NZ614684A - Computer input system facilitated using a trackpad, touchscreen, or similar device based on finger recognition - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a system to input computer commands by touching, tapping or scrolling on a trackpad, touchscreen or similar device with designated finger combinations, using either multiple fingers simultaneously or a single finger. The computer determines which of the user’s fingers have tapped the trackpad, touchscreen or similar device in order to recognize and process commands. The finger determination is achieved by registering the relative positions of a user’s fingers in an initial calibration in which the user taps the index fingers, middle fingers, ring fingers and little fingers of both hands on the trackpad, touchscreen or similar device from which the computer uses the location of the touchpoints to establish the initial location of each finger. The computer then continually detects changes of the positions of a user’s fingers, while the user enters input, from the change in the location of touchpoints and uses both the information about the location of touchpoints computed in the initial calibration and information about the location of touchpoints computed in subsequent taps to determine which of the user’s fingers have tapped the trackpad, touchscreen or similar device in order to recognize and process commands.

Description

Title Computer Input System Facilitated Using a Trackpad, Touchscreen, or Similar Device Based on Finger Recognition Priority from Provisional Application This complete specification relates to a provisional application filed with the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand on 25 May 2012, given the Application/Patent number 600245.

Description Technical Field This invention is in the technical field of computer input systems.

Background of the invention The invention this specification seeks a patent for is an alternative to standard computer input systems. In most computer input systems text and other commands are input by striking individual physical keys or, in the case of touchscreens, by pressing a discrete, relatively small area of a screen which displays the relevant character. The most common input system is based on a keyboard layout commonly known as a "QWERTY" layout, which refers to the first six letters from the top left side of the keyboard. This layout is currently used in most computers, mobile phones and other handheld devices.

One of the main reasons for the dominance of the QWERTY keyboard is the self-reinforcing cycle which began soon after it was introduced by the initial manufacturers of manual typewriters. Due to the fact that it takes a significant investment of time to develop the motor skills necessary to type with some degree of efficiency, the QWERTY layout became dominant and that was the layout that users continued to learn and which new typewriter manufactures adopted. That self-reinforcing cycle has continued to the present, with the QWERTY layout having been adopted in computers, smaller handheld devices and mobile phones.

There have been many claims that the QWERTY keyboard is not the most efficient way to input text of other commands. Two kinds of alternatives have been proposed.

The first kind of alternative is a different layout of the characters of the keyboard. There have been numerous claims that the arrangement of letters in the QWERTY keyboard is not the most efficient layout for entering text given the frequency of letter combinations used in the English language. Several others layouts have been claimed to be more efficient.

The second kind of alternative input system involves a keyboard with fewer keys. There have been various input systems, commonly known as chording systems, in which a user strikes a combination of keys simultaneously. The main benefit of chording systems is that they greatly reduce the number of keys or areas necessary on a device, as a single key may be used in the formation of several different characters or to input other commands. This has the potential to greatly reduce the size of the keyboard. However, no chording systems have met with large scale commercial success. The QWERTY layout has remained virtually ubiquitous in devices sold in commercial scale due to the self-reinforcing cycle described above.

Developments in touchscreen and trackpad technology in recent years have made it possible to input commands without pushing physical buttons, but rather by pressing on a specific, discrete area of a screen, tapping or scrolling across a touchscreen. It is in consideration of these developments that the invention this specification seeks a patent for has been developed.

Statement of Invention In the computer input system which this specification seeks a patent for, fingers from both hands are used either simultaneously or individually to tap, touch or scroll across a trackpad touchscreen or similar device in order to enter characters or to input other computer commands. Unlike previous chording systems, input is not facilitated by touching or pushing physical buttons or designated areas of a screen. The important distinction of this system is that the computer registers a command by determining which of the user’s fingers have tapped the trackpad, touchscreen or similar device.

Input is facilitated using combinations of the index, middle, ring and little fingers of both the left and right hands. There are potentially 255 different combinations of “taps” (a “tap” throughout this specification used to describe the act of tapping any number of fingers simultaneously), including combinations using fingers from only one hand.

Examples: Example 1: Tapping with the index finger of the left hand and the middle finger of the right hand simultaneously.

Example 2: Tapping with the index finger and the middle finger of the left hand and the ring finger of the right hand simultaneously.

Example 3: Tapping with the index, middle and ring fingers of the left hand and the index, middle and ring fingers of the right hand simultaneously.

Example 4: Tapping with the index and little fingers of the left hand simultaneously (without using any fingers from the right hand).

Example 5: Tapping with the index finger from the right hand (without using any fingers from the left hand).

This system allows the user’s hands to remain in the same position while having the ability to input a large number of different commands.

Computer recognition Initial calibration The computer determines which of the user’s fingers have tapped the trackpad, touchscreen or similar device in order to process commands by registering the relative positions of a user’s fingers in an initial calibration in which the user taps all eight fingers either simultaneously or in quick succession. The eight touchpoints on the trackpad, touchscreen or similar device will in most cases follow a typical pattern relating to the anatomy of the human hand which will allow the computer to establish which touchpoint corresponds to which finger. For example, the eight touchpoints from left to right when hands are in a typical typing position will correspond to the left little finger, left ring finger, left middle finger, left index finger, right index finger, right middle finger, right ring finger and right little finger respectively.

User input As the user taps on the trackpad, touchscreen or similar device in order to enter input commands after the initial calibration, the touchpoint from each finger in a subsequent tap may be in a slightly different location to the corresponding touchpoint from the same finger in the initial calibration.

