IP Library Granted Patent US 11,256,367
Granted Patent B2
US 11,256,367 · App. 16/866,473 · Granted Feb 22, 2022

Techniques for handling unintentional touch inputs on a touch-sensitive surface

Inventors: Mayank Garg (Santa Clara, CA); Apexit Shah (Sunnyvale, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06F3/04186G06F3/0412G06F2203/04104
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,256,367
App. No.
16/866,473
Granted
Feb 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Grip detection can be beneficial for an electronic device to ignore unintended contacts on a touch sensitive surface. Examples of the disclosure provide various ways for identifying an input patch as a grip. In some examples, identifying an input patch as a grip comprises determining whether the input patch satisfies one or more grip identification criteria. In some examples, identified grips are saved in a grip database. In some examples, the identified grips are filtered out of touch images. In some examples, when baseline touch data for a touch-sensitive is updated, the touch processor can forgo updating the baseline for portions of the touch sensitive surface associated with the identified grips.

Claims (47)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a touch input patch from a touch-sensitive surface;

in accordance with a determination, based on the touch input patch, that the touch input patch satisfies one or more grip criteria, identifying the touch input patch as a grip input, wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the touch input patch includes a palm and a thumb, the one or more grip criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch satisfies a touch density criteria; and

in accordance with a determination, based on the touch input patch, that the touch input patch does not satisfy the one or more grip criteria, forgoing identifying the touch input patch as a grip input.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the touch input patch is parallel to an edge of the touch-sensitive surface, the one or more grip criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch satisfies one or more parallel size and shape criteria;

wherein the one or more parallel size and shape criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch has a width that is greater than a first predetermined minimum width and less than a first predetermined maximum width; and

wherein the one or more parallel size and shape includes a requirement that the touch input patch has a length that is greater than a first predetermined minimum length and less than a first predetermined maximum length.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the touch input patch is perpendicular to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface, the one or more grip criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch satisfies one or more perpendicular size and shape criteria;

wherein the one or more perpendicular size and shape criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch has a width that is greater than a second predetermined minimum width and less than a second predetermined maximum width; and

wherein the one or more perpendicular size and shape criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch has a length that is greater than a second predetermined minimum length and less than a second predetermined maximum length.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more grip criteria further includes a criterion that is satisfied when a sum of negative touch node measurements in a portion of the touch-sensitive surface, including the touch input patch, is not greater than a sum of positive touch node measurements in the portion of the touch-sensitive surface.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the touch density criteria is satisfied when a density of touch nodes with positive touch node measurements in a portion of the touch-sensitive surface, including the touch input patch, is greater than a predetermined minimum density.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the touch input patch corresponds to a previously identified grip; and

the one or more grip criteria further includes a criterion that is satisfied when the touch input patch corresponding to the previously identified grip has been detected for less than a predetermined maximum duration.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more grip criteria further includes one or more of a touch location criteria, an inversion criteria, and a duration criteria.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the touch input patch has been filtered based on baseline touch data.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the touch-sensitive surface is a touch-sensitive display.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive surface; and

one or more processors in communication with the touch-sensitive surface configured to perform a method comprising:

receiving a touch input patch from the touch-sensitive surface;

in accordance with a determination, based on the touch input patch, that the touch input patch satisfies one or more grip criteria, identifying the touch input patch as a grip input, wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the touch input patch includes a palm and a thumb, the one or more grip criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch satisfies a touch density criteria; and

in accordance with a determination, based on the touch input patch, that the touch input patch does not satisfy the one or more grip criteria, forgoing identifying the touch input patch as a grip input.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

receiving a touch input patch from a touch-sensitive surface;

in accordance with a determination, based on the touch input patch, that the touch input patch satisfies one or more grip criteria, identifying the touch input patch as a grip input, wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the touch input patch includes a palm and a thumb, the one or more grip criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch satisfies a touch density criteria; and

in accordance with a determination, based on the touch input patch, that the touch input patch does not satisfy the one or more grip criteria, forgoing identifying the touch input patch as a grip input.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the touch input patch is parallel to an edge of the touch-sensitive surface, the one or more grip criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch satisfies one or more parallel size and shape criteria;

wherein the one or more parallel size and shape criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch has a width that is greater than a first predetermined minimum width and less than a first predetermined maximum width; and

wherein the one or more parallel size and shape includes a requirement that the touch input patch has a length that is greater than a first predetermined minimum length and less than a first predetermined maximum length.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the touch input patch is perpendicular to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface, the one or more grip criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch satisfies one or more perpendicular size and shape criteria;

wherein the one or more perpendicular size and shape criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch has a width that is greater than a second predetermined minimum width and less than a second predetermined maximum width; and

wherein the one or more perpendicular size and shape criteria includes a requirement that the touch input patch has a length that is greater than a second predetermined minimum length and less than a second predetermined maximum length.

14. The anon-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the one or more grip criteria further includes a criterion that is satisfied when a sum of negative touch node measurements in a portion of the touch-sensitive surface, including the touch input patch, is not greater than a sum of positive touch node measurements in the portion of the touch-sensitive surface.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the touch density criteria is satisfied when a density of touch nodes with positive touch node measurements in a portion of the touch-sensitive surface, including the touch input patch, is greater than a predetermined minimum density.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the touch input patch corresponds to a previously identified grip; and

the one or more grip criteria further includes a criterion that is satisfied when the touch input patch corresponding to the previously identified grip has been detected for less than a predetermined maximum duration.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the one or more grip criteria further includes one or more of a touch location criteria, an inversion criteria, and a duration criteria.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2020
From: GARG, MAYANK; SHAH, APEXIT
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 052588/0813 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62907259 · Sep 27, 2019
Related Publication 20210096725A1 · Apr 1, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,223,142