PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING TOUCH-SENSITIVE DISPLAY AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING SAME

• US 20110084911A1
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: ALMALKI, Nazih, SIMMONS, Sean Bartholomew
• Granted Patent: US 9,383,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

A method includes detecting first and second touches on the touch-sensitive display and determining a location of each of the first and second touches, determining, by a plurality of force sensors, reaction forces, for the first and second touches, and determining a respective applied force for each of the first and second touches based on the reaction forces and the locations of the first and second touches.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting first and second touches on the touch-sensitive display and determining a location of each of the first and second touches;

determining, by a plurality of force sensors, reaction forces for the first and second touches; and

determining a respective applied force for each of the first and second touches based on the reaction forces and the locations of the first and second touches.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a respective applied force comprises determining respective applied forces based on a best square fit utilizing the reaction forces and the locations of the first and second touches.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising determining first x and y axis components of distances from the first touch to the force sensors based on the location of the first touch and determining second x and y axis components of distances from the second touch to the force sensors based on the location of the second touch.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein determining a respective applied force comprises determining a respective applied force based on a best square fit using the reaction forces and the first and second components of distances.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein determining a respective applied force comprises determining a force distribution vector matrix, performing a matrix inversion and multiplying the matrix inversion by the reaction force at each of the plurality of force sensors.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1, wherein determining a reaction force comprises determining a reaction force at each of four force sensors.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each of the four force sensors is located near a respective corner of the touch-sensitive display.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein determining a respective applied force comprises determining a force distribution vector matrix.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein determining the force distribution vector matrix comprises determining

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein determining a respective applied force comprises performing a matrix inversion on the force distribution vector matrix to provide an inverse matrix.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein determining a respective applied force comprises multiplying the inverse matrix by each the reaction forces determined from signals from the four force sensors to provide the force at each of the touches.

12. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable code executable by at least one processor of a portable electronic device to perform the method according to claim 1.

13. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

a plurality of force sensors, each configured to determine a reaction force for first and second touches on the touch-sensitive display;

a processor operably coupled to the force sensors and the touch-sensitive display to determine a respective applied force for each of the first and second touches based on the reaction forces and locations of the first and second touches.

14. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the processor determines the respective applied force based on a best square fit utilizing the reaction forces and the locations of the first and second touches.