Multi-touch input discrimination
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method to identify an input to a touch-surface device, comprising:
- obtaining a proximity image from an array of sensing elements;
segmenting the proximity image to identify one or more patches;
generating a proximity sensor signal when an object is proximate a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor distinct from the array of sensing elements;
determining a signal density value for at least one of the one or more patches; and
using the signal density value and the proximity sensor signal to determine an object adjacent to or in contact with the touch-surface device; and
wherein each patch has a plurality of pixels and each pixel has a pixel value and the signal density value is determined by dividing the sum of all pixel values in a patch by a radius of the patch.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques for identifying and discriminating between different types of contacts to a multi-touch touch-screen device are described. Illustrative contact types include fingertips, thumbs, palms and cheeks. By way of example, thumb contacts may be distinguished from fingertip contacts using a patch eccentricity parameter. In addition, by non-linearly deemphasizing pixels in a touch-surface image, a reliable means of distinguishing between large objects (e.g., palms) from smaller objects (e.g., fingertips, thumbs and a stylus) is described.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method to identify an input to a touch-surface device, comprising:
-
obtaining a proximity image from an array of sensing elements; segmenting the proximity image to identify one or more patches; generating a proximity sensor signal when an object is proximate a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor distinct from the array of sensing elements;
determining a signal density value for at least one of the one or more patches; andusing the signal density value and the proximity sensor signal to determine an object adjacent to or in contact with the touch-surface device; and wherein each patch has a plurality of pixels and each pixel has a pixel value and the signal density value is determined by dividing the sum of all pixel values in a patch by a radius of the patch. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A touch-surface device, comprising:
-
a memory for storing a proximity image of a touch surface of the touch-surface device, the proximity image obtained from an array of sensing elements; a processor operative for; segmenting the proximity image to identify one or more patches; generating a proximity sensor signal when an object is proximate a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor distinct from the array of sensing elements; determining a signal density value for at least one of the one or more patches; and using the signal density value and the proximity sensor signal for determining an object adjacent to or in contact with the touch-surface device; and wherein each patch has a plurality of pixels and each pixel has a pixel value and the signal density value is determined by dividing the sum of all pixel values in a patch by a radius of the patch. - View Dependent Claims (12)
-
-
13. A touch surface device, comprising:
-
a memory for storing a proximity image of a touch surface of the touch-surface device, the proximity image obtained from an array of sensing elements; a processor operative for; segmenting the proximity image to identify one or more patches; generating a proximity sensor signal when an object is proximate a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor distinct from the array of sensing elements; determining a signal density value for at least one of the one or more patches; and using the signal density value and the proximity sensor signal for determining an object adjacent to or in contact with the touch-surface device; and wherein each patch has a plurality of pixels and each pixel has a pixel value and the signal density value is determined by dividing a sum of all pixel values in a patch by the number of pixels in the patch.
-
-
14. A method to identify an input to a touch-surface device, comprising:
-
obtaining a proximity image from an array of sensing elements; segmenting the proximity image to identify one or more patches; generating a proximity sensor signal when an object is proximate a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor distinct from the array of sensing elements; determining a signal density value for at least one of the one or more patches; and using the signal density value and the proximity sensor signal to determine an object adjacent to or in contact with the touch-surface device; and wherein each patch has a plurality of pixels and each pixel has a pixel value and the signal density value is determined by dividing a sum of all pixel values in a patch by the number of pixels in the patch. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
-
-
17. A method to identify an input to a touch-surface device, comprising:
-
obtaining a proximity image from an array of sensing elements; segmenting the proximity image to identify one or more patches; generating a proximity sensor signal when an object is proximate a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor distinct from the array of sensing elements; determining a signal density value for at least one of the one or more patches; and using the signal density value and the proximity sensor signal to determine an object adjacent to or in contact with the touch-surface device; and wherein each patch has a plurality of pixels and each pixel has a pixel value and the signal density value is determined by dividing the sum of all pixel values in a patch by the area of the patch. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
Specification