IP Library Granted Patent US 10,133,478
Granted Patent B2
US 10,133,478 · App. 15/470,040 · Granted Nov 20, 2018

Multi-user multi-touch projected capacitance touch sensor with event initiation based on common touch entity detection

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,133,478
App. No.
15/470,040
Granted
Nov 20, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques for providing multi-user multi-touch projected capacitive touch sensors are disclosed herein. Some embodiments may include a method that includes receiving a first sense signal indicating a first touch attributed to a first touch entity and receiving a second sense signal indicating a second touch attributed to a second touch entity. Based on the first sense signal and second sense signal, the method may further include determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity are a common touch entity. Furthermore, the method may include initiating an event in response to determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity form a common touch entity.

Claims (45)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first sense signal indicating a first touch attributed to a first touch entity;

receiving a second sense signal indicating a second touch attributed to a second touch entity;

based on the first sense signal and the second sense signal, determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity are a common touch entity;

in response to determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity form the common touch entity, initiating a first event;

based on at least the first sense signal and the second sense signal, determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity have stopped forming the common touch entity; and

in response to determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity have stopped forming the common touch entity, initiating a second event.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first event comprises transferring a virtual object from the first touch entity to the second touch entity.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first event comprises assigning a designation of the first touch entity to the second touch entity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity have stopped forming the common touch entity based on at least one of a presence of anti-ghosts, an absence of anti-ghosts, a timing of the first or the second sense signals, and a signal strength of the first or the second sense signals.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second event comprises maintaining an association of the first touch entity and the second touch entity after the first touch entity and the second touch entity separate.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

receiving a third sense signal indicating a third touch attributed to a third touch entity;

based on the third sense signal and the second sense signal, determining that the third touch entity and the second touch entity form a second common touch entity; and

in response to determining that the third touch entity and the second touch entity form the second common touch entity, initiating a third event.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning a first touch identifier to the first sense signal; and

assigning a second touch identifier to the second sense signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first touch identifier is the same as the second touch identifier in response to determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity form the common touch entity.

9. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to:

receive a first sense signal indicating a first touch attributed to a first touch entity;

receive a second sense signal indicating a second touch attributed to a second touch entity;

based on the first sense signal and the second sense signal, determine that the first touch entity and the second touch entity are a common touch entity;

in response to determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity form the common touch entity, initiate a first event;

based on at least the first sense signal and the second sense signal, determine that the first touch entity and the second touch entity have stopped forming the common touch entity; and

in response to determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity have stopped forming the common touch entity, initiate a second event.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first event comprises transferring a virtual object from the first touch entity to the second touch entity.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first event comprises assigning a designation of the first touch entity to the second touch entity.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the second event comprises maintaining an association of the first touch entity and the second touch entity after the first touch entity and the second touch entity separate.

13. The system of claim 12 , the at least one processor further configured to:

receive a third sense signal indicating a third touch attributed to a third touch entity;

based on the third sense signal and the second sense signal, determine that the third touch entity and the second touch entity form a second common touch entity; and

in response to determining that the third touch entity and the second touch entity form the common touch entity, initiate a third event.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable device having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first sense signal indicating a first touch attributed to a first touch entity;

receiving a second sense signal indicating a second touch attributed to a second touch entity;

based on the first sense signal and the second sense signal, determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity are a common touch entity;

in response to determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity form the common touch entity, initiating first event;

based on at least the first sense signal and the second sense signal, determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity have stopped forming the common touch entity; and

in response to determining that the first touch entity and the second touch entity have stopped forming the common touch entity, initiate a second event.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 14 , wherein the first event comprises transferring a virtual object from the first touch entity to the second touch entity.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 14 , wherein the first event comprises assigning a designation of the first touch entity to the second touch entity.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable device of claim 14 , wherein the second event comprises maintaining an association of the first touch entity and the second touch entity after the first touch entity and the second touch entity separate.

Assignments (8)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 17, 2025
From: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 074005/0708 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 070666/FRAME 0540 Recorded Sep 30, 2025
From: CITIZENS BANK, N.A.
To: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 072982/0372 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTERESTS (FIRST LIEN) IN PATENTS Recorded Mar 27, 2025
From: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA
To: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 070670/0714 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 27, 2025
From: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: CITIZENS BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 070666/0540 →
ADDRESS CHANGE Recorded Aug 11, 2023
From: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 064571/0711 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2018
From: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047956/0114 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2018
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 047909/0833 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 31, 2017
From: ELO TOUCH SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044652/0421 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,524,110