Touch sensor system to detect multiple touch events
First Claim
1. A method for identifying locations of two or more touch inputs to a sensor substrate in a touchscreen system wherein the touch inputs overlap in time, the substrate having an X axis comprising X coordinates and a Y axis comprising Y coordinates, comprising the steps of:
- (a) repeatedly measuring signals indicative of the locations of the two or more touch inputs, the locations having X and Y coordinates and the signals having associated X and Y magnitudes;
(b) for each X coordinate, storing the associated X magnitude measured for each repeated measurement as elements in an X object;
(c) for each Y coordinate, storing the associated Y magnitude measured for each repeated measurement as elements in a Y object;
(d) for possible pairings of X and Y coordinates, comparing elements of associated X objects with corresponding elements of associated Y objects; and
(e) selecting pairings of X and Y coordinates corresponding to locations of actual touch inputs based on the comparison of step (d).
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Abstract
Touch input systems for use with information display systems and methods distinguishing multiple touches overlapping in time. The touch input systems and methods analyze and optimize data collected on the X axis over time independently from that collected on the Y axis, and for each (X, Y) pair corresponding to a potential touch location, calculate correlation values between X magnitudes and Y magnitudes. The touch input system determines valid touch locations based on the correlation values. Because the touch input systems and methods of the present invention can process multiple concurrent touches, they can be used in applications for multiple users, such as games, and in other applications requiring the processing of concurrent touch inputs.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for identifying locations of two or more touch inputs to a sensor substrate in a touchscreen system wherein the touch inputs overlap in time, the substrate having an X axis comprising X coordinates and a Y axis comprising Y coordinates, comprising the steps of:
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(a) repeatedly measuring signals indicative of the locations of the two or more touch inputs, the locations having X and Y coordinates and the signals having associated X and Y magnitudes;
(b) for each X coordinate, storing the associated X magnitude measured for each repeated measurement as elements in an X object;
(c) for each Y coordinate, storing the associated Y magnitude measured for each repeated measurement as elements in a Y object;
(d) for possible pairings of X and Y coordinates, comparing elements of associated X objects with corresponding elements of associated Y objects; and
(e) selecting pairings of X and Y coordinates corresponding to locations of actual touch inputs based on the comparison of step (d). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A touch input system, comprising:
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a touch point sensor comprising an X axis and a Y axis, wherein a pair of coordinates composed of one X coordinate and one Y coordinate defines a location; and
a location determining apparatus for determining the locations of touch points comprising;
detecting means for repeatedly detecting touch signals corresponding to X and Y coordinates and associated X and Y signal magnitudes caused by two or more touch points overlapping in a time period;
storing means for storing the X signal magnitudes corresponding to each X coordinate of the touch locations as elements in an X object, and for storing the Y signal magnitudes corresponding to each Y coordinate of the touch locations as elements in a Y object, wherein one object is associated with one coordinate;
first comparison means for comparing elements of X objects to elements of Y objects associated with possible pairings of X and Y coordinates; and
selection means for selecting pairings of X and Y coordinates corresponding to actual touch point locations based on the comparison between elements of the X objects and elements of the Y objects associated with the pairings. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system comprising:
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a touch panel input device comprising a touch panel sensor having an X axis and a Y axis for indicating actual touch point locations on the sensor;
a signal detector operating for a succession of time intervals to detect an X signal comprising an X magnitude representative of an associated X coordinate and a Y signal comprising a Y magnitude representative of an associated Y coordinate for each actual touch point on the sensor, wherein more than one X signal or more than one Y signal are detected during a single time interval; and
a selector for processing the X signals and the Y signals separately from each other to select pairs of coordinates corresponding to locations of actual touch points, wherein the selector selects the pairs of coordinates based on a correlation value between X magnitudes associated with the X coordinate of the pair and Y magnitudes associated with the Y coordinate of the pair. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification