upon one or more predetermined conditions.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:

the touchscreen display has a noise capacitance detection level, a finger capacitance detection level and a totem passive foot capacitance detection level of between the noise capacitance detection level and the finger capacitance detection level; and

a totem detector interfaced with the touch controller to detect a totem based upon detection of the predetermined touch pattern from touches having a totem passive foot capacitance within the totem passive foot capacitance detection level.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 further comprising:

a communication medium between the totem and the processor; and

a totem capacitance manager executing on the processor and operable to receive capacitance detected by the touch controller and to communicate an active capacitance level to the totem that brings capacitance of the one or more plural feet having active capacitance to the totem passive foot capacitance detection level.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the plural feet further comprise:

one or more feet disposed along the perimeter of the totem and associated with detection of rotation of the totem; and

at least one foot disposed at a central location of the totem and associated with detection of linear movement of the totem.

5. The information handling system of claim 4 further comprising:

a communication medium between the totem and the processor; and

a totem capacitive manager executing on the processor and operable to set active capacitance of the at least one of the plural feet at least in part based upon a user interface presented as a visual image at the touchscreen display.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the visual image comprises a rotational user interface relating input values to a rotational orientation of the totem and the totem capacitive manager sets active capacitance at the one or more feet disposed along the perimeter of the totem and removes active capacitance of the at least one foot disposed at a central location of the totem.

7. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the visual image comprises a linear user interface relating input values to a later position of the totem along the user interface and the totem capacitive manager sets active capacitance at the at least one foot disposed at a central location of the totem and removes active capacitance at the one or more feet disposed along the perimeter of the totem.

8. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein:

the totem capacitive manager is further operable to power down all active capacitance of the at least one of the plural feet if no user interface associated with the totem is presented at the touchscreen display.

9. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:

an accelerometer integrated in the totem and operable to detect motion along a vertical axis; and

a totem controller interfaced with the accelerometer and operable to remove active capacitance at the one or more of the plural feet.