Patent Application
20130063367
This relates generally to input devices and, more specifically, to air actuated input devices.
Touch sensitive devices have become popular as input devices to computing systems due to their ease and versatility of operation as well as their declining price. A touch sensitive device can include a touch sensor panel, which can be a clear panel with a touch sensitive surface, and a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) that can be positioned partially or fully behind the panel or integrated with the panel so that the touch sensitive surface can cover at least a portion of the viewable area of the display device. The touch sensitive device can allow a user to perform various functions by touching the touch sensor panel using a finger, stylus or other object at a location often dictated by a user interface (UI) being displayed by the display device. In general, the touch sensitive device can recognize a touch event and the position of the touch event on the touch sensor panel, and the computing system can then interpret the touch event in accordance with the display appearing at the time of the touch event, and thereafter can perform one or more actions based on the touch event.
While touch sensitive devices provide intuitive ways of entering input, there can be times when it is difficult or inconvenient to physically contact the touch sensitive device.
This relates to air actuated devices and processes for detecting breath events. The air actuated devices can include an air actuated surface having a temperature-responsive material disposed thereon. The temperature-responsive material can include multiple temperature-responsive beads or can include a temperature-responsive array having multiple temperature-responsive rows and multiple temperature-responsive columns. Monitoring circuitry can be included to monitor a parameter of the temperature-responsive material to detect a change in temperature of the air actuated surface. A processor can also be included to detect a breath event on the air actuated surface based on the monitored parameter of the temperature-responsive material. The processor can generate a command signal in response to a detected breath event. The air actuated device can also include a touch sensor to detect touch events on the air actuated surface. These will be described in more detail below.
Processes for detecting breath events are also disclosed.
In the following description of example embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which it is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments that can be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments can be used and structural changes can be made without departing from the scope of the various embodiments.
This relates to air actuated devices and processes for detecting breath events. The air actuated devices can include an air actuated surface having a temperature-responsive material disposed thereon. The temperature-responsive material can include multiple temperature-responsive beads or can include a temperature-responsive array having multiple temperature-responsive rows and multiple temperature-responsive columns. Monitoring circuitry can be included to monitor a parameter of the temperature-responsive material to detect a change in temperature of the air actuated surface. A processor can also be included to detect a breath event on the air actuated surface based on the monitored parameter of the thermistor material. The processor can generate a command signal in response to a detected breath event. The air actuated device can also include a touch sensor to detect touch events on the air actuated surface. These will be described in more detail below. Processes for detecting breath event are also disclosed.
In some embodiments, device 100 can further include an air actuated surface 105 for detecting breath events, such as a user breathing or blowing across a surface of the device. In some embodiments, air actuated surface 105 can be located on the entire viewable area of display 101, while in other embodiments, air actuated surface 105 can be located on only a portion of display 101. Air actuated surface 105 can include a temperature-responsive material, such as a thermistor material, deposited on the surface of the device, such as on the surface of the cover material of display 101. As will be described in greater detail below with respect to
While specific examples of air actuated device 100 are provided above, it should be appreciated that the principles described in the present disclosure can similarly be applied to devices having other features and configurations. For instance, the circuitry described below for detecting breath events can be applied to touch sensitive devices, such as touch pads, touch sensitive displays, and the like, as well as non-touch sensitive devices, such as non-touch sensitive displays, non-touch sensitive surfaces of a device, and the like.
As mentioned above, air actuated device 100 can include a touch sensitive display 101. In these embodiments, a touch sensor, such as touch sensor 200 shown in
To sense a touch at the touch sensor 200, drive lines 201 can be stimulated by the stimulation signals 207 to capacitively couple with the crossing sense lines 203, thereby forming a capacitive path for coupling charge from the drive lines 201 to the sense lines 203. The crossing sense lines 203 can output touch signals 209, representing the coupled charge or current. When a user's finger (or other object) touches the panel 200, the finger can cause the capacitance Csig 211 to reduce by an amount ΔCsig at the touch location. This capacitance change ΔCsig can be caused by charge or current from the stimulated drive line 201 being shunted through the touching finger to ground rather than being coupled to the crossing sense line 203 at the touch location. The touch signals 209 representative of the capacitance change ΔCsig can be transmitted by the sense lines 203 to the sense circuitry for processing. The touch signals 209 can indicate the pixel where the touch occurred and the amount of touch that occurred at that pixel location.
