Device with touch screen false actuation prevention
View Patent ↗A device and method for preventing false-actuation of a touch screen are provided. When one or more of: (a) an initial proximity event occurs at a proximity sensor of the device, and (b) a reorientation event occurs at an orientation sensor of the device: touch data received via a touch screen of the device is buffered in a memory of the device. Thereafter, a processor of the device: processes the buffered touch data when a further proximity event does not occur within a given time period; and, disables the touch screen when the proximity event occurs within the given time period.
1. A device comprising:
a processor coupled to a memory, a display including a touch screen for detecting touch events at the display, an orientation sensor, and a proximity sensor, the processor configured to:
detect an initial proximity event at the proximity sensor and, thereafter:
buffer in the memory touch data received via the touch screen;
process the buffered touch data when a further proximity event does not occur within a given time period; and,
disable the touch screen when the further proximity event occurs within the given time period,
wherein same buffering, same processing and same disabling also occurs for a reorientation event detected at the orientation sensor, the processor being further configured to:
set the given time period for the initial proximity event to a first value, and set the given time period for the reorientation event to a second value greater than the first value; and
set the first value to less than or about equal to a sampling latency period of the proximity sensor.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to discard the buffered touch data when the proximity event occurs within the given time period.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensor is located adjacent one or more of the touch screen and a speaker.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the given time period is set to one or more of: less than about 100 ms; and less than about 400 ms.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to turn off the display when the further proximity event occurs within the given time period.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the orientation sensor comprises one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a magnetometer.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reorientation event is indicative of a change in orientation from one of a face-up orientation and face-down orientation to one of a top-up orientation, a left-up orientation and a right-up orientation.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the proximity sensor comprises one or more of an infrared proximity sensor, a light-based proximity sensor, a sonar proximity sensor and an acoustic-based proximity sensor.
9. A method comprising:
detecting, at a processor of a devices, an initial proximity event at a proximity sensor of the device, and thereafter:
buffering, in a memory of the device, touch data received via a touch screen of the device;
processing, at the processor, the buffered touch data when a further proximity event does not occur within a given time period; and,
disabling, at the processor, the touch screen when the further proximity event occurs within the given time period,
wherein same buffering, same processing and same disabling also occurs for a reorientation event detected at the orientation sensor;
setting, at the processor, the given time period for the initial proximity event to a first value for the initial proximity event, and setting, at the processor, the given time period for the reorientation event to a second value greater than the first value; and,
setting the first value to less than or about equal to a sampling latency period of the proximity sensor.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising discarding the buffered touch data when the proximity event occurs within the given time period.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the given time period is set to one or more of: less than about 100 ms; and less than about 400 ms.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising turning off the display when the further proximity event occurs within the given time period.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the reorientation event is indicative of a change in orientation from one of a face-up orientation and face-down orientation to one of a top-up orientation, a left-up orientation and a right-up orientation.
14. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:
detecting, at a processor of a devices, an initial proximity event at a proximity sensor of the device, and thereafter:
buffering, in a memory of the device, touch data received via a touch screen of the device;
processing, at the processor, the buffered touch data when a further proximity event does not occur within a given time period; and,
disabling, at the processor, the touch screen when the further proximity event occurs within the given time period,
wherein same buffering, same processing and same disabling also occurs for a reorientation event detected at the orientation sensor;
setting, at the processor, the given time period for the initial proximity event to a first value for the initial proximity event, and setting, at the processor, the given time period for the reorientation event to a second value greater than the first value; and,
setting the first value to less than or about equal to a sampling latency period of the proximity sensor.