METHODS OF INTERFACING WITH MULTI-INPUT DEVICES AND MULTI-INPUT DISPLAY SYSTEMS EMPLOYING INTERFACING TECHNIQUES

• US 20090259967A1
• Filed: 04/08/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Perceptive Pixel Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: DAVIDSON, Philip L., Han, Jefferson Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,335,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/799
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Methods and systems for interfacing with multi-input devices employ various techniques for controlling the window framing of images. Such techniques provide control, including moving, sizing, and orientating, of one or more displayed window frames in which one or more images are displayed.

Claims

1. A method of interfacing with a multi-input display device, comprising the steps of:

displaying on a multi-input display device a graphical window and a first portion of an image within the graphical window, the displayed graphical window having an inner frame and an outer frame;

identifying an initial position of one or more elements contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window;

identifying a movement of the one or more elements;

changing at least one of a position, shape and size of the displayed graphical window as a function of the initial position and movement of the one or more elements;

manipulating the image displayed within the displayed graphical window in accordance with one or more modifications,

the one or more modifications comprising;

a first modification implemented when the initial position of the one or more elements is identified as contacting one of the inner frame and the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the first modification comprising manipulating the image displayed by displaying a second portion of the image within the changed graphical window, and positions on the display device of common portions of the first and second portions of the image being substantially the same; and

a second modification implemented when the initial position of the one or more elements is identified as contacting the other of the inner frame and the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the second modification comprising manipulating the image displayed by changing the first portion of the image in a same manner the displayed graphical window is changed and displaying the changed first portion of the image within the changed graphical window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of elements contact the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, and the first modification is implemented when the initial position of an initial one of the plurality of elements is identified as contacting said one of the inner frame and the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, and the second modification is implemented when the initial position of said initial one of the plurality of elements is identified as contacting the other of the inner frame and the outer frame of the displayed graphical window.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a number of the one or more elements contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window;

and

wherein the changing step changes a characteristic of the displayed graphical window,

the characteristic corresponding to a first characteristic when only one element is identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the first characteristic being a position of the displayed graphical window on the display device; and

the characteristic corresponding to a second characteristic when a plurality of elements are identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the second characteristic being at least one of a shape and size of the displayed graphical window, the first and second characteristics being different.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a number of plurality of elements contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window;

and

wherein the changing step changes the displayed graphical window in accordance with one or more graphical window modifications, the one or more graphical window modifications comprising;

a first graphical window modification implemented when only two elements are identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the first graphical window modification changing at least one of a shape and size of the displayed graphical window as a function of the identified initial positions and movement of the two elements; and

a second graphical window modification implemented when three elements are identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the second graphical window modification changing at least one of a position, shape and size of the displayed graphical window as a function of the identified initial positions and movement of the three elements, the first and second graphical window modifications being different.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a number of the one or more elements contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window;

and

wherein the changing step changes the displayed graphical window in accordance with one or more graphical window modifications,

the one or more graphical window modifications comprising;

a first graphical window modification implemented when only one element is identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the first graphical window modification moving an edge of the displayed graphical window contacted by the one element in a direction of identified movement of the one element normal to an axis of the edge;

a second graphical window modification implemented when a plurality of elements are identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window along different edges of the displayed graphical window, the second graphical window modification moving each of the edges of the displayed graphical window contacted by a respective one of the elements in a direction of identified movement of the respective element normal to an axis of the respective edge.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing step changes the displayed graphical window in accordance with one or more graphical window modifications,

the one or more graphical window modifications comprising:

a first graphical window modification implemented when two elements are identified as contacting opposite edges of the displayed graphical window, the first graphical window modification changing at least one of a position and shape of the displayed graphical window in accordance with the positions and movement of the two elements contacting the opposite edges;

a second graphical window modification implemented when two elements are identified as contacting adjacent edges of the displayed graphical window, the second graphical window modification changing at least one of a shape and size of the displayed graphical window in accordance with the positions and movement of the two elements contacting the adjacent edges;

a third graphical window modification implemented when two elements are identified as contacting a same edge of the displayed graphical window, the third graphical window modification changing at least one of a position and shape of the displayed graphical window in accordance with the positions and movement of the two elements contacting the same edge.

