Controlling inadvertent inputs to a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9977505-B2
Application number	US-201414298049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2014
Priority date	Jun 6, 2014
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide approaches for controlling inadvertent inputs to a mobile device. Specifically, at least one approach includes: detecting an operating mode of a mobile device by determining if a user is currently interacting with the mobile device; detecting an operating environment of the mobile device; receiving an input resulting from a physical gesture to an input area of a mobile device; comparing the input to a past history of inputs received by the mobile device; and determining whether the physical gesture is intended by the user based on the operating mode of the mobile device, the operating environment of the mobile device, and the past history of inputs (e.g., per device application). In one approach, an input controller selects logic to be applied in processing gestures based on a combination of user customization, interaction history, and environment characteristics. The selected logic is applied to subsequent gestures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling inadvertent inputs to a mobile device, the method comprising plurality of computer-implemented steps of:
detecting an operating mode of the mobile device by determining if a user is currently interacting with the mobile device;
detecting an operating environment of the mobile device, wherein the detecting comprises:
analyzing data received from an accelerometer,
determining that the mobile device is in a pocket or a briefcase of the user based on the data received from the accelerometer,
analyzing global positioning system information, and
determining that the user is traveling based on the global positioning system information;

increasing an amount of time required to invoke a function based on the determination that the user is traveling;
receiving an input resulting from a physical gesture to an input area of the mobile device;
comparing the input to a past history of inputs, received by the mobile device, for an application of a set of applications on the mobile device;
evaluating, based on the comparing, whether the input is within a normal range for the application;
determining whether the physical gesture is intended by the user based on the operating mode of the mobile device, the evaluation, an amount of time passing in entry of the input; and the determination that the user is traveling; and
disabling one or more physical gesture processing operations on the mobile device to ignore inputs to applications unrelated to the travelling of the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising ignoring the input in the case that the physical gesture is not intended by the user, and invoking one or more functions on the mobile device associated with the input in the case that the physical gesture is intended by the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising assigning, prior to receipt of the input, an input logic state to the mobile device based on the operating mode and the operating environment.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising adjusting a contact sensitivity of the input area of the mobile device based on the input logic state of the mobile device.

5. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising disabling one or more physical gesture processing operations on the mobile device.

6. The method according to claim 1 , the operating environment based on at least one of: a location of the mobile device, a set of activities being performed by the user on the mobile device, time of day, date, and motion of the mobile device.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising determining, based on the past history of inputs for each of a set of applications operating on the mobile device, an average duration of touch and an average pressure amount applied by the user to the input area of the mobile device.

8. A computer system for controlling inadvertent inputs to a mobile device, the computer system comprising:
a memory medium comprising program instructions;
a bus coupled to the memory medium; and
a processor, for executing the program instructions, coupled to an input controller via the bus that when executing the program instructions causes the computer system to:
detect an operating mode of the mobile device by determining if a user is currently interacting with the mobile device;
detect an operating environment of the mobile device, wherein the detecting comprises:
analyzing data received from an accelerometer,
determining that the mobile device is in a pocket or a briefcase of the user based on the data received from the accelerometer,
analyzing global positioning system information, and
determining that the user is traveling based on the global system information;

increase an amount of time required to invoke a function based on the determination that the user is traveling;
receive an input resulting from a physical gesture to an input area of the mobile device;
compare the input to a past history of inputs, received by the mobile device, for an application of a set of applications on the mobile device;
evaluate, based on the comparing, whether the input is within a normal range for the application;
determine whether the physical gesture is intended by the user based on the operating mode of the mobile device, the evaluation, an amount of time passing in entry of the input; and the determination that the user is traveling; and
disable one or more physical gesture processing operations on the mobile device to ignore inputs to applications unrelated to the travelling of the user.

9. The computer system of claim 8 , the program instructions further causing the computer system to ignore the input in the case that the physical gesture is not intended by the user, and invoking one or more functions on the mobile device associated with the input in the case that the physical gesture is intended by the user.

10. The computer system of claim 8 , the program instructions further causing the computer system to assign, prior to receipt of the input, an input logic state to the mobile device based on the operating mode and the operating environment.

11. The computer system of claim 10 , the program instructions further causing the computer system to adjust a contact sensitivity of the input area of the mobile device based on the input logic state of the mobile device.

12. The computer system of claim 10 , the program instructions further causing the computer system to disable one or more physical gesture processing operations on the mobile device.

13. The computer system of claim 8 , the operating environment based on at least one of: a location of the mobile device, a set of activities being performed by the user on the mobile device, time of day, date, and motion of the mobile device.

14. The computer system of claim 8 , the program instructions further causing the computer system to determine, based on the past history of inputs for each of a set of applications operating on the mobile device, an average duration of touch and an average pressure amount applied by the user to the input area of the mobile device.

15. A computer program product for controlling inadvertent inputs to a mobile device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium, to:
detect an operating mode of the mobile device by determining if a user is currently interacting with the mobile device;
detect an operating environment of the mobile device, wherein the detecting comprises:
analyzing data received from an accelerometer,
determining that the mobile device is in a pocket or a briefcase of the user based on the data received from the accelerometer,
analyzing global positioning system information, and
determining that the user is traveling based on the global positioning system information;

increase an amount of time required to invoke a function based on the determination that the user is traveling;
receive an input resulting from a physical gesture to an input area of the mobile device;
compare the input to a past history of inputs, received by the mobile device, for an application of a set of applications on the mobile device;
evaluate, based on the comparing, whether the input is within a normal range for the application;
determine whether the physical gesture is intended by the user based on the operating mode of the mobile device, the evaluation, an amount of time passing in entry of the input, and the determination that the user is traveling; and
disable one or more physical gesture processing operatio

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Balasubramanian Swaminathan
• Jones Andrew R
• O'Connell Brian M

Classifications

• G06F3/017 Primary

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

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

• G06F9/30

  Arrangements for executing machine instructions, e.g. instruction decode (for executing microinstructions G06F9/22) · CPC title

• G06F3/0418

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

• G06F3/04186

  Touch location disambiguation · CPC title