# US 2014/0191990 A1 · Touch pad for handheld device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0191990 A1 - Document ID: US20140191990A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/048,924 - Filed: 2013-10-08 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2003-11-25 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Greg MARRIOTT; Guy BAR-NAHUM; Steven BOLLINGER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191990A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0416: {Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers} - G06F 3/03547: {Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface} - G06F 3/041: Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means - G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A touch pad system is disclosed. The system includes mapping the touch pad into native sensor coordinates. The system also includes producing native values of the native sensor coordinates when events occur on the touch pad. The system further includes filtering the native values of the native sensor coordinates based on the type of events that occur on the touch pad. The system additionally includes generating a control signal based on the native values of the native sensor coordinates when a desired event occurs on the touch pad. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-36. (canceled) ### Claim 37 A method comprising: sending information identifying an initial object location on a touch pad to a host device when a signal state is changed from a first state to a second state, determining a difference between a current object location and a prior object location, and generating a message for the host device when the difference is greater than a threshold value, wherein the message comprises the current object location. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein the message is sent to the host device when the signal state is in the second state. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The method of claim 38, comprising filtering messages sent to the host device if the signal state is in the first state. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The method of claim 39, comprising filtering messages sent to the host device when the signal state is changed from the second state to the first state. ### Claim 41 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, wherein the difference between the current object location and the prior object location corresponds to an amount of movement of the object relative to the touch pad. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The method of claim 41, comprising determining whether the amount of movement is associated with an undesired event or a desired event, filtering the undesired event, and sending the desired event to the host device when the signal state is in the second state. ### Claim 43 (depends on 37) The method of claim 37, comprising converting the current location into a logical device unit when the difference in object location is greater than the threshold value, wherein the logical device unit corresponds to a button function. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The method of claim 43, wherein the message comprises the button function. ### Claim 45 (depends on 44) The method of claim 44, wherein the message is sent to the host device only when the signal state is in the second state. ### Claim 46 A touch pad assembly, comprising: a touch pad comprising one or more sensors configured to detect a current object location and a prior object location, a controller configured to filter an output of the current object location when a difference between the current object location and a prior object location is equal to or less than a threshold value, and a user modifiable signal state that can be set to filter the output of the current object location even when the difference in object location is greater than the threshold value. ### Claim 47 A method comprising: receiving a current object location on a touch pad having a surface and one or more sensors configured to map the surface into native sensor coordinates, generating a message comprising a changed object location when a difference between the current object location and a prior object location exceeds a threshold value that corresponds to a number of sensor levels in the touch pad, and filtering the message from a host device when a user modifiable signal state is in an inactive state. ### Claim 48 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, wherein the current object location is sent to the host device when the signal state is changed from an inactive state to an active state, even when the difference in object location does not exceed the threshold value. ### Claim 49 (depends on 48) The method of claim 48, wherein the message is sent to the host device if the signal state is in an active state. ### Claim 50 (depends on 49) The method of claim 49, comprising filtering messages received by the host device when the signal state is changed from the active state to the inactive state. ### Claim 51 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, wherein the threshold value corresponds to a number of sensors in the touchpad. ### Claim 52 (depends on 47) The method of claim 47, comprising converting the changed object location into a logical device unit when a difference between the current object location and the past object location exceeds a threshold value that corresponds to a number of sensor levels in the touch pad. ### Claim 53 (depends on 52) The method of claim 52, wherein the logical device unit corresponds to a button function. ### Claim 54 (depends on 53) The method of claim 53, wherein the message comprises the button function. ### Claim 55 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, comprising filtering messages received by the host device if the signal state is in an inactive state.