Method and system for activating different interactive functions using different types of finger contacts

• US 9,013,452 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2013
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qeexo Co. (TDK Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Qeexo Co. (TDK Corporation)
• Inventors: Harrison, Christopher, Schwarz, Julia, Xiao, Robert Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US13/849,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 178/18.01, 178/18.02, 178/18.03, 178/18.04, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.07, 178/18.08, 178/18.09
• US Class Current: 345/177
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0433 in which the acoustic waves are either generated by a movable member and propagated within a surface layer or propagated within a surface layer and captured by a movable member
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method activates different interactive functions based on a classification of vibro-acoustic signals resulting from touch events with finger parts of a user. A primary function is trigger when an interactive element on a touch screen is touched with a finger tip of the user. An auxiliary function is launched when the interactive element is touched with a knuckle or fingernail of the user. The touch events result in generating the vibro-acoustic signals. The vibro-acoustic signals are classified and used to distinguish what finger part was used based on the classification of the vibro-acoustic signals.

Claims

1. A method for activating different interactive functions, the method comprising:

triggering a first function related to an interactive element on a touch screen when a user interacts with the interactive element using a first finger part of a plurality of finger parts of the user, wherein the plurality of finger parts include a fingertip, a knuckle and fingernail; and

triggering a second function related to the interactive element when the user interacts with the interactive element using a second finger part of the plurality of finger parts of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the the first function is a primary function, and wherein the second function is an auxiliary function.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first finger part is a fingertip.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said second finger part is a knuckle or fingernail.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing touch events based on touches caused by the finger parts of the user, wherein the touch events result in generating unique vibro-acoustic signals;

distinguishing what finger part was used for the touches using the vibro-acoustic signals; and

selectively activating the first function or the second function upon distinguishing the finger parts.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said distinguishing what finger part was used comprises:

classifying the vibro-acoustic signals to detect the finger parts used to touch the interactive element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive element is an email and a touch of the email with the second finger part of the user causes a context menu to appear with an additional option.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional option comprises reply, reply all, forward, print, archive, delete or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive element is a photo and a touch of the photo with the second finger part of the user causes a context menu to appear with an additional option.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the additional option comprises email, print, modify, duplicate, post to web, delete or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive element is a text and a touch and drag over a region of the text with the second finger part of the user causes selection of the text.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

making an appearance of a context menu with an additional option following the selection, wherein the additional option comprises copy, cut, paste, delete or any combination thereof.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive element is a text and a touch and drag over a region of the text with the second finger part of the user causes highlighting the text.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive element is an image and a touch and drag over a region of the image with the second finger part of the user causes selecting a sub-region of the image.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

making an appearance of a context menu with an additional option following the selection, wherein the additional option comprises copy, crop, modify, save, or any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive element is an image and a touch and drag over a region of the image with the second finger part of the user causes lasso selecting the image.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

making an appearance of a context menu with an additional option following the selection, wherein the additional option comprises copy, crop, modify, save, or any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the finger parts of the user are used as tools for different drawing actions in a drawing mode.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the fingertip is used as a thick brush in the drawing mode.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the knuckle is used as a fine marker in the drawing mode.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the fingertip is used as a highlighter marker in the drawing mode.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the knuckle is used for erasing in the drawing mode.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the finger parts of the user are used as onscreen movement controls in a game.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the fingertip is used for a regular player movement.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the knuckle is used for a directional player movement in a crouched position.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the fingernail is used to run an in-game character.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the fingernail is used to jump an in-game character.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the finger parts of the user are used for auxiliary actions in a game in concert with each other.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the fingernail is used for primary weapon fire and the knuckle or fingernail is used for alternative weapon mode.

30. A computing system comprising:

a touch screen configured to display an interactive element;

a touch event detector configured to detect touch events by finger parts based on the interactive element being touched by a first or a second finger part of a plurality of finger parts of a user, wherein the touch events result in generating vibro-acoustic signals; and

a vibro-acoustic classifier configured to classify the vibro-acoustic signals and allow the computing system to selectively activate a first function or a second function related to the interactive element depending on the classified vibro-acoustic signals.

31. The computing system of claim 30, the vibro-acoustic classifier distinguishes which finger parts touched the interactive element based on the classification of the vibro-acoustic signals.

32. The computing system of claim 30, wherein the plurality of finger parts include a fingertip, a knuckle and fingernail.

33. The computing system of claim 30, wherein said first finger part is a fingertip.

34. The computing system of claim 30, wherein said second finger part is a knuckle or fingernail.