Finger gesture recognition for touch sensing surface

• US 8,629,851 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parade Technologies, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Park, Tony, Lu, Luther, Chow, Nelson
• Primary Examiner(s): Boddie, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELNAFIA, SAIFELDIN E
• Application Number:
  US13/449,179
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-181, 178 1801- 1806, 178 1901- 1903
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• 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 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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: 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

Touch sensor methods, devices and systems are disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention pertains to a method comprising monitoring a finger movement along a touch sensing surface based on position data of a finger touching the touch sensing surface, where the position data is obtained by locating a position of a force applied by the finger in a coordinate of the touch sensing surface. In addition, the method comprises generating direction data associated with the finger movement if the finger movement travels for more than a threshold distance. Furthermore, the method comprises determining a finger gesture which corresponds to the finger movement using a lookup table having multiple preconfigured finger gestures based on the direction data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

tracking position data of a conductive object on a touch sensing surface;

determining direction data of the conductive object from the position data when the conductive object moves more than a threshold distance, wherein the direction data corresponds to a plurality of predetermined directions;

storing the direction data as digital values when the conductive object moves more than the threshold distance;

counting a number of times there is a change in direction by the conductive object;

selecting from a plurality of preconfigured gestures using the stored digital values and the number of times there is the change in direction to determine a gesture corresponding to movement of the conductive object on the touch sensing surface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing the direction data comprises storing the digital values in an array.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the conductive object moves more than the threshold distance,

determining whether there is the change in direction by the conductive object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the direction data comprises:

determining a plurality of linear movements of the conductive object;

for each of the plurality of linear movements, determining a primary direction of the conductive object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining the primary direction comprises determining an angle of each of the plurality of linear movements with respect to a first axis.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of predetermined directions are defined as a specified number of directions relative to a two-axis coordinate system of the touch sensing surface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting comprises performing a lookup operation in a lookup table comprising the plurality of preconfigured gestures, and wherein the lookup table comprises, for each gesture, a number of direction changes involved in the gesture and corresponding directions taken by the gesture.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium for recognizing a gesture on a touch sensing surface having instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

tracking position data of a conductive object on a touch sensing surface;

determining direction data of the conductive object from the position data when the conductive object moves more than a threshold distance, wherein the direction data corresponds to a plurality of predetermined directions;

storing the direction data as digital values when the conductive object moves more than the threshold distance;

counting a number of times there is a change in direction by the conductive object;

selecting from a plurality of preconfigured gestures using the stored digital values and the number of times there is the change in direction to determine a gesture corresponding to movement of the conductive object on the touch sensing surface.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the storing the direction data comprises storing the digital values in an array.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises, when the conductive object moves more than the threshold distance,

determining whether there is the change in direction by the conductive object.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the determining the direction data comprises:

determining a plurality of linear movements of the conductive object;

for each of the plurality of linear movements, determining a primary direction of the conductive object.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the determining the primary direction comprises determining an angle of each of the plurality of linear movements with respect to a first axis.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of predetermined directions are defined as a specified number of directions relative to a two-axis coordinate system of the touch sensing surface.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the selecting comprises performing a lookup operation in a lookup table comprising the plurality of preconfigured gestures, and wherein the lookup table comprises, for each gesture, a number of direction changes involved in the gesture and corresponding directions taken by the gesture.

15. A touch sensing device, comprising:

a touch sensing surface for sensing movement of a conductive object along the touch sensing surface; and

a processor coupled to the touch sensing surface, the processor configured to;

monitor a conductive object movement on the touch sensing surface based on position data of the conductive object contacting the touch sensing surface;

generate direction data associated with the conductive object movement if the conductive object movement travels for more than a threshold distance, wherein the direction data corresponds to a plurality of predetermined directions;

count a number of times there is a change in direction by the conductive object; and

determine a gesture that corresponds to the conductive object movement using a lookup table having a plurality of preconfigured gestures based on the direction data and the number of times there is the change in direction.

16. The touch sensing device of claim 15, wherein the touch sensing surface comprises one of a single layer touch sensing surface;

a two layer touch sensing surface; and

a multilayer touch sensing surface.

17. The touch sensing device of claim 15, wherein the touch sensing surface comprises one of:

a touch screen;

a touch pad;

a track pad; and

a touch panel.

18. The touch sensing device of claim 15, wherein the processor is implemented using a programmable device.