Pressure sensitive scrollbar feature

• US 5,889,236 A
• Filed: 11/13/1995
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Ferrucci, Aaron T., Allen, Timothy P., Gillespie, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US08/558,114
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/159, 345/173, 178/19.03, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/19.04, 178/20.01
• US Class Current: 178/18.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• 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 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

A proximity sensor system includes a sensor matrix array having a characteristic capacitance on horizontal and vertical conductors connected to sensor pads. The capacitance changes as a function of the proximity of an object or objects to the sensor matrix. The change in capacitance of each node in both the X and Y directions of the matrix due to the approach of an object is converted to a set of voltages in the X and Y directions. These voltages are processed by circuitry to develop electrical signals representative of the centroid of the profile of the object, i.e, its position in the X and Y dimensions. Noise reduction and background level setting techniques inherently available in the architecture are employed.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a scrollbar message generated by a computer system operating system in response to object position information sensed by a touch sensor pad and transmitted by a touchpad driver to said operating system, including the steps of:

generating pressure information from object contact information from the touch pad sensor;

intercepting the scrollbar message generated by the operating system;

modifying the scrolling rate of the scrollbar message to be a function of the pressure information from the touch pad sensor; and

transmitting said modified scrollbar message to an application.

2. The method of claim 1, further including a step of polling for the object position information and said pressure information, the object position information including the position of a computer-generated display cursor on the display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the scrollbar message is generated when the object position information indicates that said cursor is over a scroll arrow and a drag gesture has been made on the touch pad sensor, said scroll message defining a scroll rate for said cursor, said scroll arrow displayed on said display as part of a scrollbar icon.

4. The method of claim 1, further including a step of sending said scroll rate modified in said modifying step to an application.

5. The method of claim 1, further including a step of linking said application to a DLL configured to provide a scrolling function.

6. A method of using pressure information to modify the scroll rate generated for a scroll bar displayed on a computer system display, the method comprising the steps of:

polling for object position information and pressure information, said object position information including the position of a computer-generated display cursor on the display;

sending a scroll message when said object position information indicates that said cursor is over a scroll arrow and a drag gesture has been made on the touch pad sensor, said scroll message defining a scroll rate for said cursor;

modifying said scroll rate to become a function of said pressure information; and

sending said scroll rate modified in said modifying step to an application.

7. The method of claim 6, further including a step of linking said application to a DLL configured to provide a scrolling function.

8. The method of claim 6, further including a step of scrolling through a displayed document at a rate equal to said scroll rate modified in said modifying step by linking said application to a DLL configured to provide a scrolling function.

9. The method of claim 6, further including a step of using a touch pad sensor to provide said pressure information and said object position information.

11. The method of claim 9, further including a step of linking said application to a DLL configured to provide a scrolling function.

12. The method of claim 9, further including a step of scrolling through a displayed document at a rate equal to said scroll rate modified in said modifying step by linking said application to a DLL configured to provide a scrolling function.

10. A method of using pressure information to modify the scroll rate generated for a scroll bar displayed on a computer system display, said pressure information provide by a touch pad sensor;

the method comprising the steps of;

polling for object position information and pressure information supplied by the touch pad sensor, said object position information including the X-Y coordinates of a computer generated display cursor;

sending a scroll message when said object position information indicates that said cursor is over a scroll arrow and a drag gesture has been made on the touch pad sensor, said scroll message defining a scroll rate for said cursor;

modifying said scroll rate to become a function of said pressure information; and

sending said scroll rate modified in said modifying step to an application.