Disambiguating touch-input based on variation in pressure along a touch-trail

• US 9,524,050 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2012
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zhai, Shumin, Diao, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Gene W
• Application Number:
  US14/343,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20150160774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and corresponding apparatus or system for disambiguating touch-input based on variation in a characteristic such as speed or pressure along a touch-trail (20, 26). A computing system may detect a variation in a characteristic of a touch-trail, such as variation in speed of movement of touch along the touch-trail and/or a variation in pressure of touch along the touch-trail (step 52). Based on the detected variation, the computing system may determine an intended touch position represented by the trail, such as a landing position or lifting position for instance (step 54). And the computing system may take action based at least in part on that determined touch position (step 56).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a computing system, a trail of touch input at a touch-sensitive input surface, the trail being defined by movement of the touch input from a landing position to a lifting position;

responsive to detecting an increase in pressure of the touch input as it approaches the lifting position, determining, by the computing system, that the lifting position is an input position represented by the detected trail;

responsive to detecting a decrease in pressure of the touch input as it approaches the lifting position, determining, by the computing system, that the landing position is the input position represented by the detected trail; and

generating, by the computing system, based at least in part on the input position represented by the detected trail, an output signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by the computing system, the increase in pressure or the decrease in pressure by at least detecting a corresponding increase or decrease in surface area of the touch input along the detected trail.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, by the computing system, graphical information based at least in part on the determined input position.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the touch-sensitive input surface is integrated with a display that displays a virtual keyboard including a plurality of virtual keys, the input position corresponds to a location of the display at which a particular virtual key from the plurality of virtual keys is displayed, the particular virtual key is associated with a character, and the graphical information comprises the character.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the touch-sensitive input surface is separate from a display screen, and wherein displaying the graphical information comprises displaying the graphical information at the display screen.

6. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a processor to carry out functions comprising:

receiving data representing user input at a touch-sensitive input surface, the user input defining a touch-point trail having a length extending from a landing point to a lifting point;

responsive to detecting an increase in pressure of the touch input as it approaches the lifting position, determining that the lifting point is an input-point represented by the touch-point trail;

responsive to detecting a decrease in pressure of the touch input as it approaches the lifting position, determining that the landing point is the input-point represented by the touch-point trail; and

providing output data representing the input-point represented by the touch-point trail.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 6, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining the increase in pressure or decrease in pressure by at least determining a corresponding increase or decrease in touch-area of the user input.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the functions further comprise:

displaying graphical information based at least in part on the determined input-point.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the touch-sensitive input surface displays a virtual keyboard including a plurality of virtual keys, the input-point corresponds a location of the touch-sensitive input surface at which a particular virtual key from the plurality of virtual keys is displayed, the particular virtual key is associated with a character, and the graphical information comprises the character.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the touch-sensitive input surface is embodied in a touch-screen, and wherein displaying the graphical information comprises displaying the graphical information on the touch-screen.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the touch-sensitive input surface is embodied in a touch-pad separate from a display screen, and wherein displaying the graphical information comprises displaying the graphical information at the display screen.

12. A computing system comprising:

an input device having a touch-sensitive input surface;

a processor;

a memory; and

code comprising instructions stored at the memory and executable by the processor to carry out functions comprising;

detecting a touch trail at the touch-sensitive input surface, the touch trail being defined by touch input moving from a landing position to a lifting position;

responsive to detecting an increase in pressure of the touch input as it approaches the lifting position, determining that the lifting position is an input position represented by the touch trail;

responsive to detecting a decrease in pressure of the touch input as it approaches the lifting position, determining that the landing position is the input position represented by the touch input; and

outputting data representing the input position.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the functions further comprise:

changing, based on the data representing the input position, a state of the computing system.