While the embodiment shown in
Air actuated device 300 can further include multiple thermistor beads 305 for detecting a change in temperature on the surface of cover glass 301. In some embodiments, thermistor beads 305 can be used to detect a change in temperature caused by the breath of a user. For example, as a user blows across the surface of cover glass 301, the temperature of the surface of cover glass 301 can change due to the difference in temperature between cover glass 301 and the user's breath. In response to the detected change in temperature, a processor within device 300 can be configured to generate a command signal to cause device 300 to perform an action. For example, a user can blow on the display of device 300 to cause an action to be performed in a game, a page of an electronic book to be turned, or any other action to be performed in an application. It should be noted that although thermistors are illustrated and described herein, other embodiments of the disclosure can utilize resistive thermal devices (RTDs), thermocouples or any other temperature-responsive materials, beads or devices having one or more properties that change as a function of temperature.
Thermistor beads 305 can be made of any thermistor material, such as a metal oxide. In some embodiments, since thermistor beads 305 can be located on the portion of cover glass 301 above the device's display, thermistor beads 305 can be made of a transparent material so as not to obstruct the user's view. For example, a transparent metal oxide, such as nickel oxide, can be used in some embodiments. Since thermistor beads 305 can be made of a thermistor material, a parameter, such as the resistance of thermistor beads 305, can change with temperature. Thus, device 300 can use thermistor beads 305 to detect a change in temperature by monitoring the change in resistance of each bead.
In some embodiments, device 300 can further include circuit layer 303 for monitoring a parameter, such as the resistance, of thermistor beads 305. Circuit layer 303 can include circuitry configured to monitor a change in voltage across each bead or to monitor a change in current through each bead. For example, in some embodiments, circuit layer 303 can include circuitry configured to flow a constant current through each thermistor bead 305 and monitor a change in voltage across each bead. In other embodiments, circuit layer 303 can include circuitry configured to apply a constant voltage across each thermistor bead 305 and monitor a change in current conducted through each bead. In yet other embodiments, circuit layer 303 can include other monitoring circuitry known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
In some embodiments, circuit layer 303 can be positioned across cover glass 301 beneath thermistor beads 305. In this way, circuit layer 303 can couple to each thermistor bead 305. In some embodiments, since circuit layer 303 can be located on the portion of cover glass 301 above the device's display, circuit layer 303 can be made of a transparent material so as not to obstruct the user's view. For example, a transparent metal oxide, such as indium-tin oxide (ITO), can be used in some embodiments.
In some embodiments, since thermistor beads 305 can be located on the upper surface of cover glass 301 where users typically touch device 300, a protective film (which can be thermally conductive) can be placed over thermistor beads 305 on cover glass 301. The protective film can be used to protect thermistor beads 305 from being damaged or removed from device 300 by the user's finger or by inadvertent contact with another object. In some embodiments, the protective film can be formed from or coated with an oleophobic material, such as fluorocarbons, to reduce the amount of oil on the protective film that can be deposited by the user's finger.
In some embodiments, thermistor beads 305 can be arranged in rows and columns to form an array of beads. For example,
In some embodiments, air actuated device 300 can further include a processor (not shown) for receiving signals from circuit layer 303 that are representative of a change in temperature of each thermistor bead 305. The processor can use this information to determine if a breath event has been detected. Information, such as the amount of change in temperature, duration of the change in temperature, location of thermistor beads 305 detecting a change in temperature, and the like, can be used to identify a breath event. For example, a breath can cause a relatively small change in temperature for a relatively short period of time. Thus, in some embodiments, a detected change in temperature of between a fraction of a degree (e.g., 0.1° C. to 0.9° C.) to several degrees (e.g., 3° C. to 5° C.) for a duration between a fraction of a second (e.g., 0.1 seconds to 0.9 seconds) to tens of seconds (e.g., 10 seconds to 30 seconds) can be indicative of a user's breath on cover glass 301 of device 300. Additionally, the location of a user's breath can typically be decentralized. In other words, a breath event typically extends over a large portion of display 307 rather than a small discrete portion of display 307, as would be expected from a user physically touching the device. As a result, a breath event can cause a large number of grouped thermistor beads 305 to detect a change in temperature. Thus, in some embodiments, a breath event can be identified by the processor when a detection of a small change in temperature (e.g., a temperature change of between 0.1° C. to 5° C.) for a short duration (e.g., a duration between 0.1 seconds to 30 seconds) by a large number of grouped thermistor beads 305 (e.g., thermistor beads 305 covering between about 30% to 50% of display 307). While specific temperatures, durations, and number of thermistor beads 305 are provided above, it should be appreciated that other values can be used depending on the specific application. These values can be determined, for example, by experimentation for specific device configurations.
