Abstract: The selective rejection of touch contacts in an edge region of a touch sensor panel is disclosed. In addition, by providing certain exceptions to the rejection of edge contacts, the functionality of the touch sensor panel can be maximized. Contacts in edge bands around the perimeter of a touch sensor panel can be ignored. However, if a contact in the edge band moves beyond a threshold distance or speed, it can be recognized as part of a gesture. To accommodate different finger sizes, the size of the edge band can be modified based on the identification of the finger or thumb. Furthermore, if contacts in the center region of a touch sensor panel track the movement of contacts in the edge band, the contacts in the edge band can be recognized as part of a gesture.

Abstract: The use of multiple stimulation signals having one or more frequencies and one or more phases to generate an image of touch on a touch sensor panel is disclosed. Each of a plurality of sense channels can be coupled to a column in a touch sensor panel and can have one or more mixers. Each mixer in the sense channel can utilize a circuit capable generating a demodulation frequency of a particular frequency. At each of multiple steps, various phases of one or more selected frequencies can be used to simultaneously stimulate the rows of the touch sensor panel, and the one or more mixers in each sense channel can be configured to demodulate the signal received from the column connected to each sense channel using the one or more selected frequencies. After all steps have been completed, the demodulated signals from the one or more mixers can be used in calculations to determine an image of touch for the touch sensor panel at each of the one or more frequencies.

Abstract: This relates to an event sensing device that includes an event sensing panel and is able to dynamically change the granularity of the panel according to present needs. Thus, the granularity of the panel can differ at different times of operation. Furthermore, the granularity of specific areas of the panel can also be dynamically changed, so that different areas feature different granularities at a given time. This also relates to panels that feature different inherent granularities in different portions thereof. These panels can be designed, for example, by placing more stimulus and/or data lines in different portions of the panel, thus ensuring different densities of pixels in the different portions. Optionally, these embodiments can also include the dynamic granularity changing features noted above.

Abstract: The dynamic adjusting of the conditions for identifying inputs as touching a touch-sensitive device is discloses. In some examples, in addition to using a signal density make threshold to identify an input patch as touching the surface, a signal density stability threshold can be used to identify the input patch as touching the surface. In some examples, a weighted average of peak signal density contributions from recent identified touches can be computed to dynamically adjust the make threshold for new input patches. In other examples, a new input patch identified as associated with the same path as an earlier touch can have its “make” threshold dynamically adjusted based on the earlier touch without computing a weighted average.

Abstract: A method for performing multi-touch (MT) data fusion is disclosed in which multiple touch inputs occurring at about the same time are received to generating first touch data. Secondary sense data can then be combined with the first touch data to perform operations on an electronic device. The first touch data and the secondary sense data can be time-aligned and interpreted in a time-coherent manner. The first touch data can be refined in accordance with the secondary sense data, or alternatively, the secondary sense data can be interpreted in accordance with the first touch data. Additionally, the first touch data and the secondary sense data can be combined to create a new command.

Abstract: A keyboard image is displayed on the touchscreen of a computing device, with images of individual keys of the keyboard being rendered in respective locations on the touchscreen. User contact with the touchscreen is detected at a location corresponding to a first key of the keyboard image and interpreted as an intentional key selection with respect the first key. An animation is thereafter displayed on the touchscreen in response to the key selection, the animation including a visual effect emanating from the touchscreen location corresponding to the first key and moving substantially away from the keyboard image.

Abstract: The rejection of undesired touch events on a touch surface is disclosed. A weighted meta-centroid of all touch events can be computed. In some examples, touches can be weighted inversely to their size and distance to the nearest neighboring touch. In some examples, touches can be weighted based on the size of their minor radii. A meta-ellipse can be fit to the weighted touch events. In some examples, the major axis of the meta-ellipse can be used to determine the orientation of a user's hand to reject undesired touches. In other examples, touches within the meta-ellipse can be rejected.

Abstract: This application is directed to modifying a sensed velocity at a device (e.g., a clickable trackpad) based on a time-dependent click memory variable (CMV). For example, if a touch having a certain velocity is detected when a selection (pick) button is pressed or released, the velocity can be initially suppressed under the presumption that the movement was inadvertent. However, over time that presumption fades, and the CMV can be used to gradually allow the full velocity of the touch to be recognized, under the new presumption that the movement was intentional.

Abstract: A method for performing multi-touch (MT) data fusion is disclosed in which multiple touch inputs occurring at about the same time are received to generating first touch data. Secondary sense data can then be combined with the first touch data to perform operations on an electronic device. The first touch data and the secondary sense data can be time-aligned and interpreted in a time-coherent manner. The first touch data can be refined in accordance with the secondary sense data, or alternatively, the secondary sense data can be interpreted in accordance with the first touch data. Additionally, the first touch data and the secondary sense data can be combined to create a new command.

Abstract: A keyboard image is displayed on the touchscreen of a computing device, with images of individual keys of the keyboard being rendered in respective locations on the touchscreen. User contact with the touchscreen is detected at a location corresponding to a first key of the keyboard image and interpreted as an intentional key selection with respect the first key. An animation is thereafter displayed on the touchscreen in response to the key selection, the animation including a visual effect emanating from the touchscreen location corresponding to the first key and moving substantially away from the keyboard image.

