Touch input processing method and electronic device supporting the same

{
  "publication_number": "US11498225B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Touch input processing method and electronic device supporting the same",
  "abstract": "An electronic device including: a housing; a sensor module disposed on an inner face of the housing and including a plurality of sensing units; and a processor positioned within the housing and electrically connected to the sensor module. Each of the plurality of sensing units is electrically connected to another sensing unit adjacent thereto among the plurality of sensing units, and includes a central portion and a plurality of peripheral portions connected to a partial area of the central portion and arranged around the central portion, and each of the central portion and the plurality of peripheral portions includes a touch sensor. In addition to this, various embodiments understood through this document are possible.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An electronic device comprising: a housing including a first face and a second face, wherein the second face surrounds a periphery of the first face and extends from the periphery of the first face to a point spaced apart from the first face by a predetermined distance, and a partial area of the second face includes a curved face; a sensor module disposed on an inner face of the housing, the sensor module including a plurality of sensing units, wherein at least a portion of the sensor module is bent along a curved portion of the inner face; and a processor positioned within the housing, the processor electrically connected to the sensor module, wherein each of the plurality of sensing units is electrically connected to another sensing unit adjacent thereto among the plurality of sensing units, wherein each of the plurality of sensing units includes a central portion and a plurality of peripheral portions, the plurality of peripheral portions connected to a partial area of the central portion and arranged around the central portion, wherein each of the central portion and the plurality of peripheral portions includes a touch sensor, and wherein at least one of the central portion or the plurality of peripheral portions includes a flexible printed circuit board, the flexible printed circuit board forming a seating face of the touch sensor and bent along a shape of the inner face of the housing on which the seating face is disposed.",
    "2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the central portion and the plurality of peripheral portions are disposed such that a distance from the inner face of the housing thereto is within a predetermined range.",
    "3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: sense a touch input through touch sensors included in at least two of the central portion and the plurality of peripheral portions; confirm mounting positions and a sensing order of touch sensors in which the touch input is sensed; and determine a touch trajectory of the touch input based on the mounting positions and the sensing order.",
    "4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to: set at least one vector of which: a start point is a mounting position of a first touch sensor, of which the sensing order is a preceding order among the touch sensors in which the touch input is sensed, and an end point is a mounting position of a second touch sensor, of which the sensing order is a subsequent order among the touch sensors in which the touch input is sensed; and determine the touch trajectory based on a direction of the at least one vector.",
    "5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: sense a touch input through at least two sensing units among the plurality of sensing units; confirm mounting positions and a sensing order of sensing units in which the touch input is sensed; and determine a touch trajectory of the touch input based on the mounting positions and the sensing order.",
    "6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to: set at least one vector of which: a start point is a mounting position of a first sensing unit, of which the sensing order is a preceding order among the at least two sensing units in which the touch input is sensed, and an end point is a mounting position of a second sensing unit, of which the sensing order is a subsequent order among the at least two sensing units in which the touch input is sensed; and determine the touch trajectory based on a direction of the at least one vector.",
    "7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to: sense a touch input through at least two sensing units among the plurality of sensing units; confirm touch sensitivities of touch sensors included in the at least two sensing units in which the touch input is sensed and an intensity of the touch input sensed in each of the touch sensors included in the at least two sensing units; determine a touch position of the touch input based on the touch sensitivities of the touch sensors included in the at least two sensing units and the intensity of the touch input; and adjust, upon determining that the touch position is an area between the at least two sensing units in which the touch input is sensed, touch sensitivities of one or more touch sensors adjacent to the area of the touch sensors included in the at least two sensing units.",
    "8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensing units includes a microphone and the processor is configured to: sense a touch input through a first touch sensor among a plurality of touch sensors included in the plurality of sensing units; receive a sound input through the microphone; determine a direction of the touch input based on a result of analysis of the sound input; and adjust a touch sensitivity of a second touch sensor among the plurality of touch sensors based on the direction of the touch input.",
    "9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensing units includes an illuminance sensor and the processor is configured to: sense a touch input through a first touch sensor among a plurality of touch sensors included in the plurality of sensing units; obtain an illuminance value through the illuminance sensor; determine a direction of the touch input based on a result of analysis of the illuminance value; and adjust a touch sensitivity of a second touch sensor among the plurality of touch sensors based on the direction of the touch input.",
    "10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of sensing units includes a hall sensor and the processor is configured to: determine whether an external magnetic body is attached to the housing through the hall sensor; and adjust an intensity of a motion of the electronic device based on a determination that the external magnetic body is attached to the housing.",
