Orthogonal signaling touch user, hand and object discrimination systems and methods

• US 10,691,251 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2017
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tactual Labs Co.
• Original Assignee: Tactual Labs Co.
• Inventors: Leigh, Darren, Forlines, Clifton, Costa, Ricardo Jorge Jota, Wigdor, Daniel, Sanders, Steven Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Joseph, Dennis P
• Application Number:
  US15/800,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20180081489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• 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 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03542 Light pens for emitting or receiving light
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04182 Filtering of noise external to the device and not generated by digitiser components
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A system and method for distinguishing between sources of simultaneous touch events on a touch sensitive device are disclosed. The touch sensitive device includes row conductors and column conductors, the path of each of the row conductors crossing the path of each of the column conductors. Orthogonal row signals are generated on the row conductors and orthogonal column signals are generated on the column conductors. In an embodiment, an amount of each of the plurality of orthogonal row signals present on each of the plurality of row conductors is detected, an amount of each of the plurality of orthogonal column signals present on each of the plurality of column conductors is detected, and at least one of such amounts is used to associate each of the plurality of simultaneous touch events with a discrete source. The strength of such detected “crosstalk” between row conductors can be used to distinguish two or more touch events, such as by distinguishing a two-handed gesture from a one-handed gesture, distinguishing two touch events as having been initiated by different users, distinguishing a passive object from a hand, identifying a passive object, improving palm rejection and improving accidental-touch rejection.

Claims

1. A method for distinguishing between sources of a plurality of simultaneous touch events on a touch sensitive device, the touch sensitive device comprising a first plurality of conductors and a plurality of conductors, each of the first plurality of conductors being operatively connected to a transmitter adapted to transmit a separate one of a plurality of unique orthogonal signals thereupon, the first plurality of conductors and the second plurality of conductors being oriented in the touch sensitive device such that a touch event will cause a change in coupling between at least one of the first plurality of conductors and at least one of the second plurality of conductors, the method comprising:

detecting from each of the first plurality of conductors an amount of each of a plurality of unique orthogonal signals present on each of the plurality of conductors, each of the plurality of unique orthogonal signals being different from each other of the plurality of unique orthogonal signals in the plurality of unique orthogonal signals;

identifying body-transmitted crosstalk in the detected amounts, the body-transmitted crosstalk comprising at least one of the unique orthogonal signals in the plurality of unique orthogonal signals transmitted on one of the first plurality of conductors and coupled to another of the first plurality of conductors by a body; and

,

associating at least two of a plurality of simultaneous touch events based at least in part upon the identified body-transmitted crosstalk.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of distinguishing a two-handed gesture from a one-handed gesture.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of distinguishing at least two of the plurality of touch events as having been initiated by different users.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of distinguishing a passive object from a hand.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of identifying a passive object whether a user is touching the object or not.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of identifying a passive object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the passive object is a stylus.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of identifying a passive object comprises identifying a number of prongs that are connected together and form a specific pattern.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of identifying a passive object comprises switching to electrical connections between the touches in a pattern that is recognizable to the touch sensitive device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of identifying an active object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the active object comprises a signal generator.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the active object is a stylus.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the association to improve palm rejection.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the association to improve accidental-touch rejection.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining whether the plurality of touch events come from one hand.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining whether the plurality of touch events come from two hands of the same person.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining whether the plurality of touch events come from touches from multiple people.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining whether two contacts, each identified in different frames, are being made by different users.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining whether two contacts, each identified in different frames, are the same contact.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of utilizing multiple thresholds.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising using the multiple thresholds to determine at least one of:

whether two of the plurality of touch events come from one hand, whether two of the plurality of touch events come from two hands of the same person, or whether two of the plurality of touch events come from the hands of different people.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the thresholds are set adaptively as the touch-sensitive device is being used.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying touch events; and

wherein the step of associating identifying touch events is performed by a signal processor.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating identifying touch events comprises detecting coupling between one of the first plurality of conductors being touched by a first one of a user'"'"'s digits and another one of the first plurality of conductors being touched by a second one of the user'"'"'s digits.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating identifying touch events comprises detecting coupling between one of the second plurality of conductors being touched by a first one of a user'"'"'s digits and another one of the second plurality of conductors being touched by a second one of the user'"'"'s digits.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating identifying touch events comprises detecting coupling between at least one of the first plurality of conductors in proximity to a touch event caused by one part of a user'"'"'s body and at least another one of the first plurality of conductors in proximity to a touch event caused by another part of a user'"'"'s body.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the one part of a user'"'"'s body is a digit and the another part of the user'"'"'s body comprises the user'"'"'s palm.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the touch events comprise an action by a user that occurs in proximity to the touch sensitive device.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of applying a label to a contact.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

causing the label applied to the contact to persist across frames.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of conductors and the second plurality of conductors are arranged in a grid.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of conductors and column the second plurality of conductors are arranged in a shape other than a grid.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the row first plurality of conductors are arranged in concentric circles.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the column second plurality of conductors are arranged as spokes radiating out from a center of said concentric circles.

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising a third type of conductors in addition to the first plurality of conductors and the second plurality of conductors.

36. A method for distinguishing between sources of a plurality of simultaneous touch events on a touch sensitive device, the touch sensitive device comprising a plurality of first conductors and a plurality of second conductors, the plurality of first conductors and the plurality of second conductors being oriented in the touch sensitive device such that a touch event will cause a change in coupling between at least one of the plurality of first conductors and at least one of the plurality of second conductors, the method comprising:

detecting from each of the plurality of first conductors an amount of each of a plurality of unique orthogonal signals present on each of the plurality of first conductors, each of the plurality of unique orthogonal signals being different from each other of the plurality of unique orthogonal signals in the plurality of unique orthogonal signals;

identifying body-transmitted crosstalk in the detected amounts, the body-transmitted crosstalk comprising at least one of the unique orthogonal signals in the plurality of unique orthogonal signals transmitted on one of the plurality of first conductors and coupled to another of the plurality of first conductors by a body;

associating at least two of a plurality of simultaneous touch events based at least in part upon the identified body-transmitted crosstalk.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of:

generating unique ones of the plurality of unique orthogonal signals on each of the plurality of second conductors.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising the step of:

generating unique ones of the plurality of unique orthogonal signals on each of the plurality of first conductors.