CONTROLLING INADVERTENT INPUTS TO A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20180210557A1
• Filed: 03/19/2018
• Published: 07/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Balasubramanian, Swaminathan, Jones, Andrew R., O'Connell, Brian M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,585,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30 Arrangements for executing machine instructions, e.g. instruction decode for executing microinstructions G06F9/22

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide approaches for controlling inadvertent inputs to a mobile device. Specifically, at least one approach includes: detecting an operating mode of a mobile device by determining if a user is currently interacting with the mobile device; detecting an operating environment of the mobile device; receiving an input resulting from a physical gesture to an input area of a mobile device; comparing the input to a past history of inputs received by the mobile device; and determining whether the physical gesture is intended by the user based on the operating mode of the mobile device, the operating environment of the mobile device, and the past history of inputs (e.g., per device application). In one approach, an input controller selects logic to be applied in processing gestures based on a combination of user customization, interaction history, and environment characteristics. The selected logic is applied to subsequent gestures.

Claims

1. A method for controlling inadvertent inputs to a mobile device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

detecting an operating mode of the mobile device by determining if a user is currently interacting with the mobile device;

detecting an operating environment of the mobile device, wherein the detecting comprises;

analyzing data received from an accelerometer,

determining that the mobile device is in a pocket or a briefcase of the user based on the data received from the accelerometer,

analyzing global positioning system information, and

determining that the user is traveling based on the global positioning system information;

receiving an input resulting from a physical gesture to an input area of the mobile device;

evaluating whether the physical gesture is intended by the user based on the determination that the user is traveling; and

disabling, based on the evaluation, one or more physical gesture processing operations on the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising ignoring the input in the case that the physical gesture is not intended by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning, prior to receipt of the input, an input logic state to the mobile device based on the operating mode and the operating environment.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising adjusting a contact sensitivity of the input area of the mobile device based on the input logic state of the mobile device.

5. The method according to claim 1, the detecting of the operating environment being based on at least one of:

a location of the mobile device, a set of activities being performed by the user on the mobile device, time of day, date, or motion of the mobile device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining, based on a past history of inputs for each of a set of applications operating on the mobile device, an average duration of touch and an average pressure amount applied by the user to the input area of the mobile device.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the evaluating whether the physical gesture is intended by the user is further based on the average duration of touch and the average pressure amount.

8. A computer system for controlling inadvertent inputs to a mobile device, the computer system comprising:

a memory medium comprising program instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor, for executing the program instructions, coupled to an input controller via the bus that when executing the program instructions causes the system to;

detect an operating mode of the mobile device by determining if a user is currently interacting with the mobile device;

detect an operating environment of the mobile device, wherein the detecting comprises;

analyze data received from an accelerometer,

determine that the mobile device is in a pocket or a briefcase of the user based on the data received from the accelerometer,

analyze global positioning system information, and

determine that the user is traveling based on the global positioning system information;

receive an input resulting from a physical gesture to an input area of the mobile device;

evaluate whether the physical gesture is intended by the user based on the determination that the user is traveling; and

disable, based on the evaluation, one or more physical gesture processing operations on the mobile device.

9. The computer system of claim 8, the program instructions further causing the system to ignore the input in the case that the physical gesture is not intended by the user.

10. The computer system of claim 8, the program instructions further causing the system to assign, prior to receipt of the input, an input logic state to the mobile device based on the operating mode and the operating environment.

11. The computer system of claim 10, the program instructions further causing the system to adjust a contact sensitivity of the input area of the mobile device based on the input logic state of the mobile device.

12. The computer system of claim 8, the detecting of the operating environment being based on at least one of:

a location of the mobile device, a set of activities being performed by the user on the mobile device, time of day, date, or motion of the mobile device.

13. The computer system of claim 8, the program instructions further causing the system to determine, based on a past history of inputs for each of a set of applications operating on the mobile device, an average duration of touch and an average pressure amount applied by the user to the input area of the mobile device.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the evaluating whether the physical gesture is intended by the user is further based on the average duration of touch and the average pressure amount.

15. A computer program product for controlling inadvertent inputs to a mobile device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium, to:

detect an operating mode of the mobile device by determining if a user is currently interacting with the mobile device;

detect an operating environment of the mobile device, wherein the detecting comprises;

analyze data received from an accelerometer,

determine that the mobile device is in a pocket or a briefcase of the user based on the data received from the accelerometer,

analyze global positioning system information, and

determine that the user is traveling based on the global positioning system information;

receive an input resulting from a physical gesture to an input area of the mobile device;

evaluate whether the physical gesture is intended by the user based on the determination that the user is traveling; and

disable, based on the evaluation, one or more physical gesture processing operations on the mobile device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, the computer readable storage medium further comprising program instructions to ignore the input in the case that the physical gesture is not intended by the user.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, the computer readable storage medium further comprising program instructions to assign, prior to receipt of the input, an input logic state to the mobile device based on the operating mode and the operating environment.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, the computer readable storage medium further comprising program instructions to adjust a contact sensitivity of the input area of the mobile device based on the input logic state of the mobile device.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, the detecting of the operating environment being based on at least one of:

a location of the mobile device, a set of activities being performed by the user on the mobile device, time of day, date, or motion of the mobile device.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, the computer readable storage medium further comprising program instructions to determine, based on a past history of inputs for each of a set of applications operating on the mobile device, an average duration of touch and an average pressure amount applied by the user to the input area of the mobile device.