Low-latency touch-input device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9612739-B2
Application number	US-201213365169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2012
Priority date	Feb 2, 2012
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

This document describes embodiments of a low-latency touch-input device. The low-latency touch-input device receives writing as input to the device and temporarily displays the writing on a physical layer that overlays a touchscreen display of the device. The writing is displayed instantaneously on the physical layer before the touch-input device processes the input. The low-latency touch-input device then processes the input to generate a digital representation of the writing and renders the digital representation of the writing on the touchscreen display to replace the writing displayed on the physical layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A touch-input device comprising:
a touchscreen display to receive writing as input to the touch-input device;
a transparent physical layer overlaying the touchscreen display, the transparent physical layer configured to temporarily display the writing responsive to the writing being received and before processing the input to generate a digital representation of the writing on the touchscreen display;
a digitizer to generate the digital representation of the writing for display on the touchscreen display responsive to processing the input and a location of the writing on the touchscreen display, the digital representation of the writing being generated to replace the writing that is temporarily displayed on the transparent physical layer; and
a controller to:
send the input to the digitizer to cause the digitizer to generate the digital representation of the writing;
send the location of the writing on the touchscreen display to the digitizer for processing;
before the writing is completely deleted from the transparent physical layer, render the digital representation of the writing on the touchscreen display, the controller configured to render the digital representation of the writing at a same location on the touchscreen display relative to the touch-input device as the writing it replaces on the transparent physical layer; and
delete the writing from the transparent physical layer by refreshing the transparent physical layer at a constant time interval while the digital representation of the writing is rendered on the touchscreen display.

2. A touch-input device as described in claim 1 , wherein the transparent physical layer is further configured to instantaneously display the writing before the digitizer generates the digital representation of the writing.

3. A touch-input device as described in claim 1 , wherein the touch-input device is configured to receive the writing as input when a stylus, an electronic pen, a light pen, or a finger of a user contacts the touchscreen display.

4. A touch-input device as described in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to delete the writing from the transparent physical layer by electronically refreshing the transparent physical layer.

5. A touch-input device as described in claim 1 , wherein the transparent physical layer comprises a pressure-sensitive cholesteric liquid crystal layer that temporarily displays the writing when pressure from a writing tool is applied to the pressure-sensitive cholesteric liquid crystal layer.

6. A touch-input device as described in claim 1 , wherein the transparent physical layer comprises a luminous layer that temporarily displays the writing when a writing tool containing a light source contacts the luminous layer.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving writing as input to a touch-input device, the touch-input device including a touchscreen display and a transparent physical layer that overlays the touchscreen display, locations on the touchscreen display corresponding to locations on the transparent physical layer, and the input to the touch-input device being received at same locations on the touchscreen display and the transparent physical layer;
temporarily displaying the writing on the transparent physical layer that overlays the touchscreen display of the touch-input device;
processing the input to generate a digital representation of the writing;
determining an amount of time for the processing the input to generate the digital representation of the writing;
determining an amount of time to render the digital representation of the writing on the touchscreen display;
before the temporarily displayed writing is completely deleted from the physical layer, rendering the digital representation of the writing on the touchscreen display, the digital representation of the writing rendered on the touchscreen display visible through the physical layer; and
deleting the temporarily displayed writing from the physical layer at a time interval that is based on the determined amount of time for the processing the input to generate the digital representation of the writing and further based on the determined amount of time to render the digital representation of the writing.

8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 7 , wherein writing is displayed instantaneously on the transparent physical layer before the touch-input device processes the input.

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 7 , wherein the writing is received as input when a stylus, an electronic pen, a light pen, or a finger of a user contacts the touchscreen display.

10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 7 , wherein the deleting comprises causing the writing to fade from the transparent physical layer during the time interval.

11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 7 , wherein the transparent physical layer comprises a pressure-sensitive cholesteric liquid crystal layer that temporarily displays the writing when pressure from a writing tool is applied to the pressure-sensitive cholesteric liquid crystal layer.

12. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 7 , wherein the transparent physical layer comprises a luminous layer that temporarily displays the writing when a writing tool containing a light source contacts the luminous layer.

13. A touch-input device comprising:
a touchscreen display configured to receive writing as an input;
a physical layer configured to:
receive the writing in response to a writing tool contacting the physical layer, the physical layer overlaying the touchscreen display and permitting the writing to be received as the input at the touchscreen display, the physical layer at least partially transparent and flexible; and

instantaneously display the writing in response to receiving the writing; and
delete a portion of the writing from display on the physical layer in response to a digital representation of the writing being generated for rendering on the touchscreen display and in response to a controller directing the physical layer to refresh, the digital representation of the writing being generated to replace the writing that is instantaneously displayed on the physical layer; and

a controller configured to:
determine a period of time to render the digital representation of the writing on the touchscreen display;
render the digital representation of the writing on the touchscreen display before the writing is completely deleted from the physical layer and at a same location on the touchscreen display relative to the touch-input device as the writing it replaces on the physical layer; and
refresh the physical layer to delete the portion of the writing from display on the physical layer based at least in part on the determined period of time to render the digital representation.

14. A touch-input device as described in claim 13 , wherein to instantaneously display the writing comprises to display the writing less than 50 milliseconds after the writing is received or to display the writing before the digital representation of the writing is displayed on the touchscreen display.

15. A touch-input device as described in claim 13 , wherein the physical layer comprises a pressure-sensitive cholesteric liquid crystal layer that displays the input when pressure from the writing tool is applied to the pressure-sensitive cholesteric liquid crystal layer.

16. A touch-input device as described in claim 13 , wherein the physical layer comprises a luminous layer that displays the input when the writ

Assignees

• Large Timothy Andrew
• Bathiche Steven Nabil
• Dietz Paul Henry
• Rihn Bernard K
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Large Timothy Andrew
• Bathiche Steven Nabil
• Dietz Paul Henry
• Rihn Bernard K

Classifications

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title

• G06F3/147

  using display panels · CPC title

• G06F3/0412 Primary

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/04883 Primary

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