WRITING USING A TOUCH SENSOR

• US 20100149134A1
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John G. Elias, Wayne Westerman
• Original Assignee: John G. Elias, Wayne Westerman
• Inventors: Westerman, Wayne, Elias, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,348,452 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/179
• 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 method comprising the steps of:

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

b. evaluating a first set of the first indications to determine if the character of sensed contacts is consistent with a hand gripping a writing implement for writing on the sensor surface;

c. evaluating a second set of the first indications to determine if the character of sensed contacts is consistent with a hand gripping a writing implement for writing on the sensor surface;

d. if the character of both the first set and the second set are both consistent with gripping a writing implement, producing second indications regarding the perceived motion of the perceived writing implement.

2. The method of claim 1 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.

3. The method of claim 1 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.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the time interval between times t0 and t1 is different than the time interval between times t1 and t2.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein second indication comprise inking events.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein second indications comprise a character code.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second indications are inking events and further comprising the step, evaluating a plurality of inking events and based thereon, producing an indication of a character.

8. A contact evaluation system comprising:

e. a contact identification unit that examines contacts with respect to a sensor surface and produces first indications regarding the nature and position of sensed contacts, the sensed contacts comprising identified portions of a human hand;

f. a handwriting detection unit that evaluates a plurality of first indications to determine if the character of sensed contacts is consistent with a hand gripping a writing implement and writing on the sensor surface;

g. an event generator that generates an event if the character of the sensed contacts is consistent with a hand gripping a writing implement and writing.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the event comprises indications regarding the perceived motion of the perceived writing implement.

10. The system of claim 8 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.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of first indications comprises a first set of first indications at time t0, a second set of first indications at time t1, and a third set of first indications at time t2.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the time elapsed between time t0 and time t1 is the same as the time elapsed between time t1 and t2.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the time elapsed between time t0 and time t1 is different than the time elapsed between time t1 and t2.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein second indications comprises an inking event.

15. The system of claim 8 wherein second indications comprises a character code.

16. The system of claim 8 wherein the second indications comprise an inking event and an inking evaluation unit evaluates the inking events and produces a character in response thereto.