Automatic detection for touch through glove

• US 9,122,332 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Yuk Lun, Ren, Xin, Chin, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles V
• Application Number:
  US13/843,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to a device including a touch-screen configured to detect user engagement with a surface of the touch-screen and output one or more signals corresponding with the user touch engagement. In certain aspects, the device further includes a touch sense controller coupled to the touch-screen, wherein the touch sense controller is configured to receive the one or more signals corresponding with the user engagement and to determine a mode of user engagement with the surface of the touch-screen based on the one or more signals. A method and touch sense controller are also provided.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a touch-screen configured to detect user touch engagement with a surface of the touch-screen and output one or more signals corresponding with the user touch engagement; and

a touch sense controller coupled to the touch-screen, wherein the touch sense controller is configured to perform functions, including functions to;

receive the one or more signals corresponding with the user touch engagement,

determine a mode of user engagement with the surface of the touch-screen based on the one or more signals and acoustic touch-interaction information, wherein the acoustic touch-interaction information includes information used to distinguish sounds produced in a first mode of user engagement and a second mode of user engagement, and

select a sensitivity of the touch sense controller, from among a plurality of sensitivities of the touch sense controller, based on the determined mode of user engagement with the surface of the touch-screen.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch sense controller is further configured to select a high-sensitivity mode associated with the touch-screen, as the selected sensitivity, if the mode of user engagement corresponds with a gloved operation mode.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch sense controller is further configured to select a low-sensitivity mode associated with the touch-screen, as the selected sensitivity, if the mode of user engagement corresponds with an ungloved operation mode.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the function to determine the mode of user engagement with the surface of the touch-screen comprises:

comparing the one or more signals corresponding with the user engagement to a heuristic model of user interaction with the surface of the touch-screen.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the heuristic model is based on one or more of:

capacitive change data, surface area contact data, or acoustic touch-interaction data.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the heuristic model is based on one or more of:

a time, a location, or a motion profile associated with the device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to receive a manual override signal for toggling the touch-screen between a high-sensitivity mode and a low-sensitivity mode.

21. The device of claim 1, wherein the first mode of user engagement comprises a gloved operation mode, and wherein the second mode of user engagement comprises an ungloved operation mode.

8. A method, comprising steps of:

receiving, at a touch sense controller, one or more signals associated with a user touch engagement with a touch-screen;

determining, based on acoustic touch-interaction information, a mode of user engagement with the touch-screen using the one or more signals, wherein the acoustic touch-interaction information includes information used to distinguish sounds produced in a first mode of user engagement and a second mode of user engagement; and

selecting either a high-sensitivity mode or a low-sensitivity mode based on the mode of user engagement with the touch-screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the high-sensitivity mode corresponds with a gloved operation mode.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the low-sensitivity mode corresponds with an ungloved operation mode.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the mode of user engagement with the touch-screen comprises:

comparing the one or more signals corresponding with the user engagement to a heuristic model.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the heuristic model is based on one or more of:

capacitive change data, surface area contact data, or acoustic touch-interaction data.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the heuristic model is based on one or more of:

a time, a location, or a motion profile associated with the touch sense controller.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, at the touch sense controller, a manual toggle signal; and

selecting between the high-sensitivity mode and the low-sensitivity for the touch sense controller, in response to the manual toggle signal.

15. A touch sense controller, comprising:

a sense unit;

a storage device;

one or more processors coupled to the sense unit and the storage device, wherein the one or more processors are configured to perform operations comprising operations to;

receive one or more signals associated with a user engagement with a touch-screen;

determine, based on acoustic touch-interaction information, a mode of user engagement with the touch-screen using the one or more signals, wherein the acoustic touch-interaction information includes information used to distinguish sounds produced in a first mode of user engagement and a second mode of user engagement; and

select either a high-sensitivity mode or a low-sensitivity mode based on the mode of user engagement with the touch-screen.

16. The touch sense controller of claim 15, wherein the high-sensitivity mode corresponds with a gloved operation mode.

17. The touch sense controller of claim 15, wherein the low-sensitivity mode corresponds with an ungloved operation mode.

18. The touch sense controller of claim 15, wherein determining the mode of user engagement with the touch-screen comprises:

comparing the one or more signals corresponding with the user engagement to a heuristic model.

19. The touch sense controller of claim 18, wherein the heuristic model is based on one or more of:

capacitive change data, surface area contact data, or acoustic touch-interaction data.

20. The touch sense controller of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, at the touch sense controller, a manual toggle signal; and

selecting between the high-sensitivity mode and the low-sensitivity mode for the touch sense controller, in response to the manual toggle signal.