Device and Method for Assigning Respective Portions of an Aggregate Intensity to a Plurality of Contacts

• US 20150138126A1
• Filed: 01/29/2015
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Westerman, Wayne C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,857,897 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 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electronic device detects, on a touch-sensitive surface, a plurality of contacts via a plurality of intensity sensors. While detecting the plurality of contacts, the device assigns portions of an aggregate intensity of the contacts to each of the plurality of contacts based on: the first intensity measurement received from a first intensity sensor; the second intensity measurement received from a second intensity sensor; a location of the first intensity sensor relative to the touch-sensitive surface; a location of the second intensity sensor relative to the touch-sensitive surface; and a comparison between values of a set of one or more properties of the first contact and corresponding values of the second contact. In response to detecting the plurality of contacts, the device performs an operation based at least in part on the portion of the aggregate intensity assigned to the first contact.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with a display, a touch-sensitive surface and a plurality of intensity sensors to detect intensity of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

detect, on the touch-sensitive surface, a plurality of contacts;

while detecting the plurality of contacts;

receive a first intensity measurement from a first intensity sensor of the plurality of intensity sensors;

receive a second intensity measurement from a second intensity sensor of the plurality of intensity sensors, wherein the first intensity sensor is different from the second intensity sensor;

assign a first portion of an aggregate intensity of the contacts to the first contact and assigning a second portion of the aggregate intensity to the second contact based at least in part on;

the first intensity measurement;

the second intensity measurement;

a location of the first intensity sensor relative to the touch-sensitive surface;

a location of the second intensity sensor relative to the touch-sensitive surface; and

a comparison between values of a set of one or more properties of the first contact and corresponding values of the set of one or more properties of the second contact; and

in response to detecting the plurality of contacts, perform an operation based at least in part on the portion of the aggregate intensity assigned to the first contact.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operation is based at least in part on the portion of the aggregate intensity assigned to the second contact.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the device includes a number of intensity sensor units, and the number of detected contacts is greater than the number of intensity sensors.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the device includes a number of intensity sensors;

the aggregate intensity is divided between a number of detected contacts; and

the number of detected contacts is greater than the number of intensity sensors.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of intensity sensors define a perimeter on the device; and

the plurality of contacts are detected within the perimeter defined by the plurality of intensity sensors.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of intensity sensors includes at least four intensity sensors.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the touch-sensitive surface has a plurality of respective corners; and

each respective intensity sensor of the plurality of intensity sensors is positioned proximate to a corresponding respective corner.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more properties for a respective contact includes a location of the respective contact on the touch-sensitive surface.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more properties of a respective contact includes a contact size of the respective contact on the touch-sensitive surface.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, including instructions which cause the device to determine a center of force on the touch-sensitive surface based at least in part on:

the location of the first intensity sensor relative to the touch-sensitive surface;

the location of the second intensity sensor relative to the touch-sensitive surface;

the first intensity measurement of the first intensity sensor; and

the second intensity measurement of the second intensity sensor.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein determining the center of force includes:

identifying one or more incidental contacts on the touch-sensitive surface; and

compensating for the presence of a respective incidental contact on the touch-sensitive surface.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, including instructions which cause the device to:

determine a location of the first contact relative to the center of force;

determine a location of the second contact relative to the center of force;

assign the first portion of the aggregate intensity to the first contact based on the location of the first contact relative to the center of force; and

assign the second portion of the aggregate intensity to the second contact based on the location of the second contact relative to the center of force.

13. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface, wherein the device includes a plurality of intensity sensors to detect intensity of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface;

detecting, on the touch-sensitive surface, a plurality of contacts;

while detecting the plurality of contacts;

receiving a first intensity measurement from a first intensity sensor of the plurality of intensity sensors;

receiving a second intensity measurement from a second intensity sensor of the plurality of intensity sensors, wherein the first intensity sensor is different from the second intensity sensor;

assigning a first portion of an aggregate intensity of the contacts to the first contact and assigning a second portion of the aggregate intensity to the second contact based at least in part on;

the first intensity measurement;

the second intensity measurement;

a location of the first intensity sensor relative to the touch-sensitive surface;

a location of the second intensity sensor relative to the touch-sensitive surface; and

a comparison between values of a set of one or more properties of the first contact and corresponding values of the set of one or more properties of the second contact; and

in response to detecting the plurality of contacts, performing an operation based at least in part on the portion of the aggregate intensity assigned to the first contact.

14. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a touch-sensitive surface;

a plurality of intensity sensors to detect intensity of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

detecting, on the touch-sensitive surface, a plurality of contacts;

while detecting the plurality of contacts;

receiving a first intensity measurement from a first intensity sensor of the plurality of intensity sensors;

receiving a second intensity measurement from a second intensity sensor of the plurality of intensity sensors, wherein the first intensity sensor is different from the second intensity sensor;

assigning a first portion of an aggregate intensity of the contacts to the first contact and assign a second portion of the aggregate intensity to the second contact based at least in part on;

the first intensity measurement;

the second intensity measurement;

a location of the first intensity sensor relative to the touch-sensitive surface;

a location of the second intensity sensor relative to the touch-sensitive surface; and

a comparison between values of a set of one or more properties of the first contact and corresponding values of the set of one or more properties of the second contact; and

in response to detecting the plurality of contacts, performing an operation based at least in part on the portion of the aggregate intensity assigned to the first contact.