Systems and methods for detecting a press on a touch-sensitive surface

• US 9,104,260 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Typesoft Technologies Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Typesoft Technologies Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Marsden, Randal J., Hole, Steve, Closson, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US13/506,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20130265273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-184, 178 1801- 1809, 178 1901- 1904, 178/20.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means

Abstract

Systems and methods that allow the user to rest their fingers on a touch-sensitive surface and make selections on that surface with a pressing action. Touch capacitance sensors that typically provide X and Y location data associated with a user'"'"'s touch are also used to discern finger pressure in the Z direction. This allows the user to make an actuation on the touch screen by simply pressing harder at a location where they may already be resting their finger(s).

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a touch sensitive surface comprising a plurality of touch capacitive sensors associated with actionable locations on the surface;

a processor configured to,

determine a user interaction with the touch sensitive surface as a resting action based on one or more signals received from one or more of the plurality of touch sensors, wherein the signals are above a first threshold value; and

determine a user interaction with the touch sensitive surface as a press action based on the one or more signals received from one or more of the plurality of touch sensors, wherein the received signals are above a second threshold value; and

wherein the processor is further configured to

determine a user interaction as a selection event based on one of the signals having a leading rising edge with a rate-of-change that exceeds a first rate-of-change threshold followed within a predefined amount of time by the signal decreasing in value at a rate-of-change greater than a second rate-of-change threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second threshold values are predefined.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second threshold values are variable based on individual touch characteristics of each user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to

assert an activation after a determined resting action for a particular user interaction is followed by a determined press action on an actionable location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to

determine a press and hold event when a determined resting action for a particular user interaction is followed by a determined press action that is sustained for longer than a predefined key repeat time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second rate thresholds are the same.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the amplitude of the signal is greater than at least the first threshold value.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to

determine the initial user interaction with the touch sensitive surface is the resting action is further determined when a rate-of-change of the leading rising edge of the signal is less than the first rate-of-change threshold and the one or more signals are above the first threshold value.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to

determine the initial user interaction with the touch sensitive surface is the press action is further determined when the rate-of-change of the leading rising edge of the signal is less than the first rate-of-change threshold and the one or more signals are above the second threshold value.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an output device configured to present a response corresponding to the press action.