TOUCH DEVICE WITH SUPPRESSION BAND

• US 20170097733A1
• Filed: 10/05/2015
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ukrainetz, Nathan, Edgar, Robbie, Huang, Yi-Min
• Granted Patent: US 10,747,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Examples disclosed herein relate to the identification and suppression of inadvertent touches on a touch device, such as a touchpad or a touch screen. A suppression region is monitored on the touch device, and received touches are classified as intended or inadvertent based on the touches inside or outside of the suppression region. The suppression region is continually monitored, even while touches determined to be intended are being captured. Inadvertent touches are suppressed, and intended touches are allowed to be displayed or otherwise processed.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising a touch device for receiving touches and a display device for presenting indications of a portion of the touches, the computing device comprising:

a memory area storing executable instructions for converting the touches captured on the touch device into touch coordinate data corresponding to locations on the touch device; and

a controller configured to;

establish a suppression region around a portion of a perimeter of the touch device,

maintain the suppression region while the touches are occurring,

use the touch coordinate data to identify the touches occurring within the suppression region, and

suppress display of at least a portion of the touches occurring within the suppression region.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

identify an originating contact point of the touches occurring inside the suppression region,

track the touches from the originating contact point to a final contact point, and

display the touches that occurred outside of the suppression region.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

identify an originating contact point of the touches occurring outside of the suppression region,

track the touches from the originating contact point outside of the suppression region to a final contact point inside the suppression region,

display the touches occurring outside of the suppression region, and

display the touches occurring inside of the suppression region.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the touch device is a touchpad.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the touchpad is at least one member of a group comprising a resistive touchpad and a capacitive touchpad.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the touch device is a touch screen.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the suppression region comprises:

a banner portion spanning across an upper perimeter of the touch device, and

two side portions perpendicular to at least part of the banner portion and spanning across two side perimeters of the touch device.

8. A system, comprising:

a touch device configured to receive touches having an originating contact point and a final contact point;

a digitizer to convert the received touches on the touch device into digitized touch data;

memory storing executable instructions for converting the digitized touch data into touch coordinate data corresponding to the touches; and

a controller configured to;

establish a suppression region around a portion of a perimeter of the touch device,

maintain the suppression region while the touches are being captured,

use the touch component coordinates to identify the touches that occurred within the suppression region,

determine a portion of the touches are inadvertent based on the portion of the touches occurring within the suppression region, and

suppress display of the portion of the touches determined to be inadvertent.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is further programmed to display another portion of the touches determined to have occurred outside of the suppression region.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further programmed to:

track the touches initially from a first set of contact points within the suppression region to a second set of contact points on the touch component outside of the suppression region and back to a third set of contact points inside the suppression region, and

allow display of the touches associated with the second set of contact points outside of the suppression region and the third set of contact points inside the suppression region,

wherein display of the first set of contact points are suppressed.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the touch component comprises a touchpad.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a casing encompassing a keyboard and the touchpad, wherein the suppression region of the touchpad comprises a banner portion spanning across a first perimeter of the touchpad proximate the keyboard and at least one side portion perpendicular to at least a portion of the banner portion.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the touch device comprises a touch screen.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the suppression region comprises two side portions spanning parallel sides of the touch screen.

15. A method for suppressing inadvertent touches on a touch device, comprising:

establishing a suppression region along portions of a perimeter of the touch device;

monitoring the suppression region while touches are captured on the touch device;

determining a set of the touches that occur within the suppression region are inadvertent;

suppressing the set of the touches determined to be inadvertent; and

halting display of the set of the touches that are suppressed based on occurring within the suppression region.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the set of the touches are determined to be inadvertent based on the touches originating in the suppression region.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining that a second set of the touches are intended based on the second set of the touches being captured outside of the suppression region; and

allowing display of the second set of the touches determined to be intended.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that a second set of the touches inside the suppression region are intended based on the second set of the touches being captured within a time period from a mouse button selection; and

allowing display of the second set of the touches determined to be intended.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a second set of the touches outside of the suppression region are intended; and

determining a third set of the touches inside of the suppression region are intended based on the determination that the second set of the touches are determined to be intended, wherein the third set of the touches are captured on the display device after the first second set of the touches.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the display device comprises at least one member of a group comprising a touchpad and a touch screen.