Touch screen calibration sensor

• US 8,928,595 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2008
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Geiger, Avi
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYD, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US12/145,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20090315838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,387 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment

Abstract

A touchscreen may be calibrated using a second sensor that may be placed around the periphery of the touchscreen in a known position with respect to the touchscreen. The second sensor may be incorporated into a bezel and may have one or more sensor elements. The second sensor may be used to sense the position of a user'"'"'s finger or stylus when the user touches an object on the touchscreen display, and the second sensor output may be used to update a calibration factor based on the position of the displayed object. The second sensor may be used to periodically recalibrate the touchscreen any time an object is selected in proximity to the second sensor.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a touchscreen comprising a display and a touch input mechanism;

a second sensor mechanism located at a first location, said first location in a known physical location with respect to said touchscreen, said second sensor mechanism mounted into a bezel around said touchscreen, and said second sensor mechanism configured to detect a touch event at a second location on the touchscreen at said first location, wherein said first location and said second location are different locations with respect to the touchscreen; and

a processor configured to;

cause said display to present an object in said second location on the touchscreen, the object presented at a known physical location on the touchscreen with respect to the second sensor mechanism;

receive a touch input from said touch input mechanism providing a positional location of the touch input on said touchscreen, the positional location comprising raw coordinates associated with the touch input;

receive an indication of detection of the touch event at the second location from said second sensor mechanism, the indication corresponding to an actual location on the touchscreen; and

determine a calibration factor of the positional location of said touch input based on the indication of detection of said touch event at said object in the second location from said second sensor mechanism at the first location by comparing the raw coordinates associated with the positional location with the actual location determined by the second sensor mechanism.

2. The device of claim 1, said processor further configured to:

change at least one calibration factor based on said positional location.

3. The device of claim 1, said first location being at a portion of a periphery of said display.

4. The device of claim 3, said first location being at a corner of said periphery of said display.

5. The device of claim 3, said first location being away from said periphery of said display.

6. The device of claim 1, said second sensor comprising a single sensing element.

7. The device of claim 1, said second sensor comprising a plurality of sensing elements.

8. The device of claim 7, at least two of said plurality of elements being capable of being touched simultaneously.

9. The device of claim 8, said at least two of said plurality of elements being disposed adjacent to a corner of said display.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the touch input mechanism is a finger.

11. The device of claim 1, said second sensor comprising a capacitive sensor.

12. The device of claim 1, said second sensor comprising a mechanical sensor.

13. The device of claim 1, said second sensor comprising a photoelectric sensor.

14. A method comprising:

displaying an object on a touchscreen in a first location, said touchscreen comprising a display and a touch input mechanism, the object displayed at a known physical location with respect to a second sensor mechanism;

receiving a touch input with a positional location from said touch input mechanism, the positional location comprising raw coordinates associated with the touch input;

sensing an indication of detection of said touch event at by the second sensor mechanism located at a second location the second location in a known physical location with respect to said touchscreen, the indication corresponding to an actual location on the touchscreen, the second location at a location different from the first location with respect to the touchscreen; and

determining a calibration factor of said positional location of said touch input based on the indication of detection of said touch event at said object in said first location from said second sensor mechanism at the second location by comparing the raw coordinates associated with the positional location with the actual location determined by the second sensor mechanism.

15. The method of claim 14, said at least one calibration factor being a horizontal calibration factor or a vertical calibration factor.

16. The method of claim 14, said positional location being determined at least in part by a plurality of sensing elements of said second sensor.

17. A device comprising:

a touchscreen comprising a display and a touch input mechanism;

a second sensor mechanism located at a first location, said first location in a known physical location with respect to said touchscreen, said second sensor mechanism being disposed around a periphery of said display, and said second sensor mechanism configured to detect a touch event at a second location on the touchscreen at said first location; and

a processor configured to;

cause said display to present an object in said second location on the touchscreen, the object presented at a known physical location on the touchscreen with respect to the second sensor mechanism;

receive a touch input from said touch input mechanism providing a positional location of the touch input on said touch screen, the positional location comprising raw coordinates associated with the touch input;

receive an indication of detection of said touch event at the second location from said second sensor mechanism, the indication corresponding to an actual location on the touchscreen; and

determine a calibration factor of the positional location of said touch input based on the indication of detection of said touch event at said object in the second location from said second sensor mechanism at the first location by comparing the raw coordinates associated with the positional location with the actual location determined by the second sensor mechanism.

18. The device of claim 17, said second sensor mechanism comprising a plurality of sensor elements.

19. The device of claim 18, said second sensor mechanism comprising at least four sensor elements.

20. A device comprising:

a touchscreen comprising a display and a touch input mechanism;

a second sensor mechanism located at a first location, said first location in a known physical location with respect to said touchscreen, and said second sensor mechanism configured to detect a touch event at a second location on the touchscreen at said first location, wherein said first location and said second location are different locations with respect to the touchscreen; and

a processor configured to;

cause said display to present an object in said second location on the touchscreen, the object presented at a known physical location on the touchscreen with respect to the second sensor mechanism;

receive a touch input from said touch input mechanism providing a positional location of the touch input on said touchscreen, the positional location comprising raw coordinates associated with the touch input;

receive an indication of detection of the touch event at the second location from said second sensor mechanism, the indication corresponding to

an actual location on the touchscreen; and

determine a calibration factor of the positional location of said touch input based on the indication of detection of said touch event at said object in the second location from said second sensor mechanism at the first location by comparing the raw coordinates associated with the positional location with the actual location determined by the second sensor mechanism.

21. The device of claim 20, said processor further configured to:

change at least one calibration factor based on said positional location.

22. The device of claim 20, said first location being at a portion of a periphery of said display.

23. The device of claim 20, said second sensor comprising a plurality of sensing elements.

24. The device of claim 20, at least two of said plurality of elements being capable of being touched simultaneously.