Pressure sensitive user interface for mobile devices

• US 8,390,583 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Forutanpour, Babak, Saeed, Salman
• Primary Examiner(s): GIESY, ADAM
• Application Number:
  US12/551,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20110050576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Virtual keypads are provided which determine an intended user key entry based upon location of keystrokes as well as other keystroke characteristics such as keystroke shape and/or pressure. Virtual keypad layouts which include overlapping or multi-character keys may be used to reduce typing errors on small pressure sensing touch screens. Keystrokes on overlapping or multi-character keys may be disambiguated using measured pressures applied to the pressure sensing touch screen as well as other keystroke characteristics such as keystroke shape. Additional user interfaces are provided which exploit pressure sensing touch screen capable of discriminating magnitudes of pressure exerted upon the touch screen surface.

Claims

1. A method for disambiguating a keystroke on a virtual keypad, comprising:

determining baseline touch positions for each of a plurality of fingertips resting on a touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

detecting the keystroke on the touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

determining whether the detected keystroke occurred in an overlap region;

determining current locations for all touches on the touch screen if the detected keystroke occurred in the overlap region;

determining which of the plurality of fingertips has deviated from its baseline touch position; and

disambiguating the keystroke based upon the detected keystroke location and the determined touch that has deviated from the baseline touch position.

2. A method for disambiguating a keystroke on a virtual keypad, comprising:

detecting the keystroke on a touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

determining whether the detected keystroke occurs in an overlap region;

determining a touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

determining an orientation of the touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

determining which hand executed the detected keystroke based upon the determined orientation of the detected keystroke touch shape; and

assigning a character to the detected keystroke in the overlap region based upon the detected keystroke location and which hand executed the detected keystroke.

3. A method for disambiguating a keystroke on a virtual keypad, comprising:

detecting the keystroke on a touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

determining whether the detected keystroke occurs in an overlap region;

determining a touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

comparing the shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region to stored keystroke signature data to determine a matching touch shape; and

assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character corresponding to the matched touch shape.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein disambiguating the keystroke based upon the touch shape comprises:

measuring a pressure applied to the touch screen by the detected keystroke;

comparing the measured pressure of the detected keystroke in the overlap region to stored keystroke signature data to determine a matching pressure signature; and

assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character corresponding to the matched pressure signature.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein disambiguating the keystroke based upon the touch shape comprises:

determining whether the keystroke can be disambiguated based upon comparisons of keystroke touch shape and measured pressure to keystroke signature data for the intended key value;

executing a predictive text routine to select between possible intended key values if the keystroke cannot be disambiguated based on keystroke touch shape and measured pressure; and

assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character identified by the predictive text routine.

6. A mobile device having a virtual keypad, comprising:

means for determining baseline touch position for each of a plurality of fingertips resting on a touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

means for detecting the keystroke on the pressure sensing touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

means for determining whether the detected keystroke occurred in an overlap region;

means for determining current locations for all touches on the touch screen if the detected keystroke occurred in the overlap region;

means for determining which of the plurality of fingertips has deviated from its baseline touch position; and

means for disambiguating the keystroke based upon the detected keystroke location and the determined touch that has deviated from the baseline touch position.

7. A mobile device having a virtual keypad, comprising:

means for detecting a keystroke on a touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

means for determining whether the detected keystroke occurred in an overlap region;

means for determining a touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

means for determining an orientation of the touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

means for determining which hand executed the detected keystroke based upon the determined orientation of the detected keystroke touch shape; and

means for assigning a character to the detected keystroke in the overlap region based upon the detected keystroke location and which hand executed the detected keystroke.

8. A mobile device having a virtual keypad, comprising:

means for detecting a keystroke on a touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

means for determining whether the detected keystroke occurred in an overlap region;

means for determining a touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

means for comparing the shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region to stored keystroke signature data to determine a matching touch shape; and

means for assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character corresponding to the matched touch shape.

9. The mobile device of claim 8, wherein the means for disambiguating the keystroke based upon the touch shape comprises:

means for measuring a pressure applied to the touch screen by the detected keystroke;

means for comparing the measured pressure of the detected keystroke in the overlap region to stored keystroke signature data to determine a matching pressure signature; and

means for assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character corresponding to the matched pressure signature.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the means for disambiguating the keystroke based upon the touch shape comprises:

means for determining whether the keystroke can be disambiguated based upon comparisons of keystroke touch shape and measured pressure to keystroke signature data for an intended key value;

means for executing a predictive text routine to select between possible intended key values if the keystroke cannot be disambiguated based on keystroke touch shape and measured pressure; and

means for assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character identified by the predictive text routine.

