FINGER DETECTION ON TOUCH SCREENS FOR MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20150009173A1
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: berg, Peter, Rodzevski, Aleksandar
• Granted Patent: US 9,606,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

A method for dynamically controlling an input mode of a touch screen (10) for an electronic device (1) comprising at least one condition detection system (4), wherein the method comprises monitoring humidity in the surrounding of the electronic device (1) by means of the condition detection system (4), and determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to predetermined values, which input mode is to be used for the touch screen and using the determined input mode for the touch screen.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen for an electronic device comprising at least one condition detection system, wherein the method comprises:

monitoring humidity in the surrounding of the electronic device by means of the condition detection system,

determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to predetermined values, if a first input mode (I) using only a capacitive sensing for the touch screen is to be used, or if a second input mode (II) using only a Z-force sensing for the touch screen is to be used for pressure detection, or if a third input mode (III) being a combination of the first and second input modes for the touch screen is to be used, and

using the determined input mode (I, II, III) for the touch screen.

2. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, by monitoring humidity in the surrounding of the electronic device by means of the condition detection system detecting signals resulting from input on the touch screen.

3. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, by monitoring humidity in the surrounding of the electronic device by means of the condition detection system detecting signals being separate from signals resulting from input on the touch screen.

4. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, by monitoring humidity in the surrounding of the electronic device (1) by means of the condition detection system detecting signals resulting from input on the touch screen and detecting signals separate from the signals resulting from input on the touch screen.

5. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, by determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to predetermined values, if the monitored humidity is below a predetermined value, that the first input mode (I) using only the capacitive sensing for the touch screen is to be used or if the monitored humidity is greater than a predetermined value, that the second input mode (II) using only the Z-force touch sensing for the touch screen is to be used for pressure detection and for detecting position of touch input.

6. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, by determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to predetermined values, if the monitored decrease rate of the humidity is larger than a predetermined value, that the first input mode (I) using only the capacitive sensing for the touch screen is to be used or if the monitored increase rate of the humidity is larger than a predetermined value, that the second input mode (II) using only the Z-force touch sensing for the touch screen is to be used for pressure detection and for detecting position of touch input.

7. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, by determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to predetermined values, if the monitored humidity is below a predetermined value, that the first input mode (I) using the capacitive sensing and the second input mode (II) using the Z-force touch sensing for pressure detection is to be used as the third input mode (III) by the touch screen.

8. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, by determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to predetermined values, if the monitored humidity is below 100% relative humidity, that the first input mode (I) using only the capacitive sensing for the touch screen is to be used.

9. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, by determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to predetermined values, if the monitored humidity is greater than or equal to 100% relative humidity, that the second input mode (II) using only the Z-force touch sensing for the touch screen is to be used for pressure detection and for detecting position of touch input.

10. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, by determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to predetermined values, if the monitored humidity is below 100% relative humidity, that the first input mode (I) using the capacitive sensing and the second input mode (II) using the Z-force touch sensing for pressure detection is to be used as the third input mode (III) by the touch screen.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a touch screen;

at least two touch detection systems;

at least one condition detection system, wherein

the touch screen is configured for operation in one input mode or an input mode being a combination of two input modes,

a memory,

wherein the condition detection system is configured to monitor humidity in the surrounding of the electronic device,

the electronic device further comprising a humidity condition handling and processing unit arranged to;

determine, based on the monitored humidity in relation to predetermined values, if a first input mode (I) using only a capacitive touch detection system for the touch screen is to be used, or if a second input mode (II) using only a Z-force touch detection system for the touch screen is to be used for pressure detection, or if a third input mode (III) being a combination of the first and second input modes for the touch screen is to be used, and

to set the determined input mode (I, II, III) to be used by the touch screen.

12. An electronic device (1) according to claim 11, wherein the condition detection system is configured to detect signals from input on the touch screen and to evaluate these signals resulting from the input on the touch screen, which input signals are affected by the humidity in the surrounding of the electronic device indicating the level of humidity in the surrounding of the electronic device.

13. An electronic device according to claim 11, comprising a humidity sensor generating signals being separate from signals generated by input on the touch screen and the condition detection system is configured to detect the signals from the humidity sensor and to evaluate the signals from the humidity sensor indicating the level of humidity in the surrounding of the electronic device.

14. An electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the condition detection system is configured to detect signals resulting from input on the touch screen and to detect signals from a humidity sensor generating signals being separate from the signals resulting from input on the touch screen and to evaluate these signals indicating the level of humidity in the surrounding of the electronic device.

15. An electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the humidity condition handling and processing unit is configured to, if the monitored humidity is below a predetermined value, set the first input mode (I) with only the capacitive touch detection system to be used by the touch screen or, if the monitored humidity is greater than a predetermined value, set the second input mode (II) with only the Z-force touch detection system to be used by the touch screen for pressure detection and for detecting position of touch input.