System and apparatus for a multi-point touch-sensitive sensor user interface using distinct digit identification

• US 9,035,886 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seacat, Lisa A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIMNHUNG T
• Application Number:
  US12/122,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,559 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-179, 361/1, 708/200, 715/810, 178 1801- 1804
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A computer program product for a multi-point touch-sensitive sensor user interface using distinct digit identification. The computer program product may include a relationship module, an assignment module, a receiving module, a determination module, and an initiation module. The relationship module may determine a relationship between at least two digits. The assignment module may assign a distinct digit identity to each digit of the at least two digits. The receiving module may receive a digit event comprising at least one digit interaction. The determination module may determine a digit identity for each digit involved in the digit event and a digit interaction associated with each digit of the digit event. Finally, the initiation module may initiate a digit event function associated with the determined digit identity and the digit interaction. Therefore, a user has greater control over a device through the interface with each digit having a distinct function and identity.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium:

the non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable program code executable by a processor, the computer readable program code configured to;

assign a digit identity to each digit of at least two digits in contact with a multi-point touch sensitive sensor during a learning phase;

associate a movement interaction of a first digit and a second digit of the at least two digits across the multi-point touch sensitive sensor with a digit event function controlling an external device; and

initiate the digit event function in response to recognizing the movement interaction.

2. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the computer readable program code further configured to initiate the digit event function in response to recognizing the first digit and the second digit and recognizing the movement interaction of the first digit and the second digit across a surface of the multi-point touch-sensitive sensor.

3. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 2, the computer readable code further recognizing the first digit by recognizing a relative movement of a first digit contact point to other digit contact points.

4. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 2, the computer readable code further recognizing the first digit by recognizing a contact area of the first digit.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 2, the computer readable code further recognizing the first digit by recognizing a fingerprint of the first digit.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein each digit is assigned an alphanumeric value.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the digit event function is selected from the group consisting of changing a radio station, changing a compact disk (CD), changing a track on the CD, dialing a phone number, doing math on a calculator, changing a volume, changing a temperature, and picking a pre-set radio station.

8. A system comprising:

a processor;

a multi-point touch-sensitive sensor;

a non-transitory memory storing computer readable program code comprising;

an assignment module configured to assign a digit identity to each digit of at least two digits in contact with a multi-point touch sensitive sensor during a learning phase and associate a movement interaction of a first digit and a second digit of the at least two digits across the multi-point touch sensitive sensor with a digit event function controlling an external device; and

an initiation module configured to initiate the digit event function in response to recognizing the movement interaction.

9. The system of claim 8, the initiation module further initiating the digit event function in response to recognizing the first digit and the second digit and recognizing the movement interaction of the first digit and the second digit across a surface of the multi-point touch-sensitive sensor.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the digit event function is selected from the group consisting of changing a radio station, changing a compact disk (CD), changing a track on the CD, dialing a phone number, doing math on a calculator, changing a volume, changing a temperature, and picking a pre-set radio station.

11. A method comprising:

assigning, by use of a processor, a digit identity to each digit of at least two digits in contact with a multi-point touch sensitive sensor during a learning phase;

associating a movement interaction of a first digit and a second digit of the at least two digits across the multi-point touch sensitive sensor with a digit event function controlling an external device; and

initiating the digit event function in response to recognizing the movement interaction.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising initiating the digit event function in response to a combination of recognizing the first digit and the second digit and recognizing the movement interaction.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising initiating the digit event function in response to recognizing the first digit and the second digit and recognizing the movement interaction of the first digit and the second digit across a surface of the multi-point touch-sensitive sensor.

14. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising recognizing the first digit by recognizing an amount of pressure applied by the first digit.

15. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising recognizing the first digit by recognizing a relative position of a first digit contact point to other digit contact points.

16. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising recognizing the first digit by recognizing a contact area of the first digit.

17. The method of claim 13, the method further comprising recognizing the first digit by recognizing a fingerprint of the first digit.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the digit event function is selected from the group consisting of changing a radio station, changing a compact disk (CD), changing a track on the CD, dialing a phone number, doing math on a calculator, changing a volume, changing a temperature, and picking a pre-set radio station.