Techniques for disambiguating touch data using user devices

• US 9,018,548 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2014
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Perceptive Pixel Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Westhues, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolotin, Dmitriy
• Application Number:
  US14/167,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20140168160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 178 1801- 2004
• US Class Current: 178/18.06
• 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 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• 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 3/04886 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

Techniques for disambiguating touch data and determining user assignment of touch points detected by a touch sensor are described. The techniques leverage both user-specific touch data projected onto axes and non-user-specific touch data captured over a complete area.

Claims

1. A method for using user devices to capture touch data for multiple users touching a capacitive touch sensor, where the capacitive touch sensor includes a two-dimensional matrix of conductors configured as a first array of conductors arranged in rows and a second array of conductors arranged in columns, and where each of the multiple users is associated with a different user device that includes an electrode and active components, the method comprising:

energizing a first column of the matrix;

receiving a first signal in each row of the matrix as a result of the energizing of the first column;

measuring a signal strength of each first signal received in each row of the matrix;

using the measured first signal strengths to identify locations of touch points on the first column;

updating touch point location data to indicate the locations of touch points on the first column; and

at each of the multiple user devices;

detecting whether the energizing of the first column results in a particular signal change at the user device, wherein the user device is configured to detect the particular signal change,

based on whether the energizing of the first column results in the particular signal change at the user device, updating column touch data for the user associated with the user device to indicate that the first column is touched by the user associated with the user device, and

based on whether the energizing of the first column does not result in the particular signal change at the user device, not updating the column touch data for the user associated with the user device to indicate that the first column is touched by the user associated with the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the multiple users being associated with a different user device comprises each of the multiple users physically carrying a different user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the capacitive touch sensor includes a controller circuit and energizing the first column comprises applying a time-varying voltage between the first column and a ground of the controller circuit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting whether the energizing of the first column results in the particular signal change at the user device comprises:

measuring a current at the user device that is indicative of a capacitance from the first column to a body of the user associated with the user device, and

comparing results of the measurement to a baseline.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the energizing of the first column of the matrix occurs in a single time slot of a frame, the single time slot being allocated to the first column.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising sequentially energizing each remaining column of the matrix in sequential time slots in the frame to thereby update the touch point location data to indicate two dimensional locations of all touch points on the matrix, and to thereby update the column touch data for the multiple users to indicate a set of columns touched by each of the multiple users.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

energizing a selected user device of a selected one of the multiple users, wherein the energizing of the first column of the matrix occurs in a first time slot of a frame, the first time slot being allocated to the first column, and the energizing of the selected user device of the selected user occurs in a second time slot of the frame, the second time slot being allocated to the selected user device;

at each row of the matrix;

detecting whether the energizing of the selected user device results in a particular signal change at the row,

based on whether the energizing of the selected user device results in the particular signal change at the row, updating row touch data for the selected user to indicate that the row is touched by the selected user, and

based on whether the energizing of the selected user device does not result in the particular signal change at the row, not updating the row touch data for the selected user to indicate that the row is touched by the selected user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein energizing the selected user device comprises transmitting a time-varying voltage through the electrode of the selected user device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein detecting whether the energizing of the selected user device results in the particular signal change at the row comprises:

measuring a current at the row that is indicative of a capacitance from the row to a body of the selected user, and

comparing results of the measurement to a baseline.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising sequentially energizing each remaining user device of the multiple users in sequential time slots in the frame to thereby update the row touch data for each of the multiple users to indicate a set of rows touched by each user.

11. The method of claim 7,

wherein the frame includes a time slot allocated to each of the columns of the matrix, and a time slot allocated to each of the multiple user devices,

further comprising sequentially energizing each remaining column of the matrix during its allocated time slot in the frame to thereby update the touch point location data to indicate two dimensional locations of all touch points on the matrix, and to thereby update the column touch data for the multiple users to indicate a set of columns touched by each user, and

further comprising sequentially energizing each remaining user device of the multiple users in its allocated time slot in the frame to thereby update the row touch data for each of the multiple users to indicate a set of rows touched by each user.

12. A system for capturing touch data for multiple users touching a capacitive touch sensor, where the capacitive touch sensor includes a two-dimensional matrix of conductors configured as a first array of conductors arranged in rows and a second array of conductors arranged in columns, and where each of the multiple users is associated with a different user device that includes an electrode and active components, the system comprising:

one or more circuit elements configured to;

energize a first column of the matrix;

receive a first signal in each row of the matrix as a result of the energizing of the first column;

measure a signal strength of each first signal received in each row of the matrix;

use the measured first signal strengths to identify locations of touch points on the first column;

update touch point location data to indicate the locations of touch points on the first column; and

multiple user devices, each user device being configured to;

detect whether the energizing of the first column results in a particular signal change at the user device, wherein the user device is configured to detect the particular signal change,

based on whether the energizing of the first column results in the particular signal change at the user device, update column touch data for the user associated with the user device to indicate that the first column is touched by the user associated with the user device, and

based on whether the energizing of the first column does not result in the particular signal change at the user device, not update the column touch data for the user associated with the user device to indicate that the first column is touched by the user associated with the user device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the multiple users being associated with a different user device comprises each of the multiple users physically carrying a different user device.

14. The system of claim 12,

wherein the one or more circuit elements are included in a controller circuit of the capacitive touch sensor, and

wherein the one or more circuit elements being configured to energize the first column comprises the one or more circuit elements being configured to apply a time-varying voltage between the first column and a ground of the controller circuit.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein each user device being configured to detect whether the energizing of the first column results in a particular signal change at the user device comprises each user device being configured to:

measure a current at the user device that is indicative of a capacitance from the first column to a body of the user associated with the user device, and

compare results of the measurement to a baseline.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more circuit elements being configured to energize the first column of the matrix comprises the one or more circuit elements being configured to energize the first column of the matrix in a single time slot of a frame, the single time slot being allocated to the first column.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more circuit elements are further configured to sequentially energize each remaining column of the matrix in sequential time slots in the frame to thereby update the touch point location data to indicate two dimensional locations of all touch points on the matrix, and to thereby update the column touch data for the multiple users to indicate a set of columns touched by each of the multiple users.

18. The system of claim 12,

wherein a selected user device of the multiple user devices is configured to be energized, and

wherein the energizing of the first column of the matrix occurs in a first time slot of a frame, the first time slot being allocated to the first column, and the energizing of the selected user device of the selected user occurs in a second time slot of the frame, the second time slot being allocated to the selected user device, and

wherein the one or more circuit elements are configured to, at each row of the matrix:

detect whether the energizing of the selected user device results in a particular signal change at the row,

based on whether the energizing of the selected user device results in the particular signal change at the row, update row touch data for the selected user to indicate that the row is touched by the selected user, and

based on whether the energizing of the selected user device does not result in the particular signal change at the row, not update the row touch data for the selected user to indicate that the row is touched by the selected user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the selected user device is configured to be energized by being configured to transmit a time-varying voltage through the electrode of the selected user device.