METHOD FOR OPERATING A TOUCH SENSITIVE USER INTERFACE

• US 20140210760A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: berg, Peter, Klinghult, Gunnar
• Granted Patent: US 9,052,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires

Abstract

A method for operating a touch sensitive user interface is provided. The touch sensitive user interface comprises a touch sensitive surface (3) and at least two force sensitive sensors (15-66). The touch sensitive surface (3) is configured to provide a touch information indicating touch positions (6, 8) of at least two concurrent touches (5, 7) on the touch sensitive surface (3). The at least two force sensitive sensors (15- 66) are mounted at the touch sensitive surface (3) at different predetermined locations (11-14). Each of the at least two force sensitive sensors (15-66) is configured to generate a corresponding force information depending on a force being exerted on the corresponding force sensitive sensor (15-66). According to the method, the touch positions (6, 8) are determined based on the touch information and the force information is received from the at least two force sensitive sensors (15-66). Based on the at least two touch positions (6, 8), the force information from the force sensitive sensors (15-66) and the predetermined locations (11-14) of the force sensitive sensors (15- 66) a corresponding touch force is determined for each of the concurrent touches (5, 7).

Claims

1. A method for operating a touch sensitive user interface, the touch sensitive user interface comprising a touch sensitive surface and at least two force sensitive sensors, wherein the touch sensitive surface is configured to provide a touch information indicating touch positions of at least two concurrent touches on the touch sensitive surface, wherein the at least two force sensitive sensors are mounted at the touch sensitive surface at different predetermined locations, wherein each of the at least two force sensitive sensors is configured to generate a corresponding force information depending on a force being exerted on the corresponding force sensitive sensor, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the touch positions of the at least two concurrent touches on the touch sensitive surface based on the touch information,

receiving the force information from the at least two force sensitive sensors, and

determining for each of the at least two concurrent touches a corresponding touch force based on the at least two touch positions, the force information from the at least two force sensitive sensors, and the predetermined locations of the at least two force sensitive sensors.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining for each of the at least two concurrent touches a corresponding touch force comprises:

determining a subset of the at least two force sensitive sensors based on the force information and the predetermined locations of the at least two force sensitive sensors, and

determining for each of the at least two concurrent touches a corresponding touch force based on the at least two touch positions, the force information from the force sensitive sensors of the subset, and the predetermined locations of the at least two force sensitive sensors.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive surface comprises at least one of a group comprising a capacitive touch sensitive surface, an optical touch sensitive surface, an infrared touch sensitive surface, and a resistive touch sensitive surface.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive surface comprises a display for outputting visual information on the touch sensitive surface.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the force sensitive sensors comprise compression force sensitive sensors arranged to detect a force substantially perpendicular to the touch sensitive surface.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the touch sensitive sensors are arranged between the touch sensitive surface and a housing of a device comprising the touch sensitive user interface.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined locations of the at least two force sensitive sensors comprise locations at a periphery of the touch sensitive surface.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the touch sensitive surface is substantially rectangular with four circumferential sides, and wherein at least one force sensitive sensor is located at each of the four sides.

9. A touch sensitive user interface, comprising:

a touch sensitive surface configured to provide a touch information indicating touch positions of at least two concurrent touches on the touch sensitive surface,

at least two force sensitive sensors mounted at the touch sensitive surface at different predetermined locations, each of the at least two force sensitive sensors being configured to generate a corresponding force information depending on a force being exerted on the corresponding force sensitive sensor, and

a processing unit coupled to the touch sensitive surface and the at least two force sensitive sensors and configured to determine the touch positions of the at least two concurrent touches on the touch sensitive surface based on the touch information from the touch sensitive surface, and determine for each of the at least two concurrent touches a corresponding touch force based on the at least two touch positions, the force information from the at least two force sensitive sensors, and the predetermined locations of the at least two force sensitive sensors.

11. A device comprising a touch sensitive user interface according to claim 9.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the device comprises at least one device of a group consisting of a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a mobile music player, and a navigation system.

10. (canceled)