Use of a two finger input on touch screens

• US 7,864,161 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2005
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Original Assignee: Adrea LLC (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoonhout, Henriette C. M., Buil, Vincentius P., Van De Wijdeven, Sander B. F., Hollemans, Gerrit G., Kleinhout, Huib V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala; Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEGARTY, KELLY B
• Application Number:
  US11/570,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20070252821A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,027 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 345/156, 710 1- 74, 178 1801- 1904, 358 11- 118
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/0444 using a single conductive element covering the whole sensing surface, e.g. by sensing the electrical current flowing at the corners
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A system and method for detecting at least two-finger input on a touch screen of a display such as computer, etc. includes a display screen; a sensing grid arranged for sensing touch on said display screen; a plurality of electrodes connected electrically to the sensing grid. A controller receives an output from the sensing grid, and a module identifies at least two points on the grid indicating locations of the display screen that have been touched by a user and identifies a geographic portion of the display screen to be identified based on said at least two points. As the position of the fingers are relative to the position of the screen via change in a direction of a Z-coordinate, a variable zoom can be provided by the sensing grid commensurate with different distances that the multiple fingers are sensed from the display screen.

Claims

1. A system for detecting two-finger input on a touch screen, comprising:

a display screen;

a sensing grid arranged for sensing touch on said display screen;

a plurality of electrodes arranged at corners of the sensing grid and being electrically connected to the sensing grid;

a controller that receives an output from the sensing grid; and

a control module that identifies (i) at least two points on the grid indicating locations of the display screen that have been touched by at least two fingers of a user and (ii) a geographic portion of the display screen based on said at least two points, wherein the geographic portion comprises a rectangle that is defined

(ii)(a) wherein the at least two points having different X and Y coordinates and wherein sides of the rectangle comprise (ii)(a)(1) two active lines of the sensing grid in a horizontal direction corresponding to the Y coordinates of the at least two points and (ii)(a)(2) two active lines of the sensing grid in the vertical direction corresponding to the X coordinates of the at least two points, and

(ii)(b) wherein at least one sensed line is connected between said at least two points and if only one vertical or one horizontal sense line is active on the sensing grid between said at least two points in response to the identified at least two points on the sensing grid touched by the at least two fingers of the user, then a size of the rectangle is calculated by (ii)(b)(1) the control module sensing a length of said at least one sensed line, and (ii)(b)(2) at a midpoint of said at least one sensed line, the control module calculating a second line that is perpendicular to said at least one sensed line, the second line having a same length as the length of said at least one sensed line, and (ii)(b)(3) based on the length defined by a location of said at least two points on the sensing grid touched by the at least two fingers of the user, and a width defined by two end points of the second line, the control module providing length and width coordinates of the rectangle to be identified on the display screen.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control module provides the coordinates of the rectangle to display logic, that controls an image shown on said display screen.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said display screen is adapted for capacitive sensing.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said display screen is adapted for resistive sensing.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said display screen is adapted for optical sensing.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said display screen is adapted for acoustic wave sensing.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said display screen is adapted for near field imaging (NFI).

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identified geographic portion of said display screen is adapted for selection of an area displayed on the display screen determined by a position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identified geographic portion of said display screen is adapted for at least one of rotation and deletion by a change in a position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identified geographic portion of said display screen is adapted for at least one of highlighting and changing color of items on the display screen by a change in a position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identified geographic portion of said display screen is adapted for moving an item displayed on said display screen by a change in a position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identified geographic portion of said display screen is adapted for variable zooming based on a change in a position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the change in position of the two finger input is based on a sensed distance of respective ones of the two fingers from the display screen determined by the controller.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the sensed distance of respective ones of the two fingers from the display screen is determined by an amount of current drop sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

15. A system for three-dimensional touch sensing of at least two fingers on a touch screen, comprising:

a display screen;

a sensing grid arranged for sensing touch on said display screen;

a plurality of electrodes arranged at edges of the sensing grid and being electrically connected to the sensing grid;

a controller that receives a sensing grid output of at least two fingers in close proximity to the sensing grid; and

a control module that identifies (i) at least two points on the grid indicating locations of the display screen that have been touched by at least two fingers of a user and (ii) a geographic portion of the display screen based on said at least two points to determine an X coordinate and a Y coordinate for each point, wherein the geographic portion comprises a rectangle that is defined (ii)(a) wherein the at least two points having different X and Y coordinates and wherein sides of the rectangle comprise (ii)(a)(1) two active lines of the sensing grid in a horizontal direction corresponding to the Y coordinates of the at least two points and (ii)(a)(2) two active lines of the sensing grid in the vertical direction corresponding to the X coordinates of the at least two points, and (ii)(b) wherein at least one sensed line is connected between said at least two points and if only one vertical or one horizontal sense line is active on the sensing grid between said at least two points in response to the identified at least two points on the grid touched by the at least two fingers of the user, then a size of the rectangle is calculated by (ii)(b)(1) the control module sensing a length of said at least one sensed line, and (ii)(b)(2) at a midpoint of said at least one sensed line, the control module calculating a second line that is perpendicular to said at least one sensed line, the second line having a same length as the length of said at least one sensed line, and (ii)(b)(3) based on the length defined by a location of said at least two points on the sensing grid touched by the at least two fingers of the user, and a width defined by two end points of the second line, the control module providing length and width coordinates of the rectangle to be identified on the display screen, and

wherein said control module provides a variable zoom factor based on a Z coordinate comprising a distance of said at least two fingers from the display screen.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said control module calculates an amount of a drop in current detected at said at least two points to determine a height h of the at least two fingers from the display screen.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein a view of the identified geographic portion of the display screen is variably magnified as a height h of the at least two fingers from the display screen increases up to a predetermined maximum.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the amount of variable magnification is approximately relative to the height h of the at least two fingers from the display screen.

