METHOD AND APPARATUS TO REJECT ACCIDENTAL CONTACT ON A TOUCHPAD

• US 20090244092A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven P. Hotelling
• Original Assignee: Steven P. Hotelling
• Inventors: HOTELLING, STEVEN P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,952,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

In one exemplary embodiment, a portable computer having a display assembly coupled to a base assembly to alternate between a closed position and an open position. Palm rest areas are formed by a touchpad disposed on the surface of the base assembly. In an alternative embodiment, a touchpad disposed on the base assembly has a width that extends substantially into the palm rests areas of the base assembly.

Claims

1. A method for processing a contact touch on a touchpad disposed on a portable computer, the method comprising:

determining a size and a trajectory of the contact touch on the touchpad, wherein the touchpad is located in a palm rest region of the portable computer and wherein the contact touch on the touchpad is a physical contact with a user'"'"'s hand on the touchpad;

estimating a probability of intentional contact using measured quantities of the size and the trajectory of the contact touch;

establishing a strictness criteria to accept or reject the contact touch; and

measuring the size and the trajectory over a period of time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a location of the contact touch on the touchpad, wherein estimating a probability of intentional contact further includes using the location of the contact touch.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the establishing the strictness criteria further comprises repeating the determining of the location, size, and trajectory of the contact touch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the probability of an intentional contact decreases when the size of the contact touch is relatively large compared to a contact patch made by a finger.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the probability of an intentional contact increases when the trajectory exceeds a predetermined distance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the touchpad is divided into multiple sensing regions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the contact touch is determined to be within a first sensing region, further comprising:

determining a size and a trajectory of a second contact touch on the touchpad, wherein the contact touch on the touchpad is a physical contact with the user'"'"'s hand on a second region of the touchpad that occurs substantially at the same time as the contact touch within the first sensing region; and

estimating a probability of intentional contact using measured quantities of the size and the trajectory of the second contact touch.

8. A machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to perform a method for processing a contact touch on a touchpad disposed on a portable computer, the method comprising:

determining a size and a trajectory of the contact touch on the touchpad, wherein the touchpad is located in a palm rest region of the portable computer and wherein the contact touch on the touchpad is a physical contact with a user'"'"'s hand on the touchpad;

estimating a probability of intentional contact using measured quantities of the size and the trajectory of the contact touch;

establishing a strictness criteria to accept or reject the contact touch; and

measuring the size and the trajectory over a period of time.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a location of the contact touch on the touchpad, wherein estimating a probability of intentional contact further includes using the location of the contact touch.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the establishing the strictness criteria further comprises repeating the determining of the location, size, and trajectory of the contact touch.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the probability of an intentional contact decreases when the size of the contact touch is relatively large compared to a contact patch made by a finger.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the probability of an intentional contact increases when the trajectory exceeds a predetermined distance.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the touchpad is divided into multiple sensing regions.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the contact touch is determined to be within a first sensing region, further comprising:

determining a size and a trajectory of a second contact touch on the touchpad, wherein the contact touch on the touchpad is a physical contact with the user'"'"'s hand on a second region of the touchpad that occurs substantially at the same time as the contact touch within the first sensing region; and

estimating a probability of intentional contact using measured quantities of the size and the trajectory of the second contact touch.

15. A portable computer, comprising:

a processor; and

a touchpad located in a palm rest region of the portable computer and coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to

determine a location, a size, and a trajectory of the contact touch on the touchpad, wherein the contact touch on the touchpad is a physical contact with a user'"'"'s hand on the touchpad;

estimate a probability of intentional contact using measured quantities of the location, the size, and the trajectory of the contact touch;

establish a strictness criteria to accept or reject the contact touch; and

measure the location, the size, and the trajectory over a period of time.

16. The portable computer of claim 15, wherein the contact touch is determined to be within a first sensing region, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a location of the contact touch on the touchpad, wherein estimating a probability of intentional contact further includes using the location of the contact touch.

17. The portable computer of claim 16, wherein the establishing the strictness criteria further comprises repeating the determining of the location, size, and trajectory of the contact touch.

18. The portable computer of claim 15, wherein the probability of an intentional contact decreases when the size of the contact touch is relatively large compared to a contact patch made by a finger.

19. The portable computer of claim 15, wherein the probability of an intentional contact increases when the trajectory exceeds a predetermined distance.

20. The portable computer of claim 15, wherein the touchpad is divided into multiple sensing regions.

21. The portable computer of claim 20, wherein the contact touch is determined to be within a first sensing region, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine a size and a trajectory of a second contact touch on the touchpad, wherein the contact touch on the touchpad is a physical contact with the user'"'"'s hand on a second region of the touchpad that occurs substantially at the same time as the contact touch within the first sensing region; and

estimate a probability of intentional contact using measured quantities of the size and the trajectory of the second contact touch.

22. A method for processing two-handed touchpad input, the method comprising:

receiving multiple touchpad inputs, wherein the touchpad inputs result from physical contact with a first hand and a second hand on one or more touchpads disposed on a portable computer;

associating the touchpad input from the first hand with a first device functionality;

associating the touchpad input from the second hand with a second device functionality; and

displaying the first and second device functionalities on a display screen of the portable computer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the touchpad is divided into multiple sensing regions and wherein the touchpad input from the first hand is received due to contact with a first sensing region of a first touchpad and the touchpad input from the second hand is received due to contact with a second sensing region of the first touchpad.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the touchpad input from the first hand is received due to contact with a first touchpad and the touchpad input from the second hand is received due to contact with a second touchpad.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the first device functionality is a cursor control operation.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the second device functionality is one of the following:

scrolling, panning, rotation, and zooming of objects or data on the display screen.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

estimating a probability of intentional contact for the contact with the touchpad input from the first hand; and

estimating a probability of intentional contact for the contact with the touchpad input from the second hand.

28. A machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to perform a method for processing two-handed touchpad input, the method comprising:

receiving multiple touchpad inputs, wherein the touchpad inputs result from physical contact with a first hand and a second hand on one or more touchpads disposed on a portable computer;

associating the touchpad input from the first hand with a first device functionality;

associating the touchpad input from the second hand with a second device functionality; and

displaying the first and second device functionalities on a display screen of the portable computer.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the touchpad input from the first hand is received due to contact with a first sensing region of a first touchpad and the touchpad input from the second hand is received due to contact with a second sensing region of the first touchpad.

30. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the touchpad input from the first hand is received due to contact with a first touchpad and the touchpad input from the second hand is received due to contact with a second touchpad.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the first device functionality is a cursor control operation.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the second device functionality is one of the following:

scrolling, panning, rotation, and zooming of objects or data on the display screen.

33. The machine-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

estimating a probability of intentional contact for the contact with the touchpad input from the first hand; and

estimating a probability of intentional contact for the contact with the touchpad input from the second hand.

34. A portable computer comprising:

a processor;

a display screen coupled to the processor; and

one or more touchpads coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to

receive multiple touchpad inputs, wherein the touchpad inputs result from physical contact with a first hand and a second hand on the one or more touchpads,

associate the touchpad input from the first hand with a first device functionality,

associate the touchpad input from the second hand with a second device functionality, and

display the first and second device functionalities on the display screen.

35. The portable computer of claim 34, wherein the touchpad input from the first hand is received due to contact with a first sensing region of a first touchpad and the touchpad input from the second hand is received due to contact with a second sensing region of the first touchpad.

36. The portable computer of claim 34, wherein the touchpad input from the first hand is received due to contact with a first touchpad and the touchpad input from the second hand is received due to contact with a second touchpad.

37. The portable computer of claim 34, wherein the first device functionality is a cursor control operation.

38. The portable computer of claim 34, wherein the second device functionality is one of the following:

scrolling, panning, rotation, and zooming of objects or data on the display screen.

39. The portable computer of claim 34, wherein the processor is further configured to:

estimate a probability of intentional contact for the contact with the touchpad input from the first hand; and

estimate a probability of intentional contact for the contact with the touchpad input from the second hand.