Automatic switching for a dual mode digitizer

• US 20060012580A1
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: N-Trig Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: N-Trig Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Rimon, Ori, Perski, Haim
• Application Number:
  US11/180,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20060012580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0382 Plural input, i.e. interface arrangements in which a plurality of input device of the same type are in communication with a PC
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An apparatus for detecting a plurality of user interactions, comprising: at least one detector for sensing the user interactions, a respective controller, associated with each of the detectors, for finding positions of the user interactions, and a switcher, associated with the controllers, for handling the user interactions, according to a defined policy.

Claims

1. Apparatus for detecting a plurality of user interactions, comprising:

at least one detector for sensing said user interactions;

at least one respective controller, associated with each of said at least one detector, for finding positions of said user interactions; and

a switching module, associated with said controller, for handling said user interactions, according to a defined policy.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said detector comprises a plurality of sensing elements, spread across a sensing area.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said switching module switches among a plurality of modes for handling said user interactions.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a plurality of detectors.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said user interactions is an interaction via an electromagnetic stylus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said user interactions is touch.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said user interactions is performed through a capacitive object.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said policy is defined according to the position of the user interaction.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said policy is defined according to the characteristics of the user interactions.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further associated with a host computing device, wherein an application running on said host computing device is operable for setting said policy.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, configured with a policy to discard a wide area touch.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, being configured for detecting a dedicated gesture.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, being configured to use said detection of said dedicated gesture to set a policy with regard to said detection.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said policy defines granting predominance to one user interaction over other user interactions.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, configured to select one user interaction for detection whilst disabling detection of a second user interaction.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the policy includes granting at least one of said user interactions priority over at least one other of said user interactions.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the policy is a dynamically changing policy.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the policy includes granting priority to a newest user-interaction over an earlier user interaction.

19. System for detecting a plurality of user-interactions, comprising:

at least one digitizer, configured for detecting at least one user interaction; and

a switching module, associated with said at least one digitizer, for handling data relating to said at least one user interaction.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a host computer, associated with said digitizer, wherein said switching module is implemented on said host computer.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein said switching module is implemented on a switching unit.

22. Method for detecting a plurality of user interactions, comprising:

detecting positions relating to each of said user interactions;

handling said positions in accordance with a defined policy; and

providing data relating to said positions.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said policy is defined according to a dynamically changing parameter.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of said user interactions is an interaction via an electromagnetic stylus.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of said user interactions is touch.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of said user interactions is performed through a capacitive object.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein said policy is configured to discard a wide area touch.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein said method is further configured for detecting at least one dedicated gesture.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein said policy is configurable.

30. The method of claim 22, wherein the policy includes granting at least one of said user interactions priority over at least one other of said user interactions.

31. Apparatus for gesture recognition, comprising:

a detector for detecting at least one user interaction; and

a gesture recognizer, associated with said detector, and configured for determining if said user interaction is a predefined gesture.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said gesture is a touch gesture.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said gesture comprises moving an object.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said gesture comprises moving said object in a specific direction.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said gesture recognizer is a controller of a digitizer apparatus.

36. The apparatus of claim 31 further configured to trigger switching between control modes, according to said gesture recognition.