Touch State Transition Logic for Multi-Touch Operation Recognition

Solution Overview

Problem

Multi-touch operation systems face malfunctions due to changes in the number of detected touched points, leading to unintended single-touch operations being executed when the user intends a multi-touch operation, and vice versa, especially when fingers are not simultaneously or correctly released from the screen.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus that identifies changes in the number of touched points and recognizes touch operations based on predefined transition conditions to differentiate between single-touch and multi-touch states, ensuring accurate operation recognition by analyzing touch event information, movement patterns, and touch point IDs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the system detects touched points based on touch panel input, then it can recognize multi-touch operations, but it may detect unintended touched points when fingers are not simultaneously released, leading to operation malfunctions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-touch operation recognitionVSAvoidoperation recognition accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of touched point changes before executing operation recognition. When the number of touched points changes, the system stores this change information and waits for a predetermined time to determine whether the change is intentional or unintentional, before recognizing the corresponding operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts its operation recognition behavior based on the temporal pattern of touched point changes. By introducing a time-based state transition mechanism, the system can adapt between different recognition modes: immediate recognition for stable touch states versus delayed recognition for transient changes, thereby resolving the contradiction between versatility and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Speed

If the system immediately recognizes operations when the number of touched points changes, then it responds quickly to user input, but it may execute unintended operations when detection errors occur during finger release

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation response speedVSAvoidoperation execution accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of touched point changes before executing operation recognition. When the number of touched points changes, the system stores this change information and waits for a predetermined time to determine whether the change is intentional or unintentional, before recognizing the corresponding operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system prepares for potential detection errors by storing touch state information in advance and having a fallback mechanism. When a touched point change is detected, the system doesn't immediately execute the corresponding operation but instead waits and verifies, cushioning against potential false detections during finger release.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the system allows consecutive operations with changing touched point counts, then it enables flexible operation sequences, but it increases the complexity of determining user intent

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation sequence flexibilityVSAvoidtouch state determination logic

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of touched point changes before executing operation recognition. When the number of touched points changes, the system stores this change information and waits for a predetermined time to determine whether the change is intentional or unintentional, before recognizing the corresponding operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the temporal pattern of touched point changes to determine user intent. By monitoring whether touched point changes persist over time or are transient, the system can distinguish between intentional operation sequences and unintentional detection errors, simplifying the determination logic while maintaining flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS9658764B2Information processing apparatus and control method thereof

Publication Date: 2017.05.23 CANON KK

AI summary

An information processing apparatus detects a touched point where an operation screen has been touched, and when the number of touched points detected has decreased to one point, recognize an input based on one detected touched point as a single-touch operation by using a condition different from that when the number of touched points has increased to one point from a state in which a touched point is not detected.