Utility Layer for Mode Sensitive Touch Data Processing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Multi-touch enabled devices face increased computational loads due to the need to process entire maps of touch locations, leading to higher processing requirements and potential inaccuracies in user interaction data.

Innovation Solution

A hardware or software utility layer processes touch data based on application-defined control instances, reducing computational load by providing results in a format requested by applications, and improving data accuracy by focusing on relevant touch data for specific control interactions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the system processes entire maps of touch locations, then the system can detect all touch events at multiple locations, but the computational load and processing requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemulti-touch detection capabilityVSAvoidprocessing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary touch data relevant to specific control instances from the complete touch map. Instead of processing all touch locations, the system identifies and processes only the touch data corresponding to active controls, thereby reducing computational load while maintaining accurate control interaction detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different processing quality to different regions of the touch map based on control instance definitions. Areas with active controls receive detailed processing, while areas without controls are skipped entirely. This localized processing approach maintains detection accuracy for relevant areas while significantly reducing overall processing requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Quantity of substance

If the system processes all touch data from the multi-touch panel, then comprehensive touch information is available, but data accuracy for specific control interactions may be compromised due to processing overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveamount of touch dataVSAvoidtouch data accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the touch data that is relevant to specific control instances, filtering out unnecessary touch information. This extraction process ensures that the processed data is both accurate for the intended controls and free from interfering information from other areas of the touch panel

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Different processing precision is applied locally to different regions based on control instance definitions. The system processes touch data with high precision only in regions where controls are active, while skipping processing in regions without controls. This ensures measurement precision for control interactions while reducing overall processing burden

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Adaptability or versatility

If applications process the complete touch map, then all touch events are captured, but power consumption increases due to continuous processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetouch event captureVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and processes only the minimal necessary touch data required for control interactions, eliminating the need to continuously process the entire touch map. This selective processing approach maintains touch event capture capability for relevant controls while significantly reducing power consumption from unnecessary processing operations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of processing the complete touch map (excessive action), the system performs partial processing only on the subset of touch data relevant to active controls. This partial action approach ensures sufficient touch event capture for control purposes while minimizing power consumption by avoiding unnecessary processing of irrelevant areas

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9052817B2Mode sensitive processing of touch data

Publication Date: 2015.06.09 APPLE INC

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention provide for a hardware or software utility layer operating at a multi-touch enabled device that can perform application aware processing of touch data. More specifically, various applications executing at the device can send to the utility layer definitions of the types of touch data they require from the multi-touch enabled display. The utility layer can then process incoming touch data in relation to these definitions and send back to the applications result data in a format requested by the applications. Thus, the computational load associated with processing of touch data can be decreased. Also, in certain cases, applications can obtain more accurate data than available in prior systems.