Object position detector with edge motion feature and gesture recognition

• US 5,543,591 A
• Filed: 10/07/1994
• Issued: 08/06/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Allen, Timothy P., Gillespie, David, Wolf, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US08/320,158
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 178/18, 382/3, 382/13
• US Class Current: 178/18.03
• 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

Methods for recognizing gestures made by a conductive object on a touch-sensor pad are disclosed. Tapping, pushing, hopping, and zigzag gestures are recognized by analyzing the position, pressure, and movement of the conductive object on the sensor pad during the time of a suspected gesture, and signals are sent to a host indicating the occurrence of these gestures. Signals for compensating for unintended motion of the conductive object on the touch-sensor pad during the gestures are also sent to the host.

Claims

1. A method for recognizing a tap gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system providing X and Y position information to a host, including the steps of:

detecting the occurrence of a tap gesture made by a conductive tapping object on the touch-sensor pad;

sending a signal to the host indicating the occurrence of said tap gesture; and

sending X and Y position information to said host to substantially cancel out any unintended lateral motion of said tapping object on said touch-sensor pad during said tap gesture.

2. A method for recognizing a tap gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system providing X and Y position information to a host, including the steps of:

detecting the occurrence of a tap gesture made by a tapping object on the touch-sensor pad;

detecting in which of a plurality of predefined regions said tap gesture occurred; and

sending a signal to the host indicating the occurrence of said tap gesture and in which of said predefined regions on said sensor pad said tap gesture occurred.

3. The method of claim 2, further including the step of sending X and Y position information to said host to substantially cancel out any unintended lateral motion of said tapping object on said touch-sensor pad during said tap gesture.

4. A method for recognizing a tap gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system providing X and Y position information to a host, including the steps of:

detecting a presence of a conductive object on the touch-sensor pad;

comparing the amount of time said conductive object is present on said touch pad with a reference amount of time;

comparing the amount of motion made by said conductive object while it is present on said touch pad with a reference amount of motion;

initiating a signal to the host indicating the occurrence of said tap gesture if the amount of time said conductive object is present on said touch pad is less than said reference amount of time and if the amount of motion made by said conductive object while it is present on said touch pad is less than said reference amount of motion, and maintaining said signal for a predetermined period of time; and

sending X and Y position information to said host to substantially cancel out any unintended lateral motion of said tapping object on said touch-sensor pad during said tap gesture.

5. The method of claim 4, further including the steps of:

detecting in which of a plurality of predefined regions said tap gesture occurred; and

sending a second signal to the host indicating in which of said predefined regions on said sensor pad said tap gesture occurred.

6. A method for recognizing a double tap gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system providing X and Y position information to a host, including the steps of:

detecting a first presence of a conductive object on the touch-sensor pad;

comparing the duration of said first presence with a first reference amount of time;

initiating a first signal to the host indicating the occurrence of said gesture if the duration of said first presence is less than said first reference amount of time;

terminating said first signal if a second reference amount of time passes before a second presence is detected;

detecting a second presence of said conductive object on the touch-sensor pad;

comparing the duration of said second presence with a third reference amount of time;

terminating said first signal if the duration of said second presence is less than said third reference amount of time; and

sending a second signal to said host indicating said second gesture after the termination of said first signal.

7. A method for recognizing a hop gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system providing X and Y position information to a host, including the steps of:

detecting a first presence of a conductive object at a first position on the touch-sensor pad;

detecting a second presence of said conductive object at a second position on said touch-sensor pad;

comparing the duration of said second presence to a predetermined time;

comparing the amount of time between said first and second presences with a reference amount of time;

comparing the distance between said first and second positions with a reference distance; and

sending a hop signal to the host indicating the occurrence of said hop gesture if the duration of said second presence is less than said predetermined time, if the amount of time between said first and second presences is less than said reference amount of time, and if the distance between said first and second positions is more than said reference distance.

8. The method of claim 7, further including the steps of:

detecting whether said second position is to the left or to the right of said first position;

sending a left signal to said host if said second position is to the left of said first position and said hop signal is sent to said host; and

sending a right signal to said host if said second position is to the right of said first position and said hop signal is sent to said host.

9. A method for recognizing a drag gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system providing X and Y position information to a host, including the steps of:

detecting a first presence of a conductive object on the touch-sensor pad;

comparing the duration of said first presence with a first reference amount of time;

initiating a drag gesture signal to the host indicating the occurrence of a gesture if the duration of said first presence is less than said first reference amount of time;

detecting a second presence of said conductive object on the touch-sensor pad;

comparing the duration between said first presence and second presence with a second reference amount of time;

maintaining said drag gesture signal and repeatedly sending X and Y position information to said host for the duration of said second presence if the amount of time between said first presence and second presence is less than said second reference amount of time.

10. A method for recognizing a zigzag gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system providing X and Y position information to a host, including the steps of:

detecting a presence of a first conductive object at a first position on the touch-sensor pad;

detecting an apparent increase in size and apparent first change in position of said first conductive object;

caused by presence of a second conductive object during said presence of said first conductive object;

detecting an apparent decrease in size and apparent second change in position of said first conductive object caused by removal of said second conductive object during said presence of said first conductive object; and

sending a zigzag signal to the host if said apparent increase in size of said first conductive object is greater than a first threshold, said apparent change in position of said object is greater than a second threshold, said apparent decrease in size of said first conductive object is greater than a third threshold, and said second change in position is to a position within a threshold distance of said first position.

11. A method for recognizing a push gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system providing X and Y position information to a host, including the steps of:

detecting a presence of a conductive object on the touch-sensor pad at a pressure greater than a first threshold;

detecting when said pressure of said conductive object falls below a second threshold; and

sending periodic X and Y position information to said host until said pressure drops below said second threshold.