Operation control methods and systems

• US 20080150715A1
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Elan Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Tang, Kuan-Chun, Chiu, Yen-Chang
• Application Number:
  US11/826,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20080150715A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• 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 3/04166 Details of scanning methods, e.g. sampling time, grouping of sub areas or time sharing with display driving Synchronisation with the driving of the display or the backlighting unit to avoid interferences generated internally G06F3/04184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Operation control methods and systems. Contacts respectively corresponding to at least two pointers on a touch-sensitive mechanism are detected. Movements of the contacts on the touch-sensitive mechanism are detected, and an operation instruction is determined according to the movements. A host executes the operation instruction by enabling a specific object to perform an operation.

Claims

1. An operation control method, comprising:

detecting contacts respectively corresponding to at least two pointers on a touch-sensitive mechanism;

detecting movements of the contacts on the touch-sensitive mechanism; and

determining an operation instruction according to the movements.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a sensing quantity corresponding to each pointer exceeds a threshold value; and

if not, ignoring the contact corresponding to the pointer on the touch-sensitive mechanism.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calculating a first distance between positions of the contacts;

if the contacts remain and move, re-calculating a second distance between positions of the contacts; and

determining whether the second distance exceeds the first distance.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

if the second distance exceeds the first distance, determining the operation instruction to open a specific object according to the contact positions or distance therebetween, wherein the operation instruction comprises an operation of opening a door or hands; and

if the second distance does not exceed the first distance, determining the operation instruction to close the specific object according to the contact positions or distance therebetween, wherein the operation instruction comprises an operation of closing the door or hands.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the contacts corresponding to the pointers present alternatively, and if so, determining the operation instruction to enable a specific object to perform a specific operation; and

determining whether the contacts move, if not, determining the specific operation comprises an operation of character stepping or drumming, and if so, determining the specific operation comprises an operation of character sliding.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the detection of the movements of the contacts on the touch-sensitive mechanism comprises:

detecting a contact corresponding to a first pointer;

detecting a finish of the contact corresponding to the first pointer;

detecting a contact corresponding to a second pointer;

detecting a finish of the contact corresponding to the second pointer, wherein one of the contacts presents on the touch-sensitive mechanism at a time;

determining whether the contact corresponding to the first pointer exceeds a first time period;

determining whether the contact corresponding to the second pointer exceeds a second time period; and

if the contact corresponding to the first pointer exceeds the first time period and the contact corresponding to the second pointer exceeds the second time period, determining the operation instruction.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining whether an interval from the finish of the contact corresponding to the first pointer to the presence of the contact corresponding to the second pointer exceeds a third time period; and

if so, determining the operation instruction.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least two pointers comprise a first pointer, a second pointer, and a third pointer, and the method further comprises:

calculating original distances between positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the second pointer, positions of the contacts corresponding to the second pointer and the third pointer, and positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the third pointer;

if the contacts remain and move, re-calculating new distances between positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the second pointer, positions of the contacts corresponding to the second pointer and the third pointer, and positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the third pointer;

determining whether the new distances between positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the second pointer, positions of the contacts corresponding to the second pointer and the third pointer, or positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the third pointer is less then the original distances therebetween; and

if so, determining the operation instruction to catch a specific object.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

outputting the operation instruction to a host; and

displaying a specific object on a display unit, and the host executing the operation instruction by enabling the specific object to perform an operation,

wherein the touch-sensitive mechanism is attached with the display unit, and the contacts respectively correspond to two portions of the specific object.

10. An operation control system, comprising:

a touch-sensitive mechanism; and

a processing module detecting contacts respectively corresponding to at least two pointers on a touch-sensitive mechanism, detecting movements of the contacts on the touch-sensitive mechanism, and determining an operation instruction according to the movements.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the processing module further determines whether a sensing quantity corresponding to each pointer exceeds a threshold value, and if not, ignores the contact corresponding to the pointer on the touch-sensitive mechanism.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the processing module further calculates a first distance between positions of the contacts, if the contacts remain and move, re-calculates a second distance between positions of the contacts, and determines whether the second distance exceeds the first distance.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the processing module further determines the operation instruction to open a specific object according to the contact positions or distance therebetween if the second distance exceeds the first distance, wherein the operation instruction comprises an operation of opening a door or hands, and determines the operation instruction to close the specific object according to the contact positions or distance therebetween if the second distance does not exceed the first distance, wherein the operation instruction comprises an operation of closing the door or hands.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the processing module further determines whether the contacts corresponding to the pointers present alternatively, if so, determines the operation instruction to enable a specific object to perform a specific operation, determines whether the contacts move, if not, determines the specific operation comprising an operation of character stepping or drumming, and if so, determines the specific operation comprising an operation of character sliding.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the processing module detects the movements of the contacts on the touch-sensitive mechanism by detecting a contact corresponding to a first pointer, detecting a finish of the contact corresponding to the first pointer, detecting a contact corresponding to a second pointer, detecting a finish of the contact corresponding to the second pointer, wherein one of the contacts presents on the touch-sensitive mechanism at a time, determining whether the contact corresponding to the first pointer exceeds a first time period, determining whether the contact corresponding to the second pointer exceeds a second time period, and determining the operation instruction if the contact corresponding to the first pointer exceeds the first time period and the contact corresponding to the second pointer exceeds the second time period.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the processing module further determines whether an interval from the finish of the contact corresponding to the first pointer to the presence of the contact corresponding to the second pointer exceeds a third time period, and if so, determines the operation instruction.

17. The system of claim 10 wherein at least two pointers comprise a first pointer, a second pointer, and a third pointer, and the processing module further calculates original distances between positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the second pointer, positions of the contacts corresponding to the second pointer and the third pointer, and positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the third pointer, re-calculates new distances between positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the second pointer, positions of the contacts corresponding to the second pointer and the third pointer, and positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the third pointer, if the contacts remain and move, determines whether the new distances between positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the second pointer, positions of the contacts corresponding to the second pointer and the third pointer, or positions of the contacts corresponding to the first pointer and the third pointer is less then the original distances therebetween, and if so, determines the operation instruction to catch a specific object.

18. The system of claim 10 further comprising a host and a display unit, wherein the processing unit further outputs the operation instruction to the host, the host displays a specific object on the display unit, and executes the operation instruction by enabling the specific object to perform an operation, wherein the touch-sensitive mechanism is attached with the display unit, and the contacts respectively correspond to two portions of the specific object.

19. A machine-readable storage medium comprising a computer program, which, when executed, causes a device to perform an operation control method, the method comprising:

detecting contacts respectively corresponding to at least two pointers on a touch-sensitive mechanism;

detecting movements of the contacts on the touch-sensitive mechanism; and

determining an operation instruction according to the movements.