Touch Pad Cursor Control via Contact Point Differentiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing touch pad technologies face difficulties in easily switching the Control-Display Ratio (CD ratio) during a slide operation, as the CD ratio is dependent on the position of the finger on the touch pad, making it cumbersome to quickly move and position a cursor on a screen.
Innovation Solution
An information processing system that includes a touch pad and a processing unit to differentiate the cursor movement based on the number of contact points, allowing for easy switching of the CD ratio without relying on the finger's position, by setting different CD ratios for one or multiple contact points.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a fixed switching touch panel is provided to change the CD ratio, then the CD ratio can be switched between comparatively greater and smaller values, but the CD ratio becomes difficult to change during a slide operation depending on the finger position on the touch pad
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the CD ratio dynamically adjustable based on finger position. Instead of using fixed switching touch panels at specific locations, the system automatically changes the CD ratio according to where the finger is placed on the touch pad surface. This allows the CD ratio to be optimized for different operational phases (quick movement vs. precision positioning) without requiring the user to reach for separate control panels, thereby achieving position-independent CD ratio switching.
2Speed
If the CD ratio is set to a comparatively greater value for quick cursor movement, then the cursor can be moved quickly across the screen, but it becomes difficult to position and stop the cursor precisely on an operational object
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the CD ratio based on the detected finger position. When the finger is near the edge of the touch pad, a greater CD ratio is applied to enable quick cursor movement across the screen. When the finger approaches the center or specific target zones, the system automatically switches to a smaller CD ratio to enhance precision for positioning and stopping the cursor on operational objects. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between speed and precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by applying different CD ratio characteristics to different regions of the touch pad. Specific zones are configured with different CD ratio values - for example, edge regions may have higher CD ratios for rapid traversal, while central regions or regions near operational objects have lower CD ratios for precise control. This spatial variation in CD ratio properties allows the system to optimize both speed and precision in different operational contexts.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple switching touch panels are provided to enable CD ratio switching, then more CD ratio options become available, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the universality principle by making the entire touch pad surface functional for CD ratio control. Instead of requiring separate switching touch panels for different CD ratio options, the main touch pad itself serves multiple functions: it detects finger position and simultaneously controls the CD ratio based on that position. This multi-functional approach provides multiple CD ratio options without adding separate control panels, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing system includes a touch pad; a display unit; and a processing unit configured to move a cursor shown on a screen of the display unit, depending on an amount of movement and a movement direction of a contact point of a finger of an operator on the touch pad. The processing unit differentiates an amount of movement of the cursor with respect to the amount of the movement of the contact point, for a case where the number of the contact points on the touch pad is one, and for a case where the number of the contact points on the touch pad is two or more.