# US 2018/0024693 A1 · Touch rejection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0024693 A1 - Document ID: US20180024693A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/710,087 - Filed: 2017-09-20 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-21 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Wayne Carl WESTERMAN; Ari Y. BENBASAT - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180024693A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/04186: {Touch location disambiguation} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device, comprising: a touch sensing surface; and a processor coupled to the touch sensing surface, the processor capable of: identifying a plurality of touches from a touch image of one or more objects proximate to the touch sensing surface, wherein each of the plurality of touches has a first centroid; weighting the plurality of identified touches; determining a second centroid of the plurality of weighted touches; defining an area around the second centroid of the plurality of weighted touches; and rejecting touches within the area. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein defining the area around the second centroid of the plurality of weighted touches comprises fitting an ellipse around the second centroid to the plurality of weighted touches. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, the processor further capable of: determining a minor radius of one or more of the plurality of identified touches and weighting a respective touch of the plurality of identified touches based on a respective minor radius of the respective touch. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electronic device of claim 3, wherein weighting the respective touch of the plurality of identified touches based on the respective minor radius of the respective touch comprises weighting the respective touch by zero when the respective minor radius is below a first respective threshold value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein weighting the respective touch of the plurality of identified touches based on the respective minor radius of the respective touch weighting the respective touch based on a difference between the respective minor radius and the first respective threshold value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the first respective threshold value is elevated when a stylus is detected with respect to the first respective threshold value when the stylus is not detected. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the first respective threshold value is reduced when the minor radius of the respective touch is above a second respective threshold value with respect to the first respective threshold value when the respective minor radius of the respective touch is below the second respective threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, the processor further capable of: rejecting one or more touches within a threshold distance of a boundary of the area or of the second centroid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic device of claim 8, the processor further capable of: recognizing one or more touches within a threshold distance of a stylus touch, even when the one or more touches are within a threshold distance of the boundary of the area or of the second centroid. ### Claim 10 A method for rejecting one or more touches on a touch sensing surface, the method comprising: identifying a plurality of touches from a touch image of one or more objects proximate to the touch sensing surface, wherein each of the plurality of touches has a first centroid; weighting the plurality of identified touches; determining a second centroid of the plurality of weighted touches; defining an area around the second centroid of the plurality of weighted touches; and rejecting touches within the area. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein defining the area around the second centroid of the plurality of weighted touches comprises fitting an ellipse around the second centroid to the plurality of weighted touches. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: determining a minor radius of one or more of the plurality of identified touches and weighting a respective touch of the plurality of identified touches based on a respective minor radius of the respective touch. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein weighting the respective touch of the plurality of identified touches based on the respective minor radius of the respective touch comprises weighting the respective touch by zero when the respective minor radius is below a first respective threshold value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein weighting the respective touch of the plurality of identified touches based on the respective minor radius of the respective touch weighting the respective touch based on a difference between the respective minor radius and the first respective threshold value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: rejecting one or more touches within a threshold distance of a boundary of the area or of the second centroid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: recognizing one or more touches within a threshold distance of a stylus touch, even when the touches are within a threshold distance of the boundary of the area or of the second centroid. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform a method for rejecting touches on a touch sensing surface, the method comprising: identifying a plurality of touches from a touch image of one or more objects proximate to the touch sensing surface, wherein each of the plurality of touches has a first centroid; weighting the plurality of identified touches; determining a second centroid of the plurality of weighted touches; defining an area around the second centroid of the plurality of weighted touches; and rejecting touches within the area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein defining the area around the second centroid of the plurality of weighted touches comprises fitting an ellipse around the second centroid to the plurality of weighted touches. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, further comprising: determining a minor radius of one or more of the plurality of identified touches and weighting a respective touch of the plurality of identified touches based on a respective minor radius of the respective touch. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein weighting the respective touch of the plurality of identified touches based on the respective minor radius of the respective touch comprises weighting the respective touch by zero when the respective minor radius is below a first respective threshold value.