Force Sensing and Inadvertent Input Control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016357296-A1
Application number	US-201514729793-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2015
Priority date	Jun 3, 2015
Publication date	Dec 8, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Inadvertent input control techniques are described. In one or more implementations, techniques are described that leverage force to determine a likelihood that a user intended to provide an input, e.g., a selection input (e.g., a “click”), gesture, lift off, and so forth. This is usable to identify taps, hovers, continuation of movement of a drag operation, and so on. Implementations are also discussed that leverage an n-manifold in the product space of contact size and signal strength that is usable to define a likelihood of whether a contact includes an application of force. A variety of other examples are also described, including cursor stability techniques that leverage force in order to control movement of a cursor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
at least one force sensor configured to detect amounts of force applied by an object to an outer surface; one or more position sensors configured to detect proximity of the object to respective locations of the outer surface; and a force control module implemented at least partially in hardware, the force control module configured to determine a likelihood that the object is intended to initiate an input based on time-domain or frequency-domain features of a force signature expressed as a waveform formed by reports from the at least one force sensor of the detected amounts of force over a period of time.

2 . A system as described in claim 1 , wherein the reports from the at least one force sensor are captured backward in time from a buffer responsive to detection of the proximity of the object by the one or more position sensors.

3 . A system as described in claim 1 , wherein the force control module is configured to block processing of the reports by a computing device responsive to a determination that it is unlikely that the object is intended to initiate the input.

4 . A system as described in claim 1 , wherein the force control module is configured to indicate to a computing device that it is unlikely that the object is intended to initiate the input responsive to a determination that it is unlikely that the object is intended to initiate the input.

5 . A system as described in claim 1 , wherein force control module is configured to employ a plurality of threshold usable to detect the likelihood, use of the different thresholds dependent on whether user interaction has been detected within a predefined amount of time.

6 . A system as described in claim 1 , further comprising a haptic feedback mechanism and wherein the force control module is configured to initiate haptic feedback of the haptic feedback mechanism responsive to a determination that it is likely that the object is intended to initiate the input to support inadvertent input mitigation to reduce inadvertent switch occurrences or selections.

7 . A system as described in claim 1 , wherein the force control module is configured to calculate the rise time by:
recording a first time at which the amount of force in the force signature reaches a first threshold value; recording a second time at which the amount of force in the force signature reaches a second threshold value that is higher than the first threshold value; and calculating the slope based on the recorded first and second times.

8 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one force sensor configured to detect an amount of force applied by an object to an outer surface; one or more position sensors configured to detect proximity of the object to respective locations of the outer surface; and a force control module implemented at least partially in hardware, the force control module configured to determine a likelihood that the object is intended to initiate an input based on an amount of time the object is detected as proximal to the outer surface by the one or more position sensors and the force detected by the at least one force sensor is less than a force threshold.

9 . An apparatus as described in claim 8 , wherein the force control module is configured to distinguish the object from a second object and corresponding detection of proximity and the amount of force

10 . An apparatus as described in claim 9 , wherein the force control module is configured to distinguish the object from the second object by correlating the detection of the proximity of the object and subsequent contact by the one or more position sensors with the amount of force applied by the object to the outer surface detected by the at least at least one force sensor.

11 . An apparatus as described in claim 8 , wherein the force control module is configured to block processing of the input by a computing device responsive to a determination that it is unlikely that the object is intended to initiate the input.

12 . An apparatus as described in claim 8 , further comprising a haptic feedback mechanism and wherein the force control module is configured to initiate haptic feedback of the haptic feedback mechanism responsive to a determination that it is likely that the object is intended to initiate the input.

13 . An apparatus as described in claim 8 , wherein the force control module is configured to permit processing of the input by a computing device responsive to a determination that it is likely that the object is intended to initiate the input.

14 . A system comprising:
at least one force sensor configured to detect an amount of force applied by an object to an outer surface; one or more position sensors configured to detect a location and movement of the object with respect to the outer surface; and a force control module implemented at least partially in hardware, the force control module configured to determine a likelihood that the object is intended to initiate an input based on the amount of force applied by the object to the outer surface in relation to a predefined threshold and whether the object is moving.

15 . A system as described in claim 14 , wherein the force control module determines that it is likely that the object is intended to initiate the input when the object is not moving and the amount of force is above the predefined threshold.

16 . A system as described in claim 14 , wherein the force control module determines that it is likely that the object is intended to continue a drag operation of the input when the object is moving and the amount of force is below the predefined threshold.

17 . A system as described in claim 14 , wherein the force control module determines that it is likely that the object is intended to release a drag operation of the input when the object is not moving and the amount of force is below the predefined threshold.

18 . A system as described in claim 14 , wherein the force control module is configured to block processing of the input by a computing device responsive to a determination that it is unlikely that the object is intended to initiate the input.

19 . A system as described in claim 14 , further comprising a haptic feedback mechanism and wherein the force control module is configured to initiate haptic feedback of the haptic feedback mechanism responsive to a determination that it is likely that the object is intended to initiate the input.

20 . A system as described in claim 14 , wherein the force control module is configured to permit processing of the input by a computing device responsive to a determination that it is likely that the object is intended to initiate the input.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Picciotto Carl E
• Edgar Robbie
• Cox Brian R
• Marshall James C
• Protasio Ribeiro Flavio

Classifications

• G06F3/0488 Primary

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/016 Primary

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

• G06F3/0414 Primary

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title