Portable electronic device including touch-sensitive display and method of controlling same

• US 9,383,847 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Simmons, Sean Bartholomew, Almalki, Nazih
• Primary Examiner(s): JOSEPH, DENNIS P
• Application Number:
  US12/578,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20110084911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,457 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179
• 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 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A method includes detecting first and second touches on the touch-sensitive display and determining a location of each of the first and second touches, determining, by a plurality of force sensors, reaction forces, for the first and second touches, and determining a respective applied force for each of the first and second touches based on the reaction forces and the locations of the first and second touches.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting first and second touches on the touch-sensitive display and determining a location of each of the first and second touches;

determining, by a plurality of force sensors, reaction forces for the first and second touches;

determining a respective applied force for each of the first and second touches based on the reaction forces and the locations of the first and second touches;

determining a force distribution vector matrix comprising determining

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a respective applied force comprises performing a matrix inversion on the force distribution vector matrix to provide an inverse matrix.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a respective applied force comprises multiplying the inverse matrix by each the reaction forces determined from signals from the four force sensors to provide the force at each of the touches.