    "11. A touch input processing method of an electronic device, the method comprising: sensing a touch input through a sensor module disposed on an inner face of a housing of the electronic device, the sensor module including a plurality of sensing units, each of the plurality of sensing units including a plurality of touch sensors; confirming mounting positions and a sensing order of one or more touch sensors in which the touch input is sensed among the plurality of touch sensors through a processor, the processor disposed inside the housing and electrically connected to the sensor module; and determining a touch trajectory of the touch input based on the mounting positions and the sensing order through the processor, wherein each of the plurality of sensing units is electrically connected to another sensing unit adjacent thereto among the plurality of sensing units, wherein each of the plurality of sensing units includes a central portion and a plurality of peripheral portions, the plurality of peripheral portions connected to a partial area of the central portion and arranged around the central portion, and wherein each of the central portion and the plurality of peripheral portions includes a touch sensor.",
    "12. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensing of the touch input includes sensing the touch input through touch sensors included in at least two of the central portion and the plurality of peripheral portions.",
    "13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining of the touch trajectory includes: setting at least one vector of which: a start point is a mounting position of a first touch sensor, of which the sensing order is a preceding order among the one or more touch sensors in which the touch input is sensed, and an end point is a mounting position of a second touch sensor, of which the sensing order is a subsequent order among the one or more touch sensors in which the touch input is sensed; and determining the touch trajectory based on a direction of the at least one vector.",
    "14. The method of claim 11, wherein: the sensing of the touch input includes sensing the touch input through at least two sensing units among the plurality of sensing units; and the confirming of the mounting positions and the sensing order of the one or more touch sensors includes confirming the mounting positions and the sensing order of the at least two sensing units in which the touch input is sensed.",
    "15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining of the touch trajectory includes: setting at least one vector of which: a start point is a mounting position of a first sensing unit, of which the sensing order is a preceding order among the at least two sensing units in which the touch input is sensed, and an end point is a mounting position of a second sensing unit, of which the sensing order is a subsequent order among the at least two sensing units in which the touch input is sensed; and determining the touch trajectory based on a direction of the at least one vector.",
    "16. The method of claim 11, wherein: the sensing of the touch input includes sensing the touch input through at least two sensing units among the plurality of sensing units, and the method further comprises: confirming touch sensitivities of touch sensors included in the at least two sensing units in which the touch input is sensed and an intensity of the touch input sensed in each of the touch sensors; determining a touch position of the touch input based on the touch sensitivities of the touch sensors included in the at least two sensing units and the intensity of the touch input; and adjusting, upon determining that the touch position is an area between the at least two sensing units in which the touch input is sensed, touch sensitivities of one or more touch sensors adjacent to the area of the touch sensors included in the at least two sensing units.",
    "17. The method of claim 11, wherein: the sensing of the touch input includes sensing the touch input through a first touch sensor among the plurality of touch sensors included in the plurality of sensing units, and the method further comprises: receiving a sound input through a microphone included in at least one of the plurality of sensing units; determining a direction of the touch input based on a result of analysis of the sound input; and adjusting a touch sensitivity of a second touch sensor among the plurality of touch sensors based on the direction of the touch input.",
    "18. The method of claim 11, wherein: the sensing of the touch input includes sensing the touch input through a first touch sensor among the plurality of touch sensors included in the plurality of sensing units, and wherein the method further comprises: obtaining an illuminance value through an illuminance sensor included in at least one of the plurality of sensing units; determining a direction of the touch input based on a result of analysis of the illuminance value; and adjusting a touch sensitivity of a second touch sensor among the plurality of touch sensors based on the direction of the touch input.",
    "19. The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining whether an external magnetic body is attached to the housing through a hall sensor included in at least one of the plurality of sensing units; and adjusting an intensity of a motion of the electronic device based on a determination that the external magnetic body is attached to the housing."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "Various embodiments relate to technology for processing a touch input.\n\nA robot is an electronic device capable of making a determination and moving autonomously, and may play an important role as a tool for performing various tasks on behalf of humans. For example, robots may be used to automate many types of tasks, including, for example, logistics, assembly, welding, and painting in manufacturing production lines, whereby the robots are capable of contributing to improving productivity and protecting humans from working under inhumane conditions, and are capable of performing various tasks on behalf of humans even in an extreme environment. In addition, since robots are capable of behaving similar to humans and interacting with users, robots are able to induce significant interest therein and engage users, especially children. Thus, it is possible to provide education or play more easily using robots.\n\nSuch robots may recognize (or sense) a user's touch input (a simple touch or complex touch gesture) as part of a user interface, and may provide various functions in response to the recognized touch input. In order to recognize the user's touch input, a robot may include a touch sensor. For example, at least one touch sensor may be disposed along the inner wall surface of a housing forming the exterior of a robot.\n\nThe above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure.",
  "cpc": [
    "B25J 13/081",
    "B25J 11/0005",
    "G05B 19/042",
    "G06F 1/181",
    "G06F 2203/04102",
    "G06F 2203/04104",
    "G06F 2203/04106",
    "G06F 2203/04808",
    "G06F 3/03547",
    "G06F 3/041",
    "G06F 3/0414",
    "G06F 3/04144",
    "G06F 3/0416",
    "G06F 3/04186",
    "G06F 3/042",
    "G06F 3/043",
    "G06F 3/0448",
    "G06F 3/046",
    "G06F 3/04883",
    "H03K 17/962",
    "H03K 2017/9602"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 13/08",
    "G06F 3/041"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Samsung Electronics Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Junghan Kim",
    "Sungjin Park",
    "Seunghwan Lee",
    "Baeseok Lim",
    "Woojong CHO",
    "Kuyoung CHOI",
    "Hyoseok NA",
    "Changryong HEO"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2020-02-21",
  "publication_date": "2022-11-15",
  "grant_date": "2022-11-15",
  "priority_date": "2019-02-21",
  "application_number": "US-202016797940-A",
  "family_id": "72141415",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
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}