7. A multi-input display system, comprising:

a display device for displaying on a display surface a graphical window and a first portion of an image within the graphical window, the display device adapted to detect elements simultaneously contacting the display surface, the displayed graphical window having an inner frame and an outer frame;

a controller adapted to identify an initial position of one or more elements contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, to identify a movement of the one or more elements, to change at least one of a position, shape and size of the displayed graphical window as a function of the identified initial position and movement of the one or more elements; and

to manipulate the image displayed within the displayed graphical window in accordance with one or more modifications,

the one or more modifications comprising;

a first modification implemented when the initial position of the one or more elements is identified as contacting one of the inner frame and the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the first modification comprising manipulating the image displayed by controlling the display device to display a second portion of the image within the changed graphical window, and positions on the display surface of common portions of the first and second portions of the image being substantially the same; and

a second modification implemented when the initial position of the one or more elements is identified as contacting the other of the inner frame and the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the second modification comprising manipulating the image displayed by changing the first portion of the image in a same manner the displayed graphical window is changed and controlling the display device to display the changed first portion of the image within the changed graphical window.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller is adapted to implement the first modification when the initial position of an initial one of a plurality of elements is identified as contacting said one of the inner frame and the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, and the controller is adapted to implement the second modification when the initial position of said initial one of the plurality of elements is identified as contacting the other of the inner frame and the outer frame of the displayed graphical window.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller identifies a number of the one or more elements contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window;

and the controller changes a characteristic of the displayed graphical window,

the characteristic corresponding to a first characteristic when only one element is identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the first characteristic being a position of the displayed graphical window on the display surface; and

the characteristic corresponding to a second characteristic when a plurality of elements are identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the second characteristic being at least one of a shape and size of the displayed graphical window, the first and second characteristics being different.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller identifies a number of plurality of elements contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window;

and the controller controls the displayed graphical window to change in accordance with one or more graphical window modifications,

the one or more graphical window modifications comprising;

a first graphical window modification implemented when only two elements are identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the first graphical window modification changing at least one of a shape and size of the displayed graphical window as a function of the identified initial positions and movement of the two elements; and

a second graphical window modification implemented when three elements are identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the second graphical window modification changing at least one of a position, shape and size of the displayed graphical window as a function of the identified initial positions and movement of the three elements, the first and second graphical window modifications being different.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller identifies a number of the one or more elements contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window;

and the controller controls the displayed graphical window to change in accordance with one or more graphical window modifications,

the one or more graphical window modifications comprising;

a first graphical window modification implemented when only one element is identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window, the first graphical window modification moving an edge of the displayed graphical window contacted by the one element in a direction of identified movement of the one element normal to an axis of the edge;

a second graphical window modification implemented when a plurality of elements are identified as contacting the inner frame or the outer frame of the displayed graphical window along different edges of the displayed graphical window, the second graphical window modification moving each of the edges of the displayed graphical window contacted by a respective one of the elements in a direction of identified movement of the respective element normal to an axis of the respective edge.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the controller controls the displayed graphical window to change in accordance with one or more graphical window modifications,

the one or more graphical window modifications comprising:

a first graphical window modification implemented when the controller identifies two elements are contacting opposite edges of the displayed graphical window, the first graphical window modification changing at least one of a position and shape of the displayed graphical window in accordance with the positions and movement of the two elements contacting the opposite edges;

a second graphical window modification implemented when the controller identifies two elements are contacting adjacent edges of the displayed graphical window, the second graphical window modification changing at least one of a shape and size of the displayed graphical window in accordance with the positions and movement of the two elements contacting the adjacent edges;

a third graphical window modification implemented when the controller identifies two elements are contacting a same edge of the displayed graphical window, the third graphical window modification changing at least one of a position and shape of the displayed graphical window in accordance with the positions and movement of the two elements contacting the same edge.