METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DISCRIMINATING STYLUS AND TOUCH INTERACTIONS

• US 20140168116A1
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: SASSELLI, Nicolas, SALAMIN, Patrick, VLASOV, Maxim, RACLE, Julien, ZIMMERMANN, Rmy, HOLZBECHER, Jiri
• Granted Patent: US 9,367,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0442 using active external devices, e.g. active pens, for transmitting changes in electrical potential to be received by the digitiser
• 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

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to control devices, such as human interface devices, configured for use with a tablet computer. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and system for discriminating between the interactions of a handheld device, touch of one or more of the user'"'"'s finger(s) and interaction with appendages of the user on a touch-screen tablet computer. The methods described herein may include discriminating between the interaction of the handheld device, the user'"'"'s finger(s) and an appendage of the user so that the collected information can be used to control some aspect of the hardware or software running on the touch-screen tablet computer.

Claims

1. A method of using a touch sensitive computing device, comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, information related to a first touch event from a touch sensing unit coupled to the computing device, wherein the information from the first touch event comprises a first touch data point;

generating a first type of user input vote based on a comparison of the first touch event information with a first rule;

generating a second type of user input vote based on a comparison of the first touch event information with a second rule; and

generating output data that comprises information relating to a type of user input assigned to the first touch data point, wherein assigning the type of user input to the first touch data point includes analyzing the first type of user input vote and the second type of user input vote.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating output data further comprises:

applying a first weighting factor to the first type of user input vote;

applying a second weighting factor to the second type of user input vote; and

the analyzing the first type of user input vote and the second type of user input vote further comprises analyzing the weighted first type of user input vote and the weighted second type of user input vote, wherein the first weighting factor and the second weighting factor are not equal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

altering information rendered on a display in the computing device at a position relating to the first touch data point based at least partially on information found in the generated output data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of user input includes an input selected from the group consisting of an interaction of a finger or a stylus pen with the touch sensing unit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an image on a display in the computing device relating to the first touch data point when the assigned type of user input to the first touch data point is a stylus pen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information related to the touch event essentially comprises information relating to a time when the touch event occurred and a relative position of the touch data point on a touch sensing unit of the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first type of user input vote is formed by analyzing the first touch event information and information relating to a user that is stored in a memory of the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first type of user input vote comprises:

receiving information related to a plurality of touch data points from the touch sensing unit; and

defining a boundary that encloses a region of a surface of the touch sensing unit, wherein the position of the plurality of touch data points on the surface of the touch sensing unit are disposed within the boundary, and

then generating the first type of user input vote by comparing the position of the first touch data point relative to a portion of the boundary.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, information related to a second touch event and a third touch event from the touch sensing unit coupled to the computing device, wherein the information from the second touch event comprises a second touch data point and the information from the third touch event comprises a third touch data point;

generating a third type of user input vote by comparing the second touch event with the first rule and generating a fourth type of user input vote by comparing the second touch event with the second rule;

attributing the second touch data point to a type of user input by analyzing the generated third and fourth type of user input votes, wherein the type of user input attributed to the first and second touch data points are the same;

defining a region of a surface of the touch sensing unit of the computing device that includes the first and second touch data points;

determining that the third touch data point is positioned within the region of the touch sensing unit; and

attributing the third touch data point to the same type of user input as the first or second touch data due to its position within the region of the surface of the touch sensing unit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the information related to the first, second or third touch events each essentially comprise information relating to a time when the touch event occurred and a relative position of the touch data point on a touch sensing unit of the computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein attributing the first touch data point to a type of user input comprises using a controlling engine running on the computing device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the computing device, information related to the first touch event from an active stylus pen, wherein the information related to the first touch event from the active stylus pen includes information related to a position of a tip of the active stylus pen relative to an electrode disposed in the touch sensing unit coupled to the computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the position of the active stylus pen is determined at least partially from a capacitive sensing signal delivered from the electrode.

14. A computer readable medium disposed in a computing device, containing a set of instructions that causes a processor to perform a process comprising:

receive information related to a first touch event from a touch sensing unit coupled to the computing device, wherein the information from the first touch event comprises a first touch data point;

generating a first type of user input vote based on a comparison of the first touch event information with a first rule;

generating a second type of user input vote based on a comparison of the first touch event information with a second rule;

attributing the first touch data point to a type of user input by analyzing the first type of user input vote and the second type of user input vote; and

altering information rendered on a display in the computing device at a position relating to the first touch data point based on the attributed type of user input.

15. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

apply a first weighting factor to the first type of user input vote to form a weighted first type of user input vote;

apply a second weighting factor to the second type of user input vote to form a weighted second type of user input vote; and

the analyzing the first type of user input vote and the second type of user input vote further comprises analyzing the weighted first type of user input vote and the weighted second type of user input vote, wherein the first weighting factor and the second weighting factor are not equal.

16. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

alter information rendered on a display in the computing device at a position relating to the first touch data point based at least partially on information found in the generated output data.

17. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

generate an image on a display in the computing device relating to the first touch data point when the assigned type of user input to the first touch data point is a stylus pen.

18. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

receive information related to a second touch event and a third touch event from the touch sensing unit coupled to the computing device, wherein the information from the second touch event comprises a second touch data point and the information from the third touch event comprises a third touch data point;

generate a third type of user input vote by comparing the second touch event with the first rule and generating a fourth type of user input vote by comparing the second touch event with the second rule;

attribute the second touch data point to a type of user input by analyzing the generated third and fourth type of user input votes, wherein the type of user input attributed to the first and second touch data points are the same;

define a region of a surface of the touch sensing unit of the computing device that includes the first and second touch data points;

determine that the third touch data point is positioned within the region of the touch sensing unit; and

attribute the third touch data point to the same type of user input as the first or second touch data point due to its position within the region of the surface of the touch sensing unit.

19. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

receive information related to the first touch event from an active stylus pen, wherein the information related to the first touch event from the active stylus pen includes information related to a position of a tip of the active stylus pen relative to an electrode disposed in the touch sensing unit coupled to the computing device.

20. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, wherein the position of the active stylus pen is determined at least partially from a capacitive sensing signal delivered from the electrode.

21. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 14, wherein generating the first type of user input vote comprises:

receiving information related to a plurality of touch data points from the touch sensing unit; and

defining a boundary that encloses a region of a surface of the touch sensing unit, wherein the position of the plurality of touch data points on the surface of the touch sensing unit are disposed within the boundary, and

then generating the first type of user input vote by comparing the position of the first touch data point relative to a portion of the boundary.