Finger detection on touch screens for mobile devices

• US 9,606,681 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Rodzevski, Aleksandar, berg, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Viet
• Application Number:
  US14/312,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20150009173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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 3/04142 the force sensing means being located peripherally, e.g. disposed at the corners or at the side of a touch sensing plate
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes

Abstract

A method for dynamically controlling an input mode of a touch screen (10) for an electronic device (1) comprising at least one condition detection system (4), wherein the method comprises monitoring humidity in the surrounding of the electronic device (1) by means of the condition detection system (4), and determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to predetermined values, which input mode is to be used for the touch screen and using the determined input mode for the touch screen.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen of an associated electronic device comprising a condition detection system, the method comprising:

monitoring humidity in an area surrounding the associated electronic device using the condition detection system by detecting a first signal from an associated humidity sensor indicating a level of humidity in the area surrounding the associated electronic device and detecting a second signal resulting from an input on the touch screen indicating a presence of water on the touch screen;

determining, based on the humidity in relation to one or more predetermined humidity threshold values, if a first input mode (I) using only a capacitive sensing for the touch screen is to be used, or if a second input mode (II) using only a Z-force sensing for the touch screen is to be used for pressure detection, or if a third input mode (III) being a combination of the first and second input modes for the touch screen is to be used, and

using the determined input mode for receiving an input on the touch screen from an associated user of the associated electronic device.

2. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a time rate of change of the humidity in the area surrounding the associated electronic device based on the monitored humidity and a previously acquired humidity level in the area surrounding the associated electronic device; and

determining the input mode based on the time rate of change in relation to one or more predetermined humidity change rate threshold values.

3. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to one or more predetermined humidity level threshold values, if the monitored humidity is below a selected predetermined humidity level threshold value, that the first input mode (I) using only the capacitive sensing for the touch screen is to be used for detecting a position of a touch point of the touch screen, or if the monitored humidity is greater than the predetermined value, that the second input mode (II) using only the Z-force touch sensing for the touch screen is to be used for pressure detection and for detecting the position of the touch input of the touch screen.

4. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 2, further comprising:

determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to the one or more predetermined humidity change rate threshold values, if a decrease in the rate of change of the humidity is larger than a predetermined value, that the first input mode (I) using only the capacitive sensing for the touch screen is to be used for detecting a position of a touch point of the touch screen, or if an increase in the rate of change of the humidity is larger than the predetermined value, that the second input mode (II) using only the Z-force touch sensing for the touch screen is to be used for pressure detection and for detecting the position of the touch input of the touch screen.

5. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to one or more predetermined humidity level threshold values, if the monitored humidity is below a selected predetermined humidity level threshold value, that the first input mode (I) using the capacitive sensing and the second input mode (II) using the Z-force touch sensing for pressure detection is to be used as the third input mode (III) by the touch screen.

6. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to one or more predetermined humidity level threshold values, if the monitored humidity is below 100% relative humidity, that the first input mode (I) using only the capacitive sensing for the touch screen is to be used.

7. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to one or more predetermined humidity level threshold values, if the monitored humidity is greater than or equal to 100% relative humidity, that the second input mode (II) using only the Z-force touch sensing for the touch screen is to be used for pressure detection and for detecting a position of a touch input of the touch screen.

8. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the monitored humidity in relation to one or more predetermined humidity level threshold values, if the monitored humidity is below 100% relative humidity, that the first input mode (I) using the capacitive sensing and the second input mode (II) using the Z-force touch sensing for pressure detection is to be used as the third input mode (III) by the touch screen.

9. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 1, further comprising:

profiling the second signal representative of the presence of the water on the touch screen to determine one or more of a water pattern or a droplet pattern indicating a presence of a water pattern on the touch screen;

comparing the one or more of the water or droplet patterns with a predetermined finger pattern representative of a signal resulting from an input on the touch screen by a finger of an associated user touching the touch screen; and

selectively determining, based on the comparing, a selected one of the first, second, or third input modes to be used by the touch screen.

10. A method for controlling an input mode of a touch screen according to claim 9, further comprising:

selectively determining, based on the comparing, a change from a selected one of the first, second, or third input modes to be used by the touch screen, to a different one of the first, second, or third input modes to be used by the touch screen.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a touch screen;

at least two touch detection systems comprising a capacitive touch detection system and a Z-force touch detection system;

a condition detection system, wherein

the touch screen is configured for operation in one of a first input mode, a second input mode, or in a third input mode being a combination of the first and second input modes,

a memory,

wherein the condition detection system is configured to determine humidity in an area surrounding the electronic device by detecting a first signal from an associated humidity sensor indicating a level of humidity in the area surrounding the electronic device and detecting a second signal resulting from an input on the touch screen indicating a presence of water on the touch screen,

the electronic device further comprising a humidity condition handling and processing unit configured to;

determine, based on the humidity in relation to one or more predetermined humidity threshold values, if the first input mode (I) using only the capacitive touch detection system for the touch screen is to be used, or if the second input mode (II) using only the Z-force touch detection system for the touch screen is to be used for pressure detection, or if the third input mode (III) being the combination of the first and second input modes for the touch screen is to be used, and

to set the determined input mode to be used by the touch screen for receiving an input on the touch screen from an associated user of the electronic device.

12. An electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the humidity condition handling and processing unit is configured to:

determine a time rate of change of the humidity in the area surrounding the associated electronic device based on the monitored humidity and a previously acquired humidity level in the area surrounding the associated electronic device, and

determine the input mode based on the time rate of change in relation to one or more predetermined humidity change rate thresholds.

13. An electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the humidity condition handling and processing unit is configured to, if the monitored humidity is below a predetermined humidity level threshold value, set the first input mode (I) with only the capacitive touch detection system to be used by the touch screen for detecting a position of a touch input on the touch screen or, if the monitored humidity is greater than a predetermined humidity level threshold value, set the second input mode (II) with only the Z-force touch detection system to be used by the touch screen for pressure detection and for detecting the position of the touch input on the touch screen.

14. An electronic device according to claim 11, wherein:

the condition detection system is configured to;

profile the second signal representative of the presence of the water on the touch screen to determine one or more of a water pattern or a droplet pattern indicating a presence of a water pattern on the touch screen; and

compare the one or more of the water or droplet patterns with a predetermined finger pattern representative of a signal resulting from an input on the touch screen by a finger of an associated user touching the touch screen; and

the humidity condition handling and processing unit is configured to;

selectively determining, based on the comparing, a selected one of the first, second, or third input modes to be used by the touch screen.

15. An electronic device according to claim 14, wherein:

the humidity condition handling and processing unit is configured to selectively determine, based on the comparing, a change from a selected one of the first, second, or third input modes to be used, to a different one of the first, second, or third input modes to be used by the touch screen.