Visual simulation of touch pressure

• US 7,973,778 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2007
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, MY CHAU T
• Application Number:
  US11/787,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20080252616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 715/700, 715/762, 715/763, 715/764, 715/863, 345/156, 345/173, 345/174, 345/179, 345/175, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.09, 178/18.11
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The simulation of touch pressure on a touch-sensitive display is disclosed. In one disclosed embodiment, a touch pressure is simulated on a touch-sensitive display by detecting inputs corresponding to each of an untouched display and two or more measures of touch pressure, and displaying images on the display corresponding to the untouched display and each measure of touch pressure. In this manner, a user may be provided with a richer visual response to a touch-sensitive display input.

Claims

1. In an apparatus comprising a display and an input device configured to detect one or more of a proximity of an object to the display and a touch of the object on the display, a method of simulating touch pressure, comprising:

displaying on the display an image corresponding to an untouched state;

detecting via the input device an input corresponding to a first measure of touch pressure, wherein detecting the input corresponding to the first measure of touch pressure comprises detecting the object at a farther distance from the display;

displaying on the display an image corresponding to the first measure of touch pressure;

detecting via the input device an input corresponding to a second measure of touch pressure, wherein detecting the input corresponding to the second measure of touch pressure comprises detecting the object at a closer distance to the display; and

displaying on the display an image corresponding to the second measure of touch pressure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the images corresponding to the first and second measures of touch pressure comprises calculating the images corresponding to the first and second measures of touch pressure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the images corresponding to the first and second measures of touch pressure comprises displaying images associated in a look-up table with the first and second measures of touch pressure.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting a first sound corresponding to the first measure of touch pressure and outputting a second sound corresponding to the second measure of touch pressure.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting an input via the input device that corresponds to a measure of impact velocity, and displaying on the display an image corresponding to the measure of impact velocity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image corresponding to the first measure of touch pressure is displayed for a duration after ceasing to detect the input corresponding to the second measure of touch pressure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a plurality of image capture devices, and wherein detecting the inputs corresponding to the first and second measures of touch pressure comprises determining distances of an object from the display via images of the object acquired with the plurality of image capture devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device comprises one or more image capture devices, and wherein detecting the inputs corresponding to the first and second measures of touch pressure comprises determining a change in a size of a shadow detected on the display.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving inputs corresponding to the first and second measures of touch pressure comprises receiving inputs from one or more of a capacitive touch-screen device and a resistive touch-screen device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an area of a surface of the object with which the measure of pressure is exerted, and wherein the images corresponding to the first and second measures of touch pressure each comprise an intent effect that corresponds to a shape and/or size of the object.

11. In an apparatus comprising a display and an input device configured to detect one or more of a proximity of an object to the display and a touch of the object on the display, a method of simulating touch pressure, comprising:

displaying on the display an image corresponding to an untouched state;

optically detecting via one or more image capture devices an input corresponding to a first measure of touch pressure, wherein the input is detected by the input device comprising one or more image capture devices, wherein the input corresponding to the first measure of touch pressure corresponds to a first distance of the object from the display via images of the object acquired with the one or more image capture devices;

displaying on the display an image corresponding to the first measure of touch pressure;

optically detecting via the one or more image capture devices an input corresponding to a second measure of touch pressure, wherein the input is detected by the input device comprising one or more image capture devices, wherein the input corresponding to the second measure of touch pressure corresponds to a second distance of the object from the display via images of the object acquired with the one or more image capture devices, wherein detecting the inputs corresponding to the first and second measures of touch pressure comprises determining a change in a size of a shadow detected on the display; and

displaying on the display an image corresponding to the second measure of touch pressure.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first distance is a farther distance from the display, and wherein the second distance is a closer distance to the display.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first distance is a distance from the display, and wherein the second distance is touching the display.

14. In an apparatus comprising a display and an input device configured to detect one or more of a proximity of an object to the display and a touch of the object on the display, a method of simulating touch pressure, comprising:

displaying on the display an image corresponding to an untouched state;

optically detecting an input corresponding to a first measure of touch pressure, wherein the input is detected by the input device comprising one or more image capture devices, wherein the input corresponding to the first measure of touch pressure corresponds to a first distance of the object from the display via images of the object acquired with the one or more image capture devices;

displaying on the display an image corresponding to the first measure of touch pressure;

optically detecting an input corresponding to a second measure of touch pressure, wherein the input is detected by the input device comprising one or more image capture devices, wherein the input corresponding to the second measure of touch pressure corresponds to a second distance of the object from the display via images of the object acquired with the one or more image capture devices, wherein the first distance is a farther distance from the display and the second distance is a closer distance to the display, wherein detecting the inputs corresponding to the first and second measures of touch pressure comprises determining a change in a size of a shadow detected on the display;

displaying on the display an image corresponding to the second measure of touch pressure; and

determining an area of a surface of the object with which the measure of pressure is exerted, wherein the images corresponding to the first and second measures of touch pressure each comprise an intent effect that corresponds to a shape and/or size of the object.