METHOD OF DISAMBIGUATING WATER FROM A FINGER TOUCH ON A TOUCH SENSOR PANEL

• US 20160062533A1
• Filed: 12/02/2014
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: O'CONNOR, Sean E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,880,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2203/04808 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 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

A computer-implemented method is disclosed. The method includes: identifying a touch detected on a touch sensor panel; extracting touch information associated with the touch; calculating an overall confidence value based on the extracted touch information; comparing the confidence value with a predetermined threshold; and determining whether to identify the touch as a non-touch based on a result of the comparison.

Claims

1. A touch processor connected to a touch panel comprising:

a detecting module that detects an input on a touch sensor panel;

a first determining module that determines a confidence value based on area, density, and distance of the detected input, wherein the distance is indicative of the distance between a location of the input to an edge of the touch sensor panel;

a comparing module that compares the confidence value to one or more predetermined thresholds; and

a second determining module that determines the input is a no-touch based on the comparison of the confidence value to the one or more predetermined thresholds.

2. The touch processor of claim 1, further comprises:

a distance-to-edge obtaining module that obtains a distance from the input to the edge of the touch panel;

a density obtaining module that obtains a density associated with the input; and

an area obtaining module that obtains an area associated with the input.

3. The touch processor of claim 2, wherein the distance-to-edge obtaining module further comprises:

means for determining a centroid of the input; and

means for determining a shortest distance from the centroid to one of the edges of the touch sensor panel.

4. The touch processor of claim 2, wherein the area obtaining module comprises:

means for identifying one or more touch nodes associated with the input; and

means for measuring a capacitance associated with the identified one or more touch nodes.

5. The touch processor of claim 2, wherein the density obtaining module comprises:

means for measuring a capacitance associated with the input;

means for determining a radius associated with the input; and

means for dividing the capacitance by the radius.

6. The touch processor of claim 1, wherein the first determining module further comprises:

means for calculating a first confidence value based on the distance;

means for calculating a second confidence value based on the density;

means for calculating a third confidence value based on the area; and

means for calculating the confidence value based on the first, second, and third confidence values.

7. The touch processor of claim 6, wherein the first determining module further comprises means for averaging the second and third confidence values and means for dividing the average by the first confidence value.

8. The touch processor of claim 1, wherein the first determining module further comprises means for normalizing the confidence value.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting an input on a touch sensor panel;

determining a confidence value based on area, density, and distance of the detected input, wherein the distance is indicative of the distance between a location of the input to an edge of the touch sensor panel;

comparing the confidence value to one or more predetermined thresholds; and

determining the input is a no-touch based on the comparison of the confidence value to the one or more predetermined thresholds.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining the distance between a location of the input and an edge of the touch sensor panel;

determining an area associated with the input; and

determining a density associated with the input.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein determining the distance further comprises:

determining a centroid of the input; and

determining a shortest distance from the centroid to one of the edges of the touch sensor panel.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein determining an area comprises:

identifying one or more touch nodes associated with the input; and

measuring a capacitance associated with the identified one or more touch nodes.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein determining a density comprises:

measuring a capacitance associated with the input;

determining a radius associated with the input; and

dividing the capacitance by the radius.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein determining a confidence value further comprises:

calculating a first confidence value based on the distance;

calculating a second confidence value based on the density;

calculating a third confidence value based on the area; and

calculating the confidence value based on the first, second, and third confidence values.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein determining the confidence value comprises averaging the second and third confidence values and dividing the average by the first confidence value.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein determining the confidence value further comprises normalizing the confidence value.

17. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting an input on a touch sensor panel;

determining an area associated with the input;

determining a density associated with the input;

determining a distance between a location of the input and an edge of the touch sensor panel;

determining whether the input is a no-touch based on a combination of the area, density, and distance associated with the input.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein determining whether the input is a no-touch further comprises:

determining the input to more likely be a no-touch when the area is greater than an area threshold.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein determining whether the input is a no-touch further comprises:

determining the input to more likely be a no-touch when the density is greater than a density threshold.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein determining whether the input is a no-touch further comprises:

determining the input to more likely be a no-touch as the distance increases.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, comprising weighting either the area or the density in determining whether the input is a no-touch.