Adjusting Touchscreen Sensitivity Based on Device Tilt Angle
This patent describes how a computing device can decide if a touch on its screen is intentional or accidental by changing its sensitivity settings based on how much the device is tilted.
Original patent title: “Contact discrimination using a tilt angle of a touch-sensitive surface”
This patent describes how a computing device can decide if a touch on its screen is intentional or accidental by changing its sensitivity settings based on how much the device is tilted. Owned by Wacom Co with 28 claims and 5 forward citations, and it is expected to expire in 2035.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a method for a computing device to intelligently handle touches on its screen. It works by first receiving electronic data from a touch-sensitive surface, like a tablet screen (ClaimclaimA numbered sentence at the end of a patent that legally defines what the inventor owns. The most important section.Read more → 1). At the same time, a tilt sensor detects the angle at which the device is held, comparing its current position to a flat, reference position (Claim 1). This detected tilt angle is then used to modify a setting, called a 'parameter,' within an automated process that decides if the touch was on purpose or not (Claim 1). For example, this parameter could be a minimum amount of time a touch must last (Claim 6) or a minimum number of data points it generates (Claim 3). If the device is held at an angle between horizontal and vertical, the patent suggests making the threshold higher, meaning a touch has to last longer or generate more data to be considered intentional (Claim 4, Claim 7). If the touch is deemed intentional, the device accepts it as valid input; otherwise, it rejects the touch (Claim 1).
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover systems that determine intentionality without using a tilt sensor to detect the device's angle.
- Does not cover systems that use a tilt sensor but do not modify a parameter of the contact discriminating process based on that tilt angle.
- Does not cover systems that only use a fixed threshold for touch duration or data records, regardless of the device's orientation.
- Does not cover methods that accept all touch input without attempting to discriminate between intentional and unintentional contacts.
- Does not cover systems that only use touch pressure or contact area to discriminate touches, without considering device tilt.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The clever part is dynamically adjusting the criteria for what counts as an intentional touch based on the device's tilt angle. Instead of using a one-size-fits-all setting, the system intelligently adapts its sensitivity, making it smarter about ignoring accidental touches when the device is held in common working positions.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Wacom Cintiq drawing displays
Wacom Intuos Pro tablets
Microsoft Surface Pro devices with pen input
iPad Pro with Apple Pencil
Other pen-enabled convertible laptops and tablets
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology is especially important for devices where users frequently rest their hands on the screen while interacting, such as drawing tablets or convertible laptops. By dynamically adjusting how it recognizes touches, the device can prevent accidental inputs, like a palm resting on the screen, while still accurately capturing intentional inputs, like a pen stroke. This significantly improves the user experience for digital artists and note-takers, making their tools more precise and less frustrating.
Filed
March 30, 2015
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Wacom Co Ltd, the original assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →, continues to be a leader in pen input technology, and features like advanced palm rejection are central to their product lines. Other major tablet and convertible laptop manufacturers, such as Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung, also develop and integrate sophisticated touch discrimination technologies into their devices to enhance pen and touch interactions.
Market impact
This patent addresses a significant user experience challenge in the growing market for pen-enabled computing devices. By improving the reliability of touch input and reducing accidental activations, it enables more natural and efficient interaction for digital artists, designers, and note-takers. This capability became a standard expectation for premium drawing tablets and convertible PCs, helping to differentiate products that offered superior pen input experiences.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a method for a computing device to intelligently handle touches on its screen. It works by first receiving electronic data from a touch-sensitive surface, like a tablet screen (Claim 1). At the same time, a tilt sensor detects the angle at which the device is held, comparing its current position to a flat, reference position (Claim 1). This detected tilt angle is then used to modify a setting, called a 'parameter,' within an automated process that decides if the touch was on purpose or not (Claim 1). For example, this parameter could be a minimum amount of time a touch must last (Claim 6) or a minimum number of data points it generates (Claim 3). If the device is held at an angle between horizontal and vertical, the patent suggests making the threshold higher, meaning a touch has to last longer or generate more data to be considered intentional (Claim 4, Claim 7). If the touch is deemed intentional, the device accepts it as valid input; otherwise, it rejects the touch (Claim 1).
The clever bit
The clever part is dynamically adjusting the criteria for what counts as an intentional touch based on the device's tilt angle. Instead of using a one-size-fits-all setting, the system intelligently adapts its sensitivity, making it smarter about ignoring accidental touches when the device is held in common working positions.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover systems that determine intentionality without using a tilt sensor to detect the device's angle.
- Does not cover systems that use a tilt sensor but do not modify a parameter of the contact discriminating process based on that tilt angle.
- Does not cover systems that only use a fixed threshold for touch duration or data records, regardless of the device's orientation.
- Does not cover methods that accept all touch input without attempting to discriminate between intentional and unintentional contacts.
- Does not cover systems that only use touch pressure or contact area to discriminate touches, without considering device tilt.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent enters public domain
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
16/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
19/20
Very broad protection
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$52K – $166K
Midpoint $104K · 8.8 yr remaining · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
28 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Tower, D. L., Cohn, R. C., Fleck, D. C., & Connor, S. L. M. Adjusting Touchscreen Sensitivity Based on Device Tilt Angle (U.S. Patent No. 20,160,291,760). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20160291760/contact-discrimination-using-a-tilt-angle-of-a-touch-sensitive-surface
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Adjusting Touchscreen Sensitivity Based on Device Tilt Angle cover?
This patent describes how a computing device can decide if a touch on its screen is intentional or accidental by changing its sensitivity settings based on how much the device is tilted.
Who owns patent US 20160291760?
This patent is owned by Wacom Co.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on March 30, 2035, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US 20160291760 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 5 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology is especially important for devices where users frequently rest their hands on the screen while interacting, such as drawing tablets or convertible laptops. By dynamically adjusting how it recognizes touches, the device can prevent accidental inputs, like a palm resting on the screen, while still accurately capturing intentional inputs, like a pen stroke. This significantly improves the user experience for digital artists and note-takers, making their tools more precise and less frustrating.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover systems that determine intentionality without using a tilt sensor to detect the device's angle.
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