Method and apparatus for variable impedence touch sensor array gesture recognition
The present invention relates to touch sensor detector systems and methods incorporating an interpolated variable impedance touch sensor array and specifically to such systems and methods for gesture recognition and associating a UI element with the recognized gesture. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a variable impedance array (VIA) system for receiving a gesture that includes: a plurality of physical VIA columns connected by interlinked impedance columns; a plurality of physical VIA rows connected by interlinked impedance rows; and a processor configured to interpolate a location and/or pressure of the gesture in the physical columns and rows from an electrical signal from a plurality of column drive sources (connected to the plurality of physical VIA columns through the interlinked impedance columns) sensed at a plurality of row sense sinks (connected to the plurality of physical VIA rows through the interlinked impedance rows).
1. A gesture-recognition interpolated variable impedance array (VIA) system for receiving a gesture formed on or about a sensor panel comprising:
a plurality of physical VIA columns connected by interlinked impedance columns;
a plurality of physical VIA rows connected by interlinked impedance rows;
a plurality of column drive sources connected to the interlinked impedance columns and to the plurality of physical VIA columns through the interlinked impedance columns;
a plurality of row sense sinks connected to the interlinked impedance rows and to the plurality of physical VIA rows through the interlinked impedance rows; and
a processor configured to:
interpolate a location of the gesture in the physical VIA columns and physical VIA rows from an electrical signal from the plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks,
detect two or more touches of the gesture at a first time at the sensor panel, determine that the two or more touches at the first time are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined see-saw gesture,
determine a relative pressure between the two or more touches from the electrical signal from the plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks,
associate the gesture with a user interface (UI) element, the UI element accepting an adjustment input based on the relative pressure between the two or more touches, and
provide a confirming input to the UI element based on the relative pressure between the two or more touches.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine the relative pressure between the two or more touches from the electrical signal from the plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine at least one of:
a touch pattern of the gesture based on one or more touch points in contact with the sensor panel,
a pressure response pattern at the one or more touch points over time from the electrical signal from the plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks, and
a gesture pattern corresponding to the touch pattern and the pressure response pattern.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a pressure response for the gesture from the electrical signal from the plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks.
5. The system of claim 4 wherein the processor is further configured to provide adjustment information to a coupled device based on a gesture location and the pressure response.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a relative orientation of a plurality of fingers used in the gesture from the electrical signal from the plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks and the relative pressure applied by the plurality of fingers from the electrical signal from the plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a continuous pressure change at one or more touch points of the gesture on the sensor panel from the electrical signal from the plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks and to cause a user interface (UI) element to provide visual feedback based on continuous pressure at the one or more touch points.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a pattern of touches of one or more points in contact with the sensor panel in the gesture instantaneously or over time and to determine a pressure at the one or more points in contact with the sensor panel instantaneously or over time.
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a pressure pattern over time from the electrical signal from the plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks.
10. A system for determining a gesture formed on or about a sensor panel comprising:
a variable impedance array (VIA);
an array column driver;
an array row sensor; and
a processor, wherein the VIA comprises interlinked impedance columns coupled to the array column driver and interlinked impedance rows coupled to the array row sensor, wherein the array column driver is configured to select the interlinked impedance columns based on a column switching register and electrically drive the interlinked impedance columns using a column driving source, wherein the VIA conveys current from the driven interlinked impedance columns to the interlinked impedance columns which are sensed by the array row sensor[M wherein the array row sensor selects the interlinked impedance rows and electrically senses a state of the interlinked impedance rows based on a row switching register, and wherein the processor is configured to:
interpolate a location of the gesture from the state of the interlinked impedance rows sensed by array row sensor,
detect two or more touches of the gesture at a first time at the sensor panel,
determine that the two or more touches at the first time are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined see-saw gesture,
determine a relative pressure between the two or more touches from an electrical signal from a plurality of column driver sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks,
associate the gesture with a user interface (UI) element, the UI element accepting an adjustment input based on the relative pressure between the two or more touches, and
provide a confirming input to the UI element based on the relative pressure between the two or more touches.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to determine the relative pressure between the two or more touches from the electrical signal from the state of the interlinked impedance rows sensed by array row sensor.
12. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to determine at least one of:
a touch pattern of the gesture of one or more points in contact with the sensor panel,
a pressure response pattern at the one or more touch points over time from the state of the interlinked impedance rows sensed by array row sensor, and
a gesture pattern corresponding to the touch pattern and the pressure response pattern.
13. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a pressure response for the gesture from the state of the interlinked impedance rows sensed by array row sensor.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to provide adjustment information to a coupled device based on a gesture location and the pressure response.
15. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a relative orientation of a plurality of fingers used in the gesture from the state of the interlinked impedance rows sensed by array row sensor and the relative pressure applied by the plurality of fingers from the state of the interlinked impedance rows sensed by array row sensor.
16. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine a continuous pressure change at one or more points of the gesture on the sensor panel from the state of the interlinked impedance rows sensed by array row sensor and
cause a user interface (UI) element to provide visual feedback based on the continuous pressure at the one or more points.
17. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a pattern of touches of one or more points in contact with the sensor panel in the gesture instantaneously or over time and to determine a pressure at the one or more points in contact with the sensor panel instantaneously or over time.
18. A gesture-recognition interpolated variable impedance array comprising:
a sensor panel; and
a processor configured to:
receive a gesture formed on or about the sensor panel, wherein the sensor panel comprises a grid of sensing elements that are configured to:
power on simultaneously, and
simultaneously generate multiple currents along multiple current paths in response to sensing a touch wherein an amount of current generated by a sensing element of the grid is directly proportional to a force applied by the touch,
detect two or more touches of the gesture at a first time at the sensor panel, determine that the two or more touches at the first time are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined see-saw gesture,
determine a relative pressure between the two or more touches from an electrical signal from a plurality of column drive sources sensed at the plurality of row sense sinks,
associate the gesture with a user interface (UI) element, the UI element accepting an adjustment input based on the relative pressure between the two or more touches, and
provide a confirming input to the UI element based on the relative pressure between the two or more touches.