Systems and Methods for Multi-Pressure Interaction on Touch-Sensitive Surfaces

• US 20170131776A1
• Filed: 01/13/2017
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Original Assignee: Immersion Corporation
• Inventors: Grant, Danny, Cruz-Hernandez, Juan Manuel, Modarres, Ali
• Granted Patent: US 10,152,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• 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: 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: G10H 1/38 Chord
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen touch screen note input, e.g. using a displayed keyboard G10H2220/241; personal digital assistant [PDA] G10H2230/015
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/241 on touchscreens, i.e. keys, frets, strings, tablature or staff displayed on a touchscreen display for note input purposes

Abstract

Systems and methods for multi-pressure interaction on touch-sensitive surfaces are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment of a method comprises receiving a first sensor signal from a touch-sensitive input device in response to a first contact of a first object on the touch-sensitive input device, the first sensor signal comprising a first location and a first pressure of the first contact, receiving a second sensor signal from the touch-sensitive input device in response to a second contact of a second object on the touch-sensitive input device substantially simultaneously with the first contact, the second sensor signal comprising a second location of the second contact and a second pressure of the second contact, generating a signal based at least in part on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal, the signal configured to cause a haptic effect, and outputting the signal.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first sensor signal from a touch-sensitive input device in response to a first contact of a first object on the touch-sensitive input device, the first sensor signal comprising a first location and a first pressure of the first contact;

receiving a second sensor signal from the touch-sensitive input device in response to a second contact of a second object on the touch-sensitive input device substantially simultaneously with the first contact, the second sensor signal comprising a second location of the second contact and a second pressure of the second contact;

generating a signal based at least in part on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal, the signal configured to cause a haptic effect; and

outputting the signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises an actuator signal configured to cause an actuator to output the haptic effect.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is further based on a first pressure threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is further based on a second pressure threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is based at least in part on a difference between the first pressure and the second pressure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the haptic effect comprises at least one of a vibration, a friction, a texture, or a deformation.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining a second actuator signal based at least in part on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal; and

outputting the second actuator signal.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the actuator signal is output to an actuator, the actuator configured to output the haptic effect to the touch-sensitive input device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the actuator comprises a piezo-electric actuator, a rotary motor, or a linear resonant actuator.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the actuator comprises a plurality of actuators and wherein generating the actuator signal comprises generating the actuator signal to at least one of the plurality of actuators.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising outputting a display signal configured to cause the display of a graphical object.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the graphical object comprises a graphical user object.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the actuator signal is further based on an interaction between the first contact, the second contact, and the graphical object.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the interaction comprises a contact with the graphical object by the first object and no contact with the graphical object by the second object.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the interaction comprises no contact with the graphical object by the first object and no contact with the graphical object by the second object.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the graphical object comprises a first graphical object and a second graphical object, wherein the actuator signal is output to the actuator when the first object contacts the first graphical object and the second object contacts the second graphical object.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a gesture associated with the first and second contacts.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising outputting a sound associated with the gesture.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the gesture is based at least in part on the first pressure and the second pressure.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the signal comprises sending the signal to a second device in communication with the touch-sensitive input device.

21. A system, comprising:

a touch-sensitive input device; and

a processor in communication with the touch-sensitive input device and configured to;

receive a first sensor signal from the touch-sensitive input device in response to a first contact of a first object on the touch-sensitive input device, the first sensor signal comprising a first location of the first contact and a first pressure of the first contact;

receive a second sensor signal from the touch-sensitive input device in response to a second contact of a second object on the touch-sensitive input device substantially simultaneously with the first contact, the second sensor signal comprising a second location of the second contact and a second pressure of the second contact;

generate a signal based at least in part on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal, the signal configured to cause a haptic effect; and

output the signal.

22. A computer-readable medium comprising program code, comprising:

program code for receiving a first sensor signal from a touch-sensitive input device in response to a first contact of a first object on the touch-sensitive input device, the first sensor signal comprising a first location of the first contact and a first pressure of the first contact;

program code for receiving a second sensor signal from the touch-sensitive input device in response to a second contact of a second object on the touch-sensitive input device substantially simultaneously with the first contact, the second sensor signal comprising a second location of the second contact and a second pressure of the second contact;

program code for generating a signal based at least in part on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal, the signal configured to cause an actuator to output a haptic effect; and

program code for outputting the signal.