Touch sensor hand-configuration analysis
In certain embodiments, an apparatus includes controller circuitry and a touch sensor that includes first electrodes. The controller circuitry is configured to measure first capacitance values during a first time period, each first capacitance value associated with a respective first electrode. The controller circuitry is also configured to determine a first hand-usage value based at least on a distribution of the first capacitance values. The controller circuitry is also configured to estimate a hand-usage state based at least on the first hand-usage value. The hand-usage state indicates one of the following hand configurations: right-handed interaction with the touch sensor, left-handed interaction with the touch sensor, or two-handed interaction with the touch sensor.
1. A device, comprising:
a touch sensor;
a display; and
controller circuitry configured to:
measure a plurality of capacitance values, each capacitance value associated with a respective electrode of an array of electrodes of the touch sensor;
determine, based on the plurality of capacitance values, a touch position;
determine a skewness value using a start position of a start electrode at a first end of the array of electrodes, an end position of an end electrode at a second end of the array of electrodes, and the touch position;
estimate a hand-usage state based at least on the skewness value; and
determine the skewness value using the following formula:
skewness_value
=
∑
end
y
=
start
(
y
-
touch_position
σ
)
3
end
-
start
,
where
start represents the start position of the start electrode at the first end of the array of electrodes;
end represents the end position of the end electrode at the second end of the array of electrodes;
y represents a position of a particular electrode of the array of electrodes;
touch position represents the touch position; and
σ represents a standard deviation.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the hand-usage state indicates whether a user of the device is interacting with the touch sensor using a finger, a thumb, or a stylus.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the hand-usage state indicates whether a user of the device is interacting with the touch sensor using a bare hand or a gloved hand.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to:
determine, based on the hand-usage state, that a user is interacting with the touch sensor with a left hand; and
activate one or more touch sensitive components of the device based on the determination that the user is interacting with the touch sensor with the left hand.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to:
determine, based on the hand-usage state, that a user is interacting with the touch sensor with a right hand; and
deactivate one or more touch sensitive components of the device based on the determination that the user is interacting with the touch sensor with the right hand.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the controller circuitry is further configured to communicate the hand-usage state to an operating system associated with the device, the operating system configured to adjust, based at least on the hand-usage state, one or more parameters associated with a graphical user interface.
7. A method, comprising:
measuring a plurality of capacitance values, each capacitance value associated with a respective electrode of an array of electrodes of a touch sensor;
determining, based on the plurality of capacitance values, a touch position; determining a skewness value using a start position of a start electrode at a first end of the array of electrodes, an end position of an end electrode at a second end of the array of electrodes, and the touch position;
estimating a hand-usage state based at least on the skewness value; and
determine the skewness value using the following formula:
skewness_value
=
∑
end
y
=
start
(
y
-
touch_position
σ
)
3
end
-
start
,
where
start represents the start position of the start electrode at the first end of the array of electrodes;
end represents the end position of the end electrode at the second end of the array of electrodes;
y represents a position of a particular electrode of the array of electrodes;
touch position represents the touch position; and
σ represents a standard deviation.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the hand-usage state indicates whether a user is interacting with the touch sensor using a finger, a thumb, or a stylus.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the hand-usage state indicates whether a user is interacting with the touch sensor using a bare hand or a gloved hand.
10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining, based on the hand-usage state, that a user is interacting with the touch sensor with a left hand; and
activating one or more touch sensitive components of the touch sensor based on the determination that the user is interacting with the touch sensor with the left hand.
11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining, based on the hand-usage state, that a user is interacting with the touch sensor with a right hand; and
deactivating one or more touch sensitive components of the touch sensor based on the determination that the user is interacting with the touch sensor with the right hand.
12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising communicating the hand-usage state to an operating system associated with the touch sensor, the operating system configured to adjust, based at least on the hand-usage state, one or more parameters associated with a graphical user interface.
13. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
measuring a plurality of capacitance values, each capacitance value associated with a respective electrode of an array of electrodes of a touch sensor;
determining, based on the plurality of capacitance values, a touch position; determining a skewness value using a start position of a start electrode at a first end of the array of electrodes, an end position of an end electrode at a second end of the array of electrodes, and the touch position;
estimating a hand-usage state based at least on the skewness value; and
determine the skewness value using the following formula:
skewness_value
=
∑
end
y
=
start
(
y
-
touch_position
σ
)
3
end
-
start
,
where
start represents the start position of the start electrode at the first end of the array of electrodes;
end represents the end position of the end electrode at the second end of the array of electrodes;
y represents a position of a particular electrode of the array of electrodes;
touch position represents the touch position; and
σ represents a standard deviation.
14. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 13 , wherein the hand-usage state indicates whether a user is interacting with the touch sensor using a finger, a thumb, or a stylus.
15. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 13 , wherein the hand-usage state indicates whether a user is interacting with the touch sensor using a bare hand or a gloved hand.
16. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 13 , the operations further comprising:
determining, based on the hand-usage state, that a user is interacting with the touch sensor with a left hand; and
activating one or more touch sensitive components of the touch sensor based on the determination that the user is interacting with the touch sensor with the left hand.
17. The one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media of claim 13 , the operations further comprising:
determining, based on the hand-usage state, that a user is interacting with the touch sensor with a right hand; and
deactivating one or more touch sensitive components of the touch sensor based on the determination that the user is interacting with the touch sensor with the right hand.