User interface input method and system for handheld and mobile devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10387032-B2
Application number	US-201615555806-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2016
Priority date	Mar 4, 2015
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for receiving user input. According to one example method for receiving user input, the method includes identifying gestures from directional movements of a user's fingers on a touch sensor, mapping the gestures to alphanumeric characters, and outputting alphanumeric characters, including defining a set of the gestures as different sequences of at least two of: a contact event, a no contact event, a hold event, a finger movement in a first direction, a finger movement in a second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A user input device comprising:
a housing comprising at least one touchable surface;
a touch sensor located in or on the at least one touchable surface, the touch sensor being configured to detect movements made by at least one of a user's fingers, wherein said movements of the user's finger comprises at least a hold motion wherein a finger is held stationary and in contact with the touch sensor for a predetermined period of time, a release motion where a finger is lifted such that it is no longer in contact with the touch sensor and a directional motion wherein a finger is moved on at least one surface of the touch sensor; and
a user interface operatively associated with the touch sensor comprised of:
a gesture identifier for determining at least seven different gestures from sequences of said movements of a single user's finger, wherein the gesture identifier identifies the at least seven different gestures based on sequences of at least two states from the following set of states: a contact state, a no contact state, a hold state, a finger movement in a first direction state, and a state comprised of a finger movement in a first direction followed by a hold;
a character generator for mapping the identified gestures to alphanumeric characters and for outputting said characters based on the gestures identified.

2. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the set of states also includes a state associated with finger movement in a second direction and a state comprised of a finger movement in a second direction followed by a hold.

3. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the housing forms a cover for a mobile communications device and wherein the touch sensor is integrated within the cover.

4. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a housing for a mobile device, the housing including a first surface for holding a display and a second surface facing opposite the first surface, wherein the touch sensor is located on the second surface.

5. The user input device of claim 4 wherein the display is configured to display the alphanumeric characters to the user.

6. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to output the alphanumeric characters to a display located remotely from the touch sensor.

7. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to operate as a client and to communicate the alphanumeric characters to a remote server.

8. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to identify the characters without requiring the user to select the characters from a visual display of the characters.

9. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to distinguish between directional finger movements in horizontal and vertical directions.

10. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to identify gestures associated with movements of at least two fingers on at least one of a user's hands.

11. The user input device of claim 1 comprising a character map, wherein the user interface utilizes the character map to map the gestures to the alphanumeric characters.

12. The user input device of claim 11 wherein the character map is configurable to change mappings between the gestures and the alphanumeric characters.

13. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to differentiate between finger movements occurring in different regions of the surface of the touch screen and to use the region in which a finger movement occurs to identify a gesture for the movement.

14. The user input device of claim 1 wherein the user interface is configured to allow gestures from different fingers to overlap in time.

15. The user input device of claim 14 wherein the gestures that overlap in time include a first gesture corresponding to a first character and a second gesture corresponding to a second character, wherein the first gesture is initiated before but completed after a second gesture, and wherein the user interface outputs the first character prior to the second character.

16. The user input device of claim 1 comprising a haptic feedback mechanism for providing haptic feedback to the user to indicate gesture temporal boundaries.

17. A method for receiving user input, the method comprising:
detecting, by a device comprising a housing and a touch sensor located in or on a surface of the housing, gestures made by a user's fingers, wherein at least some of the gestures comprise directional movements of the user's fingers on at least one surface of the touch sensor; and
identifying gestures from the movements of a single user's finger, mapping the gestures to alphanumeric characters, and outputting the characters, including identifying at least seven different gestures based on sequences of at least two states from the following set of states: a contact state, a no contact state, a hold state, a finger movement in a first direction, a finger movement in a second direction.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the housing forms a cover for a mobile communications device and wherein the touch sensor is integrated within the cover.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the housing comprises a housing for a mobile device, the housing including a first surface for holding a display and a second surface facing opposite the first surface, wherein the touch sensor is located on the second surface.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the display is configured to display the alphanumeric characters to the user.

21. The method of claim 17 comprising outputting the alphanumeric characters to a display located remotely from the touch sensor.

22. The method of claim 17 comprising operating as a client and to communicate the alphanumeric characters to a remote server.

23. The method of claim 17 comprising identifying the characters without requiring the user to select the characters from a visual display of the characters.

24. The method of claim 23 comprising distinguishing between directional finger movements in horizontal and vertical directions.

25. The method of claim 17 comprising identifying gestures associated with movements of at least two fingers on at least one a user's hands.

26. The method of claim 17 comprising utilizing a character map to map the gestures to the alphanumeric characters.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the character map is configurable to change mappings between the gestures and the alphanumeric characters.

28. The method of claim 17 comprising differentiating between finger movements occurring in different regions of the surface of the touch screen and using the region in which a finger movement occurs to identify a gesture for the movement.

29. The method of claim 17 comprising allowing gestures from different fingers to overlap in time.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the gestures that overlap in time include a first gesture corresponding to a first character and a second gesture corresponding to a second character, wherein the first gesture is initiated before but completed after a second gesture, and wherein the user interface outputs the first character prior to the second character.

31. The method of claim 17 comprising providing haptic feedback to the user to indi

Assignees

• Univ Pennsylvania

Inventors

• Lane Stephen H
• Kong Ji Hyun

Classifications

• G06F2203/04808

  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 title

• G06F3/0233

  Character input methods · CPC title

• G06F3/04883 Primary

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F1/1626

  with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs] · CPC title

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title