Method using finger force upon a touchpad for controlling a computerized system

• US 9,639,195 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Handscape Inc., A Delaware Corporation
• Original Assignee: Handscape Inc., A Delaware Corporation
• Inventors: Luo, Tong
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahi, Towfiq
• Application Number:
  US14/282,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 345156, 345173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/20 Drawing from basic elements, e.g. lines or circles

Abstract

A method for controlling an input from a user to a computerized system including a touchpad is presented. The method includes obtaining data from the touchpad. The data is associated with the location and force of a finger and/or a hand of the user upon the touchpad and not associated with an image of the finger from an image sensor, when the user operates the computerized system using the touchpad. The method further includes communicating the data from the touchpad to the computerized system and analyzing the data in accordance with a model of a human hand. The method further includes determining, using the model, that at least one finger of the user is touching a first control region of the touchpad using a first force.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an input from a user to a computerized system including a touchpad, the method comprising:

obtaining data from the touchpad, the data being associated with the location and force of a finger and/or a hand of the user upon the touchpad and not associated with an image of the finger from an image sensor, when the user operates the computerized system using the touchpad;

communicating the data from the touchpad to the computerized system;

analyzing the data in accordance with a model of a human hand;

storing the data over a plurality of time intervals to form a history of recent finger positions;

determining an approximate fingertip location or fingertip identity of a fingertip that is not touching the touchpad at a present time interval according to the history and data from the touchpad obtained at the present time interval; and

determining, using the model, that at least one finger of the user is touching a first control region of the touchpad using a first force.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

assigning the data to at least one of a plurality of fingers of the model;

computing a first graphical representation of the at least one finger of the user in accordance with the model; and

displaying the first graphical representation on a display screen of the computerized system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the data and assigning the data includes determining if the data may be assigned to one or more finger or hand portions on the model according to a rotation operation upon at least a portion of the data.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a mechanical response from the computerized system when the at least one finger of the user is touching the first control region using the first force.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, using the model, that each of a plurality of fingers of the user are touching a different one of a plurality of first control regions of the touchpad using the first force.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

determining that each of the plurality of fingers are subsequently touching the different one of the plurality of first control regions using a second force different from the first force in accordance with the data and the model after the plurality of fingers of the user are touching the first control region using the first force.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining a motion of a first finger in relation to a motion of a second finger different than the first finger; and

assigning a command to control the computerized system in accordance with the determined motion.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the at least one finger is initially touching the first control region using a second force different from the first force in accordance with the data and the model before the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating an audible signal when the at least one finger of the user is initially touching the first control region using the second force.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating a mechanical response from the computerized system when the at least one finger of the user is initially touching the first control region using the second force.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating a first graphical representation on a display screen of the computerized system, the first graphical representation being associated with the first control region;

displaying the first graphical representation with a first appearance when the at least one finger is initially touching the first control region using the second force; and

displaying the first graphical representation with a second appearance different than the first appearance when the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the second appearance includes a difference from the first appearance, the difference being associated with at least one of a size, a color, a position, a shape, or a display type.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the displaying the first graphical representation with a second appearance occurs for a first period of time less than or equal to 10 seconds.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the at least one finger is initially touching the first control region using a second force different from the first force in accordance with the data and the model before the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force; and

determining that the at least one finger is subsequently touching the first control region using a third force different from both the first force and the second force in accordance with the data and the model after the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second force is greater than the first force and the third force is greater than the second force.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the at least one finger is subsequently touching the first control region using a second force different from the first force in accordance with the data and the model after the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

generating an audible signal when the at least one finger of the user is subsequently touching the first control region using the second force.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

generating a mechanical response from the computerized system when the at least one finger of the user is subsequently touching the first control region using the second force.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

generating a first graphical representation on a display screen of the computerized system, the first graphical representation being associated with the first control region;

displaying the first graphical representation with a first appearance when the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force; and

displaying the first graphical representation with a second appearance different than the first appearance when the at least one finger is subsequently touching the first control region using the second force.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second appearance includes a difference from the first appearance, the difference associated with at least one of a size, a color, a position, a shape, or a display type.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the touchpad is located in a location that is different from the location of the display screen.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the touchpad is located in a location that is substantially the same as the location of the display screen.

23. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

storing a record that the at least one finger is subsequently touching the first control region.

24. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

storing a record that the at least one finger is subsequently touching the first control region within a first period of time less than or equal to 10 seconds after the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the second force is greater than the first force.

26. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining that the at least one finger is moving or sliding on the first control region after subsequently touching the first control region within a first period of time less than or equal to 10 seconds after the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force;

and storing a record of the moving or sliding of the at least one finger.

27. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

determining that the at least one finger is moving or sliding on the first control region after subsequently touching the first control region; and

storing a record of the moving or sliding of the at least one finger.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

generating a first graphical representation on a display screen of the computerized system, the first graphical representation being associated with the first control region, wherein the first control region includes a length substantially greater than the longitudinal length of a surface region of the at least one finger when contacting the touchpad.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the computerized system is a handheld computerized device, a computerized system in a vehicle, or a wearable computerized device.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the computerized system is a handheld computerized device comprising a display screen, and the touchpad is located on a side of the handheld computerized device that is different from the side of the handheld computerized device that displays said display screen, said display screen being non-transparent.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

designating a portion of the touchpad temporarily as a non-control region for holding the handheld computerized device without controlling an input when the user touches the non-control region.

32. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

distinguishing a distance between the at least one finger of the user and a surface of the touchpad; and

detecting the location and movement of a finger and/or hand of the user to include in the data when the distance is greater than zero.

33. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining the first force using a contact area included in the data.

34. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining the first force without using a contact area included in the data.

35. A method for controlling an input from a user to a computerized system including a touchpad, the method comprising:

obtaining data from the touchpad, the data being associated with the location and force of a finger and/or a hand of the user upon the touchpad and not associated with an image of the finger from an image sensor, when the user operates the computerized system using the touchpad;

communicating the data from the touchpad to the computerized system;

analyzing the data in accordance with a model of a human hand; and

determining, using the model, that at least one finger of the user is touching a first control region of the touchpad using a first force;

determining that the at least one finger is initially touching the first control region using a second force different from the first force in accordance with the data and the model before the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force; and

generating a first graphical representation on a display screen of the computerized system, the first graphical representation being associated with the first control region;

displaying the first graphical representation with a first appearance when the at least one finger is initially touching the first control region using the second force; and

displaying the first graphical representation with a second appearance different than the first appearance when the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force.

36. A method for controlling an input from a user to a computerized system including a touchpad, the method comprising:

obtaining data from the touchpad, the data being associated with the location and force of a finger and/or a hand of the user upon the touchpad and not associated with an image of the finger from an image sensor, when the user operates the computerized system using the touchpad;

communicating the data from the touchpad to the computerized system;

analyzing the data in accordance with a model of a human hand; and

determining, using the model, that at least one finger of the user is touching a first control region of the touchpad using a first force;

determining that the at least one finger is subsequently touching the first control region using a second force different from the first force in accordance with the data and the model after the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force;

generating a first graphical representation on a display screen of the computerized system, the first graphical representation being associated with the first control region;

displaying the first graphical representation with a first appearance when the at least one finger is touching the first control region using the first force; and

displaying the first graphical representation with a second appearance different than the first appearance when the at least one finger is subsequently touching the first control region using the second force.