Detecting a gesture

• US 9,063,575 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synaptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Huie, Mark Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYD, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/722,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 915 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A method for detecting a gesture includes detecting a first input object, a second input object, and a movement of the first input object, a movement of the second input object in a sensing region during a first time period. The method further includes detecting a third input object and movement for the third input object in the sensing region during a second time period, the second time period occurring after the first time period, and the third input object only detected after the first time period. The method further includes identifying a first gesture based on the movement of the first input object, the movement of the second input object, and the movement of the third input object, and outputting gesture information identifying the first gesture.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a gesture comprising:

detecting a first input object, a second input object, and a movement of the first input object, a movement of the second input object in a sensing region during a first time period;

detecting the first input object leaving the sensing region during a second time period, the second time period occurring after the first time period;

detecting a third input object and movement for the third input object in the sensing region during a third time period, the third time period occurring after the first time period and after the second time period, and the third input object only detected after the first time period;

identifying a first gesture based on the movement of the first input object, the movement of the second input object, and the movement of the third input object; and

outputting gesture information identifying the first gesture,

wherein the second input object remains in the sensing region for the first time period, the second time period, and at least a portion of the third time period.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a fourth input object in the sensing region and a movement of the fourth input object,

wherein the first gesture is further identified based on the movement of the fourth input object.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting the first input object in the sensing region during a fourth time period, the third time period being after the third time period,

wherein the first gesture is further identified based on the detection of the first input object in the sensing region during the fourth time period.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the third time period;

identifying a second gesture based on the movement of the first input object and the movement of the second input object, and

performing the second gesture; and

after detecting the third input object, rewinding performance of the second gesture based on detecting the third input object and identifying the first gesture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture is an at least three input object swipe.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

during the first time period, detecting a dominant movement direction based on the movement of the first input object and the movement of the second input object, wherein the second input object follows a path of the first input object in the dominant movement direction; and

identifying a final edge and a leading edge corresponding to the dominant movement direction, wherein the dominant movement direction is from the leading edge to the final edge,

wherein the at least three input object swipe is identified based on a starting position of detection of the third input object being at the leading edge and the movement of the third input object being in a same direction as the dominant movement direction.

7. A processing system for a sensing device, comprising:

a sensor module comprising sensor circuitry coupled to a plurality of sensor electrodes, the sensor module configured to drive the sensor electrodes to sense input objects in a sensing region of the sensing device;

a determination module configured to;

detect a first input object, a second input object, and a movement of the first input object, a movement of the second input object in the sensing region during a first time period;

detect the first input object leaving the sensing region during a second time period, the second time period occurring after the first time period;

detect a third input object and movement for the third input object in the sensing region during a third time period, the third time period occurring after the first time period and after the second time period, and the third input object only detected after the first time period;

identify a first gesture based on the movement of the first input object, the movement of the second input object, and the movement of the third input object; and

output gesture information identifying the first gesture,

wherein the second input object remains in the sensing region for the first time period, the second time period, and at least a portion of the third time period.

8. The processing system of claim 7, wherein the determination module comprises instructions executable by a processor which at least a part of a device driver for the sensing device.

9. The processing system of claim 7, further comprising:

a clock,

wherein the determination module is further configured to initiate a timer using the clock based on detecting the first input object and the second input object, and

wherein identifying the first gesture is further based on a completion of the first gesture with the movement of the third input object prior to the expiration of the timer.

10. The processing system of claim 9, further comprising:

a counter configured to count a total number of input objects detected in the sensing region between initiating the timer and the completion of the first gesture.

11. The processing system of claim 10, wherein the counter is defined in instructions of the determination module.

12. The processing system of claim 7, wherein the first input object, the second input object, and the third input object are each a finger.

13. The processing system of claim 7, wherein the sensing device is a touch pad.

14. The processing system of claim 7, wherein the sensing device is a touch screen.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium for detecting a gesture, comprising computer readable program code embodied therein for:

detecting a first input object, a second input object, and a movement of the first input object, a movement of the second input object in a sensing region during a first time period;

detecting the first input object leaving the sensing region during a second time period, wherein the second time period is after the first time period;

detecting a third input object and movement for the third input object in the sensing region during a third time period, the third time period occurring after the first time period and after the second time period, and the third input object only detected after the first time period;

identifying a first gesture based on the movement of the first input object, the movement of the second input object, and the movement of the third input object; and

outputting gesture information identifying the first gesture,

wherein the second input object remains in the sensing region for the first time period, the second time period, and at least a portion of the third time period.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer readable program code for:

initiating a timer using the clock based on detecting the first input object and the second input object,

wherein identifying the first gesture is further based on a completion of the first gesture with the movement of the third input object prior to the expiration of the timer.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising computer readable program code for:

maintaining a count of a total number of input objects on the sensing region prior to completion of the first gesture,

wherein the first gesture is identified based on the count.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first gesture is an at least three input object swipe.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising computer readable program code for:

during the first time period, detecting a dominant movement direction based on the movement of the first input object and the movement of the second input object, wherein the second input object follows a path of the first input object in the dominant movement direction; and

identifying a final edge and a leading edge corresponding to the dominant movement direction, wherein the dominant movement direction is from the leading edge to the final edge,

wherein the at least three input object swipe is identified based on a starting position of detection of the third input object being at the leading edge and the movement of the third input object being in a same direction as the dominant movement direction.