DETECTING AND LOCATING A TOUCH OR A TAP ON AN INPUT SURFACE

• US 20080150902A1
• Filed: 12/26/2006
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Edpalm, Hanna Mia Selma, Bornmyr, Mats
• Granted Patent: US 7,999,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A device may receive measurements from an accelerometer in relation to a tap on a surface. The device may process the measurements to obtain a signal that indicates an occurrence of the tap on the surface and may produce the location of the tap based on the processed measurements.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving measurements from an accelerometer in relation to a tap on a surface;

processing the measurements to obtain a signal that indicates an occurrence of the tap on the surface; and

producing a location of the tap based on the processed measurements.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein processing the measurements comprises:

removing noise.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein removing noise comprises:

removing noise that has low frequency components.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein producing a location of the tap comprises:

comparing reference signals to the obtained signal;

selecting a reference signal that best matches the obtained signal; and

outputting a location of an input region that is associated with the reference signal.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein producing a location of the tap comprises:

comparing reference signals to the obtained signal;

selecting one or more reference signals that best match the obtained signal; and

outputting a location of the tap based on input regions that are associated with the reference signals.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein comparing reference signals to the obtained signal comprises:

matching frequency components of at least one of the reference signals to frequency components of the obtained signal.

7. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

displaying output images on the surface.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein producing a location further comprises:

obtaining a location of an object near the surface from an electric field sensor; and

outputting the location of the object.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein outputting the location of the object comprises:

outputting the location of the object when it is determined that there is an occurrence of the tap on the surface.

10. A device comprising:

an input surface;

an accelerometer for determining changes in inertia; and

a processor to;

receive sample values from the accelerometer in accordance with the changes in inertia relating to a tap on the input surface;

process the sample values to obtain a signal that indicates an occurrence of the tap on the input surface; and

produce a location of the tap based on the processed sample values.

11. The device as in claim 10, wherein the input surface comprises:

one or more input regions; and

one or more reference signals, each reference signal being associated with one of the one or more input regions.

12. The device as in claim 10, wherein the input surface comprises:

one or more input regions that are non-contiguous.

13. The device as in claim 10, wherein the input surface comprises:

one or more input regions that are contiguous.

14. The device as in claim 10, wherein the input surface comprises:

a surface of a display screen.

15. The device as in claim 10, wherein:

the sample values comprise values that indicate vibrations of the input surface.

16. The device as in claim 10, further comprising:

an electric field sensor that outputs a location of an object that is near the input surface based on changes in an electric field near the input surface; and

determining the location of the tap based on the location of the object that is near the input surface and on the signal that indicates the occurrence of the tap.

17. The device as in claim 10, wherein

the sample values comprise values in one, two, or three axes.

18. A device comprising:

means for receiving an input tap;

means for generating a signal, which indicates a vibration, based on variations in inertia;

means for processing the signal to obtain a value that denotes an occurrence of the input tap on the means for receiving the input tap; and

means for locating the input tap on the means for receiving the input tap.

19. The device as in claim 18, further comprising:

means for generating a location of an object that is near the means for receiving the input tap based on changes in an electric field near the means for receiving the input tap.

20. The device as in claim 18, wherein the means for receiving the input tap includes means for displaying output images.