Use of potential-touch detection to improve responsiveness of devices

• US 8,199,126 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Taubman, Gabriel
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Alexander S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles V
• Application Number:
  US13/185,466
• Time in Patent Office: 330 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Methods and apparatus related classifying touch events are disclosed. A first event is detected at a touch interface of a wearable computing device. Detecting the first event includes detecting a first capacitance change at the touch interface. A first-event signature of the first event is determined based on at least the first capacitance change. A first-event classification for the first event is selected from among a touch classification and a potential-touch classification based on the first-event signature. A first-event confidence value for the first-event classification is determined. Contextual information during a predetermined time after detecting the first event is obtained. The first-event classification can be adjusted based on the contextual information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting a first event at a touch interface of a wearable computing device, wherein detecting the first event comprises detecting a first capacitance change at the touch interface;

determining a first-event signature of the first event based on at least the first capacitance change;

selecting a first-event classification for the first event from among a touch classification and a potential-touch classification based on the first-event signature;

determining a first-event confidence value for the first-event classification;

obtaining contextual information during a predetermined time after detecting the first event, comprising;

detecting a second event at the touch interface of the wearable computing device, wherein detecting the second event comprises detecting a second capacitance change at the touch interface,

determining a second-event signature of the second event based on at least the second capacitance change, and

selecting a second-event classification for the second event from among the touch classification and the potential-touch classification based on the second-event signature; and

adjusting the first-event classification for the first event at the touch interface based at least on the second-event classification for the second event at the touch interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first-event signature comprises determining at least one of a magnitude of the first capacitance change, an area of the first capacitance change, and a location of the first capacitance change.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first-event signature comprises determining a time profile of the first capacitance change.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the first-event classification comprises adjusting the first-event classification based on a classification-resolution rule.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first-event classification is the potential-touch classification and the second-event classification is the touch classification, and

wherein adjusting the first-event classification comprises changing the first-event classification to the touch classification.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

in response to changing the first-event classification to the touch classification, changing an operation of the wearable computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first-event classification is the touch classification and the second-event classification is the potential-touch classification, and

wherein adjusting the first-event classification comprises changing the first-event classification to the potential-touch classification.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

in response to changing the first-event classification to the potential-touch classification, changing an operation of the wearable computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first-event classification is the touch classification, and

wherein adjusting the first-event classification comprises decreasing the first-event confidence value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting the first-event classification further comprises:

in response to decreasing the first-event confidence value, changing the first-event classification to the potential-touch classification.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the contextual information during the predetermined time after detecting the first event further comprises detecting an absence of a third event at the touch interface during the predetermined time after detecting the second event.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information further comprises at least one of:

(a) a day of the week and a time of day, (b) a location of the wearable computing device, (c) information about a motion of the wearable computing device, (d) biological information about a person associated with the wearable computing device, (e) a temperature associated with the wearable computing device, (f) information indicating that a person associated with the wearable computing device is asleep, (g) information indicating that the person associated with the wearable computing device is not wearing the wearable computing device, and (h) information indicating that the person associated with the wearable computing device is wearing the wearable computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the biological information comprises at least one of a pulse rate, a heart rate, and a breathing rate.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first-event classification is the touch classification, and

wherein adjusting the first-event classification comprises decreasing the first-event confidence value based on the information indicating that the person associated with the wearable computing device is asleep.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first-event classification is the touch classification, and

wherein adjusting the first-event classification comprises decreasing the first-event confidence value based on the information indicating that the person associated with the wearable computing device is not wearing the wearable computing device.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein selecting the second-event classification for the second event from among the touch classification and the potential-touch classification based on the second-event signature comprises selecting the second event as the touch classification;

and

wherein the method further comprises;

in response to selecting the second event as the touch classification;

changing the information indicating that the person associated with the wearable computing device is not wearing the wearable computing device to information that the person associated with the wearable computing device is wearing the wearable computing device, and

increasing the first-event confidence value based on the information that the person associated with the wearable computing device is wearing the wearable computing device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the first-event classification is the touch classification, and

wherein adjusting the first-event classification comprises increasing the first-event confidence value based on the information indicating that the person associated with the wearable computing device is wearing the wearable computing device.

18. A wearable computing device, comprising:

a touch interface;

a processor; and

memory having one or more instructions that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the wearable computing device to perform functions comprising;

detecting a first event at the touch interface by at least detecting a first capacitance change at the touch interface;

determining a first-event signature of the first event based on at least the first capacitance change;

selecting a first-event classification for the first event from among a touch classification and a potential-touch classification based on the first-event signature;

determining a first-event confidence value for the first-event classification;

obtaining contextual information during a predetermined time after detecting the first event, comprising;

detecting a second event at the touch interface, wherein detecting the second event comprises detecting a second capacitance change at the touch interface,

determining a second-event signature of the second event based on at least the second capacitance change, and

selecting a second-event classification for the second event from among the touch classification and the potential-touch classification based on the second-event signature; and

adjusting the first-event classification for the first event at the touch interface based at least on the second-event classification for the second event at the touch interface.

19. The wearable computing device of claim 18, wherein the function of adjusting the first-event classification comprises adjusting the first-event classification based on a classification-resolution rule.

20. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform functions, the instructions comprising:

instructions for detecting a first event at a touch interface by at least detecting a first capacitance change at the touch interface;

instructions for determining a first-event signature of the first event based on at least the first capacitance change;

instructions for selecting a first-event classification for the first event from among a touch classification and a potential-touch classification based on the first-event signature;

instructions for determining a first-event confidence value for the first-event classification;

instructions for obtaining contextual information during a predetermined time after detecting the first event, comprising instructions for;

detecting a second event at the touch interface, wherein detecting the second event comprises detecting a second capacitance change at the touch interface,

determining a second-event signature of the second event based on at least the second capacitance change, and

selecting a second-event classification for the second event from among the touch classification and the potential-touch classification based on the second-event signature; and

instructions for adjusting the first-event classification for the first event at the touch interface based at least on the second-event classification for the second event at the touch interface.