Integrating multiple different touch based inputs

• US 9,652,070 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hagenbuch, Matthew Lloyd, Locker, Howard, Nicholson, John Weldon, Roper, Matthew Price
• Primary Examiner(s): DAVIS, TONY O
• Application Number:
  US14/036,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 345178, 345170-174
• 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 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/043 using propagating acoustic waves
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means

Abstract

For integrating multiple different touch based inputs, a method is disclosed that includes detecting a pressure at a screen pressure module, enabling a first touch module based on the pressure exceeding a pressure threshold value, and integrating input from a second touch module and the first touch module, the input from the first touch module and the second touch module being concurrently received.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a screen;

a first touch module configured to detect, at the screen, a touch from a user'"'"'s body based on a first touch sensor type;

a second touch module configured to detect, at the screen, a touch from a pen based on a second touch sensor type, the second touch sensor type being different than the first touch sensor type;

a screen pressure module configured to detect a pressure at the screen,

wherein the screen pressure module enables the first touch module in response to the detected pressure exceeding a pressure threshold value, and

wherein the screen pressure module disables the first touch module in response to the detected pressure being below the pressure threshold value; and

an integration module configured to concurrently process a first input from the first touch module and a second input from the second touch module, the first input performing a first interaction with a user interface and the second input performing a second interaction with the user interface separate from the first interaction, wherein the first input is used to interact with the user interface independently of the second interaction and without interrupting the second interaction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third touch module configured to detect, at the screen, a touch based on a third touch sensor type, the third sensor type being different than the first sensor type and the second sensor type, the integration module configured to concurrently process input from two or more of the first touch module, the second touch module, and the third touch module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first touch sensor type is selected from the group consisting of resistive, capacitive, surface acoustic wave, infrared acrylic projection, optical imaging, dispersive signal technology, magnetic resonance, and acoustic pulse recognition.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first touch sensor type is based on capacitance, and the second touch sensor type is based on magnetic resonance.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the integration module is configured to ignore a touch detected by the first touch module in response to the touch lasting a threshold period of time.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the integration module is configured to ignore a touch detected by the first touch module in response to the touch forming a pre-determined pattern on the screen.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user interface module configured to receive the pressure threshold value from a user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the screen pressure module automatically adjusts the pressure threshold value based on the pressure and one or more inputs from one of the first touch module and the second touch module.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the integration module is configured to ignore a touch detected by the first touch module in response to the touch covering more than a predetermined portion of the screen.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input from the first touch module used to interact with a user interface comprises input from the first touch module to perform one or a zoom action and a panning action.

11. A method comprising:

detecting a pressure at a screen via a screen pressure module;

enabling a first touch module based on the pressure exceeding a pressure threshold value;

disabling the first touch module based on the pressure falling below the pressure threshold value;

detecting a touch from a user'"'"'s body at the screen via the first touch module;

detecting a touch from a pen at the screen via a second touch module; and

integrating a first input from the first touch module and a second input from the second touch module, the first input second input being concurrently received, the first input performing a first interaction with a user interface and the second input performing a second interaction with the user interface separate from the first interaction, wherein the first input is used to interact with the user interface independently of the second interaction and without interrupting the second interaction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first touch module is based on capacitance and the second touch module is based on magnetic resonance, the method further comprising ignoring a touch detected by the first touch module in response to the touch forming a pre-determined pattern on the screen.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving the pressure threshold value from a user interface module.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising calculating the pressure threshold value based on a plurality of sensed touches, the sensed touches from one of the first touch module and the second touch module.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first touch module is based on one of a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, a surface acoustic wave sensor, an infrared acrylic projection sensor, an optical imaging sensor, a dispersive signal sensor, a magnetic resonance sensor, and an acoustic pulse recognition sensor.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein integrating input further comprises ignoring a touch detected by the first touch module in response to the touch covering more than a predetermined portion of the screen.

17. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing machine readable code executable by a processor to perform:

receiving a pressure at a screen from a screen pressure module;

enabling a first touch module based on the pressure input from the screen pressure module exceeding a pressure threshold value; and

disabling the first touch module based on the pressure falling below the pressure threshold value;

detecting a touch from a user'"'"'s body at the screen via the first touch module;

detecting a touch from a pen at the screen via a second touch module; and

integrating a first input from the first touch module and a second input from the second touch module, the first input and the second input being concurrently received, the first input performing a first interaction with a user interface and the second input performing a second interaction with the user interface separate from the first interaction, wherein the second interaction is used to draw one of a line and a shape and wherein the first input is used to interact with the user interface independently of the second interaction and without the second interaction.

18. The program product of claim 17, wherein the first touch module is based on capacitance, and the second touch module is based on magnetic resonance.

19. The program product of claim 17, wherein integrating input further comprises integrating input from a third touch module, the input from the third touch module being concurrently received with the input from the first touch module and the second touch module.

20. The program product of claim 17, wherein integrating input further comprises ignoring a touch detected by the first touch module in response to the touch covering more than a predetermined portion of the screen.