Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Robbie Edgar

Carl Edward Picciotto

James Charles Marshall

Aric Ahkeel Fitz-Coy

Flavio Protasio Ribeiro

Brian Cox

Yi-Min Huang

Brian R Cox

David A Marks

James C Marshall

Nathan Ukrainetz

Example systems described herein are configured to limit inadvertent actuations of a touchpad. The system may include a touchpad, mechanically-activated switch(es), a locking assembly, and a controller. The touchpad is configured to receive a touch input from a user. The mechanically-activated switch(es) are adjacent to the touchpad. The mechanically-activated switch(es) are configured to be activated when a depression force associated with the touch input exceeds a force threshold. The locking assembly is configured to selectively inhibit the touchpad from depressing the mechanically-activated switch(es) depending on whether one or more inhibiting criteria are satisfied. For instance, the inhibiting criteria may take into consideration an inferred intent of the user, an input mode of the touch input, and/or the depression force associated with the touch input.

Limiting inadvertent actuations of a touchpad

Haptic response is controlled in a device having a touch sensor, a force sensor, and a haptic response actuator operably coupled to a touch surface. A user touch to the touch surface is detected by the touch sensor. A force applied to the touch surface is sensed by the detected user touch. Electrical power supplied to the haptic response actuator is adjusted based at least in part on the sensed force satisfying a haptic condition. The haptic response to the touch surface is actuated based at least in part on satisfaction of the haptic condition and the supply of the adjusted electrical power to the haptic response actuator.

Haptic response control

Examples disclosed herein relate to the identification and suppression of inadvertent touches on a touch device, such as a touchpad or a touch screen. A suppression region is monitored on the touch device, and received touches are classified as intended or inadvertent based on the touches inside or outside of the suppression region. The suppression region is continually monitored, even while touches determined to be intended are being captured. Inadvertent touches are suppressed, and intended touches are allowed to be displayed or otherwise processed.

Touch device with suppression band

Inadvertent input control techniques are described. In one or more implementations, techniques are described that leverage force to determine a likelihood that a user intended to provide an input, e.g., a selection input (e.g., a 'click'), gesture, lift off, and so forth. This is usable to identify taps, hovers, continuation of movement of a drag operation, and so on. Implementations are also discussed that leverage an n-manifold in the product space of contact size and signal strength that is usable to define a likelihood of whether a contact includes an application of force. A variety of other examples are also described, including cursor stability techniques that leverage force in order to control movement of a cursor.

Force sensing and inadvertent input control of an input device

Force inputs and cursor control

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Sammamish, WA, United States of America

Robbie Edgar