SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETECTING A PRESS ON A TOUCH-SENSITIVE SURFACE

• US 20150324116A1
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hole, Steve, Closson, Daniel, Marsden, Randal J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,126,942 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960775 Emitter-receiver or "fringe" type detection, i.e. one or more field emitting electrodes and corresponding one or more receiving electrodes

Abstract

Systems and methods for displaying and intuitively interacting with keyboards on a touch-sensitive surface are disclosed herein. In one aspect, a method is performed at an electronic device with one or more processors, memory, a touch-sensitive display, and one or more touch sensors coupled to the touch-sensitive display. The method includes: displaying a plurality of keys on a keyboard on the touch-sensitive display and detecting, by the one or more touch sensors, a first contact at a first key of the plurality of keys on the keyboard. The method further includes: determining a value of a signal corresponding to the first contact. When the value is above a first non-zero threshold, the method includes actuating the first key. When the value is between a second non-zero threshold and the first non-zero threshold, the method includes forgoing actuating the first key.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors;

memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying a keyboard on the touch-sensitive display;

detecting a touch input at the touch-sensitive display;

in response to detecting the touch input at the touch-sensitive display, determining whether the touch input corresponds to typing or to a sliding motion;

upon determining that the touch input corresponds to typing;

interpreting the touch input as a keyboard event;

actuating keys on the keyboard on the touch-sensitive display based on a location of the touch input; and

upon determining that the touch input corresponds to a sliding motion, interpreting the touch input as a first touchpad event.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising, after interpreting the touch input as the first touchpad event, moving a cursor on the touch-sensitive display in accordance with the touch input.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, further comprising, after interpreting the touch input as a first touchpad event, detecting a tap on the touch-sensitive display immediately followed by a dragging motion across the surface and, in response, interpreting the sliding motion as a second touchpad event, wherein the second touchpad event corresponds to dragging a currently-displayed object across the touch-sensitive display.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising, after interpreting the sliding motion as a touchpad event, determining whether a path followed by the sliding motion on the touch-sensitive display traces out a word and, in accordance with a determination that the path followed by the sliding motion traces out the word, outputting text on the touch-sensitive display corresponding to the word.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a predefined gesture; and

in response to detecting the predefined gesture, ceasing to display the keyboard on the touch-sensitive display.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein detecting the predefined gesture includes pressing and holding a predefined number of contacts for a predefined amount of time on the touch-sensitive display.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein detecting the predefined gesture includes detecting that a user has stopped typing.

8. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein detecting the predefined gesture includes detecting a tap outside of the touch-sensitive display.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein actuating keys on the keyboard on the touch-sensitive display based on a location of the touch input includes determining relative displacement of the touch input relative to a resting position and determining appropriate keys to actuate based on the relative displacement.

10. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more processors, memory, and a touch-sensitive display;

displaying a keyboard on the touch-sensitive display;

detecting a touch input at the touch-sensitive display;

in response to detecting the touch input at the touch-sensitive display, determining whether the touch input corresponds to typing or to a sliding motion;

upon determining that the touch input corresponds to typing;

interpreting the touch input as a keyboard event;

actuating keys on the keyboard on the touch-sensitive display based on a location of the touch input; and

upon determining that the touch input corresponds to a sliding motion, interpreting the touch input as a first touchpad event.

11. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more processors, memory, a touch-sensitive display, and one or more touch sensors coupled to the touch-sensitive display;

displaying a plurality of keys on a keyboard on the touch-sensitive display;

detecting, by the one or more touch sensors, a first contact at a first key of the plurality of keys on the keyboard;

determining a value of a signal corresponding to the first contact;

when the value is above a first non-zero threshold, actuating the first key; and

when the value is between a second non-zero threshold and the first non-zero threshold, forgoing actuating the first key, wherein the first non-zero threshold is greater than the second non-zero threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

after actuating the first key, determining whether the value of the signal corresponding to the first contact remains above the first non-zero threshold for more than a predefined amount of time; and

in accordance with a determination that the value of the signal corresponding to the first contact remains above the first non-zero threshold for more than a predefined amount of time, continuously actuating the first key.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, while continuously actuating the first key, detecting a decrease in value of the signal and, in accordance with a determination that the decrease in value exceeds a rate-of-change threshold, ceasing to actuate the first key.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the decrease in value of the signal results in the value of the signal remaining above the first non-zero threshold.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more touch sensors include a capacitive touch sensor, the signal is a touch signal detected by the capacitive touch sensor, and determining the value of the signal corresponding to the first contact includes measuring an accumulation of the signal corresponding to the first contact.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising, altering the first non-zero and second non-zero thresholds to accommodate touch signatures associated with different users.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the value of the signal corresponding to the first contact includes detecting inflection points in the signal and measuring the value of the signal at each inflection point.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising, when an amplitude of the signal stabilizes between the first non-zero threshold and the second non-zero threshold, forgoing actuating the first key.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising, when the signal has a rising edge with a rate-of-change that exceeds a first rate-of change threshold and, within a predefined amount of time thereafter, the signal decreases in value at a rate-of-change greater than a second rate-of-change threshold, actuating the first key.

20. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive surface;

one or more touch sensors coupled to the touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying a plurality of keys on a keyboard on the touch-sensitive display;

detecting, by the one or more touch sensors, a first contact at a first key of the plurality of keys on the keyboard;

determining a value of a signal corresponding to the first contact;

when the value is above a first non-zero threshold, actuating the first key; and

when the value is between a second non-zero threshold and the first non-zero threshold, forgoing actuating the first key, wherein the first non-zero threshold is greater than the second non-zero threshold.