Touch-sensitive pointing device with guiding lines

• US 8,610,677 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2008
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jens Martin Jensen
• Original Assignee: Jens Martin Jensen
• Inventors: Jensen, Jens Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Alexander S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Truong, Nguyen H
• Application Number:
  US12/598,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20100127975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 345/157, 345173-178, 345/454, 382/115
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04809 Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A touchpad- or touch screen-based device has a touch-sensitive sensor surface and can generate electrical and/or optical signals dependent on the placement and/or movement of a finger physically contacting the sensor surface. The sensor surface comprises a corrugated surface in at least one sub-area, thereby providing a user with two modes for finger movement across the sensor surface, namely a first mode for sliding movement at a first finger pressure, and a second mode for guided movement at a second finger pressure higher than the first finger pressure.

Claims

1. A touch-sensitive pointing device, in the form of a touchpad, for controlling at least two coordinates of a movement of a cursor on a computer display and/or the vertical and horizontal scrolling in a window on a computer display, said pointing device comprising:

a touch-sensitive sensor surface generating signals dependent on at least one of the placement, and movement of a finger in physical contact with said sensor surface;

wherein said touch-sensitive sensor surface comprises a corrugated area formed by a plurality of alternating grooves and ridges extending in a first direction along substantially straight lines, wherein neighbouring ridges are arranged substantially parallel and with a mutual distance from each other between 0.2 mm and 3 mm;

wherein said corrugated area being configured to provide a first friction independent of finger movement direction thereon with application of a first finger pressure mode, and to provide a second friction which is lower in a direction parallel to said corrugated area than in other finger movement directions respectively upon a second finger pressure mode on said corrugated area.

2. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said signals are electrical signals.

3. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said signals are optical signals.

4. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said corrugated area has a wavy cross-section.

5. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said corrugated area has a serrated cross-section.

6. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said distance between neighbouring ridges is such that, when said touch-sensitive pointing device is in use, said finger is simultaneously in contact with at least three neighbouring ridges.

7. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said distance between neighbouring ridges is such that, when said touch-sensitive pointing device is in use, said finger is simultaneously in contact with five or more neighbouring ridges.

8. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to claim 1, wherein said distance between neighbouring ridges is 1 mm.

9. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to claim 1, wherein corrugation amplitude of said corrugated area is between 0.05 mm and 2 mm.

10. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to claim 9, wherein corrugation amplitude of said corrugated area is between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.

11. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to claim 10, wherein corrugation amplitude of said corrugated area is 0.5 mm.

12. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to 1, wherein said grooves have a width essentially equal to a width of said ridges.

13. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to 1, wherein said touch-sensitive sensor surface further comprising a non-corrugated area.

14. A touch-sensitive pointing device for controlling at least two coordinates of a movement, said pointing device comprising:

a touch-sensitive sensor surface generating signals dependent on one of the placement, and movement of a finger in physical contact with said sensor surface;

wherein said touch-sensitive sensor surface comprises a corrugated area formed by a plurality of alternating grooves and ridges extending in a first direction along substantially straight lines, wherein neighbouring ridges are arranged substantially parallel and with a mutual distance from each other;

wherein said distance between neighbouring ridges is such that, when said touch-sensitive pointing device is in use, said finger is simultaneously in contact with at least three neighbouring ridges;

wherein said distance between neighbouring ridges is between 0.1 mm and 3 mm;

wherein corrugation amplitude of said corrugated area is between 0.05 mm and 2 mm;

wherein said corrugated area being configured to provide a first friction independent of finger movement direction on said corrugated area with application of a first finger pressure mode, and to provide a second friction which is lower in a direction parallel to said ridges of said corrugated area than in other finger movement directions respectively upon a second finger pressure mode on said corrugated area.

15. The touch-sensitive pointing device according to 14, wherein said grooves have a width essentially equal to a width of said ridges.

16. A method of using a touch-sensitive pointing device for moving a cursor on a computer display from a first cursor position to a second cursor position in response to a finger'"'"'s movement on a touch-sensitive sensor surface of said touch-sensitive pointing device, wherein said touch-sensitive sensor surface is provided with a corrugated area formed by a plurality of alternating grooves and ridges extending in a first direction along substantially straight and mutually parallel lines, wherein neighbouring ridges are arranged at a distance a from each other, said method comprising the steps of:

a) bringing said finger in contact with said touch-sensitive sensor surface at a first point on said touch-sensitive sensor surface;

b) aligning said cursor with a first coordinate of said second cursor position by moving said finger across said corrugated area to an intermediate point on said touch-sensitive sensor surface while applying a first finger pressure;

c) bringing said cursor to said second cursor position by moving said finger from said intermediate point to a second point on said touch-sensitive sensor surface in a guided movement along said ridges in said first direction while applying a second finger pressure higher than said first finger pressure; and

d) configuring said neighbouring ridges to have a mutual distance from each other between 0.2 mm and 3 mm;

e) configuring said corrugated area so as to provide a first friction independent of finger movement direction thereon with application of a first finger pressure mode on said corrugated area, and to provide a second friction lower in a direction parallel to said corrugated area than in other finger movement directions respectively upon a second finger pressure mode on said corrugated area.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein in step b) said finger is moved essentially perpendicular to said first direction.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein a cursor line is provided on said computer display when pressing a key or bringing said finger in contact with said touch-sensitive sensor surface, said cursor line having a constant first coordinate equal to said first coordinate of said cursor.