THRESHOLDS FOR DETERMINING FEEDBACK IN COMPUTING DEVICES

• US 20150116205A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Westerman, Wayne C., Kerr, Duncan, Vieta, William M., Cieplinski, Avi E., Bernstein, Jeffrey T., Missig, Julian K.
• Granted Patent: US 9,977,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The present application is related to a computer for providing output to a user. The computer includes a processor and an input device in communication with the processor. The input device includes a feedback surface and at least one sensor in communication with the feedback surface, the at least one sensor configured to detect a user input to the feedback surface. The processor varies a down-stroke threshold based on a first factor and varies an up-stroke threshold based on a second factor. The down-stroke threshold determines a first output of the computing device, the up-stroke threshold determines a second output of the computing device, and at least one of the first factor or the second factor are determined based on the user input.

Claims

1. A method for varying output of a computing device, comprising:

receiving an input signal;

determining, by a processor, a down-stroke threshold for providing a first output;

determining, by the processor, an up-stroke threshold for providing a second output;

wherein

at least one of the down-stroke threshold or the up-stroke threshold is determined based on the input signal; and

the up-stroke threshold is related to the down-stroke threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signal comprises at least one of an input force magnitude applied to an input device, an input velocity applied to an input device, an input yank applied to an input device, or an input acceleration applied to an input device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the up-stroke threshold is set at a percentage of the down-stroke threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signal comprises at least one of a finger size providing input to an input device of a number of touches on an input surface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signal comprises a user characteristic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user characteristic is at least one of a facial characteristic or a user name.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signal comprises an environmental parameter chosen from the group of an acceleration of the computing device or an angle of the computing device.

8. A computer for providing output to a user, comprising:

a processor; and

an input device in communication with the processor, the input device comprising;

a feedback surface; and

at least one sensor in communication with the feedback surface, the at least one sensor configured to detect a user input to the feedback surface;

wherein

the processor varies a down-stroke threshold based on a first factor and varies an up-stroke threshold based on a second factor;

the down-stroke threshold determines a first output of the computing device;

the up-stroke threshold determines a second output of the computing device; and

at least one of the first factor or the second factor are determined based on the user input.

9. The computer of claim 8, wherein

the first factor is chosen from the group consisting of an input force, an input velocity, an input acceleration, or an input yank;

and

the second factor is chosen from the group consisting of the input force, the input velocity, the input acceleration, or the input yank.

10. The computer of claim 8, wherein the first output is movement of the feedback surface in at least one direction.

11. The computer of claim 10, wherein the computer further comprises a display in communication with the processor and the first output further comprises a visual output displayed on the display.

12. The computer of claim 8, wherein the second output is movement of the feedback surface in at least one direction.

13. The computer of claim 8, wherein the down-stroke threshold and the up-stroke determine the user input required to activate the first output, and the second output, respectively.

14. The computer of claim 8, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a position sensor and a force sensor.

15. The computer of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first output or the second output includes disabling a haptic response of the input device.

16. The computer of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first factor or the second factor is an active application executing on the computer.

17. The computer of claim 8, wherein the feedback surface is a portion of a key of a keyboard.

18. The computer of claim 8, wherein the feedback surface is a track pad.

19. A method for varying an output of an electronic device comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a first sensor signal from an input device in communication with the electronic device;

receiving, by the processor, a second sensor signal from the input device;

enabling, by the processor, a first threshold for the input device and a second threshold for the input device;

wherein

the first threshold determines a first output; and

the second threshold determines a second output.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first output and the second output are haptic feedback produced by the input device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first output and the second output are visual output displayed by the electronic device.