Click disambiguation on a touch-sensitive input device

• US 9,182,873 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: de los Reyes, Andrew, Tabone, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): DINH, DUC Q
• Application Number:
  US14/324,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20140320455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/168, 345/169, 345173-181
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• 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

Abstract

The surface of an touch-sensitive input device may act as a physical button that the user may push down to perform a click or other operation. For example, the user may push down the surface of the input device with one finger for a left click and push down the surface of the input device with two fingers for a right click. In one aspect, a system for detecting a left click or a right click when the user pushes down the surface of the input device is provided. When the system first detects that the surface of the input device is pushed down, the system may wait for a short period of time before making a determination of whether the user is pushing down the surface with one finger or two fingers. During this time, the system may collect additional information to make a more reliable determination.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for reporting button actions generated using a touch-sensitive input device, comprising:

detecting a touch on a surface of a touch-sensitive input device;

capturing touch information related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device;

after detecting the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device, waiting a period of time before reporting a button action, wherein the button action includes either a right click or a left click;

collecting additional touch information related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device during the period of time;

using the touch information and the additional touch information to determine a number of fingers related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device;

reporting a right click when the determined number of fingers is two; and

reporting a left click when the determined number of fingers is one.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein when the touch information indicates one finger and the additional touch information indicates two fingers, determining the number of fingers related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is two.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein:

capturing the touch information includes capturing the touch information in a first frame; and

collecting the additional touch information includes collecting the additional touch information in at least one frame subsequent to the first frame.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the button action includes a button down action and a button up action.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein detecting the touch includes detecting that the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is pushed down.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein the touch information indicates the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is pushed down and the additional touch information indicates the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is up.

7. A system for reporting actions corresponding to use of a touch-sensitive input device, the system comprising:

a touch-sensitive input device; and

a processing unit configured to;

detect a touch on a surface of a touch-sensitive input device;

capture touch information related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device;

after detecting the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device, wait a period of time before reporting a button action, wherein the button action includes either a right click or a left click;

collect additional touch information related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device during the period of time;

use the touch information and the additional touch information to determine a number of fingers related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device;

report a right click when the determined number of fingers is two; and

report a left click when the determined number of fingers is one.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein when the touch information indicates one finger and the additional touch information indicates two fingers, the processing unit is configured to determine the number of fingers related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is two.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the processing unit is configured to:

capture the touch information including capture the touch information in a first frame; and

collect the additional touch information including collect the additional touch information in at least one frame subsequent to the first frame.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the button action includes a button down action and a button up action.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the processing unit is configured to detect the touch including detect that the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is pushed down.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the touch information indicates the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is pushed down and the additional touch information indicates the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is up.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for reporting button actions generated using a touch-sensitive input device, the method comprising:

detecting a touch on a surface of a touch-sensitive input device;

capturing touch information related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device;

after detecting the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device, waiting a period of time before reporting a button action, wherein the button action includes either a right click or a left click;

collecting additional touch information related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device during the period of time;

using the touch information and the additional touch information to determine a number of fingers related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device;

reporting a right click when the determined number of fingers is two; and

reporting a left click when the determined number of fingers is one.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein when the touch information indicates one finger and the additional touch information indicates two fingers, determining the number of fingers related to the touch on the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is two.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein:

capturing the touch information includes capturing the touch information in a first frame; and

collecting the additional touch information includes collecting the additional touch information in at least one frame subsequent to the first frame.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the button action includes a button down action and a button up action.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein detecting the touch includes detecting that the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is pushed down.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 wherein the touch information indicates the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is pushed down and the additional touch information indicates the surface of the touch-sensitive input device is up.