Determining User Handedness and Orientation Using a Touchscreen Device

• US 20160098125A1
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Published: 04/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Smus, Boris
• Granted Patent: US 9,645,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The present disclosure provides techniques for determining the position and/or orientation of a pointing device relative to the screen on a touchscreen device. A method may include receiving first orientation data from a first device that may include a capacitive touch surface. A touch point may be received indicating a location of a touch by a user on the capacitive touch surface. Second orientation data may be received from a second device. The first and second orientation data may be correlated to determine a relative orientation of the first device to the second device. A position of a pointing device may be determined based on the touch point and the relative orientation of the first and second devices. Additionally, multiple distances relative to a capacitive touch surface may be received, and based on the multiple distances, a position of a user'"'"'s finger, hand, and/or arm may be determined.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A computer-implemented method comprising:

determining whether a touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input;

identifying a particular portion of the user interface based on whether the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input;

determining to position a user interface element on the particular portion of the user interface; and

providing, for display in a user device, the user interface including the user interface element positioned on the particular portion of the user interface.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein:

the particular portion of the user interface is a portion of the user interface determined to likely not be obscured by the touch input; and

determining whether the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input comprises;

generating a depth indicator of one or more distances associated, respectively, with one or more object surfaces, the one or more distances corresponding to respective distances of the one or more object surfaces from a capacitive touch surface of the user device; and

determining one or more locations associated, respectively, with the one or more object surfaces relative to an orientation of the user device.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein determining whether the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input further comprises one of:

determining that the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input based on (i) the depth indicator and (ii) a location of an object surface associated with the touch input relative to the orientation of the user device indicating a likely use of a left hand of a user; and

determining that the touch input is likely to be a right-handed input based on (i) the depth indicator and (ii) a location of an object surface associated with the touch input relative to the orientation of the user device indicating a likely use of a right hand of a user.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein determining whether the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input further comprises:

determining that an object surface of the one or more object surfaces corresponds to the touch input in response to determining that the object surface has a distance that satisfies a threshold distance.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein providing, for display in the user device, the user interface including the user interface element positioned on the particular portion of the user interface comprises:

determining that the user interface element is positioned in a portion of the user interface that is determined to likely be obscured by the touch input; and

modifying a position of the user interface element to a position located in the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the touch input.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, wherein providing, for display in the user device, the user interface including the user interface element positioned on the particular portion of the user interface comprises one or more of:

resizing the user interface;

relocating the user interface; and

rearranging one or more user interface elements in the user interface to the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the touch input.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, further comprising:

based on determining that the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input, generating a second user interface element positioned in the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the left-handed input; and

based on determining that the touch input is likely to be a right-handed input, generating a second user interface element positioned in the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the right-handed input.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions that, upon execution by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:

determining whether a touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input;

identifying a particular portion of the user interface based on whether the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input;

determining to position a user interface element on the particular portion of the user interface; and

providing, for display in a user device, the user interface including the user interface element positioned on the particular portion of the user interface.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein:

the particular portion of the user interface is a portion of the user interface determined to likely not be obscured by the touch input; and

determining whether the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input comprises;

generating a depth indicator of one or more distances associated, respectively, with one or more object surfaces, the one or more distances corresponding to respective distances of the one or more object surfaces from a capacitive touch surface of the user device; and

determining one or more locations associated, respectively, with the one or more object surfaces relative to an orientation of the user device.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein determining whether the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input further comprises one of:

determining that the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input based on (i) the depth indicator and (ii) a location of an object surface associated with the touch input relative to the orientation of the user device indicating a likely use of a left hand of a user; and

determining that the touch input is likely to be a right-handed input based on (i) the depth indicator and (ii) a location of an object surface associated with the touch input relative to the orientation of the user device indicating a likely use of a right hand of a user.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein determining whether the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input further comprises:

determining that an object surface of the one or more object surfaces corresponds to the touch input in response to determining that the object surface has a distance that satisfies a threshold distance.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein providing, for display in the user device, the user interface including the user interface element positioned on the particular portion of the user interface comprises:

determining that the user interface element is positioned in a portion of the user interface that is determined to likely be obscured by the touch input; and

modifying a position of the user interface element to a position located in the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the touch input.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein providing, for display in the user device, the user interface including the user interface element positioned on the particular portion of the user interface comprises one or more of:

resizing the user interface;

relocating the user interface; and

rearranging one or more user interface elements in the user interface to the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the touch input.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, further comprising:

based on determining that the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input, generating a second user interface element positioned in the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the left-handed input; and

based on determining that the touch input is likely to be a right-handed input, generating a second user interface element positioned in the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the right-handed input.

34. A system comprising:

one or more processors and one or more computer storage media storing instructions that are operable and when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

determining whether a touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input;

identifying a particular portion of the user interface based on whether the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input;

determining to position a user interface element on the particular portion of the user interface; and

providing, for display in a user device, the user interface including the user interface element positioned on the particular portion of the user interface.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein:

the particular portion of the user interface is a portion of the user interface determined to likely not be obscured by the touch input; and

determining whether the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input comprises;

generating a depth indicator of one or more distances associated, respectively, with one or more object surfaces, the one or more distances corresponding to respective distances of the one or more object surfaces from a capacitive touch surface of the user device; and

determining one or more locations associated, respectively, with the one or more object surfaces relative to an orientation of the user device.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein determining whether the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input or a right-handed input further comprises one of:

determining that the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input based on (i) the depth indicator and (ii) a location of an object surface associated with the touch input relative to the orientation of the user device indicating a likely use of a left hand of a user; and

determining that the touch input is likely to be a right-handed input based on (i) the depth indicator and (ii) a location of an object surface associated with the touch input relative to the orientation of the user device indicating a likely use of a right hand of a user.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein providing, for display in the user device, the user interface including the user interface element positioned on the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the touch input comprises:

determining that the user interface element is positioned in a portion of the user interface that is determined to likely be obscured by the touch input; and

modifying a position of the user interface element to a position located in the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the touch input.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein providing, for display in the user device, the user interface including the user interface element positioned on the particular portion of the user interface comprises one or more of:

resizing the user interface;

relocating the user interface; and

rearranging one or more user interface elements in the user interface to the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the touch input.

39. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

based on determining that the touch input is likely to be a left-handed input, generating a second user interface element positioned in the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the left-handed input; and

based on determining that the touch input is likely to be a right-handed input, generating a second user interface element positioned in the particular portion of the user interface that is determined to likely not be obscured by the right-handed input.

40. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a touch input;

identifying a particular portion of the user interface that is likely to be obscured by the touch input;

determining to position a user interface element on a portion of the user interface other than the particular portion; and

providing, for display in a user device, the user interface including the user interface element positioned on the portion of the user interface other than the particular portion.