Pressure-sensitive touch screen display and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9715307-B1
Application number	US-201615339370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 31, 2016
Priority date	Oct 31, 2016
Publication date	Jul 25, 2017
Grant date	Jul 25, 2017

Abstract

An electronic device includes a pressure-sensitive touch screen display that can dynamically monitor a user's interaction with the device, and adjust the pressure thresholds of different areas of the touch screen display based on the user's monitored interactions. The orientation of the device is determined, the touch screen display is divided into sections, and the device monitors the pressure the user applies in the different sections of the screen. A pressure map is then created that includes pressure detection thresholds specific to the orientation and user. One or more preferred regions of the screen are defined based on the pressure map. When a pressure-sensitive input is located in a less preferred screen region, the pressure-sensitive input may be relocated to a preferred screen region, or may be enlarged while remaining in the less preferred screen region to allow the user to more easily press on the pressure-sensitive input.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
at least one processor;
a memory coupled to the at least one processor;
a touch screen display coupled to the at least one processor, the touch screen display comprising a pressure-sensitive interface that is capable of detecting a plurality of pressures when a user touches a displayed item on the touch screen display and interpreting each of the plurality of pressures as a different action with respect to the displayed item;
a pressure map of the touch screen display that defines a plurality of pressure thresholds for each of a plurality of sections of the touch screen display, wherein a first pressure threshold for a first of the plurality of sections corresponds to a first action when the user touches the displayed item in the first section with a first pressure, and a second pressure threshold for the first section corresponds to a second action when the user touches the displayed item in the first section with a second pressure; and
a pressure-sensitive interface mechanism residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the pressure-sensitive interface mechanism monitoring user interaction with the touch screen display, and updating at least one of the plurality of pressure thresholds in the pressure map based on the user interaction with the touch screen display.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising:
an orientation mechanism that determines physical orientation of the electronic device, wherein the pressure map is for a first orientation defined by the orientation mechanism, wherein the pressure map comprises the first plurality of pressure thresholds for the plurality of sections of the touch screen display in the first orientation.

3. An electronic device comprising:
at least one processor;
a memory coupled to the at least one processor;
a touch screen display coupled to the at least one processor, the touch screen display comprising a pressure-sensitive interface that is capable of detecting a plurality of pressures when a user touches a displayed item on the touch screen display and interpreting each of the plurality of pressures as a different action with respect to the displayed item; and
a pressure-sensitive interface mechanism residing in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the pressure-sensitive interface mechanism performing a calibration of the touch screen display by:
(a) prompting the user to put the electronic device in a first orientation;
(b) dividing the touch screen display into the plurality of sections;
(c) selecting one of the plurality of sections;
(d) displaying a test icon in the selected one section;
(e) prompting the user to apply a specified pressure level to the displayed test icon;
(f) detecting and logging the pressure applied by the user to the displayed test icon;
(g) repeating steps (c) through (f) for each of the plurality of pressure thresholds in each of the plurality of sections; and
(h) constructing a pressure map for the first orientation using the data detected and logged in step (f).

4. The electronic device of claim 3 further comprising:
an orientation mechanism that determines physical orientation of the electronic device, wherein the pressure map is for the first orientation determined by the orientation mechanism, wherein the pressure map comprises a plurality of pressure thresholds for each of the plurality of sections of the touch screen display in the first orientation.

5. A method for a user to interact with an electronic device comprising:
providing a touch screen display on the electronic device that comprises a pressure-sensitive interface that is capable of detecting a plurality of pressures when a user selects a displayed item on the touch screen display and interpreting each of the plurality of pressures as a different action with respect to the displayed item;
providing a pressure map of the touch screen display that defines a plurality of pressure thresholds for each of a plurality of sections of the touch screen display, wherein a first pressure threshold for a first of the plurality of sections corresponds to a first action when the user touches the displayed item in the first section with a first pressure, and a second pressure threshold for the first section corresponds to a second action when the user touches the displayed item in the first section with a second pressure;
monitoring user interaction with the touch screen display; and
updating at least one of the plurality of pressure thresholds in the pressure map based on the user interaction with the touch screen display.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:
determining physical orientation of the electronic device;
wherein the pressure map is for a first orientation of the electronic device, wherein the pressure map comprises the first plurality of pressure thresholds for the plurality of sections of the touch screen display in the first orientation.

7. A method for a user to interact with an electronic device comprising:
providing a touch screen display on the electronic device that comprises a pressure-sensitive interface that is capable of detecting a plurality of pressures when a user selects a displayed item on the touch screen display and interpreting each of the plurality of pressures as a different action with respect to the displayed item; and
performing a calibration of the touch screen display by:
(a) prompting the user to put the electronic device in a first orientation;
(b) dividing the touch screen display into the plurality of sections;
(c) selecting one of the plurality of sections;
(d) displaying a test icon in the selected one section;
(e) prompting the user to apply a specified pressure level to the displayed test icon;
(f) detecting and logging the pressure applied by the user to the displayed test icon;
(g) repeating steps (c) through (f) for each of the plurality of pressure thresholds in each of the plurality of sections; and
(h) constructing a pressure map for the first orientation using the data detected and logged in step (f).

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:
determining physical orientation of the electronic device;
wherein the pressure map is for the first orientation determined by the orientation mechanism, wherein the pressure map comprises a plurality of pressure thresholds for each of the plurality of sections of the touch screen display in the first orientation.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the monitoring user interaction with the touch screen display by the pressure-sensitive interface mechanism comprises detecting when pressure detection was incorrect based on the user interaction with the touch screen display.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the pressure-sensitive interface mechanism performs a calibration of the touch screen display by:
(a) prompting the user to put the electronic device in a first orientation;
(b) dividing the touch screen display into the plurality of sections;
(c) selecting one of the plurality of sections;
(d) displaying a test icon in the selected one section;
(e) prompting the user to apply a specified pressure level to the displayed test icon;
(f) detecting and logging the pressure applied by the user to the displayed test icon;
(g) repeating steps (c) through (f) for each of the plurality of pressure thresholds in each of the plurality of sections; and
(h) constructing a pressure map for the first orientation using the data detected and logged in step (f).

11. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein the pressure-sensitive interface mechanism prompts the user to put the electronic de

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Barsness Eric L
• Bryant Jay S
• Carey James E
• Cropper Joseph W
• Santosuosso John M

Classifications

• G06F2203/04105

  Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position · CPC title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G06F3/0418

  for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment · CPC title