11. A mobile device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

a memory unit; and

a processor coupled to the memory unit and the touch screen display, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform operations comprising;

determining baseline touch locations for each of a plurality of fingertips resting on a touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

detecting the keystroke on the touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

determining whether the detected keystroke occurred in an overlap region;

determining current locations for all touches on the touch screen if the detected keystroke occurred in the overlap region;

determining which of the plurality of fingertips has deviated from its baseline touch position; and

disambiguating the keystroke based upon the detected keystroke location and the determined touch that has deviated from the baseline touch position.

12. A mobile device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

a memory unit; and

a processor coupled to the memory unit and the touch screen display, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform operations comprising;

detecting the keystroke on a touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

determining whether the detected keystroke occurs in an overlap region;

determining a touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

determining an orientation of the touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

determining which hand executed the detected keystroke based upon the determined orientation of the detected keystroke touch shape; and

assigning a character to the detected keystroke in the overlap region based upon the detected keystroke location and which hand executed the detected keystroke.

13. A mobile device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

a memory unit; and

a processor coupled to the memory unit and the touch screen display, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform operations comprising;

detecting the keystroke on a touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

determining whether the detected keystroke occurs in an overlap region;

determining a touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

comparing the shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region to stored keystroke signature data to determine a matching touch shape; and

assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character corresponding to the matched touch shape.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform further operations comprising:

measuring a pressure applied to the touch screen by the detected keystroke;

comparing the measured pressure of the detected keystroke in the overlap region to stored keystroke signature data to determine a matching pressure signature; and

assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character corresponding to the matched pressure signature.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured with software instructions to perform further operations comprising:

determining whether the keystroke can be disambiguated based upon comparisons of keystroke touch shape and measured pressure to keystroke signature data for an intended key value;

executing a predictive text routine to select between possible intended key values if the keystroke cannot be disambiguated based on keystroke touch shape and measured pressure; and

assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character identified by the predictive text routine.

16. A tangible non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

determining baseline touch position for each of a plurality of fingertips resting on a touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

detecting the keystroke on the touch screen displaying the virtual keypad;

determining whether the detected keystroke occurred in an overlap region;

determining current locations for all touches on the touch screen if the detected keystroke occurred in the overlap region;

determining which of the plurality of fingertips has deviated from its baseline touch position; and

disambiguating the keystroke based upon the detected keystroke location and the determined touch that has deviated from the baseline touch position.

17. A tangible non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a keystroke on a touch screen displaying a virtual keypad;

determining whether the detected keystroke occurred in an overlap region;

determining a touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

disambiguating the keystroke based upon the touch shape;

determining an orientation of the touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

determining which hand executed the detected keystroke based upon the determined orientation of the detected keystroke touch shape; and

assigning a character to the detected keystroke in the overlap region based upon the detected keystroke location and which hand executed the detected keystroke.

18. A tangible non-transitory storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:

detecting a keystroke on a touch screen displaying a virtual keypad;

determining whether the detected keystroke occurred in an overlap region;

determining a touch shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region;

disambiguating the keystroke based upon the touch shape;

comparing the shape of the detected keystroke in the overlap region to stored keystroke signature data to determine a matching touch shape; and

assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character corresponding to the matched touch shape.

19. The tangible non-transitory storage medium of claim 18, wherein the tangible non-transitory storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further operations comprising:

measuring a pressure applied to the touch screen by the detected keystroke;

comparing the measured pressure of the detected keystroke in the overlap region to stored keystroke signature data to determine a matching pressure signature; and

assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character corresponding to the matched pressure signature.

20. The tangible non-transitory storage medium of claim 19, wherein the tangible non-transitory storage medium has processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor to perform further operations comprising:

determining whether the keystroke can be disambiguated based upon comparisons of keystroke touch shape and measured pressure to keystroke signature data for the intended key value;

executing a predictive text routine to select between possible intended key values if the keystroke cannot be disambiguated based on keystroke touch shape and measured pressure; and

assigning to the detected keystroke in the overlap region a character identified by the predictive text routine.