Method and electronic device for obtaining touch input

• US 10,503,330 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Won Wook, Kim, Jung Kyu, Kim, Kyeong Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosario, Nelson M
• Application Number:
  US15/609,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20170344155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• 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 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electronic device is provided which includes a touch sensor, a pressure sensor, and a processor electrically connected with the touch sensor and the pressure sensor. The processor is configured to determine at least one of a location of a first touch sensed by the touch sensor or pressure of the first touch sensed by the pressure sensor as a user input in a first state and to determine at least one of a location of a second touch sensed by the pressure sensor or pressure of the second touch as a user input in a second state.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a touch sensor;

a pressure sensor; and

a processor electrically connected with the touch sensor and the pressure sensor, wherein the processor is configured to;

determine whether a condition associated with a surrounding environment of the electronic device is a first condition or a second condition, based on a touch applied to the touch sensor being inputted in at least a specified area of the touch sensor during at least a specified time,

select at least one of the touch sensor or the pressure sensor based on the condition being the first condition, and obtain at least one of a first location of the touch or first pressure of the touch as a user input, wherein the first location of the touch is sensed by the touch sensor and the first pressure of the touch is sensed by the pressure sensor in the first condition associated with the surrounding environment of the electronic device; and

select the pressure sensor based on the condition being the second condition, and obtaining at least one of a second location of the touch or second pressure of the touch as a user input, wherein the second location and the second pressure are sensed by the pressure sensor in the second condition associated with the surrounding environment of the electronic device.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor is configured to sense the touch based on a coupling voltage between a transmitter and a receiver, and

wherein, if the coupling voltage is greater than or equal to a first voltage value in at least a first specified area of the touch sensor during at least a first specified time, the processor is further configured to determine that the first condition is satisfied.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein if the coupling voltage is less than a second voltage value in at least a second specified area of the touch sensor during at least a second specified time, the processor is further configured to determine that the second condition is satisfied, and

wherein the second voltage value is set to be the same as or less than the first voltage value.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the touch sensor includes a capacitive touch sensor.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display panel configured to output a user interface (UI) including at least one object,

wherein the processor is further configured to change at least one of a layout, a size, a shape, and a color of the at least one object, if the second condition is satisfied.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to increase a brightness of the display panel if the second condition is satisfied.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a first touch sensor;

a second touch sensor; and

a processor electrically connected with the first touch sensor and the second touch sensor,

wherein the processor is configured to;

determine whether a condition associated with a surrounding environment of the electronic device is a first condition or a second condition, based on a touch applied to the first touch sensor being inputted in at least a specified area of the first touch sensor during at least a specified time,

select at least one of the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor based on the condition being the first condition, and obtain the touch sensed by the selected at least one of the first touch sensor or the second touch sensor as a user input, and

select the second touch sensor based on the condition being the second condition, and obtain the touch sensed by the second touch sensor as the user input.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the first touch sensor is configured to sense the touch based on a coupling voltage between a transmitter and a receiver.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the second touch sensor is configured to sense the touch based on a variation in pressure applied to the second touch sensor.

10. A touch input obtaining method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

determining whether a condition with a surrounding environment of the electronic device is a first condition or a second condition, based on a touch applied to a touch sensor being inputted in at least a specified area of the touch sensor during at least a specified time;

selecting at least one of the touch sensor or a pressure sensor based on the condition being the first condition, and obtaining the touch sensed by the selected at least one of the touch sensor or the pressure sensor as a user input; and

selecting the pressure sensor based on the condition being the second condition, and obtaining the touch sensed by the pressure sensor as the user input.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the touch sensor is configured to sense the touch based on a coupling voltage between a transmitter and a receiver, and

wherein determining whether the condition associated with the surrounding environment of the electronic device is the first condition or the second condition, based on the touch applied to the touch sensor being inputted in at least the specified area of the touch sensor during at least the specified time includes:

if the coupling voltage is greater than or equal to a first voltage value in at least a first specified area of the touch sensor during at least a first specified time, determining that the first condition is satisfied.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining whether the condition associated with the surrounding environment of the electronic device is the first condition or the second condition, based on the touch applied to the touch sensor being inputted in at least the specified area of the touch sensor during at least the specified time includes:

if the coupling voltage is less than a second voltage value in at least a second specified area of the touch sensor during at least a second specified time, determining that the second condition is satisfied, and

wherein the second voltage value is the same as or less than the first voltage value.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic device comprises a display panel configured to output a user interface (UI) including at least one object, and

further comprising:

changing at least one of a layout, a size, a shape, and a color of the at least one object, if the second condition is satisfied.