Two-handed multi-stroke marking menus for multi-touch devices

• US 10,180,714 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 01/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Pixar (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Kin, Kenrick, Agrawala, Maneesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Le V
• Application Number:
  US12/885,388
• Time in Patent Office: 3,042 Days
• Field of Search: 715863, 715841, 715766
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/20 3D [Three Dimensional] animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts

Abstract

A user interface provides for multi-stroke marking menus and other uses, for use on multitouch devices. One variant of multi-stroke marking is where users draw strokes with either both hands simultaneously or alternating between the hands. Alternating strokes between hands doubles the number of accessible menu items for the same number of strokes. Other inputs can be used as well, such as timing, placement, and direction.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a series of user-selectable options as a two-handed marking menu to a user on a computer system including a processor, a display, and a user-input device, the method comprising:

determining, with the processor, a first series of user-selectable options, each of the first series of user-selectable options corresponding to a separate and distinct set of user-selectable options, wherein the first series of user-selectable options includes a first user-selectable option and a second user-selectable option;

determining, with the processor, a first user input on the user-input device made by a first hand of a user, the first user input comprising a first continuous stroke in a substantially circular motion on the user-input device that dials through the first series of user-selectable options;

determining, with the processor, a first direction of movement of the first continuous stroke of the first user input on the user-input device, wherein the first direction of movement of the first continuous stroke indicates the substantially circular motion dialing from a first position corresponding to the first user-selectable option to a second position corresponding to the second user-selectable option;

determining, with the processor, a second series of user-selectable options corresponding to the second user-selectable option, wherein the second series of user-selectable options includes a third user-selectable option;

determining, with the processor, a second user input on the user-input device made by a second hand of the user, the second user input comprising a second continuous stroke on the user-input device;

determining, with the processor, a second direction of movement of the second continuous stroke of the second user input on the user-input device, wherein the second continuous stroke of the second user input is initiated after the first continuous stroke of the first user input is initiated but before the first continuous stroke is completed such that the second user input overlaps in time with the first user input, and wherein the second direction of movement of the second user input indicates the second continuous stroke moves to a third position corresponding to the third user-selectable option among the second series of user-selectable options selected by the first user input;

determining, based on the second direction of movement of the second user input, the third user-selectable option is selected; and

in response to the third user-selectable option being selected, performing, with the processor, a command associated with the third user-selectable option.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the display and the user-input device are embodied as a capacitive touch screen.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising displaying representations of the second series of user-selectable options on the capacitive touch screen proximate to a position of the second user input on the capacitive touch screen.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising displaying representations of the first series of user-selectable options on the capacitive touch screen proximate to a position of the first user input on the capacitive touch screen, while displaying the representations of the second series of user-selectable options.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first series of user-selectable options includes menu items selectable from a set of predefined menu items.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the second direction of movement of the second continuous stroke of the second user input is along a straight line.

7. A computer program product resident on a non-transitory tangible media that is executable on a computer system comprising a processor, a display, and a user-input device, the computer program product comprising:

program code for determining, with the processor, a first series of user-selectable options, each of the first series of user-selectable options corresponding to a separate and distinct set of user-selectable options, wherein the first series of user-selectable options includes a first user-selectable option and a second user-selectable option;

program code for determining, with the processor, a first user input on the user-input device made by a first hand of a user, the first user input comprising a first continuous stroke in a substantially circular motion on the user-input device that dials through the first series of user-selectable options;

program code for determining, with the processor, a first direction of movement of the first continuous stroke of the first user input on the user-input device, wherein the first direction of movement of the first continuous stroke indicates the substantially circular motion dialing from a first position corresponding to the first user-selectable option to a second position corresponding to the second user-selectable option;

program code for determining, with the processor, a second series of user-selectable options corresponding to the second user-selectable option, wherein the second series of user-selectable options includes a third user-selectable option;

program code for determining, with the processor, a second user input on the user-input device made by a second hand of the user, the second user input comprising a second continuous stroke on the user-input device;

program code for determining, with the processor, a second direction of movement of the second continuous stroke of the second user input on the user-input device, wherein the second continuous stroke of the second user input is initiated after the first continuous stroke of the first user input is initiated but before the first continuous stroke is completed such that the second user input overlaps in time with the first user input, and wherein the second direction of movement of the second user input indicates the second continuous stroke moves to a third position corresponding to the third user-selectable option among the second series of user-selectable options selected by the first user input;

program code for determining, based on the second direction of movement of the second user input, the third user-selectable option is selected; and

program code for in response to the third user-selectable option being selected, performing, with the processor, a command associated with the third user-selectable option.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the program code for determining the first user input, the program code for determining the first direction of movement of the first continuous stroke of the first user input, the program code for determining the second user input, and the program code for determining the second direction of movement of the second continuous stroke of the second user input, each operate according to a capacitive touch screen interface.

9. The computer program product of claim 8 further comprising program code for displaying representations of the second series of user-selectable options on the capacitive touch screen interface proximate to a position of the second user input on the capacitive touch screen interface.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising program code for displaying representations of the first series of user-selectable options on the capacitive touch screen interface proximate to a position of the first user input on the capacitive touch screen interface, while displaying the representations of the second series of user-selectable options.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the first series of user-selectable options includes menu items selectable from a set of predefined menu items.