Method and systems for identifying objects on a touch-sensitive device

• US 8,207,948 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2008
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Lee, Chia-Yi, Chang, Wei-Kuo
• Primary Examiner(s): SHERMAN, STEPHEN G
• Application Number:
  US12/202,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20100053091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1809, 178/18.11
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/04166 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 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method of identifying objects on a touch-sensitive device comprises scanning a plurality of “m” traces of the touch-sensitive device, m being a positive integer, obtaining a count value of each of the “m” traces, wherein an x-th trace has a count value a_x, x being an index number from 1 to m, comparing a count value a_i with a count value a_i+1 in an increasing order of index number in a first comparison process until a count value a_j not smaller than a_j+1 is identified, and based on the count value a_j, comparing the count value a_j with one of count values following a_j in an increasing order of index number in a second comparison process until a count value a_k is identified, wherein a difference between the count values a_j and a_k satisfies a first threshold.

Claims

1. A method of identifying objects on a touch-sensitive device, the method comprising:

scanning a plurality of “

m”

traces of the touch-sensitive device, m being a positive integer;

obtaining a count value of each of the “

m”

traces, wherein an x-th trace has a count value a_x, x being an index number from 1 to m;

comparing a count value a;

with a count value a_i+1 in an increasing order of index number in a first comparison process until a count value a_j not smaller than a_j+1 is identified, i and j being positive integers; and

based on the count value a_j, comparing the count value a_j with one of count values following a_j in an increasing order of index number in a second comparison process until a count value a_k is identified, k being a positive integer, wherein a difference between the count values a_i and a_k satisfies a first threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

before identifying the count value a_j, comparing the count values with a second threshold in an increasing order of index number until one of the count values satisfies the second threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a first object when the difference between the count values a_i and a_k is not smaller than the first threshold; and

comparing a count value a_k+1 with a count value a_k+2 in an increasing order of index number in a third comparison process until a count value a_n smaller than a_n+1 is identified.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

comparing the count value a_n with the count value a_n+1 in an increasing order of index number in the first comparison process until a count value a_p not smaller than a_p+1 is identified; and

based on the count value a_p, comparing the count value a_p with one of count values following a_p in an increasing order of index in the second comparison process until a count value a_q is identified, wherein a difference between the count values a_p and a_q satisfies the first threshold.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

identifying a second object when the difference between the count values a_p and a_q is not smaller than the first threshold; and

comparing a count value a_q+1 with a count value a_q+2 in an increasing order of index number in the third comparison process.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying that a last count value a_m is compared in the second comparison process;

identifying a non-zero count value a_r having an index number most close to the last index number of the last count value a_m, being an integer from m to 1; and

based on the count value a_r, comparing the count value a_r with one of count values preceding a_r in a decreasing order of index number in a fourth comparison process until a count value a_s is identified, wherein a difference between the count values a_r and a_s satisfies the first threshold.

7. A method of identifying objects on a touch-sensitive device, the method comprising:

scanning a plurality of “

m”

traces of the touch-sensitive device, m being a positive integer;

obtaining a count value of each of the “

m”

traces, wherein an x-th trace has a count value a_x, x being an index number from 1 to m;

identifying a non-zero count value a_i having an index number most close to the first index number of a first count value a₁, i being an integer from 1 to m;

comparing the count value a_i with a count value a_i+1;

if the count value a_i is not smaller than the count value a_i+1, based on the count value a_i, comparing the count value a_i with one of count values following a_i+1, in an increasing order of index number in a first comparison process until a count value a_j is identified, j being a positive integer, wherein a difference between the count values a_i and a_j satisfies a first threshold; and

if the count value a_i is smaller than the count value a_i+1, based on the count value a_i, comparing the count value a_i with one of count values following a_i in an increasing order of index number in a second comparison process until a count value a_k is identified, k being a positive integer, wherein a difference between the count values a_i and a_k satisfies the first threshold.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying the non-zero count value a_i further comprises:

comparing the count values with a second threshold in an increasing order of index number until one of the count values satisfies the second threshold.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

identifying a first object when the difference between the count values a_i and a_j is not smaller than the first threshold; and

comparing a count value a_j+1 with a count value a_j+2 in an increasing order of index number in a third comparison process until a count value a_n greater than a_n+1 is identified.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

comparing the count value a_n with the count value a_n+1 in an increasing order of index number in a fourth comparison process until a count value a_p smaller than a_p+1 is identified; and

based on the count value a_p, comparing the count value a_p with one of count values following a_p in an increasing order of index in the second comparison process until a count value a_q is identified, wherein a difference between the count values a_p and a_q satisfies the first threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

identifying a second object when the difference between the count values a_p and a_q is not smaller than the first threshold; and

comparing a count value a_q+1 with a count value a_q+2 in an increasing order of index number in the third comparison process.

