Object position detector with edge motion feature and gesture recognition

• US 7,532,205 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2006
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US11/386,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20060187214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-162, 345173-179, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1906, 178 2001- 2004
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method of generating cursor motion signals for improved usability is provided. In one embodiment, the method comprises detecting object motion in a sensing region and providing cursor motion signals in accordance with cursor motion values generated responsive to continuation of the object motion in the inner region. This embodiment further comprises providing cursor motion signals configured to generate cursor motion that combines incremental cursor motion with additional cursor motion responsive to the object moving from the inner region into the outer region, where the incremental cursor motion comprises motion toward an edge of the display correlating to an edge of the sensing region proximate the object, and where the additional cursor motion comprises cursor motion indicated by cursor motion values generated responsive to continuation of the object motion in the outer region of the sensing region.

Claims

1. A touch-sensor for providing a gesture signal, the touch-sensor having a sensing region with an inner region and an outer region, the touch-sensor comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of sensor electrodes disposed on the substrate, the plurality of sensor electrodes configured to sense an object proximate in the sensing region,

a processor coupled to the plurality of sensor electrodes, the processor configured to;

detect object motion of an object in the sensing region;

provide cursor motion signals in accordance with cursor motion values generated responsive to continuation of the object motion in the inner region; and

responsive to the object moving from the inner region into the outer region, provide cursor motion signals configured to generate cursor motion that combines incremental cursor motion with additional cursor motion, the incremental cursor motion comprising motion toward an edge of the display correlating to an edge of the sensing region proximate the object, and the additional cursor motion comprising cursor motion indicated by cursor motion values generated responsive to continuation of the object motion in the outer region of the sensing region.

2. The touch-sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes comprises a first set of conductive traces running in a first direction, and wherein the processor is configured to detect object motion of an object in the sensing region by being configured to:

repeatedly receive signals from the plurality of sensor electrodes,

repeatedly develop sensor profiles using the signals,

repeatedly determine positional information in two dimensions using the sensor profiles.

3. The touch-sensor of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor electrodes comprises a first set of conductive traces running in a first direction and a second set of conductive traces running in a second direction different from the first direction, and wherein the processor is configured to detect object motion of an object in the sensing region by being configured to:

repeatedly receive signals from the plurality of sensor electrodes,

repeatedly develop sensor profiles using the signals, and

repeatedly determine positional information in two dimensions using the sensor profiles.

4. A method of providing cursor motion signals for causing cursor motion on a display in response to object motion in a sensing region of a touch-sensor pad, the sensing region having an inner region and an outer region, the method comprising:

detecting object motion of an object in the sensing region;

providing cursor motion signals in accordance with cursor motion values generated responsive to continuation of the object motion in the inner region; and

responsive to the object moving from the inner region into the outer region, providing cursor motion signals configured to generate cursor motion that combines incremental cursor motion with additional cursor motion, the incremental cursor motion comprising motion toward an edge of the display correlating to an edge of the sensing region proximate the object, and the additional cursor motion comprising cursor motion indicated by cursor motion values generated responsive to continuation of the object motion in the outer region of the sensing region.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of providing cursor motion signals configured to generate cursor motion that combines incremental cursor motion with additional cursor motion continues until stopped responsive to the object leaving the outer region.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the additional cursor motion is substantially perpendicular with the incremental cursor motion.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the incremental cursor motion has a selected rate.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the selected rate is a constant rate.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the cursor motion values are representative of differences between previous positions of the object and present positions of the object.

10. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of providing cursor motion signals configured to generate cursor motion that combines incremental cursor motion with additional cursor motion comprises combining the incremental cursor motion with the additional cursor motion using vector addition.

11. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

responsive to the object moving from the inner region into a corner region of the outer region, providing cursor motion signals configured to generate cursor motion that combines angled incremental cursor motion with additional cursor motion, the angled incremental cursor motion comprising motion at an angle substantially non-perpendicular to an edge of the display correlating to an edge of the sensing region proximate the object, and the additional cursor motion comprising motion indicated by cursor motion values generated responsive to continuation of the object motion in the corner region of the sensing region.

12. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of:

responsive to the object moving from the inner region into a corner region of the outer region, providing cursor motion signals configured to generate cursor motion at a substantially non-perpendicular angle to an edge of the display.

13. A method of providing motion signals using a touch-sensor pad, the touch-sensor pad having a sensing region with an inner region and an outer region, the method comprising:

providing first motion signals in response to object motion in the inner region, the first motion signals configured to generate motion in accordance with the object motion in the inner region; and

providing second motion signals in response to object motion traversing from the inner region to the outer region and continuing in the outer region, the second motion signals configured to generate motion in accordance with object motion continuing in the outer region combined with incremental motion, wherein the incremental motion is based on edge proximity to the object motion continuing in the outer region.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of providing second motion signals in response to object motion traversing from the inner region to the outer region and continuing in the outer region continues until stopped responsive to object motion leaving the outer region.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the incremental motion is substantially perpendicular to an edge on a display corresponding to the edge of the sensing region closest to the object motion continuing in the outer region.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the incremental motion has a selected rate.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of providing second cursor motion in response to object motion traversing from the inner region to the outer region and continuing in the outer region comprises combining the motion in accordance with object motion continuing in the outer region with the incremental motion using vector addition.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

providing third motion signals in response to object motion traversing from the inner region to a corner region of the outer region and continuing in the corner region of the outer region, the third motion signals being configured to generate motion in accordance with object motion continuing in the outer region combined with angled incremental motion, wherein the angled incremental motion is at a substantially non-perpendicular angle relative to an edge on a display corresponding to the edge of the sensing region closest to the object motion continuing in the corner region.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

providing third motion signals in response to object motion traversing from the inner region to a corner region of the outer region, the third motion signals configured to generate angled incremental motion at a substantially non-perpendicular angle relative to an edge on a display.

20. A method of providing cursor motion signals in response to object motion in a sensing region of a touch-sensor pad, the sensing region having an inner region and an outer region, the method comprising:

detecting a motion of an object in the sensing region;

determining inner region cursor motion values configured to generate cursor motion representative of the motion of the object in the inner region;

providing cursor motion signals in accordance with the inner region cursor motion values if the motion of the object is in the inner region;

determining outer region cursor motion values configured to generate cursor motion representative of the motion of the object in the outer region; and

providing cursor motion signals in accordance with the outer region cursor motion values combined with second cursor motion values responsive to the object moving from the inner region to the outer region of the sensing region, wherein the second cursor motion values are configured to generate incremental cursor motion.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of providing cursor motion signals in accordance with the outer region cursor motion values combined with second cursor motion values responsive to the object moving from the inner region to the outer region of the sensing region continues until stopped responsive to the object leaving the outer region.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of providing cursor motion signals in accordance with the outer region cursor motion values combined with second cursor motion values responsive to the object moving from the inner region to the outer region of the sensing region comprises combining the outer region cursor motion values with the second cursor motion values using vector addition.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein the incremental motion is towards an edge of a display corresponding to an edge of the sensing region, the method further comprising the step of:

providing cursor motion signals in accordance with the outer region cursor motion values combined with third cursor motion values responsive to the object moving to a corner region of the outer region of the sensing region, wherein the third cursor motion values are configured to generate angled incremental cursor motion at a substantially non-perpendicular angle to an edge on a display.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein the second cursor motion values configured to generate incremental cursor motion are further configured to generate the incremental cursor motion with a selected constant rate.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of providing cursor motion signals in accordance with the outer region cursor motion values without the second cursor motion values responsive to motion of the object beginning in the outer region.