Object position detector with edge motion feature and gesture recognition

• US 7,911,456 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Gillespie, David W., Wolf, Ralph C., Allen, Timothy P., Day, Shawn P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar; Vijay
• Application Number:
  US11/926,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20080048997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-183, 178 1801- 1809, 178 1901- 1906
• US Class Current: 345/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• 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 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

A method of generating a signal comprising providing a capacitive touch sensor pad including a matrix of X and Y conductors, developing capacitance profiles in one of an X direction and a Y direction from the matrix of X and Y conductors, determining an occurrence of a single gesture through an examination of the capacitance profiles, the single gesture including an application of at least two objects on the capacitive touch sensor pad, and generating a signal indicating the occurrence of the single gesture.

Claims

1. A method for indicating a gesture proximate to a touch-sensor, the method comprising:

detecting a first presence of a conductive object proximate to said touch-sensor, said first presence lasting a first duration of time;

initiating a gesture signal if said first duration of time is less than a first reference amount of time;

detecting a second presence of said conductive object proximate to said touch-sensor, said second presence occurring a first elapsed time after an end of said first presence and lasting a second duration;

terminating said gesture signal if said first elapsed time is greater than a second reference amount of time, otherwise terminating said gesture signal and initiating and terminating a second gesture signal if said first elapsed time is less than said second reference amount of time and if said second duration is less than a third reference amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said gesture signal and said second gesture signal are both virtual-button signals.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said gesture signal is maintained for a predetermined amount of time after a finish of said second presence.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said initiating of said second gesture signal occurs a predetermined amount of time after said terminating of said gesture signal and wherein said second gesture signal is maintained for a predetermined amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said first presence has a first amount of motion during said first duration and said second presence has a second amount of motion during said second duration, and said terminating said gesture signal and initiating and terminating said second gesture signal occur if, in addition, said first amount of motion is less than a first reference amount of motion and said second amount of motion is less than a second reference amount of motion.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said first reference amount of motion and said second reference amount of motion are the same.

7. A method for responding to a plurality of presences of an object proximate to a touch-sensor, wherein said plurality of presences includes a first presence and a second presence, said first presence lasting a first duration of time and said second presence occurring a first elapsed time after an end of said first presence and lasting a second duration of time, said method comprising:

initiating a gesture signal if said first duration of time is less than a first reference amount of time;

terminating said gesture signal after said end of said first presence if said first elapsed time is greater than a second reference amount of time;

terminating said gesture signal and initiating and terminating a second gesture signal after an end of said second presence if said first elapsed time is less than said second reference amount of time and if said second duration of time is less than a third reference amount of time; and

terminating said gesture signal after said end of said second presence if said first elapsed time is less than said second reference amount of time and if said second duration is greater than said third reference amount of time.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said first reference amount of time and said third reference amount of time are equal in length.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising terminating said gesture signal after an end of a third presence if a second elapsed time is less than a fourth reference amount of time, said third presence occurring said second elapsed time after said end of said second presence.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said second reference amount of time and said fourth reference amount of time are equal in length.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising terminating said gesture signal after an end of a third presence lasting a third duration of time if said third duration of time is less than a fourth reference amount of time.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said first reference amount of time and said fourth reference amount of time are equal in length.

13. A touch-sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on said substrate, said plurality of sensor electrodes configured to sense an object proximate to said plurality of sensor electrodes,

a processor coupled to said plurality of sensor electrodes, said processor configured to;

detect a first presence of a conductive object in one of a plurality of predefined regions of said touch-sensor, said first presence lasting a first duration of time;

provide a gesture signal if said first duration of time is less than a first reference amount of time, wherein said gesture signal is of a first type if said first presence is in a first one of said plurality of predefined regions and wherein said gesture signal is of a second type different from said first type if said first presence is in a second one of said plurality of predefined regions.

14. The touch-sensor of claim 13, wherein said plurality of sensor electrodes comprises a first set of conductive traces running in a first direction and a second set of conductive traces running in a second direction different from said first direction, wherein said first one of said plurality of predefined regions is a corner region of said touch-sensor, wherein said gesture signal of said first type simulates a button click, and wherein said processor is further configured to:

repeatedly receive sensor electrode signals from said plurality of sensor electrodes,

repeatedly develop sensor profiles using said sensor electrode signals, and

repeatedly determine positional information in two dimensions using said sensor profiles.

15. A touch-sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on said substrate, said plurality of sensor electrodes configured to sense an object proximate to said plurality of sensor electrodes,

a processor coupled to said plurality of sensor electrodes, said processor configured to;

detect a first presence of a conductive object proximate to said touch-sensor, said first presence lasting a first duration of time;

initiate a gesture signal if said first duration of time is less than a first reference amount of time;

detect a second presence of said conductive object proximate to said touch-sensor, said second presence occurring a first elapsed time after an end of said first presence and lasting a second duration;

terminate said gesture signal if said first elapsed time is greater than a second reference amount of time, otherwise terminating said gesture signal and initiating and terminating a second gesture signal if said first elapsed time is less than said second reference amount of time and if said second duration is less than a third reference amount of time.

16. The touch-sensor of claim 15, wherein said plurality of sensor electrodes comprises a first set of conductive traces running in a first direction, wherein said initiating of said second gesture signal occurs a predetermined amount of time after said terminating of said gesture signal and is maintained for a predetermined amount of time, wherein said processor is further configured to:

repeatedly receive sensor electrode signals from said plurality of sensor electrodes,

repeatedly develop sensor profiles using said sensor electrode signals, and

repeatedly determine positional information using said sensor profiles.