Support Object for Fatigue-Free Touch Input
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users experience discomfort and fatigue when interacting with touch-sensitive surfaces for extended periods due to the need to maintain their hands in raised positions or apply pressure, limiting the range and expressiveness of input gestures.
Innovation Solution
A support object with distinct contact members that can be identified by a touch-sensitive surface, allowing users to provide input while resting their hand, enabling comfortable and varied touch input without fatigue, and processing circuitry to determine the type and orientation of the input based on the relative position and signature of the support object.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users interact with touch-sensitive surfaces by raising their hands or applying pressure, then touch input can be provided, but user discomfort and fatigue increase over extended periods
Solution Approach 1:
A support object is introduced as an intermediary between the user's hand and the touch-sensitive surface. The support object has a first surface that contacts the user's hand and a second surface with contact members that contact the touch-sensitive surface. This mediator allows the user to rest their hand on the support object while the contact members provide the actual touch input, eliminating the need for the user to maintain hand pressure or raised positions.
2Ease of operation
If users rest their hand on the support object, then comfort is improved, but the ability to provide varied touch input gestures is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The support object's second surface is divided into multiple discrete contact members arranged in specific patterns. Each contact member can independently contact the touch-sensitive surface, and different arrangements of contacted contact members encode different input gestures. This segmentation allows the support object to provide varied input commands while the user simply rests their hand on the first surface without active manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The support object automatically provides diverse touch input gestures through the different contact patterns of its contact members with the touch-sensitive surface. The system detects which contact members are contacted and interprets these patterns as different input commands, allowing the support object to serve multiple input functions passively while the user maintains a relaxed hand position.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and a support object are provided to facilitate the receipt of a wide variety of touch inputs from a user, such as in a manner that is comfortable and does not fatigue the user. In the context of a method, touch input is received from a user who engages and moves a support object relative to a touch sensitive surface. The method also includes receiving the touch input from the user via the touch sensitive surface. The method further includes determining a relative position of the touch input with respect to the support object and then determining a type of touch input based upon the relative position of the touch input with respect to the support object. The method also includes causing an action to be taken in response to the type of touch input. Corresponding apparatus and computer program products are also provided.