Object position detector with edge motion feature and gesture recognition

• US 6,028,271 A
• Filed: 03/24/1998
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Gillespie, David W., Day, Shawn P., Wolf, Ralph C., Allen, Timothy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US09/046,950
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/179, 345/358, 178/18.01, 178/18.03, 178/18.05, 178/18.06, 178/18.07, 178/19.03, 382/119, 382/181, 382/186, 382/187, 382/189
• US Class Current: 178/18.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-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 and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• 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: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

Methods for recognizing gestures made by a conductive object on a touch-sensor pad and for cursor motion are disclosed. Tapping, drags, pushes, extended drags and variable drags gestures are recognized by analyzing the position, pressure, and movement of the conductive object on the sensor pad during the time of a suspected gesture, and signals are sent to a host indicating the occurrence of these gestures. Signals indicating the position of a conductive object and distinguishing between the peripheral portion and an inner portion of the touch-sensor pad are also sent to the host.

Claims

1. A method for recognizing a tap gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system, including the steps of:

detecting the occurrence of a tap gesture made by a tapping object in substantially the same position on the touch-sensor pad;

generating a tap signal indicating the occurrence of said tap gesture; and

generating X and Y information to cancel out any unintended lateral motion of said tapping object on said touch-sensor pad during said tap gesture.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said touch-sensing system sends said tap signal and said X and Y information to a host.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said X and Y information is positional information.

4. A method for recognizing a tap gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system, including the steps of:

detecting a presence of an object on the touch-sensor pad;

comparing the amount of time said object is present on said touch-sensor pad with a reference amount of time;

comparing the amount of motion made by said object while it is present on said touch-sensor pad with a reference amount of motion;

generating a tap signal indicating the occurrence of said tap gesture if the amount of time said object is present on said touch-sensor pad is less than said reference amount of time and if the amount of motion made by said object while it is present on said touch-sensor pad is less than said reference amount of motion, and maintaining said signal for a predetermined period of time; and

generating X and Y information to substantially compensate for any unintended lateral motion of said tapping object on said touch-sensor pad during said tap gesture.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said touch-sensing system sends said tap signal and said X and Y information to a host.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said X and Y information is positional information.

7. A method for recognizing a tap gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system providing X and Y position information and Z pressure information to a host, including the steps of:

detecting a presence of an object on the touch-sensor pad;

comparing the amount of motion made by said object while it is present on said touch-sensor pad with a reference amount of motion;

comparing the largest Z pressure occurring during said presence of said object with a reference amount of pressure; and

generating a tap signal indicating the occurrence of said tap gesture if the amount of motion made by said object while it is present on said touch-sensor pad is less than said reference amount of motion and if the largest Z pressure occurring during said presence of said object is greater than said reference amount of pressure, and maintaining said signal for a predetermined period of time.

8. The method of claim 7, further including the step of generating X and Y information to cancel out any lateral motion of said object on said touch-sensor pad during said tap gesture.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said touch-sensing system sends said tap signal and said X and Y information to a host.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said X and Y information is positional information.

11. A method for recognizing a gesture made on a touch-sensor pad in a touch-sensing system, including the steps of:

detecting a presence of an object on the touch-sensor pad;

comparing the amount of motion made by said object while it is present on said touch-sensor pad with a reference amount of motion;

comparing the largest Z pressure occurring during said presence of said object with a reference amount of pressure; and

generating a gesture signal indicating the occurrence of said gesture if the amount of motion made by said object while it is present on said touch-sensor pad is less than said reference amount of motion and if the largest Z pressure occurring during said presence of said object is greater than said reference amount of pressure, and maintaining said signal for a predetermined period of time.

12. The method of claim 11, further including the step of generating X and Y information to cancel out any lateral motion of said object on said touch-sensor pad during said gesture.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said touch-sensing system sends said gesture signal and said X and Y information to a host.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said X and Y information is positional information.