Application-based touch sensitivity

• US 10,203,815 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chhabra, Kapil
• Primary Examiner(s): Amadiz, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US13/827,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-174, 178 1801- 1807
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A sensing threshold of a touch sensing surface may be specified based on a user interface context. For example, inadvertent touches may be more likely in a map application that is often used in a car where a user experiences constant jostling. Accordingly, a high sensing threshold can be associated with the map application, and other applications can be associated with a lower sensing threshold.

Claims

1. A method of a computing device including a touch sensing surface, the method comprising:

receiving a first touch input corresponding to a first user interface context and a second touch input corresponding to a second user interface context on or near the touch sensing surface;

determining an active application in a user interface;

in accordance with a determination that a first application is active in the user interface;

obtaining a first sensing threshold associated with the first application;

comparing information of the first touch input corresponding to the first user interface context to the first sensing threshold;

comparing information of the second touch input corresponding to the second user interface context to the first sensing threshold;

determining, based on the comparison of the first touch input to the first sensing threshold, whether to generate a first input event based on the first touch input; and

determining, based on the comparison of the second touch input to the first sensing threshold, whether to generate the second input event based on the second touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that a second application is active in the user interface;

obtaining a second sensing threshold associated with the second application, different from the first sensing threshold;

comparing information of the first touch input corresponding to the first user interface context to the second sensing threshold;

comparing information of the second touch input corresponding to the second user interface context to the first sensing threshold;

determining, based on the comparison of the first touch input to the second sensing threshold, whether to generate the first input event based on the first touch input; and

determining, based on the comparison of the second touch input to the first sensing threshold, whether to generate the second input event based on the second touch input;

wherein determining whether to generate the input event includes determining whether to register a touch.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing information of the first touch input to the first or second sensing threshold includes comparing one of a proximity, a force, a capacitance, and a size of the touch input to the first or second sensing threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first sensing threshold associated with the first application includes:

determining a location of the first touch input;

determining a user interface object associated with the location of the first touch input;

in accordance with a determination that the user interface object is a first user interface object associated with a first region of the touch sensing surface, obtaining a first value for the first sensing threshold associated with the first region; and

in accordance with a determination that the user interface object is a second user interface object associated with the sensing threshold, obtaining the a second value for the first sensing threshold, different from the first value, associated with the second user interface object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first sensing threshold associated with the first application includes:

determining a location of the first touch input; and

determining that the location is within a first region of the touch sensing surface;

wherein obtaining the first sensing threshold associated with the first application includes obtaining a sensing threshold associated with the first region.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first region is associated with a user interface object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first sensing threshold associated with the first application includes determining a gesture of the touch input, and obtaining a sensing threshold associated with the gesture.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the first sensing threshold associated with the first application includes obtaining a sensing threshold associated with a page of the first application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sensing threshold is determined before receiving the first touch input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application includes a button, and determining whether to generate an input event includes determining whether to set the button to a pushed state.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a global sensing threshold based on the obtained sensing threshold associated with the first or second application.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface context is a panel, button, graphic, or icon.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface context is a gesture.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor to execute instructions;

a touch sensing surface; and

a memory coupled with the processor to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations to generate an application programming interface (API) that allows an API-calling component to perform the following operations;

receiving a first touch input corresponding to a first user interface context and a second touch input corresponding to a second user interface context on or near the touch sensing surface;

determining an active application in the user interface;

in accordance with a determination that a first application is active in the user interface;

obtaining a first sensing threshold associated with the first application;

comparing information of the first touch input corresponding to the first user interface context to the first sensing threshold;

comparing information of the second touch input corresponding to the second user interface context to the first sensing threshold;

determining, based on the comparison of the first touch input to the first sensing threshold, whether to generate a first input event based on the first touch input; and

determining, based on the comparison of the second touch input to the first sensing threshold, whether to generate the second input event based on the second touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that a second application is active in the user interface;

obtaining a second sensing threshold associated with the second application, different from the first sensing threshold;

comparing information of the first touch input corresponding to the user interface context to the second sensing threshold;

comparing information of the second touch input corresponding to the second user interface context to the first sensing threshold;

determining, based on the comparison of the first touch input to the second sensing threshold, whether to generate the first input event based on the first touch input; and

determining, based on the comparison of the second touch input to the first sensing threshold, whether to generate the second input event based on the second touch input;

wherein determining whether to generate the input event includes determining whether to register a touch.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein comparing information of the first touch input to the first or second sensing threshold includes comparing one of a proximity, a force, a capacitance, and a size of the touch input to the first or second sensing threshold.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein obtaining the first sensing threshold associated with the first application includes:

determining a location of the first touch input;

determining a user interface object associated with the location of the touch input;

in accordance with a determination that the user interface object is a first user interface object associated with a first region of the touch sensing surface, obtaining a first value for the first sensing threshold associated with the first region; and

in accordance with a determination that the user interface object is a second user interface object associated with the sensing threshold, obtaining the a second value for the first sensing threshold, different from the first value, associated with the second user interface object.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein obtaining the first sensing threshold associated with the first application includes:

determining a location of the first touch input; and

determining that the location is within a first region of the touch sensing surface;

wherein obtaining the first sensing threshold associated with the first application includes obtaining a sensing threshold associated with the first region.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the first region is associated with a user interface object.

18. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein obtaining the first sensing threshold associated with the first application includes determining a gesture of the touch input, and obtaining a sensing threshold associated with the gesture.

19. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein obtaining a sensing threshold associated with the first application includes obtaining the sensing threshold associated with a page of the first application.

20. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first sensing threshold is determined before receiving the first touch input.

21. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the first application includes a button, and determining whether to generate an input event includes determining whether to set the button to a pushed state.

22. The electronic device of claim 13, further comprising:

setting a global sensing threshold based on the obtained sensing threshold associated with the first or second application.

23. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions to perform a method of a computing device including a touch sensing surface, the method comprising:

receiving a first touch input corresponding to a first user interface context and a second touch input corresponding to a second user interface context on or near the touch sensing surface;

determining an active application in a user interface;

in accordance with a determination that a first application is active in the user interface;

obtaining a first sensing threshold associated with the first application;

comparing information of the first touch input corresponding to the first user interface context to the first sensing threshold;

comparing information of the second touch input corresponding to the second user interface context to the first sensing threshold;

determining, based on the comparison of the first touch input to the first sensing threshold, whether to generate a first input event based on the first touch input; and

determining, based on the comparison of the second touch input to the first sensing threshold, whether to generate the second input event based on the second touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that a second application is active in the user interface;

obtaining a second sensing threshold associated with the second application, different from the first sensing threshold;

comparing information of the first touch input corresponding to the first user interface context to the second sensing threshold;

comparing information of the second touch input corresponding to the second user interface context to the first sensing threshold;

determining, based on the comparison of the first touch input to the second sensing threshold, whether to generate the first input event based on the first touch input; and

determining, based on the comparison of the second touch input to the first sensing threshold, whether to generate the second input event based on the second touch input;

wherein determining whether to generate the input event includes determining whether to register a touch.