However, it is likely to be to be considerably closer to the corresponding touchpoint from the same finger in the initial calibration than it is to any of the touchpoints from any of the other fingers in the intial calibration. For example, even if the left middle finger taps the touchscreen, trackpad or other device in a slightly different location than it did in the initial calibration, the touchpoint from the subsequent tap is likely to be much closer to the corresponding touchpoint in the initial calibration that it is for the touchpoints from either the left index finger or the left ring finger. The computer can therefore determine that each of the user’s fingers used in subsequent taps corresponded to those used in the initial calibration. This allows the computer to process commands based on the finger patterns which the user uses for each intended input command. As the user enters input commands the computer continually registers slight changes in the location of the touchpoints corresponding to each of the user’s fingers so that in subsequent taps the computer can correctly determine which of the user’s fingers have tapped the touchscreen, trackpad or similar device even if the position of the user’s hands and fingers have gradually changed since the initial calibration.

Multiple character sets (registers) This invention allows for multiple character entry sets (registers). For example, one register might be used to input letters and common punctuation marks, while another register might be used to enter numbers and symbols.

Example: In the alphabet/punctuation register tapping the trackpad with the index finger of the left hand and the middle finger of the right hand might produce the letter “N”, while in the numeric/symbol register the same combination of fingers might produce the digit “2”.

Users may toggle back and forth between these two registers quickly and simply with the appropriate tap (for example the index finger of the left hand).

Different registers can be used to accommodate character sets used in different languages or to give individual users the ability to choose their own combinations for commands.

In any character set, there are 255 potential combinations using a single tap, as explained above. There is a potentially unlimited number of registers which may be created.

Computer mouse functions This system can be used to facilitate the functions performed by a mouse. This could be done for example by using only the fingers from the right hand.

Example 1: Moving the index finger of the right hand across the trackpad, touchscreen or similar device could move the cursor on a computer screen.

(See Drawings Figure 2 for illustration).

Example 2: Moving the index and the middle fingers of the right hand up and down the trackpad, touchscreen or similar device could scroll up and down the page.

Example 3: Tapping the index finger of the right hand could perform the equivalent function of a left click on a computer mouse.

Example 4: Tapping the index and middle fingers of the right hand could perform the equivalent function of a right click on a computer mouse.

Dual keyboard and computer mouse functions Using this system a trackpad, touchscreen or similar device can be used to facilitate the functions of both a keyboard and a mouse, and the user can input all functions without having to change the position of the hands. In both keyboard and mouse functions the fingers are able to remain in the same physical position, although small movements may be necessary to move the cursor.

Desktop computers and laptop Computers / notebook computers Using a wide trackpad or similar device that can comfortably accommodate both hands connected to a computer with, for example, a USB or wireless connection, users can input text or other commands using a trackpad or similar device to type in place of, or in concert with, a traditional computer keyboard.

(See Figure 1 in Drawings for illustration.) Tablet computers There are two different ways to input text or other commands using a tablet computer. 1. Tapping on the tablet computer's touchscreen.

(See Figure 3 in Drawings for illustration.) 2. Tapping on a tablet computer’s underside, which has the same facility as a trackpad, namely the ability to detect the movements and taps from a user's fingers and respond with the appropriate output. The user can use other parts of the hands to hold the tablet computer.

(See Figure 4a and 4b in Drawings for illustration.) Mobile phones This system can be used with mobile phones which have a trackpad or such facility on the underside of the phone. Users can tap the trackpad or similar device providing such facility on the underside of the phone while using other parts of the hands to hold the phone.

(See Figure 5a and 5b in Drawings for illustration.) Gaming devices In addition to entering text or other computer commands the system can be used to input commands for video games on computers, TV monitors or other gaming devices.

Single hand or limited finger use system adaptability This system allows for the possibility of adapting commands for people who, through disability or for other reasons, can only use one hand or a limited number of fingers.

Glove based system This system can be used by a user wearing gloves or other kinds of devices on their hands and using any surface to provide resistance so that the computer can register which of the user’s fingers have tapped thesurface.

Claims (5)

Claims What I claim is:

1. A system to input computer commands into computers (including tablet computers), mobile phones, smartphones, gaming devices and other handheld devices by touching, tapping or scrolling on a trackpad, touchscreen or similar device with designated finger combinations, using either multiple fingers simultaneously or a single finger, in which the computer or other device determines which of the user’s fingers have tapped the said trackpad, touchscreen or similar device by registering the relative positions of a user’s fingers in an initial calibration in which the user taps the index fingers, middle fingers, ring fingers and little fingers of both hands on the trackpad, touchscreen or similar device from which the computer uses the location of the touchpoints to establish the location of each finger, and then continually detects changes of the positions of a user’s fingers whilst the user enters input from the change in the location of touchpoints and uses both the information about the location of touchpoints computed in the initial calibration and information about the location of touchpoints computed in subsequent taps to determine which of the user’s fingers have tapped the trackpad, touchscreen or similar device in order to recognize and process commands.

2.The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes the method of tapping the underside of a mobile, smartphone, tablet computer, gaming device or other handheld device.

3.The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes the use of multiple character sets and the method of switching between different character sets with a single tap.

4.The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes a method of integration with the functions normally performed by a computer mouse, so that both kinds of input can be used with the fingers in the same position.

5.The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes use by persons wearing gloves or other kinds of devices on their hands which allow them to create resistance by tapping on any surface.