Optimizing the use of sensors to improve pressure sensing

• US 9,612,680 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kies, Jonathan Karl, Antao, Sherman Sebastian, Sadasivam, Shankar
• Primary Examiner(s): Sternbane, Larry
• Assistant Examiner(s): MARTINEZ QUILES, IVELISSE
• Application Number:
  US14/607,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20160216824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• 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 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers

Abstract

Sensor data from a sensor system of a mobile device may be used for determining a level of pressure exerted by a user on the mobile device. The sensor system may include one or more types of sensors, such as a microphone and one or more inertial sensors. The inertial sensors may include one or more gyroscopes and/or accelerometers. Based on the inertial sensor data, it may be determined whether and/or how the mobile device is being held. A process for determining a level of pressure exerted by a user on the mobile device may be adapted based, at least in part, on whether and/or how the mobile device is being held. The pressure-determining process may be adapted according to various other criteria, such as a position of a touch target in a display, ambient noise levels, etc.

Claims

1. A method of adapting a pressure-determining process according to input from one or more sensors of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data from the one or more sensors of the mobile device, the sensor data including inertial sensor data;

determining, based on the inertial sensor data, whether the mobile device is being held by a user;

adapting a pressure-determining process for determining a level of pressure exerted by the user on the mobile device, the adapting being based, at least in part, on whether the mobile device is being held by the user;

performing the pressure-determining process according to the sensor data and the adapted pressure-determining process; and

, based on determining that the mobile device is being held by the user, displaying a touch target in a touch target location of a mobile device display and adapting the pressure-determining process according to user input received at the touch target location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes audio data from a microphone and wherein the pressure-determining process is based, at least in part, on the audio data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the audio data includes voice data and finger tap data, further comprising applying a scheduling mechanism for the voice data and the finger tap data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein adapting the pressure-determining process involves applying at least one weighting factor to the sensor data from the one or more sensors.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the sensor data includes audio data from a microphone, further comprising determining an ambient noise level, wherein the at least one weighting factor is based, at least in part, on the ambient noise level.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a mobile device orientation, wherein adapting the pressure-determining process is based, at least in part, on the mobile device orientation.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether the mobile device is in a portrait or a landscape orientation; and

adapting the pressure-determining process based, at least in part, on whether the mobile device is in the portrait or the landscape orientation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining user touch patterns, wherein adapting the pressure-determining process is based, at least in part, on the user touch patterns.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the user touch patterns involves determining soft press and hard press value ranges for the user.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

determining first value ranges when the mobile device is being held by the user; and

determining second value ranges when the mobile device is not being held by the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined that the mobile device is being held by the user, further comprising determining how the mobile device is being held, wherein adapting the pressure-determining process is based, at least in part, on how the mobile device is being held.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined that the mobile device is not being held by the user, wherein adapting the pressure-determining process is based, at least in part, on a characteristic movement corresponding with a structure of the mobile device or a structure of a mobile device case.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device includes a touch sensor system and wherein determining whether the mobile device is being held by the user is based, at least in part, on input from the touch sensor system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein it is determined that the mobile device is not being held by the user, further comprising causing the mobile device to prompt the user to pick up the mobile device.

15. A non-transitory medium having software stored thereon, the software including instructions for processing sensor data from a sensor system of a mobile device by:

receiving sensor data from the sensor system of the mobile device, the sensor data including inertial sensor data;

determining, based on the inertial sensor data, whether the mobile device is being held by a user;

adapting a pressure-determining process for determining a level of pressure exerted by the user on the mobile device, the adapting being based, at least in part, on whether the mobile device is being held by the user;

performing the pressure-determining process according to the sensor data and the adapted pressure-determining process; and

, based on determining that the mobile device is being held by the user, displaying a touch target in a touch target location of a mobile device display and adapting the pressure-determining process according to user input received at the touch target location.

16. The non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein the sensor data includes audio data from a microphone and wherein adapting the pressure-determining process involves applying at least one weighting factor to the audio data, to the inertial sensor data or to both the audio data and the inertial sensor data.

17. The non-transitory medium of claim 15, wherein the software includes instructions for determining a mobile device orientation and wherein adapting the pressure-determining process is based, at least in part, on the mobile device orientation.

18. A mobile device, comprising:

a sensor system comprising a plurality of sensors, including at least one inertial sensor;

a display; and

control means for;

receiving sensor data from the one or more sensors of the mobile device, the sensor data including inertial sensor data;

determining, based on the inertial sensor data, whether the mobile device is being held by a user;

adapting a pressure-determining process for determining a level of pressure exerted by the user on the mobile device, the adapting being based, at least in part, on whether the mobile device is being held by the user;

performing the pressure-determining process according to the sensor data and the adapted pressure-determining process; and

, based on determining that the mobile device is being held by the user, displaying a touch target in a touch target location of the display and adapting the pressure-determining process according to user input received at the touch target location.

19. The mobile device of claim 18, wherein the sensor data includes audio data from a microphone and wherein the control means for adapting the pressure-determining process includes means for applying at least one weighting factor to the audio data, to the inertial sensor data or to both the audio data and the inertial sensor data.

20. A mobile device, comprising:

a sensor system comprising a touch sensor system and a plurality of sensors, including at least one inertial sensor;

a display; and

a control system configured to;

receive sensor data from the sensor system, the sensor data including inertial sensor data;

determine, based on the inertial sensor data, whether the mobile device is being held by a user;

display a touch target in a location of the display;

determine, according to input from the touch sensor system, that a user has touched the touch target

adapt a pressure-determining process of determining a level of pressure exerted by the user on the mobile device, the adapting being based, at least in part, on whether the mobile device is being held by the user and on the location of the touch target on the display; and

perform the pressure-determining process according to the sensor data and the adapted pressure-determining process.

21. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the sensor system includes a microphone, wherein the sensor data includes audio data from the microphone and wherein the pressure-determining process is based, at least in part, on the audio data.

22. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein adapting the pressure-determining process involves applying at least one weighting factor to the audio data, to the inertial sensor data or to both the audio data and the inertial sensor data.

23. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the control system is further configured to determine a mobile device orientation and wherein adapting the pressure-determining process is based, at least in part, on the mobile device orientation.

24. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the control system is further configured to determine user touch patterns, wherein adapting the pressure-determining process is based, at least in part, on the user touch patterns.

25. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein the control system determines that the mobile device is being held by the user, wherein the control system is further configured to determine how the mobile device is being held and wherein adapting the pressure-determining process is based, at least in part, on how the mobile device is being held.

26. The mobile device of claim 20, wherein it is determined that the mobile device is not being held by the user, wherein the control system is further configured to cause the mobile device to prompt the user to pick up the mobile device.