Touchscreen Operation Threshold Methods and Apparatus

• US 20110291934A1
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Movella Incorporated (Movella Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: mCube, Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, Xiao "Charles"
• Granted Patent: US 8,643,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A computer implemented method for performing a user-defined function in a computer system, performed by the computer system that is programmed to perform the method includes determining by a display a display position in response to a change and a rate change in state of a user-controlled user input device, determining by a physical sensor a magnitude of change in sensed physical in response to the rate of change in the state, determining whether the magnitude of change exceeds a threshold level, determining a function to perform in response to display position when magnitude of change in sensed physical properties exceeds the threshold level, initiating performance of the function in response to the function, and inhibiting performance of the function when the magnitude of change in sensed physical properties does not exceed the threshold level.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for performing a user-defined function in a computer system, performed by the computer system that is programmed to perform the method comprising:

determining by a display of the computer system, an indication of a display position associated with the display in response to a user-initiated change in state of a user-controlled user input device relative to the computer system, wherein the user-initiated change in state is also associated with a rate of change in the state;

determining by a physical sensor of the computer system, a magnitude of change in sensed physical properties by the physical sensor in response to the rate of change in the state;

determining by the computer system, whether the magnitude of change in sensed physical properties by the physical sensor exceeds a threshold level;

determining by the computer system, a user selection of a function to perform in response to the indication of the position associated with the display when the magnitude of change in sensed physical properties by the physical sensor exceeds the threshold level;

initiating by the computer system, performance of the function in response to the user selection of the function to perform; and

inhibiting by the computer system, performance of the function when the magnitude change in sensed physical properties by the physical sensor does not exceed the threshold level.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the user-controlled user input device is selected from a group consisting of:

a finger of the user, a stylus, a capacitive-based stylus, a portion of a body, an object.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the function is selected from a group consisting of:

initiating a program, selecting a button, selecting an icon, selecting a keyboard key, selecting a menu command, performing a telephone switching function, selecting a link.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1

wherein the first user-controlled user input devices comprises at least one finger of the user;

wherein the user-initiated change in state of the first user-controlled user input device relative to the computer system comprises a user contacting at least one finger to the display;

wherein the indication of the position of the first user-controlled user input device comprises an indication of a position where the one finger of the user contacts the display.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4

wherein the physical sensor comprises a motion sensor, and

wherein the magnitude of change in sensed physical properties of the physical sensor comprises an acceleration of the motion sensor in response to the user contacting the one finger to the touchscreen.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 4

wherein the physical sensor comprises an air pressure sensor, and

wherein the magnitude of change in sensed physical properties of the physical sensor comprises a pressure determined by the air pressure sensor in response to the user contacting the one finger to the touchscreen.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 4

wherein the display of the computer system is selected from a group consisting of:

a capacitive display, a resistive display

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1

wherein the first user-controlled user input devices comprises a magnetic device;

wherein the user-initiated change in state of the first user-controlled user input device relative to the computer system comprises a user moving the magnetic device from a first position to a second position relative to the display;

wherein the indication of the display position associated with the display is determined in response to an indication of the second position.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8

wherein the physical sensor comprises a magnetic sensor, and

wherein the magnitude of change in sensed physical property of the physical sensor comprises a change in sensed magnetic field determined by the magnetic sensor in response to the user moving the magnetic device from the first position to the second position.

10. A computing device comprising:

a display configured to display images to a user and configured to sense a user touch on the display with a user-controlled device;

a display controller coupled to the display, wherein the display controller is configured to determine a selected location on the display in response to the user touch;

a physical sensor, wherein the physical sensor is configured to sense physical forces acting upon the physical sensor and configured to determine magnitudes of change in physical forces acting upon the physical sensor in response to the user touch;

a processor coupled to the display controller and to the physical sensor, wherein the processor is programmed to determine a user-selected function to perform in response to the selected location on the display, wherein the processor is programmed to initiate execution of the user-selected when the magnitudes of changes in sensed physical properties by the physical sensor exceeds the threshold level, and wherein the computer system is programmed to ignore the selected location when the magnitudes of changes in sensed physical properties by the physical sensor does not exceed the threshold level.

11. The computing device of claim 10 wherein the user-controlled device is selected from a group consisting of:

a finger of the user, a stylus, a capacitive-based stylus, a portion of a body, an object.

12. The computing device of claim 10 wherein the function is selected from a group consisting of:

initiating a program, selecting a button, selecting an icon, selecting a keyboard key, selecting a menu command, performing a telephone switching function, selecting a link.

13. The computer device of claim 10

wherein the physical sensor comprises a motion sensor, and

wherein the magnitude of change in sensed physical properties of the physical sensor comprises an acceleration of the motion sensor in response to the user touch.

14. The computer device of claim 10

wherein the physical sensor comprises an air pressure sensor, and

wherein the magnitude of change in sensed physical properties of the physical sensor comprises a pressure determined by the air pressure sensor in response to the user touch.

15. The computer device of claim 10

wherein the display of the computer system is selected from a group consisting of:

a capacitive display, a resistive display

16. The computer device of claim 10

wherein the physical sensor comprises a magnetic sensor;

wherein the user-initiated change in state of the first user-controlled user input device relative to the computer system comprises a user moving the user-controlled device from a first position to a second position relative to the display;

wherein the indication of the display position associated with the display is determined in response to an indication of the second position.

17. The computing device of claim 10 wherein the physical sensor is selected from a group consisting of:

an accelerometer, an air pressure sensor.

18. The computing device of claim 10 wherein the physical sensor is selected from a group consisting of:

a gyroscope, a tilt sensor.

19. The computing device of claim 10 wherein the physical sensor is selected from a group consisting of:

a global positioning system receiver, a magnetic sensor.

20. The computing device of claim 10 wherein the processor is programmed to receive the selected location on the display and the magnitudes of change in a manner selected from a group consisting of:

substantially simultaneously, serially.

21. The computing device of claim 10 wherein the physical sensor comprises a MEMS device upon a CMOS substrate.

22. The computing device of claim 10 wherein the physical sensor comprises at least a six-axis MEMS device.

23. The computing device of claim 10 wherein the physical sensor comprises at least a ten-axis MEMS device.