Electronic device with a user interface that has more than two degrees of freedom, the user interface comprising a touch-sensitive surface and contact-free detection means
First Claim
1. An electronic device for determining a first positional information and a second positional information regarding a user input object, such as at least one user hand or at least one stylus, the electronic device comprising:
- a touch-sensitive surface;
contact-free detection unit; and
a controller that is operatively connected with the touch-sensitive surface and with the contact-free detection unit;
a gesture recognition module that is a separate module or an integral part of the controller,wherein the first positional information depends on where the user input object contacts the touch-sensitive surface, andwherein the second positional information depends on the spatial configuration of the user input object above the touch-sensitive surface,wherein the controller is adapted for simultaneously and/or alternately determining the first positional information via the touch-sensitive surface and the second positional information via the contact free detection unit, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a gesture performed by the user input object while the input object touches the touch sensitive surface;
wherein the gesture recognition module is adapted for identifying the gesture as belonging to a predefined gesture category from tracking at least the second positional information, wherein the gesture belongs to the predefined category if the first position is determined by at least one finger of a hand, and remaining parts of the hand perform the gesture while the first position remains substantially constant; and
wherein the electronic device is adapted for transitioning from a first state into a second state when or after the gesture is identified as belonging to the predefined gesture category by the gesture recognition module.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to an electronic device for determining a first positional information and a second positional information regarding a user input object, such as at least one user hand or at least one stylus, the electronic device comprising: a touch-sensitive surface; contact-free detection means; and controller means that are operatively connected to the touch-sensitive surface and to the contact-free detection means; wherein the first positional information depends on where the user input object contacts the touch-sensitive surface, and wherein the second positional information depends on the spatial configuration of the user input object with regard to the touch-sensitive surface, characterized in that the controller means are adapted for simultaneously and/or alternately determining the first positional information via the touch-sensitive surface and the second positional information via the contact free detection means.
19 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An electronic device for determining a first positional information and a second positional information regarding a user input object, such as at least one user hand or at least one stylus, the electronic device comprising:
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a touch-sensitive surface; contact-free detection unit; and a controller that is operatively connected with the touch-sensitive surface and with the contact-free detection unit; a gesture recognition module that is a separate module or an integral part of the controller, wherein the first positional information depends on where the user input object contacts the touch-sensitive surface, and wherein the second positional information depends on the spatial configuration of the user input object above the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the controller is adapted for simultaneously and/or alternately determining the first positional information via the touch-sensitive surface and the second positional information via the contact free detection unit, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a gesture performed by the user input object while the input object touches the touch sensitive surface; wherein the gesture recognition module is adapted for identifying the gesture as belonging to a predefined gesture category from tracking at least the second positional information, wherein the gesture belongs to the predefined category if the first position is determined by at least one finger of a hand, and remaining parts of the hand perform the gesture while the first position remains substantially constant; and wherein the electronic device is adapted for transitioning from a first state into a second state when or after the gesture is identified as belonging to the predefined gesture category by the gesture recognition module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for determining a first positional information and a second positional information regarding a user input object by controlling an electronic device comprising a touch-sensitive surface, a contact-free detection unit, and a controller that is operatively connected with the touch-sensitive surface and with the contact-free detection unit, wherein the first positional information depends on where the user input object contacts the touch-sensitive surface, and wherein the second positional information depends on the spatial configuration of the user input object with regard to the touch-sensitive surface, the method comprising the steps of:
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determining the first positional information via the touch-sensitive display, determining and tracking at least the second positional information via the contact free detection unit while the input object touches the touch sensitive surface; and determining a gesture from at least the tracked second positional information. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method for determining a first positional information and a second positional information regarding a user input object by controlling an electronic device comprising a touch-sensitive surface, a contact-free detection unit, and a controller that is operatively connected with the touch-sensitive surface and with the contact-free detection unit, wherein the first positional information depends on where the user input object contacts the touch-sensitive surface, and wherein the second positional information depends on the spatial configuration of the user input object with regard to the touch-sensitive surface, the method comprising:
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determining the first positional information and the second positional information while the electronic device is in a first state; recording a gesture by tracking at least the second positional information while the input object touches the touch sensitive surface, transitioning the electronic device to a second state if the detected gesture belongs to a predefined gesture category; and maintaining the device in the first state if the detected phase space trajectory does not belong to a predefined gesture category. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. An electronic device for determining a first positional information and a second positional information regarding a user input object, such as at least one user hand or at least one stylus, the electronic device comprising:
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a two-dimensional touch-sensitive surface; three-dimensional contact-free detection unit, wherein the three-dimensional contact-free detection unit, which in turn comprise; an electric field generation unit for generating an electric field that is static or quasi-static; electric field detection electrodes for detecting changes of the electric field caused by the user input object, wherein the electric field detection electrodes are separate from or an integral part of the electric field generation unit; and a controller operatively connected to the touch-sensitive surface and to the contact-free detection unit; wherein the first positional information is generated by at least one finger of a hand defining a touching position and comprises first data that depends on where the user input object contacts the touch-sensitive surface, and wherein the second positional information defines a gesture generated at least by remaining parts of the hand while the at least one finger maintains its touching position and comprises second data that depends on the spatial configuration of at least the remaining parts of the hand above the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the controller is adapted to determine and to output the first positional information via the touch-sensitive surface and to track the second positional information via the contact free detection unit, wherein the controller is adapted for simultaneously determining the first positional information and to track the second positional information using time-division-multiplexing and/or frequency-division-multiplexing. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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Specification