Systems and methods for automatic disable of input devices

• US 9,256,304 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Stewart, Aaron Michael, Matsubara, Masaki, Mori, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Leiby, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US12/789,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20110291922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-178
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041661 using detection at multiple resolutions, e.g. coarse and fine scanning; using detection within a limited area, e.g. object tracking window

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses and computer program products configured to provide intelligent filtering techniques to reduce errant device inputs are described. For example, filtering out the data input from a touch pad while typing on the keyboard or operating with a pointing stick, even if the touch pad is sensing contact, is augmented by continuing to filter data from the touch pad until the contact on the touch pad ends.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

two or more input devices of a laptop, the two or more input devices including a touch pad and an input device located proximate to the touch pad; and

one or more processors;

wherein, responsive to execution of computer readable program code accessible to the one or more processors, the one or more processors;

ascertain multiple inputs from the two or more input devices;

ascertain inadvertent input via one of the two or more input devices, including sensing input via the touchpad while sensing input from the input device located proximate to the touch pad, wherein sensing input via the touchpad is other than sensing inadvertent input with a palm check filter;

responsive to ascertaining inadvertent input via the one of the two or more input devices, disable one or more of the two or more input devices, wherein all input via the touch pad is filtered out according to a prioritization scheme that prioritizes non-touchpad over touch pad input, wherein said non-touchpad input is treated as prioritized input; and

responsive to detecting removal of the inadvertent input via the one of the two or more input devices, automatically re-enable the input device previously disabled.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein to ascertain inadvertent input comprises ascertaining inadvertent input via the touchpad when ascertaining multiple inputs.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors determine if a start zone has been used.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein responsive to determining the start zone has not been used, implementing a hard disable of the touchpad.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors increment a counter responsive to ascertaining the inadvertent input.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the one or more processors implement a hard disable if the counter exceeds a predetermined threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein input via the touch pad includes one or more of a palm input, a finger input, and a stylus input.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inadvertent input is any of a stylus input and a finger input.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage device having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code being executable by a processor and comprising;

computer readable program code that ascertains multiple inputs from two or more input devices of a laptop, the two or more input devices including a touch pad and an input device located proximate to the touch pad;

computer readable program code that ascertains inadvertent input via one of the two or more input devices, including sensing input via the touchpad while sensing input from the input device located proximate to the touch pad, wherein sensing input via the touchpad is other than sensing inadvertent input with a palm check filter;

computer readable program code that, responsive to ascertaining inadvertent input via the one of the two or more input devices, disables one or more of the two or more input devices, wherein all input via the touch pad is filtered out according to a prioritization scheme that prioritizes non-touchpad over touch pad input, wherein said non-touchpad input is treated as prioritized input; and

computer readable program code that, responsive to detecting removal of the inadvertent input via the one of the two or more input devices, automatically re-enables the input device previously disabled.

10. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the two or more input devices include at least a keyboard located on a surface and being situated proximate to a location of the surface containing the touchpad.

11. The computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the one of the two or more input devices providing inadvertent input is the touchpad.

12. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the inadvertent input is touchpad input.

13. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code that determines if a start zone has been used.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code that, responsive to determining the start zone has not been used, implements a hard disable of a touchpad.

15. The computer program product according to claim 9, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code that increments a counter responsive to ascertaining the inadvertent input.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the computer readable program code further comprises computer readable program code that implements a hard disable if the counter exceeds a predetermined threshold.

17. A method comprising:

ascertaining multiple inputs from two or more input devices of a laptop, the two or more input devices including a touch pad and an input device located proximate to the touch pad;

ascertaining inadvertent input via one of the two or more input devices, including sensing input via the touchpad while sensing input from the input device located proximate to the touch pad, wherein sensing input via the touchpad is other than sensing inadvertent input with a palm check filter;

responsive to ascertaining inadvertent input via the one of the two or more input devices, disabling one or more of the two or more input devices, wherein all input via the touch pad is filtered out according to a prioritization scheme that prioritizes non-touchpad over touch pad input, wherein said non-touchpad input is treated as prioritized input; and

responsive to detecting removal of the inadvertent input via the one of the two or more input devices, automatically re-enabling the input device previously disabled.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the two or more input devices include at least a keyboard located on a surface and being situated proximate to a location of the surface containing the touchpad.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the one of the two or more input devices providing inadvertent input is the touchpad.