Input device, and method and program for controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9846519-B2
Application number	US-201514941368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2015
Priority date	Dec 22, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

Threshold values smaller than degrees of proximity of an object indicated by detection data at peak positions are set based on detection data of the peak positions at which a degree of proximity of the object is higher than that of surrounding detection positions. An evaluation value according to an area of a region on a detection surface occupied by a group of detection positions, including the peak positions, in which degrees of proximity of the object indicated by detection data are higher than the threshold values, is calculated, and it is determined whether the object in proximity to the peak position is a finger or a palm based on the evaluation value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An input device for inputting information according to a state of proximity of an object thereto, the input device comprising:
a detection surface to which the object approaches;
a sensor unit configured to detect a degree of proximity of the object at a plurality of detection positions on the detection surface, and to generate detection data indicating a result of the detection for each of the plurality of detection positions; and
a processor implementing:
a peak position specifying unit configured to specify, as a peak position, the detection position at which the degree of proximity of the object is higher than that of surrounding detection positions based on the detection data generated for the plurality of detection positions;
a threshold value setting unit configured to set, based on the detection data at the peak position, a threshold value smaller than a value corresponding to the degree of the proximity of the object indicated by the detection data at the peak position;
an evaluation value calculation unit configured to calculate an evaluation value only from a first group of detection positions and a second group of detection positions on the detection surface at which the degree of proximity of the object indicated by the detection data is higher than the threshold value, the first group of the detection positions including the peak position and being successively arranged in a first direction, and the second group of the detection positions including the peak position and being successively arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and
a determination unit configured to determine whether the object in proximity to the peak position is a finger or a palm based on the evaluation value.

2. The input device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the threshold value setting unit sets the threshold value indicating a predetermined percentage of the degree of the proximity indicated by the detection data at the peak position.

3. The input device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the threshold value setting unit sets the threshold value indicating a degree of proximity which is by a predetermined amount lower than the degree of the proximity indicated by the detection data at the peak position.

4. The input device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the evaluation value calculation unit is further configured to obtain a first detection position number by counting a number of the detection positions in the first group of the detection position, and a second detection position number by counting a number of the detection positions in the second group of the detection positions, and
wherein the evaluation value calculation unit calculates the evaluation value according to a product of the first detection position number and the second detection position number.

5. The input device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the evaluation value calculation unit is further configured to:
modify the first detection position number by removing a first subset of the detection positions from the first group of the detection positions, the first subset of the detection positions being farther from the peak position than one detection position in the first group, if the degree of the proximity indicated by the detection data at an adjacent detection position in the first subset next to the one detection position exceeds the degree of proximity indicated by the detection data at the one detection position by a predetermined change amount or greater, and
modify the second detection position number by removing a second subset of the detection positions from the second group of the detection positions, the second subset of the detection positions being farther from the peak position than one detection position in the second group, if the degree of the proximity indicated by the detection data at an adjacent detection position in the second subset next to the one detection position in the second group exceeds the degree of proximity indicated by the detection data at the one detection position in the second group by a predetermined change amount.

6. The input device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a noise level measurement unit configured to measure a level of noise superimposed on the detection data based on the detection data generated for the plurality of detection positions,
wherein the threshold value setting unit changes the threshold value according to the result of the measurement of the noise level.

7. A method of controlling an input device for imputing information according a state of proximity of an object thereto, the input device including a detection surface to which the object approaches, a sensor unit configured to detect a degree of proximity of the object at a plurality of detection positions on the detection surface and generate detection data indicating a result of the detection for each of the plurality of detection positions, the method comprising the steps of:
specifying, as a peak position, the detection position at which the degree of proximity of the object is higher than that of surrounding detection positions, based on the detection data generated for the plurality of detection positions;
setting, based on the detection data at the peak position, a threshold value smaller than a value corresponding to the degree of the proximity of the object indicated by the detection data at the peak position;
calculating an evaluation value only from a first group of detection positions and a second group of detection positions on the detection surface at which the degree of proximity of the object indicated by the detection data is higher than the threshold value, the first group of the detection positions including the peak position and being successively arranged in a first direction, and the second group of the detection positions including the peak position and being successively arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and
determining whether the object in proximity to the peak position is a finger or a palm based on the evaluation value.

8. The method of controlling an input device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the step of setting the threshold value includes setting the threshold value indicating a predetermined percentage of the degree of the proximity indicated by the detection data at the peak position.

9. The method of controlling an input device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the step of setting the threshold value includes setting the threshold value indicating a degree of proximity which is by a predetermined amount lower than the degree of the proximity indicated by the detection data at the peak position.

10. The method of controlling an input device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the step of calculating the evaluation value includes the steps of:
obtaining a first detection position number by counting a number of detection positions in the first group of the detection positions;
obtaining a second detection position number by counting a number of detection positions in the second group of the detection positions; and
calculating the evaluation value according to a product of the first detection position number and the second detection position number.

11. The method of controlling an input device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the step of obtaining the first detection position number includes modifying the first detection position number by removing a first subset of the detection positions from the first group of the detection positions, the first subset of the detection position being farther from the peak position than one detection position in the first group, if the degree of t

Assignees

• Alps Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakajima Satoshi
• Hayasaka Satoshi
• Sagawai Shinichi

Classifications

• G06F3/044 Primary

  by capacitive means · CPC title

• G06F3/04186 Primary

  Touch location disambiguation · CPC title

• G06F3/0446

  using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes · CPC title

• G06F2203/04108

  Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction · CPC title