TOUCH SENSING THROUGH HAND DISSECTION

• US 20080042987A1
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Westerman, Wayne, Elias, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,736,555 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24137 Distances to cluster centroïds
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-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 and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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 2203/04106 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 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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: G06V 30/19173 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1983 Syntactic or structural pattern recognition, e.g. symbolic string recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/107 : Static hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 : using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960725 : Charge-transfer

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for simultaneously tracking multiple finger and palm contacts as hands approach, touch, and slide across a proximity-sensing, multi-touch surface. Identification and classification of intuitive hand configurations and motions enables unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation, and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device.

Claims

1. A contact evaluation system comprising:

a. a contact identification unit that examines contacts with respect to sensor surface and produces first indications regarding the nature and position of sensed contacts;

b. a contact synchronization unit that receives and evaluates the first indications to determine if two or more contacts are activated substantially simultaneously and produces second indications identifying qualifying contacts;

c. a motion extraction unit that receives and evaluates the first indications produces third indications regarding motion of sensed contacts over time; and

d. an event generator that receives and evaluates second indications and third indications, and produces an event signal based thereon.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the contacts comprise identifiable portions of a human hand.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the contacts comprise a plurality of fingers and a portion of a hand other than a finger.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein contacts activated substantially simultaneously are either a plurality of fingers initiating contact with the sensor surface or a plurality of fingers terminating contact with the sensor surface.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein contacts comprise fingers that are within sensing range of the sensor surface but not physically touching the sensor surface.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the event signal indicates a chord.

7. A method comprising the steps of:

e. examining contacts with respect to sensor surface and producing first indications regarding the nature and position of sensed contacts;

f. evaluating the first indications to determine if two or more contacts are activated substantially simultaneously and producing second indications qualifying contacts;

g. evaluating the first indications and producing third indications regarding motion of sensed contacts over time; and

h. evaluating second indications and third indications and producing an event signal based thereon.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the contacts comprise identifiable portions of a human hand.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the contacts comprise a plurality of fingers and a portion of a hand other than a finger.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein contacts activated substantially simultaneously are either a plurality of fingers initiating contact with the sensor surface or a plurality of fingers terminating contact with the sensor surface.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein contacts comprise fingers that are within sensing range of the sensor surface but not physically touching the sensor surface.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the event signal indicates a chord.

13. A method comprising the steps of:

i. examining a human hand with respect to sensor surface and periodically producing first indications regarding the nature and position of sensed contacts, the contacts including identified hand parts;

j. evaluating the first indications to determine if two or more hand parts activate the sensor surface substantially simultaneously, and producing second indications identifying any such hand parts;

k. evaluating the first indications producing third indications regarding motion of sensed contacts over a plurality of periods; and

l. evaluating second indications and third indications and producing an event signal based thereon.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the sensed contacts comprise a plurality of fingers and a portion of a hand other than a finger.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein sensed contacts comprise portions of a human hand that are within sensing range of the sensor surface but not physically touching the sensor surface.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the event signal indicates a chord.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein periodically producing first indications comprises producing a first set of first indications at time t0;

producing a second set of first indications at time t1; and

producing a third set of first indications at time t2.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the time interval between times t0 and t1 is different than the time interval between times t1 and t2.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein two or more fingers activating the sensor surface comprises a plurality of fingers initiating contact with the sensor surface.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein two or more fingers activating the sensor surface comprises a plurality of fingers terminating contact with the sensor surface.