CONTACT TRACKING AND IDENTIFICATION MODULE FOR TOUCH SENSING

• US 20090251439A1
• Filed: 04/10/2009
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John G. Elias, Wayne Westerman
• Original Assignee: John G. Elias, Wayne Westerman
• Inventors: ELIAS, John G., WESTERMAN, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 9,804,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/175
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24137 Distances to cluster centroïds
• 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 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 2203/04106 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 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 3/0235 using chord techniques G06F3/0234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• 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 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/19173 Classification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1983 Syntactic or structural pattern recognition, e.g. symbolic string recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/107 : Static hand or arm
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 : using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960725 : Charge-transfer

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for simultaneously tracking multiple finger and palm contacts as hands approach, touch, and slide across a proximity-sensing, multi-touch surface. Identification and classification of intuitive hand configurations and motions enables unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation, and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device.

Claims

1. A method for providing input to a computing device having an associated touch sensitive surface, the method comprising:

obtaining a sequence of proximity images of distinguishable contacts, wherein the contacts correspond to touch devices on or near the surface at about the same time, and wherein at least shape, size, and position is determined for each contact based on the proximity images;

performing an initial command based on a first group of contacts associated with an initial proximity image;

obtaining a next proximity image associated with a second group of contacts, the next proximity image occurring after the initial proximity image; and

based at least on the next proximity image, performing the initial command if the first contacts are the same as the second contacts and performing a new command if the first contacts are different from the second contacts.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising obtaining a sequence of proximity images by scanning a plurality of capacitive sensors associated with the touch sensitive surface.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the performing of the initial command and the performing of the new command correspond to performing graphical manipulations.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the performing of the initial command and the performing of the new command corresponds to performing graphical object manipulations on a display screen.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising performing one of the initial and the new commands by performing one of a cursor manipulation, object rotation, object sizing, horizontal panning, vertical panning, and zooming.

6. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by an apparatus, the apparatus including a touch sensitive surface that provides input to a computing system, cause the apparatus to:

obtain a sequence of proximity images of distinguishable contacts, wherein the contacts correspond to touch devices on or near the surface at about the same time, and wherein each contact is associated with at least a shape and a position;

transmit an initial command signal to the computing system based on first contacts associated with at least an initial proximity image;

obtain a next proximity image associated with second contacts, the next proximity image occurring after the at least initial proximity image; and

based at least on the next proximity image, transmit the initial command to the computing system if the first contacts are the same as the second contacts and transmit a new command to the computing system if the first contacts are different from the second contacts.

7. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 6 wherein the instructions cause the apparatus to obtain a sequence of proximity images by scanning a plurality of capacitive sensors associated with the touch sensitive surface.

8. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 6 wherein the instructions cause the apparatus to perform the initial command and to perform the new command by performing graphical manipulations.

9. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 6 wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to perform the initial command and to perform the new command by performing graphical object manipulations on a display screen.

10. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 6 wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to perform the initial and the new commands by performing at least one of a cursor manipulation, object rotation, object sizing, horizontal panning, vertical panning, and zooming.

11. A method for providing input to a computing device having an associated touch sensitive surface, the method comprising:

identifying a first group of distinguishable contacts within an initial proximity image;

determining a first mode based on the first group of contacts;

performing an initial command based on the first mode;

identifying a second group of distinguishable contacts within a next proximity image, the next proximity image occurring after the initial proximity image;

evaluating the initial and the next proximity images to determine if a mode change has occurred; and

if the mode change has not occurred, performing the initial command based on the second proximity image and, if the mode change has occurred, determining a second mode based on the second proximity image and performing a new command.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the initial mode is one of a continuous cursor mode, a handwriting mode, a pen grip mode, a slide mode, and a cursor manipulation mode and wherein the next mode is one of a continuous cursor mode, a handwriting mode, a pen grip mode, a slide mode, and a cursor manipulation mode.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the first and the second group of contacts are the same in the initial mode and are different in the next mode.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising obtaining initial and next proximity images by scanning a plurality of capacitive sensors associated with the touch sensitive surface.

15. An apparatus for providing input to a computing device having an associated touch sensitive surface, the apparatus comprising:

a contact identifier for providing an first indication of a first group of contacts with respect to the touch sensitive surface and for providing a second indication of a second group of contacts with respect to the touch sensitive surface, the first indication occurring after the second indication;

a mode recognizer for receiving the first indication and the second indication and for providing a third indication representing a mode change; and

an event generator for generating an initial event signal according to an initial mode in response to the first indication, for generating the initial event signal according to the initial mode in response to the second indication, and for generating a next event signal according to a next mode in response to the second indication and the third indication.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein the initial mode is one of a continuous cursor mode, a handwriting mode, a pen grip mode, a slide mode, and a cursor manipulation mode and wherein the next mode is one of a continuous cursor mode, a handwriting mode, a pen grip mode, a slide mode, and a cursor manipulation mode.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein when the first and the second group of contacts are the same with respect to the first and the second indications, the third indication is not provided.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein when the first and the second group of contacts are different with respect to the first and the second indications, the third indication is provided.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein the first indication corresponds to an initial proximity image and the second indication corresponds to a next proximity image and wherein the initial and the next proximity images are obtained by scanning a plurality of capacitive sensors associated with the touch sensitive surface.

20. A computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by an apparatus, the apparatus including a touch sensitive surface that provides input to a computing system, cause the apparatus to:

identify a first group of distinguishable contacts within an initial proximity image;

determine a first mode based on the first group of contacts;

perform an initial command based on the first mode;

identify a second group of distinguishable contacts within a next proximity, the next proximity image occurring after the initial proximity image;

evaluate the initial and the next proximity images to determine if a mode change has occurred; and

wherein, if the mode change has not occurred, perform the initial command based on the second proximity image and if the mode change has occurred, determine a second mode and perform a new command based on the second proximity image.

21. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 20 wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to determine as either of the initial mode and the next mode one of a continuous cursor mode, a handwriting mode, a pen grip mode, a slide mode, and a cursor manipulation mode.

22. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 20 wherein if the mode change has not occurred, the first and the second group of contacts are the same with respect to the initial and next proximity images.

23. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 20 wherein if the mode change has occurred, the first and the second group of contacts are different with respect to the initial and next proximity images.

24. The computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 20 wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to obtain initial and next proximity images by scanning a plurality of capacitive sensors associated with the touch sensitive surface.