System and method for determining user input using polygons

• US 9,367,191 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Worfolk, Patrick, Jordan, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Quan-Zhen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Chun-Nan
• Application Number:
  US14/503,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20150054785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes

Abstract

Devices and method are provided that facilitate improved input device performance. Specifically, the systems and methods are configured to identify a portion of an image of sensor values as corresponding to at least one sensed object in the sensing region, determine a polygon corresponding to the identified portion of the image, and determine a contact characterization of the at least one sensed object based on the polygon. The determination of a polygon corresponding to a sensed object facilitates improved contact characterization of the sensed object. For example, the determined polygon may be used to determine if the sensed object is actually more than one object. As a second example, the determined polygon may be used to determine the orientation of the sensed object. In addition, determined polygons may be used to more accurately track changes in the position of the sensed object.

Claims

1. A processing system for use with a capacitive input device configured to sense objects in a sensing region, the processing system configured to:

identify a portion of an image of sensor values as corresponding to at least one sensed object in the sensing region;

determine a polygon corresponding to the identified portion of the image by;

identifying a first pixel within the identified portion of the image;

identifying a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel and external to the identified portion of the image, wherein the first pixel and the second pixel share an edge; and

determining a first vertex of the polygon by comparing a sensor value of the first pixel within the identified portion of the image with at least a sensor value of the second pixel external to the identified portion of the image,

wherein the first vertex is not on the edge shared by the first pixel and the second pixel;

calculate a centroid of the polygon;

determine a characterization of the at least one sensed object based on the polygon; and

track motion of the at least one sensed object based on the centroid.

2. The processing system of claim 1, further configured to determine the polygon by determining additional vertices of the polygon.

3. The processing system of claim 1, further configured to determine the polygon by:

identifying a third pixel within the identified portion of the image;

identifying a fourth pixel diagonally adjacent to the first pixel and external to the identified portion of the image; and

determining a second vertex of the polygon by comparing a sensor value of the third pixel within the identified portion of the image with at least a sensor value of the fourth pixel diagonally adjacent to the first pixel.

4. The processing system of claim 1 further configured to determine the polygon by:

interpolating between at least one sensor value of a plurality of sensor values in the identified portion of the image and at least one adjacent sensor value not in the identified portion of the image.

5. The processing system of claim 1 further configured to determine the polygon by:

for each sensor value of a plurality of sensor values in the identified portion of the image, interpolating between the sensor value and an adjacent sensor value not in the identified portion of the image.

6. The processing system of claim 1 further configured to determine the characterization of the at least one sensed object by determining a count of input objects comprising the at least one sensed object based at least in part on a convexity of the polygon.

7. The processing system of claim 1 wherein further configured to determine the characterization of the at least one sensed object based on the centroid, an area, orientation, eccentricity, width, or aspect ratio of the polygon.

8. The processing system of claim 1 further configured to determine the characterization of the at least one sensed object based on a concavity of the polygon.

9. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the polygon is at least partially occluded.

10. An input device comprising:

a plurality of capacitive sensor electrodes configured to sense in a sensing region; and

a processing system coupled to the plurality of capacitive sensor electrodes, the processing system configured to;

identify a portion of an image of sensor values corresponding to at least one sensed object in the sensing region;

determine a polygon corresponding to the identified portion of the image by;

identifying a first pixel within the identified portion of the image;

identifying a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel and external to the identified portion of the image, wherein the first pixel and the second pixel share an edge; and

determining a first vertex of the polygon by comparing a sensor value of the first pixel within the identified portion of the image with at least a sensor value of the second pixel external to the identified portion of the image,

wherein the first vertex is not on the edge shared by the first pixel and the second pixel;

determine an orientation of the polygon by calculating a moment of the polygon; and

determine a characterization of the at least one sensed object based on the orientation of the polygon.

11. The input device of claim 10, wherein the processing system is further configured to determine the polygon by:

identifying a third pixel within the identified portion of the image;

identifying a fourth pixel diagonally adjacent to the first pixel and external to the identified portion of the image; and

determining a second vertex of the polygon by comparing a sensor value of the first pixel within the identified portion of the image with at least a sensor value of the second pixel diagonally adjacent to the first pixel.

12. The input device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine the polygon by:

interpolating between at least one sensor value of a plurality of sensor values in the identified portion of the image and at least one adjacent sensor value not in the identified portion of the image.

13. The input device of claim 10 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine the polygon by:

for each sensor value of a plurality of sensor values in the identified portion of the image, interpolating between the sensor value and an adjacent sensor value not in the identified portion of the image.

14. A method for determining input in a sensing region, the method comprising:

identifying a portion of an image of sensor values, the image corresponding to at least one sensed object in the sensing region;

determining vertices of a polygon associated with the identified portion of the image, the polygon corresponding to the at least one sensed object in the sensing region, by;

identifying a first pixel within the identified portion of the image;

identifying a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel and external to the identified portion of the image, wherein the first pixel and the second pixel share an edge; and

determining a first vertex of the polygon by comparing a sensor value of the first pixel within the identified portion of the image with at least a sensor value of the second pixel external to the identified portion of the image,

wherein the first vertex is not on the edge shared by the first pixel and the second pixel;

calculating a centroid of the polygon;

determining a characterization of the at least one sensed object based on the polygon; and

tracking motion of the at least one sensed object based on the centroid.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein determining vertices of the polygon further comprises:

identifying a third pixel within the identified portion of the image;

identifying a fourth pixel diagonally adjacent to the first pixel and external to the identified portion of the image; and

determining a second vertex by comparing a sensor value of the third pixel within the identified portion of the image with at least a sensor value of the fourth pixel diagonally adjacent to the first pixel.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein determining the vertices of the polygon further comprises interpolating each of a plurality of sensor values in the identified portion of the image with adjacent sensor values not in the identified portion of the image.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein determining the characterization of the at least one sensed object comprises determining if the at least one sensed object comprises one or multiple sensed objects based on a convexity metric of the polygon.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein determining the characterization of the at least one sensed object comprises determining if the at least one sensed object comprises one or multiple sensed objects based on a concavity metric of the polygon.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein determining the characterization of the at least one sensed object comprises determining if the at least one sensed object comprises one or multiple sensed objects based on a concavity of the polygon.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising controlling a user interface action, the user interface action including tracking motion of the at least one sensed object.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the polygon is at least partially occluded.