SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MEASURING INDIVIDUAL FORCE IN MULTI-OBJECT SENSING

• US 20140240288A1
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Bulea, Mihai M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,377,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 2203/04108 Touchless 2D- 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 without distance measurement in the Z direction
• 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An input device is provided that facilitates improved user interface functionality by determining force information for each of multiple objects in a sensing region. The input device includes a processing system, a sensor configured to sense objects in a sensing region proximate a surface, and a plurality of force sensors. The plurality of force sensors are coupled to the surface to provide a plurality of measures of force applied to the surface. The processing system is configured to determine positional information for each the multiple objects sensed by the sensor in the sensing region. Furthermore, the processing system is configured to determine force information for each of the multiple objects from the positional information and the plurality of measures of force applied to the surface. Thus, device and method provides the ability to determine both positional information and force information for each of multiple objects in a sensing region.

Claims

1. In an input device of the type comprising a sensor configured to sense input objects in a sensing region of the input device, the sensing region overlapping an input surface, and a plurality of force sensors configured to measure a force applied to the input surface;

a processing system communicatively coupled to the sensor and the plurality of force sensors and configured to;

determine a position for each of the input objects contacting the input surface;

determine a force measured by each of the plurality of force sensors; and

determine a force applied by each of the input objects contacting the input surface based on the determined position for each input object and the determined force measured by each of the plurality of force sensors.

2. The processing system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of force sensors is selected from a group consisting of piezeoelectric force sensors, capacitive force sensors, resistive strain gauges, and force sensing resistors.

3. The processing system of claim 1, further configured to account for a deflection of the input surface in response to force applied by input objects, wherein the determination of the force applied by each input object is further based on the deflection.

4. The processing system of claim 1, further configured to determine the position for input objects in the sensing region and not contacting the input surface.

5. The processing system of claim 1, further configured to enable a user interface action based on the force applied by at least one input object contacting the input surface.

6. The processing system of claim 5, wherein the user interface action comprises at least one of:

press to select;

pointing;

cursor selection;

zooming;

scrolling;

rotating;

menu navigation;

panning; and

parameter adjustment.

7. The processing system of claim 6, further configured to enable the user interface action based on the position of at least one input object contacting the input surface.

8. The processing system of claim 5, further configured to enable the user interface action based on the force applied by the at least one input object meeting a threshold value.

9. The processing system of claim 1, further configured to:

enable cursor control based on the position of at least one input object contacting the input surface; and

enable a selection action based on the determined force of at least one input object contacting the input surface.

10. The processing system of claim 1, further configured to:

enable a user interface action based on at least one of the determined position and force of the at least one input object in the sensing region; and

continue the user interface action based on a change in at least one of the determined position or force of at least one the input objects contacting the input surface.

11. The processing system of claim 10, wherein the enabled user interface action comprises one of:

pointing;

cursor selection;

zooming;

scrolling;

rotating;

menu navigation;

panning; and

parameter adjustment.

12. The processing system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a capacitive sensor, a resistive sensor, an inductive sensor, an optical sensor, and an acoustic sensor.

13. A processing system configured to:

simultaneously sense multiple input objects in a sensing region of a capacitive sensor;

determine a two-dimensional coordinate position for each of the multiple input objects simultaneously sensed by the sensor;

determine a plurality of force measurements, each force measurement corresponding to a force applied to a part of an input surface of the capacitive sensor;

determine a force applied by each of the multiple objects from;

the two-dimensional coordinate position of each input objects in the sensing region; and

at least a sub set of the plurality of force measurements; and

provide electronic indicia to an electronic system corresponding to the determined force applied by each of the multiple input objects.

14. The processing system of claim 13, wherein the electronic indicia comprises the determined two-dimensional coordinate position of at least one of the multiple input objects.

15. The processing system of claim 13, further configured to perform a user interface action in response to at least one of the determined force and two-dimensional coordinate position of at least one of the multiple input objects.

16. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the user interface action comprises cursor control and wherein the processing system is further configured to:

perform a selected user interface action in response to an applied force for at least one input object exceeding a threshold value.

17. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the user interface action is one of:

scrolling, zooming, and rotating; and

wherein the method further comprises;

extending the user interface action based on an a change in at least one of the force or the two-dimensional coordinate position of at least one input object in the sensing region.

19. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the user interface action comprises one of:

press to select;

pointing;

cursor selection;

zooming;

scrolling;

rotating;

menu navigation;

panning; and

parameter adjustment.

20. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the type of user interface action performed is based on the number of input objects interacting in the sensing region, the determined two-dimensional coordinate position for the input objects, and the determined force.

21. The processing system of claim 15, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

determine a three-dimensional coordinate position for each of the multiple input objects simultaneously sensed by the sensor; and

perform a user interface action in response to at least one of the determined force and the three-dimensional coordinate position of at least one of the multiple input objects.