Touch Input Intentionality Control for Inadvertent Action Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Touch-based displays on computing devices often inadvertently initiate actions due to accidental touches, especially in humid environments or when users are sweaty, leading to unintended interactions such as unwanted orders or calls.
Innovation Solution
Implementing systems and methods that require specific, intentional inputs to perform actions, such as touch-and-hold or swipe gestures within defined action regions on the screen, along with visual, audible, and tactile feedback to confirm intentional actions, to reduce unintentional performance of certain actions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If touch-based display is used for gesture interaction, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to inadvertent actions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the sensitivity threshold of the touch-based display based on environmental conditions (humidity, temperature) and user state (sweat detection). By making the sensitivity adaptive rather than fixed, the system maintains ease of operation while reducing inadvertent actions caused by moisture-related false triggers.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that monitor touch patterns, pressure, and duration to distinguish between intentional user gestures and inadvertent touches. Visual, audible, and tactile feedback confirm registered actions to users, allowing them to verify whether an action was intentionally triggered before execution.
2Ease of operation
If touch sensitivity is increased for better responsiveness, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability worsens due to false inputs from moisture
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different sensitivity thresholds to different regions of the touch display based on where inadvertent actions are most likely to occur. Areas prone to moisture accumulation or accidental contact receive adjusted sensitivity settings, while maintaining high responsiveness in areas that require frequent intentional interaction.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the sensitivity parameter dynamically based on environmental conditions and detected user state. When moisture is detected (through humidity sensors or sweat detection), the system adjusts the touch sensitivity parameter to reduce false inputs while maintaining adequate responsiveness for intentional gestures.
3Ease of operation
If simple touch input is used for actions, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to accidental triggers
Solution Approach 1:
The system requires preliminary confirmation actions before executing certain operations. When a touch input is detected, the system first presents visual, audible, or tactile feedback indicating the detected action, requiring a secondary confirmation gesture before actual execution. This preliminary confirmation step prevents accidental triggers while maintaining simple input methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different levels of confirmation requirements based on the significance of the action. For low-risk operations, simple touch suffices. For high-risk operations (such as placing orders or making calls), the system requires excessive action in the form of multiple confirmation steps, including prolonged press duration, specific gesture patterns, or sequential confirmations.
Data Source
AI summary
This application describes, in part, system and methods for reducing unintentional performance of actions, such as orders, on a computing device. In some implementations, ordering may be controlled by identifying an input within an action region and determining that the input is an intentional input before completing an order. For example, to be considered an intentional input, the input may need to remain in an action region for a predetermined time duration, or may need to move across a majority of the action region.