Method for gesture detection on a touchpad

• US 7,982,717 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Chien, Yung-Lieh, Lii, Jia-Yih
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US11/319,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20070008295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,028 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345/159, 345/160, 345/173, 345/174, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1905
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

In a gesture detection method for a touchpad, according to the present invention, various gestures such as tap, drag and double tap are determined by operating an object to touch on the touchpad, leave from the touchpad, and move on the touchpad.

Claims

1. A method for gesture detection on a touchpad, comprising the steps of:

verifying that an object touches on the touchpad;

determining whether or not the object moves on the touchpad;

verifying that the object leaves the touchpad if the object is determined not to move on the touchpad in the previous step;

initiating a first gesture signal after the object is verified to leave the touchpad;

counting a departure time after the object leaves the touchpad; and

producing a second gesture signal after the departure time reaches a reference time interval;

wherein the step of verifying that an object touches on the touchpad comprises the steps of;

monitoring a sensed value on the touchpad;

monitoring a variation of the sensed value when the sensed value is greater than a threshold; and

determining that the object touches on the touchpad if the sensed value remains greater than the threshold within a second reference time interval and maintains a continuously increasing trend during the second reference time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether or not the object moves on the touchpad comprises the steps of:

monitoring a sensed value on the touchpad;

monitoring a variation of the sensed value; and

determining that the object moves on the touchpad if, during a third reference time interval, the sensed value maintains a continuously increasing trend in a first direction and a continuously decreasing trend in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of verifying that the object leaves the touchpad comprises the steps of:

monitoring a sensed value on the touchpad;

monitoring a variation of the sensed value when the sensed value is less than a threshold; and

determining that the object leaves the touchpad if the sensed value remains less than the threshold within a third reference time interval and maintains a continuously decreasing trend during the third reference time interval.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture signal comprises a key-press signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second gesture signal comprises a key-release signal.