System and method for input sensing

• US 9,959,002 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2017
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Schropp, Donald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): DANIELSEN, NATHAN ANDREW
• Application Number:
  US15/716,250
• Publication Number:
  US 20180018046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 217 Days
• 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 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

In a method of input sensing and exclusion, an input is detected within a sensing region of an input device. It is determined that the input is along an edge of the input device. It is then determined whether the input satisfies exclusion criteria. Responsive to satisfaction of the exclusion criteria, the input is excluded from consideration as valid input.

Claims

1. A method of input sensing comprising:

detecting a first input within a sensing region of an input device;

detecting a second input within said sensing region;

determining an orientation of said second input;

determining that said orientation of said second input points toward said first input; and

producing one or more electrical signals indicative of input or lack of input in the sensing region based on determining that said orientation of said second input points toward said first input.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining said first input is along an edge of said input device;

responsive to determining that said first input is along an edge of said input device and determining that said orientation of said second input points toward said first input, determining that said second input is a thumb; and

producing one or more electrical signals indicative of input or lack of input in the sensing region based on the determining that said second input is a thumb.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining said first input is along an edge of said input device;

determining whether said first input satisfies exclusion criteria; and

responsive to satisfaction of said exclusion criteria, excluding said first input from consideration as valid input.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that said orientation of said second input points toward said first input, excluding said second input from consideration as valid input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the orientation of said second input comprises determining an orientation of a major axis of said second input.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said detecting said first input within a sensing region of an input device comprises:

detecting said first input within a capacitive image associated with said sensing region.

7. A processing system for an input device, said processing system comprising:

one or more integrated circuits configured to;

acquire resulting signals from a plurality of sensor electrodes of the input device;

determine an image from said resulting signals;

detect a first input within said image;

detect a second input within said image;

determine an orientation of said second input;

determine that said orientation of said second input points toward said first input; and

produce one or more electrical signals indicative of input or lack of input in a sensing region of the input device based on determining that said orientation of said second input points toward said first input.

8. The processing system of claim 7, wherein said one or more integrated circuits are further configured to:

determine said first input is along an edge of said input device;

responsive to determining that said first input is along an edge of said input device and determining that said orientation of said second input points toward said first input, determine that said second input is a thumb; and

produce one or more electrical signals indicative of input or lack of input in the sensing region based on the determining that said second input is a thumb.

9. The processing system of claim 7, wherein said one or more integrated circuits are further configured to:

determine said first input is along an edge of said input device;

determine whether said first input satisfies exclusion criteria; and

responsive to satisfaction of said exclusion criteria, exclude said first input from consideration as valid input.

10. The processing system of claim 7, wherein said one or more integrated circuits are further configured to:

responsive to determining that said orientation of said second input points toward said first input, exclude said second input from consideration as valid input.

11. The processing system of claim 7, wherein determining the orientation of said second input comprises determining an orientation of a major axis of said second input.

12. The processing system of claim 7, wherein said image is a capacitive image associated with a sensing region of said input device.

13. An input device comprising:

a plurality of sensor electrodes; and

a processing system coupled with said plurality of sensor electrodes, said processing system configured to;

acquire resulting signals from said plurality of sensor electrodes;

determine an image from said resulting signals;

detect a first input within said image;

detect a second input within said image;

determine an orientation of said second input;

determine that said major axis of said second input points toward said first input; and

produce one or more electrical signals indicative of input or lack of input in a sensing region of the input device based on determining that said orientation of said second input points toward said first input.

14. The input device of claim 13, wherein said processing system is further configured to:

determine said first input is along an edge of said input device;

responsive to determining that said first input is along an edge of said input device and determining that said orientation of said second input points toward said first input, determine that said second input is a thumb; and

produce one or more electrical signals indicative of input or lack of input in the sensing region based on the determining that said second input is a thumb.

15. The input device of claim 13, wherein said processing system is further configured to:

determine said first input is along an edge of said input device;

determine whether said first input satisfies exclusion criteria; and

responsive to satisfaction of said exclusion criteria, exclude said first input from consideration as valid input.

16. The input device of claim 13, wherein said processing system is further configured to:

responsive to determining that said orientation of said second input points toward said first input, exclude said second input from consideration as valid input.

17. The input device of claim 13, wherein determining the orientation of said second input comprises determining an orientation of a major axis of said second input.

18. The input device of claim 13, wherein said image is a capacitive image associated with a sensing region of said input device.