High parameter-count touch-pad controller

Abstract

An apparatus including a touch user interface device including a sensor array configured to sense spatial information associated with one or more contiguous regions of contact and a processing device in communication with the touch user interface device configured to discern a first contiguous region of contact corresponding to a first finger from the one or more contiguous regions of contact, determine a first spatial distribution profile of the first contiguous region at a first time, determine a second spatial distribution profile of the first contiguous region at a second time, analyze a shape variation of the second spatial distribution profile in comparison to the first spatial distribution profile to determine a rotational movement of the first finger, generate a control signal in response to the detected rotational movement.

1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a touch user interface device including a sensor array configured to sense spatial information associated with one or more contiguous regions of contact with parts of the human hand;   a processing device in communication with the touch user interface device configured to:
 discern a first contiguous region of contact corresponding to a first finger from the one or more contiguous regions of contact; 
 determine a first spatial distribution profile of the first contiguous region at a first time; 
 determine a second spatial distribution profile of the first contiguous region at a second time; 
 analyze a shape variation of the second spatial distribution profile in comparison to the first spatial distribution profile to determine a rotational movement of the first finger; 
 generate a control signal in response to the detected rotational movement. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the rotational movement includes a rocking backwards or forwards of the first finger component, a pivoting left or right of the first finger component, and a rotational twisting about the length of the first finger component. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the step of analyzing the shape variation of the second spatial distribution profile in comparison to the first spatial distribution profile to determine the rotational movement of the first finger further comprises:
 determining a first contact pattern of the first spatial distribution profile;   using pattern recognition to recognize the first contact pattern as corresponding to a first orientation of the first finger;   determining a second contact pattern of the second spatial distribution profile;   using pattern recognition to recognize the second contact pattern as corresponding to a second orientation of the first finger; and   comparing the second orientation of the first finger to the first orientation of the first finger to determine the rotational movement of the first finger.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to:
 analyze a translational variation on the surface of the sensor array of the position of the second spatial distribution profile in comparison to the position of the first spatial distribution profile to determine a translational movement of the first finger,   wherein the translational movement includes a left-right component and a forward-backward component; and   generate a second control signal in response to the detected translational movement.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to:
 analyze a pressure variance of the second spatial distribution profile in comparison to the first spatial distribution profile to determine a variance of overall pressure of the first finger; and   generate a second control signal in response to the detected variance of overall pressure.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured to:
 train the apparatus to recognize a set of spatial distribution profiles corresponding to a set of finger orientations of a specific user; and   store the set of spatial distribution profiles corresponding to the specific user,   wherein the analysis step further comprises:
 recalling the set of spatial distribution profiles corresponding to the specific user; 
 comparing the first spatial distribution profile with the set of spatial distribution profiles to determine a first orientation of the first finger; 
 comparing the second spatial distribution profile with the set of spatial distribution profiles to determine a second orientation of the first finger; and 
 comparing the second orientation of the first finger to the first orientation of the first finger to determine the rotational movement of the first finger. 
   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a display, wherein the touch user interface device is transparent and positioned over the display. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein if the sensor array senses more than one contiguous regions of contact, the processing device is configured to determine the rotational movement of the first contiguous region independent of considering any other contiguous regions. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the finger is not a thumb. 
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented method for generating a control signal based spatial information associated with one or more contiguous regions of contact with parts of the human hand as sensed by a sensor array of a touch user interface device, the method comprising:
 discerning a first contiguous region of contact corresponding to a first finger from the one or more contiguous regions of contact;   determining a first spatial distribution profile of the first contiguous region at a first time;   determining a second spatial distribution profile of the first contiguous region at a second time;   analyzing a shape variation of the second spatial distribution profile in comparison to the first spatial distribution profile to determine a rotational movement of the first finger;   generating a control signal in response to the detected rotational movement.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the rotational movement includes a rocking backwards or forwards of the first finger component, a pivoting left or right of the first finger component, and a rotational twisting about the length of the first finger component. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of analyzing the shape variation of the second spatial distribution profile in comparison to the first spatial distribution profile to determine the rotational movement of the first finger further comprises:
 determining a first contact pattern of the first spatial distribution profile;   using pattern recognition to recognize the first contact pattern as corresponding to a first orientation of the first finger;   determining a second contact pattern of the second spatial distribution profile;   using pattern recognition to recognize the second contact pattern as corresponding to a second orientation of the first finger; and   comparing the second orientation of the first finger to the first orientation of the first finger to determine the rotational movement of the first finger.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 analyzing a translational variation on the surface of the sensor array of the position of the second spatial distribution profile in comparison to the position of the first spatial distribution profile to determine a translational movement of the first finger,   wherein the translational movement includes a left-right component and a forward-backward component; and   generating a second control signal in response to the detected translational movement.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 analyzing a pressure variance of the second spatial distribution profile in comparison to the first spatial distribution profile to determine a variance of overall pressure of the first finger; and   generating a second control signal in response to the detected variance of overall pressure.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 training the apparatus to recognize a set of spatial distribution profiles corresponding to a set of finger orientations of a specific user; and   storing the set of spatial distribution profiles corresponding to the specific user,   wherein the analyzing step further comprises:
 recalling the set of spatial distribution profiles corresponding to the specific user; 
 comparing the first spatial distribution profile with the set of spatial distribution profiles to determine a first orientation of the first finger; 
 comparing the second spatial distribution profile with the set of spatial distribution profiles to determine a second orientation of the first finger; and 
 comparing the second orientation of the first finger to the first orientation of the first finger to determine the rotational movement of the first finger. 
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the touch user interface device further comprising a display, and wherein the touch user interface device is transparent and positioned over the display. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein if the sensor array senses more than one contiguous regions of contact, the method further comprises determining the rotational movement of the first contiguous region independent of considering any other contiguous regions. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the finger is not a thumb.