FINGER TILT DETECTION IN TOUCH SURFACE-BASED INPUT DEVICES

• US 20120194454A1
• Filed: 01/08/2012
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elmer's Products Incorporated (Newell Brands Inc.), Nuvoton Technology Corporation (Winbond Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nuvoton Technology Corporation (Winbond Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Margalit, Ilan, Hershman, Ziv, Nosovitsky, Einat
• Application Number:
  US13/345,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20120194454A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An input device includes a touch sensor and a processing unit. The touch sensor has a surface and is configured to sense an imprint of a finger that touches the surface. The processing unit is configured to calculate a tilt of the finger relative to the surface by measuring a shift of the imprint sensed by the touch surface, and to produce an output based on the tilt.

Claims

1. An input device, comprising:

a touch sensor, which has a surface and is configured to sense an imprint of a finger that touches the surface; and

a processing unit, which is configured to calculate a tilt of the finger relative to the surface by measuring a shift of the imprint sensed by the touch surface, and to produce an output based on the tilt.

2. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to measure the shift in the imprint between a first time at which the finger initially touches the surface and a second time that is subsequent to the first time.

3. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to measure the shift in the imprint by measuring a displacement of a center of the imprint.

4. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to translate the tilt into a position of a cursor on a display.

5. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to translate the tilt into a motion speed of a cursor on a display.

6. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to translate the tilt into a change in motion speed of a cursor on a display.

7. The input device according to claim 6, wherein the processing unit is configured to translate the tilt into the change in the motion speed by applying to the tilt a scale factor that depends on the shift in the imprint.

8. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to activate at least some of the circuitry of the input device only upon detecting that the finger is in contact with the touch surface.

9. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to calculate the tilt by measuring imprints of multiple fingers simultaneously on the touch surface.

10. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is further configured to calculate a rotation of the finger about an axis of the finger based on the imprint.

11. The input device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to calculate both an elevation component and an azimuth component of the tilt.

12. A method for accepting user input, comprising:

sensing an imprint of a finger on a surface of a touch sensor;

calculating a tilt of the finger relative to the surface by measuring a shift of the sensed imprint; and

producing an output based on the tilt.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein calculating the tilt comprises measuring the shift in the imprint between a first time at which the finger initially touches the surface and a second time that is subsequent to the first time.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein measuring the shift comprises measuring a displacement of a center of the imprint.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein producing the output comprises translating the tilt into a position of a cursor on a display.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein producing the output comprises translating the tilt into a motion speed of a cursor on a display.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein producing the output comprises translating the tilt into a change in motion speed of a cursor on a display.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein translating the tilt into the change in the motion speed comprises applying to the tilt a scale factor that depends on the shift in the imprint.

19. The method according to claim 12, and comprising activating at least some of the circuitry of the input device only upon detecting that the finger is in contact with the touch surface.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein calculating the tilt comprises measuring imprints of multiple fingers simultaneously on the touch surface.

21. The method according to claim 12, and comprising calculating a rotation of the finger about an axis of the finger based on the imprint.

22. The method according to claim 12, wherein calculating the tilt comprises calculating both an elevation component and an azimuth component of the tilt.

23. A system, comprising:

a display screen;

an input device, comprising;

a touch sensor, which has a surface and is configured to sense an imprint of a finger that touches the surface; and

a processing unit, which is configured to calculate a tilt of the finger relative to the surface by measuring a shift of the imprint sensed by the touch surface, and to produce an output based on the tilt; and

a processor, which is configured to display a cursor on the display screen responsively to the output produced by the input device.