In response to a detection of a breath event, the processor can be configured to generate a command signal to cause device 300 to perform an action. For example, the command signal can cause an action to be performed in a game, a page to be turned in an electronic book, or any other action to be performed in any application. The command can be a simple binary command (e.g., perform action or do not perform action) or can include additional information about the breath event, such as duration, intensity, direction, or the like. For example, in some embodiments, the duration that a temperature change is detected can be used to approximate the duration of the breath event. In other embodiments, the time that circuit layer 303 reports a change in temperature for a particular thermistor bead 305 can be used to determine the direction and intensity of the breath. For example, if a change in temperature is first detected at a thermistor bead 305 located in bottom row 309 and is progressively followed by a detection of a change in temperature by thermistor beads 305 from bottom row 309 to top row 311, the breath can be determined to originate at the bottom of display 307 and be directed up towards the top of display 307. Similarly, the time between thermistor beads 305 detecting a change in temperature can be used to approximate the intensity, or speed, of the breath event.
Air actuated device 500 can further include an array of thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 for detecting a change in temperature on the surface of cover glass 501. Similar to thermistor beads 301 of device 300, thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 can be used to detect a change in temperature caused by the breath of a user. For example, the intersections of thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 can form pixels 513 that can be used to detect breath events in a manner similar to that of thermistor beads 305. A change in temperature of a pixel 513 can be determined based on the pixel's corresponding thermistor row 503 and thermistor column 505 detecting a change in temperature.
Thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 can be made from traces of any thermistor material, such as a metal oxide. In some embodiments, since thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 can be located on the portion of cover glass 505 (or other cover material) above the device's display, thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 can be made of a transparent material so as not to obstruct the user's view. For example, a transparent metal oxide, such as nickel oxide, can be used in some embodiments. Additionally, since thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 can be made of a thermistor material, the resistance of thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 can change with temperature. Thus, device 500 can use thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 to detect a change in temperature by monitoring the change in resistance of the traces.
In some embodiments, device 500 can further include monitoring circuitry (not shown) for monitoring the resistance of thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505. The monitoring circuitry can include circuitry configured to monitor a change in voltage across each trace or to monitor a change in current through each trace. For example, in some embodiments, the monitoring circuitry can include circuitry configured to flow a constant current through each trace of thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 and monitor a change in voltage across each trace. In other embodiments, the monitoring circuitry can include circuitry configured to apply a constant voltage across each trace of thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 and monitor a change in current conducted through each trace. In yet other embodiments, the monitoring circuitry can include other monitoring circuitry known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
In some embodiments, the monitoring circuitry can be positioned along the edges of device 500 behind the black mask on cover glass 501 (or other cover material). Unlike thermistor beads 305 of device 300, each thermistor row 503 and thermistor column 505 can span the width and length, respectively, of the display of device 500. As a result, the monitoring circuitry used to monitor the resistance of thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 can be coupled to the ends of the traces and can thus be located away from the display portion of device 500. As a result, thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 can be formed using non-transparent materials or transparent materials.
In some embodiments, since thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 can be located on the upper surface of cover glass 501 (or other cover material) where users typically touch device 500, a protective film can be placed over thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 on cover glass 501. The protective film can be used to protect thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 from being damaged or removed from device 500 by the user's finger or by inadvertent contact with another object. In some embodiments, the protective film can be formed or coated with an oleophobic material, such as fluorocarbons, to reduce the amount of oil on the protective film that can be deposited by the user's finger.
Air actuated device 500 can further include a processor (not shown) for receiving signals from the monitoring circuitry that are representative of a change in temperature of thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505. The signals can be representative of a change in temperature of each thermistor trace. The processor can use this information to determine a location of a pixel 513 where a change in temperature has occurred. For example, if both bottom thermistor row 509 and right thermistor column 515 detect a change in temperature, the processor can determine that a change in temperature has been detected at detected pixel 517. The processor can use this information, along with additional information, such as the amount of change in temperature, duration of change in temperature, location of pixels 517 detecting a change in temperature, and the like, to determine if a breath event has occurred. For example, as mentioned above, a breath event can cause a relatively small change in temperature for a relatively short period of time. Thus, in some embodiments, a detected change in temperature of between a fraction of a degree (e.g., 0.1° C. to 0.9° C.) to several degrees (e.g., 3° C. to 5° C.) for a duration between a fraction of a second (e.g., 0.1 seconds to 0.9 seconds) to tens of seconds (e.g., 10 seconds to 30 seconds) can be indicative of a user's breath on cover glass 501 (or other cover material) of device 500. Additionally, the location of a user's breath can typically be decentralized. In other words, a breath event typically extends over a large portion of display 507 rather than a small discrete portion of display 507, as would be expected from a user physically touching the device. As a result, a breath event can cause a large number of grouped pixels 513 to detect a change in temperature. Thus, in some embodiments, a breath event can be identified by the processor when a detection of a small change in temperature (e.g., a temperature change of between 0.1° C. to 5° C.) for a short duration (e.g., a duration between 0.1 seconds to 30 seconds) by a large number of grouped pixels 513 (e.g., pixels 513 covering between about 30% to 50% of display 507). While specific temperatures, durations, and number of pixels 513 are provided above, it should be appreciated that other values can be used depending on the specific application. These values can be determined, for example, by experimentation for specific device configurations.