12. A method of identifying objects on a touch-sensitive device, the method comprising:

scanning a plurality of traces of the touch-sensitive device;

obtaining count values of the plurality of traces, each of the count values having an index number related to the location of one of the traces;

identifying a first count value in a first portion of the count values, the first count value having one of a local maximum value and a local minimum value among the first portion of the count values;

determining whether a difference between the first count value and one of count values following the first count value satisfies a first threshold;

identifying a first object if the difference between the first count value and the one count value satisfies the first threshold;

identifying that a difference between the first count value and a last count value does not satisfies the first threshold;

identifying a non-zero count value having an index number most close to the last index number of the last count value;

based on the non-zero count value, comparing the non-zero count value with one of count values preceding the non-zero count value in a decreasing order of index number; and

identifying an object if a difference between the non-zero count value and one of the count values preceding the non-zero count value satisfies the first threshold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining whether a difference between the first count value and one of count values following the first count value further comprises:

based on the first count value, comparing the first count value with one of count values following the first count value in an increasing order of index number until the one count value is identified.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

before identifying the first count value, comparing the count values with a second threshold in an increasing order of index number until a second count value satisfies the second threshold; and

identifying the first count value from a group of count values including the second count value and count values following the second count value.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

after identifying the first object, determining whether a second portion of the count values following the first portion of the count values exists by comparing one count value with another in an increasing order of index number for count values following the one count value.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

identifying a second count value in the second portion of the count values, the second count value having one of a local maximum value and a local minimum value among the second portion of the count values.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

based on the second count value, comparing the second count value with one of count values following the second count value in an increasing order of index number; and

identifying a second object if a difference between the second count value and one of the count values following the second count value satisfies the first threshold.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

identifying a non-zero count value having an index number most close to the first index number of a first count value;

based on the non-zero count value, comparing the non-zero count value with one of count values following the non-zero count value in an increasing order of index number; and

identifying an object if a difference between the non-zero count value and one of the count values following the non-zero count value satisfies the first threshold.

19. A system for identifying objects on a touch-sensitive device, the system comprising:

a detection device configured to scan a plurality of “

m”

traces of the touch-sensitive device, m being a positive integer;

a converter configured to generate a count value of each of the “

m”

traces, wherein an x-th trace has a count value a_x, x being an index number from 1 to m;

a first comparator configured to compare a count value a_i with a count value a_j+1 in an increasing order of index number in a first comparison process until a count value a_j not smaller than a_j+1 is identified, i and j being positive integers; and

a second comparator configured to be based on the count value a_j, compare the count value a_j with one of count values following a_j in an increasing order of index number in a second comparison process until a count value a_k is identified, k being a positive integer, wherein a difference between the count values a_i and a_k satisfies a first threshold.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein one of the first and second comparators is configured to compare the count values with a second threshold in an increasing order of index number until one of the count values satisfies the second threshold.

21. The system of claim 19 further comprising:

a control unit configured to identify a first object when the difference between the count values a_i and a_k is not smaller than the first threshold, wherein one of the first and second comparators is configured to compare a count value a_k+1 with a count value a_k+2 in an increasing order of index number in a third comparison process until a count value a_n smaller than a_n+1 is identified.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein one of the first and second comparators is configured to identify a non-zero count value a_r having an index number most close to the last index number of the last count value a_m, r being an integer from m to 1, and based on the count value a_r, compare the count value a_r with one of count values preceding a_r in a decreasing order of index number in a fourth comparison process until a count value a_s is identified, wherein a difference between the count values a_r and a_s satisfies the first threshold.

23. A system for identifying objects on a touch-sensitive device, the system comprising:

a detection device configured to scan a plurality of “

m”

traces of the touch-sensitive device, m being a positive integer;

a converter configured to generate a count value of each of the “

m”

traces, wherein an x-th trace has a count value a_x, x being an index number from 1 to m;

a first comparator configured to identify a non-zero count value a_i having an index number most close to the first index number of a first count value a₁, i being an integer from 1 to m, and compare the count value a_i with a count value a_i+1;

wherein the first comparator, if the count value a_i is not smaller than the count value a_i+1, based on the count value compares the count value a_i with one of count values following a_i in an increasing order of index number in a first comparison process until a count value a_j is identified, i and j being positive integers, wherein a difference between the count values a_i and a_j satisfies a first threshold; and

a second comparator configured to, if the count value a_i is smaller than the count value a_i+1, based on the count value a_i, compare the count value a_i with one of count values following a_i in an increasing order of index number in a second comparison process until a count value a_k is identified, k being a positive integer wherein a difference between the count values a_i and a_k satisfies the first threshold.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first comparator is configured to compare the count values with a second threshold in an increasing order of index number until one of the count values satisfies the second threshold so as to identify the non-zero count value a_i.

25. The system of claim 23 further comprising:

a control unit configured to identify a first object when the difference between the count values a_i and a_j is not smaller than the first threshold, wherein one of the first and second comparator is configured to compare a count value a_j+1 with a count value a_j+2 in an increasing order of index number in a third comparison process until a count value a_n greater than a_n+1 is identified.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein one of the first and second comparators is configured to compare the count value a_n with the count value a_n+1 in an increasing order of index number in a fourth comparison process until a count value a_p smaller than a_p+1 is identified, and wherein the second comparator is configured to be based on the count value a_p, compare the count value a_p with one of count values following a_p in an increasing order of index in the second comparison process until a count value a_q is identified, wherein a difference between the count values a_p and a_q satisfies the first threshold.