19. The system according to claim 15, wherein the identified geographical portion further comprises an image on said display screen adapted for at least one of rotation, selection or deletion according to a change in a position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

20. The system according to claim 15, wherein the identified geographical portion further comprises an image on said display screen adapted to change color according to a change in position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

21. The system according to claim 15, wherein the identified geographical portion further comprises an image on said display screen adapted to change shape according to a change in position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

22. The system according to claim 15, wherein the identified geographical portion further comprises an image on said display screen adapted to change an amount of illumination of the image according to a change in position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

23. A method of detecting a two-finger input on a touch screen, comprising:

(a) providing a display screen;

(b) arranging a sensing grid in communication with said display screen for sensing touch on said display screen;

(c) electrically connecting a plurality of electrodes to the sensing grid;

(d) providing a controller that receives an output from the sensing grid; and

(e) identifying via a control module (i) at least two points on the sensing grid indicating locations of the display screen that have been touched by at least two fingers of a user (ii) to select a geographic portion that comprises a rectangular portion of the display screen based on said at least two points touched by the at least two fingers, wherein the geographic portion further comprises a rectangular portion that is defined (ii)(a) wherein the at least two points having different X and Y coordinates and wherein sides of the rectangle comprise (ii)(a)(1) two active lines of the sensing grid in a horizontal direction corresponding to the Y coordinates of the at least two points and (ii)(a)(2) two active lines of the sensing grid in the vertical direction corresponding to the X coordinates of the at least two points, and (ii)(b) wherein at least one sensed line is connected between said at least two points and if only one vertical or one horizontal sense line is active on the sensing grid between said at least two points in response to the identified at least two points on the sensing grid touched by the at least two fingers of the user, then a size of the rectangular portion is calculated by (ii)(b)(1) the control module sensing a length of said at least one sensed line, and (ii)(b)(2) at a midpoint of said at least one sensed line, the control module calculating a second line that is perpendicular to said at least one sensed line, the second line having a same length as the length of said at least one sensed line, and (ii)(b)(3) based on the length defined by a location of said at least two points on the grid touched by the at least two fingers of the user, and a width defined by two end points of the second line, the control module providing length and width coordinates of the rectangular portion to be identified on the display screen.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the geographical portion of an image on said display screen is adapted to change color according to a change in position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

25. The system according to claim 23, wherein the geographical portion further comprises an image on said display screen adapted to change shape according to a change in position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

26. The system according to claim 23, wherein the identified geographical portion further comprises an image on said display screen adapted to change an amount of illumination of the image according to a change in position of the two finger input sensed by the sensing grid and determined by the controller.

27. A method for detecting for three-dimensional touch sensing by at least two fingers on a touch screen, comprising:

(a) providing a display screen;

(b) arranging a sensing grid in communication with said display screen for sensing touch on said display screen;

(c) electrically connecting a plurality of electrodes arranged at corners of the sensing grid;

(d) providing a controller that receives an output from the sensing grid;

(e) identifying via a control module (i) at least two points on the sensing grid indicating at least two locations of the display screen that have been touched by at least two fingers of a user and (ii) a geographic portion that comprises a rectangular portion of the display screen based on a position of said at least two points to determine an X coordinate and a Y coordinate for each point, wherein the rectangular portion is defined (ii)(a) wherein the at least two points having different X and Y coordinates and wherein sides of the rectangular portion comprise (ii)(a)(1) two active lines of the sensing grid in a horizontal direction corresponding to the Y coordinates of the at least two points and (ii)(a)(2) two active lines of the sensing grid in the vertical direction corresponding to the X coordinates of the at least two points, and (ii)(b) wherein at least one sensed line is connected between said at least two points and if only one vertical or one horizontal sense line is active on the sensing grid between said at least two points in response to the identified at least two points on the grid touched by the at least two fingers of the user, then a size of the rectangular portion is calculated by (ii)(b)(1) the control module sensing a length of said at least one sensed line, and (ii)(b)(2) at a midpoint of said at least one sensed line, the control module calculating a second line that is perpendicular to said at least one sensed line, the second line having a same length as the length of said at least one sensed line, and (ii)(b)(3) based on the length defined by a location of said at least two points on the sensing grid touched by the at least two fingers of the user, and a width defined by two end points of the second line, the control module providing length and width coordinates of the rectangular portion to be identified on the display screen; and

(f) providing a variable zoom factor based on a Z coordinate comprising a distance of said at least two fingers from the display screen.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein a view of the identified geographic portion of the display screen is variably magnified as the height h from the screen increases up to a predetermined maximum.