In response to a detection of a breath event, the processor can be configured to generate a command signal to cause device 500 to perform an action. For example, the command can cause an action to be performed in a game, a page to be turned in an electronic book, or any other action to be performed in any application. The command can be a simple binary command (e.g., perform action or do not perform action) or can include additional information about the breath event, such as duration, intensity, direction, or the like. For example, in some embodiments, the duration that a temperature change is detected can be used to approximate the duration of the breath event. In other embodiments, the time that the monitoring circuitry reports a change in temperature for traces corresponding to a particular pixel 513 can be used to determine the direction and intensity of the breath. If a change in temperature is first detected at a pixel 513 located in bottom row 509 and is progressively followed by a detection of a change in temperature at pixels 513 from bottom row 509 to top row 511, the breath can be determined to originate at the bottom of display 507 and be directed up towards the top of display 507. Similarly, the time between detection of a change in temperature at pixels 513 can be used to approximate the intensity, or speed, of the breath event.
In some embodiments, the thermistor materials of air actuated devices 100, 300, and 500 can be deposited on the cover glass (or other cover material) using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process, physical vapor deposition (PVD) process, or sputtering process. In other embodiments, other deposition processes known to those of ordinary skill in the art can be used.
At block 701 of process 700, a temperature of a surface of a device can be monitored. In some embodiments, multiple thermistor beads similar or identical to thermistor beads 305 can be positioned on the surface of the device, such as on a display of a touch sensitive device. Circuitry similar or identical to circuit layer 303 can be used to monitor the temperature of the surface by monitoring a parameter, such as resistance, of the thermistor beads, as described above with respect to
In other embodiments, thermistor traces similar or identical to thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505 can be arranged on the surface of the device. Monitoring circuitry can be used to monitor the temperature of the surface by monitoring the resistance of the traces, as described above with respect to
At block 703, a change in temperature of the surface of the device can be detected. In some embodiments, as described above, the change in temperature can be detected by monitoring the resistance of the thermistor beads or thermistor traces.
At block 705, it can be determined whether the detected change in temperature was caused by the breath of a user. As described above with respect to
At block 707, a command signal can be generated. In some embodiments, as described above with respect to
One or more of the functions relating to the detection of a breath event can be performed by a computing system similar or identical to computing system 800 shown in
The instructions can also be propagated within any transport medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device and execute the instructions. In the context of this document, a “transport medium” can be any medium that can communicate, propagate or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The transport medium can include, but is not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic or infrared wired or wireless propagation medium.
Computing system 800 can further include air actuated device 807 coupled to processor 805. Air actuated device 807 can be similar or identical to air actuated device 100, 300, or 500 described above. In some embodiments, air actuated device 807 can include thermistor sensors 809, monitoring circuitry 811, and touch sensor 813 for detecting touch events and breath events and for providing signals indicating a detection of a touch event or breath event to processor 805. In some embodiments, thermistor sensors 809 can include sensors similar or identical to thermistor beads 305 or thermistor rows 503 and thermistor columns 505, monitoring circuitry 811 can include circuitry to monitor the resistance of thermistor sensors 809 and can include circuitry similar or identical to circuit layer 303 of device 300 or the monitoring circuitry of device 500, and touch sensor 813 can be similar or identical to touch sensor 200, described above. Processor 805 can receive the signals from air actuated device 807 and interpret them as touch events or breath events in a manner similar or identical to that described above with respect to process 700.
It is to be understood that the computing system is not limited to the components and configuration of
The personal devices of
Although embodiments have been fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the various embodiments as defined by the appended claims.
