Systems and Methods For Automatic Disable of Input Devices

• US 20110291922A1
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mori, Hidetoshi, Matsubara, Masaki, Stewart, Aaron Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,256,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 3/041661 using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses and computer program products configured to provide intelligent filtering techniques to reduce errant device inputs are described. For example, filtering out the data input from a touch pad while typing on the keyboard or operating with a pointing stick, even if the touch pad is sensing contact, is augmented by continuing to filter data from the touch pad until the contact on the touch pad ends.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more input devices; and

one or more processors;

wherein, responsive to execution of computer readable program code accessible to the one or more processors, the one or more processors are configured to;

ascertain inadvertent input via the one or more input devices;

responsive to inadvertent input via the one or more input devices, disable one or more of the one or more input devices; and

responsive to detecting removal of the inadvertent input via the one or more input devices, re-enable the one or more of the one or more input devices previously disabled.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more input devices include at least a keyboard and a touchpad.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the one or more of the one or more input devices providing inadvertent input is the touchpad.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inadvertent input is touchpad input.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine if a start zone has been used.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein responsive to determining the start zone has not been used, implementing a hard disable of a touchpad.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to increment a counter responsive to ascertaining the inadvertent input.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to implement a hard disable if the counter exceeds a predetermined threshold.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to ascertain inadvertent input via the one or more input devices;

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to inadvertent input via the one or more input devices, disable one or more of the one or more input devices; and

computer readable program code configured to, responsive to detecting removal of the inadvertent input via the one or more input devices, re-enable the one or more of the one or more input devices previously disabled.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the one or more input devices include at least a keyboard and a touchpad.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the one or more of the one or more input devices providing inadvertent input is the touchpad.

12. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the inadvertent input is touchpad input.

13. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to determine if a start zone has been used.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to, responsive to determining the start zone has not been used, implement a hard disable of a touchpad.

15. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to increment a counter responsive to ascertaining the inadvertent input

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code configured to implement a hard disable if the counter exceeds a predetermined threshold.

17. A method comprising:

ascertaining inadvertent input via one or more input devices of an electronic device;

responsive to ascertaining inadvertent input via the one or more input devices, disabling one or more of the one or more input devices; and

responsive to detecting removal of the inadvertent input via the one or more input devices, re-enabling the one or more of the one or more input devices previously disabled.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the one or more input devices include at least a keyboard and a touchpad.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the one or more of the one or more input devices providing inadvertent input is the touchpad.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

determining if a start zone has been used; and

responsive to determining the start zone has not been used, implementing a hard disable of a touchpad if a counter exceeds a predetermined threshold.