Hover and touch detection for a digitizer

• US 9,535,598 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Rimon, Ori, Kerner, Ariel
• Primary Examiner(s): Haley, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US14/753,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20150301714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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 2203/04106 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 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04111 Cross over in capacitive digitiser, i.e. details of structures for connecting electrodes of the sensing pattern where the connections cross each other, e.g. bridge structures comprising an insulating layer, or vias through substrate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 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 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method and system for tracking a hover event on a digitizer sensor that treats hover and touch events differently comprises configuring at least one parameter of the digitizer sensor for hover tracking; wherein the at least one parameter is configured differently than for touch tracking, and detecting a pattern of input signals from a plurality of conductive lines on the digitizer sensor defining a tracking point responsive to the pattern of hover input signals detected.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a touch event;

determining at least one spatial characteristic of the touch event;

detecting a hover event;

determining at least one spatial characteristic of the hover event,

wherein the at least one spatial characteristic of the touch event includes area on the digitizer sensor spanned by the touch event and the at least one spatial characteristic of the hover event includes area on the digitizer sensor spanned by the hover event; and

verifying or rejecting the touch event as an intended user interaction with a digitizer sensor based on the spatial characteristics determined for both the touch event and the hover event.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the touch event is verified as an intended user interaction responsive to the area spanned by the hover event being less than a pre-defined hover area threshold and the area spanned by the touch event being less than a pre-defined touch area threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spatial characteristic of the touch event and the hover event includes location of the hover event in relation to location of the touch event;

and wherein the touch event is verified responsive to both the area spanned by of the hover event and the location of the hover event in relation to the location of the touch event.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein determining location of the hover event in relation to location of the touch event includes determining whether the hover event substantially surrounds the touch event.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the touch event is rejected as an intended user interaction responsive to the area spanned by of the hover event being greater than a pre-defined hover area threshold and responsive to the hover event substantially surrounding the touch event.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the touch event is verified as an intended user interaction responsive to the area spanned by of the hover event being less than a pre-defined hover area threshold and responsive to the hover event substantially surrounding the touch event.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spatial characteristic of the touch event includes location of the touch event on the digitizer sensor and the at least one spatial characteristic of the hover event includes location of the hover event on the digitizer sensor;

and wherein the touch event is verified as an intended user interaction responsive to determining that the hover event is only located on one side of the touch event.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spatial characteristic of the touch event includes center of mass of the touch event and wherein the at least one spatial characteristic of the hover event includes center of mass of the hover event, wherein the center of mass of each of the touch event and the hover event is determined from signal amplitudes detected at a plurality of sensor junctions of the digitizer sensor, and wherein the touch event is verified or rejected as an intended user interaction responsive to a distance between the center of mass of the hover event and the center of mass of the touch event.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the touch event is verified as an intended user interaction responsive to the distance being larger than a pre-defined shift threshold.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one spatial characteristic of the touch event includes center of the area spanned by the touch event and wherein the at least one spatial characteristic of the hover event includes center of the area spanned by the hover event, and wherein the touch event is verified or rejected as an intended user interaction responsive to a distance between the center of the hover event and the center of the touch event.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the touch event is verified as an intended user interaction responsive to the distance being larger than a pre-defined shift threshold.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the touch event is rejected as an intended user interaction responsive to the touch event spanning an area above a pre-defined threshold.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein verifying or rejecting the touch event based on the spatial relationship determined is performed responsive to the touch event spanning an area below the pre-defined threshold.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the hover event is a precursor to the touch event.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the touch event and the hover event are detected substantially simultaneously.

16. The method according to claim 1 wherein the touch event that is the intended user interaction is finger touch.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein the touch event that is rejected as the intended user interaction is palm touch.

18. A system comprising:

a digitizer sensor configured to detect touch input and hover input;

a controller configured to determine spatial characteristic of a touch event and a spatial characteristic of a hover event and to verify the touch event as an intended user interaction or reject the touch event as an intended user interaction based on the spatial characteristics determined for both the touch event and the hover event,

wherein the controller is operated to determine an area on the digitizer sensor spanned by the hover event;

determine location on the digitizer sensor of the hover event in relation to location on the digitizer sensor of the touch event; and

verify the touch event as the intended user interaction responsive to both the area spanned by the hover event and the location of the hover event in relation to the location of the touch event.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the digitizer sensor is configured to detect touch input and hover input from one or more fingers.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein the digitizer sensor is operated to detect touch and hover of one or more fingers.

20. A device comprising:

a display;

a digitizer sensor proximate to the display, wherein the digitizer sensor is configured to detect touch input and hover input;

a controller in communication with the digitizer sensor; and

a circuit operated to determine a spatial characteristic of a touch event and a spatial characteristic of a hover event, both the touch event and the hover event detected with the digitizer sensor and to verify the touch event as an intended user interaction or reject the touch event as an intended user interaction based on the spatial characteristics determined for both the touch event and the hover event,

wherein the circuit is operated to determine an area on the digitizer sensor spanned by the hover event;

determine location on the digitizer sensor of the hover event in relation to location on the digitizer sensor of the touch event; and

verify the touch event as an intended user interaction responsive to both the area spanned by the hover event and the location of the hover event in relation to the location of the touch event.