MOBILE DEVICE REJECTION OF UNINTENTIONAL TOUCH SENSOR CONTACT

• US 20130265269A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sharma, Sangita, Graumann, David, Krishnamurthy, Lakshman, Williams, Jameson H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,317,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning

Abstract

Mobile device rejection of unintentional sensor contact. An embodiment of a mobile device includes a first touch sensor to detect contact by a user of the mobile device for input of gestures by the user, a memory to store indicators of unintentional contact to the first touch sensor, and a processor to evaluate contact to the first touch sensor. The processor compares a contact with the first touch sensor to the indicators of unintentional contact to determine if the contact is unintentional, and the mobile device rejects the contact as an input to the mobile device if the contact is determined to be unintentional and accepts the contact as an input to the mobile device if the contact is determined to be intentional.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a touch sensor to detect contact by a user of the mobile device for input of gestures by the user;

a memory to store indicators of unintentional contact to the touch sensor; and

a processor to evaluate contact to the touch sensor;

wherein the processor is to compare a contact with the touch sensor to the indicators of unintentional contact to determine if the contact is unintentional; and

wherein the mobile device is to reject the contact as an input to the mobile device if the contact is determined to be unintentional and to accept the contact as an input to the mobile device if the contact is determined to be intentional.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact are developed by empirical study of mobile device usage.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact include data regarding contact shape.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the data regarding contact shape includes data describing a shape of a hand supporting the mobile device in a resting position.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact include data regarding size of contact area.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact include data regarding a number of contact areas.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein data regarding a number of contact areas includes an indicator of multiple contact areas resulting for a user holding a mobile device in a hand while contacting the touch sensor with a thumb or other finger of the hand.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact include data regarding motion of contact areas.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the data regarding motion of contact areas include data regarding a stationary contact area for a mobile device supported in a user hand.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is a side touch sensor to detect contact with a side of the mobile device.

11. A method comprising:

detecting a contact with a touch sensor of a mobile device;

comparing the contact with indicators of unintentional contact with the mobile device;

if the comparison with the indicators of unintentional contact indicates that the contact is unintentional, rejecting the contact as an input to the mobile device; and

if the comparison with the indicators of unintentional contact indicates that the contact is intentional, accepting the contact as an input to the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact are developed by empirical study of mobile device usage.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact include data regarding contact shape.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data regarding contact shape includes data describing a shape of a hand supporting the mobile device in a resting position.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact include data regarding size of contact area.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact include data regarding a number of contact areas.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein data regarding a number of contact areas includes an indicator of multiple contact areas resulting for a user holding a mobile device in a hand while contacting the side touch sensor with a thumb or other finger of the hand.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact include data regarding motion of contact areas.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data regarding motion of contact areas include data regarding a stationary contact area for a mobile device supported in a user hand.

20. A mobile system comprising:

a side touch sensor to detect contact by a user with a side of the system for input of gestures by the user;

a flash memory to store indicators of unintentional contact to the side touch sensor; and

a processor to evaluate contact to the side touch sensor;

wherein the processor is to compare a contact with the side touch sensor to the indicators of unintentional contact to determine if the contact is unintentional; and

wherein the mobile device is to reject the contact as an input to the system if the contact is determined to be unintentional and to accept the contact as an input to the system if the contact is determined to be intentional.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact include data regarding one or more of contact shape, size of contact area, and number of contact areas.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the data regarding contact shape includes data describing a shape of a hand supporting the system in a resting position.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein data regarding a number of contact areas includes an indicator of multiple contact areas resulting for a user holding the system in a hand while contacting the side touch sensor with a thumb or other finger of the hand.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the indicators of unintentional contact include data regarding motion of contact areas.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon data representing sequences of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a contact with a touch sensor of a mobile device;

comparing the contact with indicators of unintentional contact with the mobile device;

if the comparison with the indicators of unintentional contact indicates that the contact is unintentional, rejecting the contact as an input to the mobile device; and

if the comparison with the indicators of unintentional contact indicates that the contact is intentional, accepting the contact as an input to the mobile device.

26-29. -29. (canceled)