Position and Gesture Touch Sensor Responsive to Displacements and Angles of At Least One Contacting Finger

• US 20120235940A1
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Published: 09/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advance Touchscreen And Gesture Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Advanced Touchscreen and Gesture Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Ludwig, Lester F.
• Granted Patent: US 9,304,677 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• 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: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0058 Transmission between separate instruments or between individual components of a musical system G10H1/0083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/0066 using a MIDI interface
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/348 Switches actuated by parts of the body other than fingers
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/46 Volume control
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/521 Hall effect transducers or similar magnetic field sensing semiconductor devices, e.g. for string vibration sensing or key movement sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/525 Piezoelectric transducers for vibration sensing or vibration excitation in the audio range; Piezoelectric strain sensing, e.g. as key velocity sensor; Piezoelectric actuators, e.g. key actuation in response to a control voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/095 Spint zither, i.e. mimicking any neckless stringed instrument in which the strings do not extend beyond the sounding board
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/101 Spint koto, i.e. mimicking any traditional asian-style plucked zither with movable bridges
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/115 Spint sitar, i.e. mimicking any long-necked plucked string instrument with a large number of additional non-playable sympathetic resonating strings or an additional gourd-like resonating chamber
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/145 Spint guitar keyboard, i.e. mimicking a combination of a guitar-like instrument, with or without strings, and a piano-like keyboard, e.g. with white and black keys arranged like on a piano
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/271 Spint gong, i.e. mimicking circular flat, nippled or bowl-shaped metallic percussion instruments G10H2230/321 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/18 using a string, e.g. electric guitar mechanical features G10D1/085
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 3/26 : using electric feedback
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/10 : Feedback

Abstract

A touch-based user interface system comprising an arrangement for scanning a tactile sensor array to produce a corresponding array of measurement values that are presented to a processor for computation. The computation produces a plurality of running sums created from selected measurement values or functions of selected measurement values. A post-scan computation algorithm derives at least three independently-adjustable interactive control parameters responsive to at least displacements or angles the contact of a single area of threshold contact or threshold proximity. The system provides output control signals responsive to the independently-adjustable interactive control parameters. In one aspect of the invention, n algorithmic element for handling of regions of threshold contact or threshold proximity having non-convex shapes. In another aspect of the invention, an algorithmic element calculates the rate of change of one or more of the independently-adjustable interactive control parameters. Other aspects of the invention include shape and gesture recognition.

Claims

1. A touch-based user interface system comprising:

a tactile sensor array;

an arrangement for scanning the tactile sensor array, the scan producing a corresponding array of measurement values;

a processor for calculating of a plurality of running sums from selected measurement values or functions of selected measurement values;

a post-scan computation algorithm for deriving at least three independently-adjustable interactive control parameters responsive to at least displacements or angles the contact of a single area of threshold contact or threshold proximity; and

an algorithmic element for handling of regions of threshold contact or threshold proximity having non-convex shapes,

wherein the system provides output control signals, the control signals responsive to the independently-adjustable interactive control parameters.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the tactile sensor array is a pressure sensor array.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the single area of threshold contact or threshold proximity is that of a single finger tip.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises:

an algorithmic element for identifying a plurality of isolated regions of threshold contact or threshold proximity, and an algorithmic element for each of the isolated region of threshold contact or threshold proximity the computation of a plurality of running sums from selected measurement values or functions of selected measurement values for that respective isolated region of threshold contact or threshold proximity,

wherein the system derives a plurality of independently-adjustable interactive control parameters from each isolated region of threshold contact or threshold proximity of a plurality of parts of the hand.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises an algorithmic element for calculating the rate of change of one or more of the independently-adjustable interactive control parameters.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises an algorithmic element implementing shape recognition functions.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises an algorithmic element implementing gesture recognition functions.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises an algorithmic element for calculating one or more symbols.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises an algorithmic element implementing syntax functions.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the tactile sensor array is comprises a plurality of partitioned sections.

11. A touch-based user interface system comprising:

a tactile sensor array;

an arrangement for scanning the tactile sensor array, the scan producing a corresponding array of measurement values;

a processor for computation of a plurality of running sums from selected measurement values or functions of selected measurement values;

a post-scan computation algorithm for deriving at least three independently-adjustable interactive control parameters responsive to at least displacements or angles the contact of a single area of threshold contact or threshold proximity; and

an algorithmic element for calculating the rate of change of one or more of the independently-adjustable interactive control parameters,

wherein the system provides output control signals, the control signals responsive to the independently-adjustable interactive control parameters.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the tactile sensor array is a pressure sensor array.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the single area of threshold contact or threshold proximity is that of a single finger tip.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the system further comprises:

an algorithmic clement for identifying a plurality of isolated regions of threshold contact or threshold proximity; and

an algorithmic element for each of the isolated region of threshold contact or threshold proximity the computation of a plurality of running sums from selected measurement values or functions of selected measurement values for that respective isolated region of threshold contact or threshold proximity, wherein the system derives a plurality of independently-adjustable interactive control parameters from each isolated region of threshold contact or threshold proximity of a plurality of parts of the hand.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the system further comprises an algorithmic element for handling of regions of threshold contact or threshold proximity having non-convex shapes.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the system further comprises an algorithmic element implementing shape recognition functions.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the system further comprises an algorithmic element implementing gesture recognition functions.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein the system further comprises an algorithmic element for calculating one or more symbols.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein the system further comprises an algorithmic element implementing parsing functions.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the tactile sensor array is comprises a plurality of partitioned sections.