Multi-dimension touch input

• US 9,354,731 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pance, Aleksandar, McClendon, Philip S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bukowski, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US13/528,500
• Time in Patent Office: 1,441 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04144 using an array of force sensing means position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells G06F3/0447
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A computing device can use a combination of input technologies in order to provide for more accurate input determinations, as well as to reduce the number of false inputs determined. A capacitance-sensing approach, which can be self- or mutual-capacitance in nature, can be combined with a force- or pressure-sensing approach. The approaches can share at least some components, such as one or more electrodes, in order to conserve space on the device and reduce cost. An input at one or more locations in one or more modes then can be accepted only if the input is determined to be valid for both approaches, which can prevent false input resulting from keys or other metallic objects being detected by the capacitance components, as well as objects applying pressure to the device as detected by the force sensing components.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining a physical environment in which a computing device is situated;

determining from the physical environment that a capacitance sensor of the computing device is more prone to false inputs than a force-sensitive resistor of the computing device;

deactivating a display of the computing device and the capacitance sensor;

detecting, using the force-sensitive resistor, that an amount of force applied to a location on the computing device satisfies a first input threshold;

activating the capacitance sensor;

detecting, using the capacitance sensor, that a change in capacitance, corresponding to an object brought within a detectable proximity of the location, satisfies a second input threshold;

activating the display; and

performing an action on the computing device corresponding to the amount of force and the change in capacitance,

wherein the force-sensitive resistor and the capacitance sensor utilize at least one common electrode with power to the at least one common electrode being applied differently for detecting the amount of force than for detecting the change in capacitance.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the capacitance sensor is at least one of a self-capacitance sensor or a mutual-capacitance sensor.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the force-sensitive resistor is positioned adjacent the capacitance sensor on the computing device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

managing operation of the force-sensitive resistor and the capacitance sensor such that the at least one common electrode is only utilized by either the force-sensitive resistor or the capacitance sensor at any time.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the detectable proximity includes physical contact.

6. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining from contextual data received to a computing device that a capacitance sensor of the computing device is more prone to false inputs than a force sensor of the computing device;

deactivating a display of the computing device and the capacitance sensor;

determining from the force sensor that an amount of force, applied to a region of the computing device, satisfies a force input threshold;

activating the capacitance sensor;

determining from the capacitance sensor that a change in capacitance, near the region, satisfies a capacitance input threshold;

activating the display; and

performing an action on the computing device corresponding to the amount of force and the change in capacitance;

wherein the computing device includes at least one common electrode with power to the at least one common electrode being applied differently for determining the amount of force applied than for determining the change in capacitance.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the force sensor includes least one force-sensitive resistance component.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the computing device contains a plurality of additional force-sensitive resistance components at additional regions on the computing device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the capacitance sensor includes at least one of a self-capacitance sensing element or a mutual-capacitance sensing element.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the region is located at one of a side, top, bottom, corner, back, or periphery of the computing device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a type of motion corresponding to the amount of force applied, the type of motion including at least one of a press, a swipe, or a slide.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein a type of input to the computing device corresponds to a type of motion.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining from contextual data received to a computing device that a force sensor of the computing device is more prone to false inputs than a capacitance sensor of the computing device;

deactivating a display of the computing device and the force sensor;

detecting from the capacitance sensor that a change in capacitance, near a location on the computing device, satisfies a capacitance input threshold;

activating the force sensor;

detecting from the force sensor that an amount of force, applied to the location, satisfies a force input threshold;

activating the display; and

performing an action on the computing device corresponding to the amount of force, and the change in capacitance,

wherein the force sensor and the capacitance sensor utilize at least one common electrode with power to the at least one common electrode being applied differently for detecting the amount of force than for detecting the change in capacitance.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the action corresponds to a change of a state of the computing device.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the location near which the change in capacitance is detected is on a back of the device.

16. A computing device comprising:

a processor;

a display;

a force sensor;

a capacitance sensor; and

a memory device including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to;

determine from contextual data received to the computing device that the capacitance sensor is more prone to false inputs than the force sensor;

deactivate the display and the capacitance sensor;

determine from the force sensor that an amount of force applied to a region of the computing device satisfies a force input threshold;

activate the capacitance sensor;

determine from the capacitance sensor that a change in capacitance, near the region, satisfies a capacitance input threshold;

activate the display; and

perform an action on the computing device corresponding to the amount of force and the change in capacitance,

wherein the force sensor and the capacitance sensor utilize at least one common electrode with power to the at least one common electrode being applied differently for determining the amount of force than for determining the change in capacitance.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the capacitance sensor is at least one of a self-capacitance sensor or a mutual-capacitance sensor.

18. The computing device of claim 16, further comprising:

a control component configured to manage a time sharing of the at least one common electrode by the capacitance sensor and the force sensor.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

determine from contextual data received to a computing device that a capacitance sensor of the computing device is more prone to false inputs than a force sensor of the computing device;

deactivate a display of the computing device and the capacitance sensor;

determine from the force sensor that an amount of force applied to a region of the computing device satisfies a force input threshold;

activate the capacitance sensor;

determine from the capacitance sensor that a change in capacitance, near the region, satisfies a capacitance input threshold;

activate the display; and

perform an action on the computing device corresponding to the amount of force and the change in capacitance,

wherein the computing device includes at least one common electrode with power to the at least one common electrode being applied differently for determining the amount of force than for determining the change in capacitance.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the force sensor includes at least one force-sensitive resistance component.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the capacitance sensor includes at least one of a self-capacitance sensing element or a mutual-capacitance sensing element.