Method for locating an impact on a surface and device therefor

A computer program product implemented by a computer system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising:

• instructions for measuring a sensed signal caused by an impact on a surface of an object, wherein said surface is delineated into a plurality of active zones;
• instructions for comparing said sensed signal with a library of predetermined signals, each predetermined signal in said library of predetermined signals corresponding to an active zone in said plurality of active zones;
• wherein
• when a correspondence between said sensed signal and a respective predetermined signal in said library of predetermined signals is sufficiently similar, a location of said impact is deemed to be in an active zone corresponding to said respective predetermined signal.

A computer comprising one or more digital signal processors and a memory, the memory storing a measurement module and a comparison module, wherein:

• the measurement module comprises instructions, executed by the one or more digital signal processors, for receiving a measurement of a sensed signal, the sensed signal representative of an acoustic wave generated by an impact on a surface of an object, wherein said surface is delineated into a plurality of active zones;
• and
• the comparison module comprises instructions, executed by the one or more digital signal processors, for comparing said sensed signal to a predetermined signal in a library of predetermined signals;
• wherein, when said sensed signal is substantially similar to said predetermined signal, a location of the impact on said surface is deemed to be in an active zone corresponding to the predetermined signal, wherein an indication of the location of the impact is communicated to a memory or a display.

A system comprising:

• an object having a surface forming an acoustic interface, wherein said surface is delineated into a plurality of active zones;
• at least one acoustic sensor in communication with said surface such that one or more acoustic waves generated by an impact on said surface can be detected by said at least one acoustic sensor;
• and
• a processor comprising:
• instructions for receiving one or more measurements by said at least one acoustic sensor, said one or more measurements comprising a sensed signal from said one or more acoustic waves generated by said impact on said surface;
• and
• instructions for comparing said sensed signal to a predetermined signal in a library of predetermined signals;
• wherein, when said sensed signal is substantially similar to said predetermined signal, a location of the impact on said surface is deemed to be in an active zone corresponding to the predetermined signal.