Bump suppression

• US 20110187652A1
• Filed: 03/23/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bump Technologies Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Huibers, Andrew G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,531,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for reducing misinterpretation of gesture-based input to portable electronic devices are described.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a touch input sensor that generates a touch event;

an accelerometer that generates accelerometer data; and

,

a filter comprising;

an accelerometer event block that determines the existence of an accelerometer event based on the accelerometer data; and

,

a decision block that issues digital output indicating whether or not a bump event has occurred by comparing the touch event and the accelerometer event.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer event block generates an accelerometer event if the accelerometer data indicates that a rate of change of acceleration exceeds a first threshold value.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the accelerometer event block generates an accelerometer event if the accelerometer data indicates that a rate of change of acceleration exceeds a first threshold value immediately after having been less than a second threshold value for at least a predetermined amount of time.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the decision block indicates that a bump event has occurred if an accelerometer event occurs and no touch events occur within a time T₀ before or after the accelerometer event.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the decision block indicates that a bump event has occurred if an accelerometer event occurs and no touch events occur within a time T₁ before the accelerometer event and no touch events occur within a time T₂ after the accelerometer event.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the touch input device is a touch screen.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the touch input device is a button or keyboard.

8. A device comprising:

a touch input sensor that generates a touch down event and a touch up event;

an accelerometer that generates accelerometer data; and

,

a filter comprising;

an accelerometer event block that determines the existence of an accelerometer event based on the accelerometer data;

a time delay block that delays the existence of the accelerometer event; and

,

a decision block that issues digital output indicating whether or not a bump event has occurred by comparing the touch events and the delayed accelerometer event.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the accelerometer event block generates an accelerometer event if the accelerometer data indicates that a rate of change of acceleration exceeds a first threshold value.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the accelerometer event block generates an accelerometer event if the accelerometer data indicates that a rate of change of acceleration exceeds a first threshold value immediately after having been less than a second threshold value for at least a predetermined amount of time.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein the decision block indicates that a bump event has occurred if a delayed accelerometer event occurs outside a time range that begins when the touch down event occurs and ends when the touch up event occurs.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein the touch input device is a touch screen.

13. The device of claim 8 wherein the touch input device is a button or keyboard.

14. A device comprising:

a touch input sensor that generates a touch down event and a touch up event;

an accelerometer that generates accelerometer data; and

,

a filter comprising;

an accelerometer event block that determines the existence of an accelerometer event based on the accelerometer data;

a first time delay block that delays the existence of the accelerometer event;

a second time delay block that provides a delayed copy of the touch down event;

a third time delay block that provides a delayed copy of the touch up event; and

,

a decision block that issues digital output indicating whether or not a bump event has occurred by comparing the touch events, the delayed copies of the touch events and the delayed accelerometer event.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the accelerometer event block generates an accelerometer event if the accelerometer data indicates that a rate of change of acceleration exceeds a first threshold value.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein the accelerometer event block generates an accelerometer event if the accelerometer data indicates that a rate of change of acceleration exceeds a first threshold value immediately after having been less than a second threshold value for at least a predetermined amount of time.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein the decision block indicates that a bump event has occurred if a delayed accelerometer event occurs outside both:

a first time range that begins when the touch down event occurs and ends when the delayed copy of the touch down event occurs, and a second time range that begins when the touch up event occurs and ends when the delayed copy of the touch up event occurs.

18. The device of claim 14 wherein the touch input device is a touch screen.

19. The device of claim 14 wherein the touch input device is a button or keyboard.

20. A device comprising:

a touch input sensor that generates a touch down event and a touch up event;

an microphone that generates sound data; and

,

a filter comprising;

a sound event block that determines the existence of a sound event based on the sound data;

a first time delay block that delays the existence of the sound event;

a second time delay block that provides a delayed copy of the touch down event;

a third time delay block that provides a delayed copy of the touch up event; and

,

a decision block that issues digital output indicating whether or not a bump event has occurred by comparing the touch events, the delayed copies of the touch events and the delayed sound event.

21. The device of claim 20 wherein the sound event block generates a sound event if the sound data represent a passive thud as determined by analysis of duration and frequency content of the data.

22. The device of claim 20 wherein the sound event block generates a sound event if the sound data represent a bit sequence encoded as sounds.

23. The device of claim 20 wherein the decision block indicates that a bump event has occurred if a delayed sound event occurs outside both:

a first time range that begins when the touch down event occurs and ends when the delayed copy of the touch down event occurs, and a second time range that begins when the touch up event occurs and ends when the delayed copy of the touch up event occurs.

24. The device of claim 20 wherein the touch input device is a touch screen.

25. The device of claim 20 wherein the touch input device is a button or keyboard.

26. A device comprising:

one or more physical sensors that generate sensor data;

one or more filters that;

(a) interpret the sensor data to create sensor events; and

,

(b) interpret timing relationships between sensor events to create additional events.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein one of the sensor events is an in-pocket event indicating that the device is in a pocket.

28. The device of claim 26 wherein in one of the sensor events is a not-moving event indicating that the device has not moved for at least a predetermined time interval.

29. The device of claim 26 wherein the one or more physical sensors comprise a touch screen and a gyro.

30. The device of claim 26 wherein the one or more physical sensors comprise an accelerometer and a gyro.

31. A method comprising:

providing a mobile device having an accelerometer and a touch input device;

creating a touch down event whenever touch input commences and a delayed copy of the touch down event a first predetermined time interval later;

creating a touch up event whenever touch input commences and a delayed copy of the touch up event a second predetermined time interval later;

creating an accelerometer event based on rate of change of acceleration exceeding a predetermined threshold value and a delayed copy of the accelerometer event a third predetermined time interval later; and

,

creating a bump event by comparing the comparing the touch events, the delayed copies of the touch events and the delayed accelerometer event.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein any one or more of the predetermined time intervals is zero seconds.

33. The method of claim 31 wherein comparing the touch events, the delayed copies of the touch events and the delayed accelerometer event comprises determining if the delayed accelerometer event occurs outside both:

a first time range that begins when the touch down event occurs and ends when the delayed copy of the touch down event occurs, and a second time range that begins when the touch up event occurs and ends when the delayed copy of the touch up event occurs.