Abstract: A touch sensor panel is disclosed. The touch sensor panel includes a plurality of rows, at least one of the rows being a split row including a plurality of row subsections; and a plurality of columns, at least one of the columns being a split column including a plurality of column subsections. The touch sensor panel is configured with at least one split row and at least one split column located to increase a likelihood that a touch anywhere on the touch sensor panel overlaps with at least one split row and at least one split column. The rows and columns are individually charged electrodes capable of detecting a change in capacitance in a corresponding area of the touch sensor panel.

Abstract: A touch sensitive device that detects the occurrence of an electrostatic discharge event on the device by analyzing an acquired touch image for characteristics associated with the occurrence of an ESD event is provided. An acquired touch image is analyzed for characteristics that differentiate it from a touch image generated by a user input and are correlated with an expected touch image generated by an ESD event.

Abstract: An image jaggedness filter is disclosed that can be used to detect the presence of ungrounded objects such as water droplets or coins, and delay periodic baseline adjustments until these objects are no longer present. To do otherwise could produce inaccurate normalized baseline sensor output values. The application of a global baseline offset is also disclosed to quickly modify the sensor offset values to account for conditions such as rapid temperature changes. Background pixels not part of any touch regions can be used to detect changes to no-touch sensor output values and globally modify the sensor offset values accordingly. The use of motion dominance ratios and axis domination confidence values is also disclosed to improve the accuracy of locking onto dominant motion components as part of gesture recognition.

Abstract: This relates to a method of extrapolating proximity information to generate a border column or row of touch nodes (also known as touch pixels) and then fitting an ellipse to the contact patch including the extrapolated border touch nodes. Additionally, a contact can be identified as a thumb based on both its major axis and its distance to an edge of the touch sensing surface.

Abstract: The application of a watershed algorithm to pixels and their touch values obtained from a scan of a touch sensor panel to determine patches corresponding to images of touch is disclosed. Prior to applying the watershed algorithm, background pixels having little or no touch values can be eliminated. A primary merge algorithm can then merge adjacent patches together when the saddle point between them is shallow as compared to the peak represented by the patches. However, if two candidate patches for merging have a total number of pixels below a certain threshold, these two patches may not be merged under the assumption that the patches might have been caused by different fingertips. Conversely, if two candidate patches for merging have a total number of pixels above a certain threshold, these two patches can be merged under the assumption that the patches were caused by a single thumb or palm.

Abstract: This relates to an event sensing device that includes an event sensing panel and is able to dynamically change the granularity of the panel according to present needs. Thus, the granularity of the panel can differ at different times of operation. Furthermore, the granularity of specific areas of the panel can also be dynamically changed, so that different areas feature different granularities at a given time. This also relates to panels that feature different inherent granularities in different portions thereof. These panels can be designed, for example, by placing more stimulus and/or data lines in different portions of the panel, thus ensuring different densities of pixels in the different portions. Optionally, these embodiments can also include the dynamic granularity changing features noted above.

Abstract: The use of multiple stimulation signals having one or more frequencies and one or more phases to generate an image of touch on a touch sensor panel is disclosed. Each of a plurality of sense channels can be coupled to a column in a touch sensor panel and can have one or more mixers. Each mixer in the sense channel can utilize a circuit capable generating a demodulation frequency of a particular frequency. At each of multiple steps, various phases of one or more selected frequencies can be used to simultaneously stimulate the rows of the touch sensor panel, and the one or more mixers in each sense channel can be configured to demodulate the signal received from the column connected to each sense channel using the one or more selected frequencies. After all steps have been completed, the demodulated signals from the one or more mixers can be used in calculations to determine an image of touch for the touch sensor panel at each of the one or more frequencies.

Abstract: This relates to an event sensing device that includes an event sensing panel and is able to dynamically change the granularity of the panel according to present needs. Thus, the granularity of the panel can differ at different times of operation. Furthermore, the granularity of specific areas of the panel can also be dynamically changed, so that different areas feature different granularities at a given time. This also relates to panels that feature different inherent granularities in different portions thereof. These panels can be designed, for example, by placing more stimulus and/or data lines in different portions of the panel, thus ensuring different densities of pixels in the different portions. Optionally, these embodiments can also include the dynamic granularity changing features noted above.

Abstract: Techniques for identifying irregular objects in contact with, or in close proximity to, a touch-surface are described. An irregularity measure is determined based on the regions intrinsic characteristics (e.g., energy content) rather than on the shape (or pattern) of the pixels within the region.

Abstract: The use of multiple stimulation signals having one or more frequencies and one or more phases to generate an image of touch on a touch sensor panel is disclosed. Each of a plurality of sense channels can be coupled to a column in a touch sensor panel and can have one or more mixers. Each mixer in the sense channel can utilize a circuit capable generating a demodulation frequency of a particular frequency. At each of multiple steps, various phases of one or more selected frequencies can be used to simultaneously stimulate the rows of the touch sensor panel, and the one or more mixers in each sense channel can be configured to demodulate the signal received from the column connected to each sense channel using the one or more selected frequencies. After all steps have been completed, the demodulated signals from the one or more mixers can be used in calculations to determine an image of touch for the touch sensor panel at each of the one or more frequencies.