Off-center sensor target region

• US 9,506,966 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Steuer, Paul R, Merrell, Thomas Y
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADEDIRAN, ABDUL -SAMAD A
• Application Number:
  US13/803,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20140267133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,356 Days
• Field of Search: 345/174, 345/660, 345/173, 715/765, 178/18.03
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/2605 Measuring capacitance capacitive sensors G01D5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

In embodiments of an off-center sensor target region, a capacitive sensor can include a target region that is located off-center relative to a center of the sensor. A touch input to the target region of the capacitive sensor can be determined to be valid sensor input and a touch contact that correlates to the center of the capacitive sensor can be determined to be false sensor input. The target region of the capacitive sensor can correspond to a selectable control that is selectable by a user to initiate a device function.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a capacitive sensor having a first axis and a second axis, the second axis intersecting the first axis at a center of the capacitive sensor;

a target region located off-center relative to the center of the capacitive sensor, the target region encompassing only a portion of the capacitive sensor;

a selectable control disposed within the target region, the selectable control being a visual icon visible from a surface of the device, wherein the capacitive sensor is configured to detect a touch input on the surface of the device; and

a controller configured to compare a center of the touch input to the center of the capacitive sensor, the controller configured to determine that the touch input is a false touch input when the center of the touch input correlates to the center of the capacitive sensor, the selectable control not being selected when the touch input is determined as the false touch input, wherein the center of the touch input is correlated to the center of the capacitive sensor only when the center of the touch input is within a predetermined distance from the center of the capacitive sensor.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the target region is larger than the selectable control.

3. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the target region is located off-center relative to the center of the capacitive sensor in one of an x-direction from the center of the capacitive sensor and a y-direction from the center of the capacitive sensor.

4. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the target region is located off-center relative to the center of the capacitive sensor in both an x-direction and a y-direction from the center of the capacitive sensor.

5. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the touch input as a valid sensor input when the center of the touch input correlates to a center of the target region, the selectable control being selected when the touch input is determined as the valid sensor input.

6. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the touch input as a valid sensor input when the center of the touch input does not correlate to the center of the capacitive sensor, the selectable control being selected when the touch input is determined as the valid sensor input, wherein the center of the touch input is not correlated to the center of the capacitive sensor when the center of the touch input is outside the predetermined distance from the center of the capacitive sensor.

7. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the target region defines an area on the capacitive sensor that, when touched, causes the selectable control to be selected.

8. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the center of the touch input based on a contact area of the capacitive sensor, the contact area being which portion of the capacitive sensor detects the touch input.

9. The device as recited in claim 1, wherein the selectable control is configured for user selection to initiate a device function of the device.

10. A device, comprising:

a capacitive sensor having a first axis and a second axis, the second axis intersecting the first axis at a center of the capacitive sensor;

a target region located off-center relative to the center of the capacitive sensor, the target region being only a portion of the capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor configured to detect a touch input;

a selectable control located within the target region, the selectable control being a visual icon visible from a surface of the device, wherein selection of the selectable control initiates a device function;

a processing system to implement a sensor input module that is configured to;

determine a center of the touch input based on a contact area of the touch input on the surface of the device, the contact area being which portion of the capacitive sensor detects the touch input;

compare the center of the touch input to the center of the capacitive sensor;

determine that the touch input to the selectable control is a valid sensor input when the center of the touch input correlates to a center of the target region and the center of the touch input does not correspond to the center of the capacitive sensor, the selectable control being selected when the touch input is determined as the valid sensor input; and

determine that the touch input is an invalid sensor input if the center of the touch input correlates to the center of the capacitive sensor, the selectable control not being selected when the touch input is determined as the invalid sensor input, wherein the center of the touch input is correlated to the center of the capacitive sensor only when the center of the touch input is within a predetermined distance from the center of the capacitive sensor, and the center of the touch input is not correlated to the center of the capacitive sensor when the center of the touch input is outside the predetermined distance from the center of the capacitive sensor.

11. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein the sensor input module is configured to determine that the center of the touch input corresponds to the center of the capacitive sensor when the touch input substantially covers an entire area of the capacitive sensor, wherein when the center of the touch input correlates to the center of the capacitive sensor, the sensor input module is configured to determine that the touch input is invalid.

12. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein the sensor input module is further configured to determine that the touch input to the selectable control is the valid sensor input when the contact area of the touch input does not extend beyond a boundary of the target region and the center of the touch input does not correlate to the center of the capacitive sensor.

13. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein the target region is located off-center relative to the center of the capacitive sensor in one of an x-direction and a y-direction from the center of the capacitive sensor.

14. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein the target region is located off-center relative to the center of the capacitive sensor in both an x-direction and a y-direction from the center of the capacitive sensor.

15. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein the target region has a shape of a circle.

16. The device as recited in claim 10, wherein the target region has a shape that corresponds to a shape of the capacitive sensor.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a sensor input from a capacitive sensor that detects a touch input, the capacitive sensor having a first axis and a second axis, the second axis intersecting the first axis at a center of the capacitive sensor, the capacitive sensor including a target region located off-center relative to the center of the capacitive sensor, the target region being only a portion of the capacitive sensor, a selectable control being located within the target region such that the target region is larger than the selectable control, the selectable control being a visual icon visible from a surface of a device;

determining a center of the touch input based on a contact area of the touch input on the surface of the device;

comparing the center of the touch input to a center of the target region;

comparing the center of the touch input to the center of the capacitive sensor;

determining that the touch input is a valid sensor input when the center of the touch input correlates to the center of the target region, the selectable control being selected when the touch input is determined as the valid sensor input; and

determining that the touch input is an invalid sensor input when the center of the touch input correlates to the center of the capacitive sensor, the selectable control not being selected when the touch input is determined as the invalid sensor input,

wherein the center of the touch input is correlated to the center of the capacitive sensor only when the center of the touch input is within a predetermined distance from the center of the capacitive sensor.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the selectable control includes a tactile feature.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

determining that the center of the touch input corresponds to the center of the capacitive sensor when the touch input substantially covers an entire area of the capacitive sensor.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the target region has a same shape as the capacitive sensor.

21. A capacitive sensor comprising:

a target region that is offset relative to a center of the capacitive sensor, the target region being only a portion of the capacitive sensor configured to receive a touch input for a visual icon that, when touched, initiates a device function,

wherein the target region is configured such that the touch input is determined as an invalid sensor input when a center of the touch input correlates to the center of the capacitive sensor and the touch input is determined as a valid sensor input when the center of the touch input does not correlate to the center of the capacitive sensor,

wherein the center of the touch input is correlated to the center of the capacitive sensor only when the center of the touch input is within a predetermined distance from the center of the capacitive sensor, and the center of the touch input is not correlated to the center of the capacitive sensor when the center of the touch input is outside the predetermined distance from the center of the capacitive sensor.

22. The capacitive sensor as recited in claim 21, wherein the selectable control includes a physical indicator on a device and configured for user selection to initiate the device function.

23. The capacitive sensor as recited in claim 21, wherein the selectable control includes a visual indicator on a device and configured for user selection to initiate the device function.

24. The capacitive sensor as recited in claim 21, wherein the target region is offset relative to the center of the capacitive sensor in one of an x-direction from the center of the capacitive sensor and or a y-direction from the center of the capacitive sensor.

25. The capacitive sensor as recited in claim 21, wherein the target region is offset relative to the center of the capacitive sensor in both an x-direction and a y-direction from the center of the capacitive sensor.