PRESENCE RECOGNITION CONTROL OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES USING A MULTI-TOUCH DEVICE

• US 20100013676A1
• Filed: 07/15/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Seacat, Lisa A., Grigsby, Travis M., Do, Lydia M., Nesbitt, Pamela A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/20
• 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 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Controlling external electronic devices using presence recognition through a multi-touch device is provided. An indication of the presence of at least one of an object or a gesture on a surface of the multi-touch device is received. A plurality of characteristics associated with the object or gesture are identified. Using the plurality of physical characteristics, a data structure is searched to determine the existence of a single object or a single gesture with characteristics that matches the plurality of characteristics. Responsive to a match, a determination is made as to whether the single object or the single gesture has an associated function. Responsive to the existence of the associated function, the associated function is executed on one of a plurality of external electronic devices.

Claims

1. A method for presence recognition through a multi-touch device to control external electronic devices, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of the presence of at least one of an object or a gesture on a surface of the multi-touch device;

identifying a plurality of characteristics associated with the object or gesture;

using the plurality of physical characteristics, searching a data structure to determine the existence of a single object or a single gesture with characteristics that matches the plurality of characteristics;

responsive to a match, determining if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of the associated function, executing the associated function on one of a plurality of external electronic devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a failure to identify the single object or the single gesture, searching the data structure to determine the existence of one or more objects or gestures with characteristics within a tolerance of the plurality of characteristics;

responsive to identifying the one or more objects or gestures, prompting the user to identify the single object or the single gesture from a list of the one or more objects or gestures;

responsive to the user identifying the single object or the single gesture, determining if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of the associated function, executing the associated function on one of the plurality of external electronic devices.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

responsive to a failure to identify the one or more objects or gestures, prompting the user to identify the single object or the single gesture;

responsive to the user identifying the single object or the single gesture, determining if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of the associated function, executing the associated function on one of the plurality of external electronic devices.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing the identification of the single object or the single gesture and the plurality of characteristics in the data structure.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the plurality of characteristics, searching the data structure to determine the existence of the single object or the single gesture based on characteristics associated with another object or another gesture;

responsive to a match of characteristics of the single object or the single gesture based on the characteristics associated with the another object or another gesture, determining if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of an associated function, executing the associated function on one of the plurality of external electronic devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated function is at least one of a volume up, volume down, mute, channel up, channel down, display guide, or display limited guide.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of characteristics comprise at least one of area, geometric shape, gesture, or characteristic markings.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of physical characteristics comprise at least two from the set of area, geometric shape, gesture, and characteristic markings.

9. A computer program product comprising a computer recordable medium having a computer readable program recorded thereon, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

receive an indication of the presence of at least one of an object or a gesture on a surface of the multi-touch device;

identify a plurality of characteristics associated with the object or gesture;

use the plurality of physical characteristics, searching a data structure to determine the existence of a single object or a single gesture with characteristics that matches the plurality of characteristics;

responsive to a match, determine if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of the associated function, execute the associated function on one of a plurality of external electronic devices.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

responsive to a failure to identify the single object or the single gesture, search the data structure to determine the existence of one or more objects or gestures with characteristics within a tolerance of the plurality of characteristics;

responsive to identifying the one or more objects or gestures, prompt the user to identify the single object or the single gesture from a list of the one or more objects or gestures;

responsive to the user identifying the single object or the single gesture, determine if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of the associated function, execute the associated function on one of the plurality of external electronic devices.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

responsive to a failure to identify the one or more objects or gestures, prompt the user to identify the single object or the single gesture;

responsive to the user identifying the single object or the single gesture, determine if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of the associated function, execute the associated function on one of the plurality of external electronic devices.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

store the identification of the single object or the single gesture and the plurality of characteristics in the data structure.

13. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:

using the plurality of characteristics, search the data structure to determine the existence of the single object or the single gesture based on characteristics associated with another object or another gesture;

responsive to a match of characteristics of the single object or the single gesture based on the characteristics associated with the another object or another gesture, determine if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of an associated function, execute the associated function on one of the plurality of external electronic devices.

14. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the associated function is at least one of a volume up, volume down, mute, channel up, channel down, display guide, or display limited guide.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive an indication of the presence of at least one of an object or a gesture on a surface of the multi-touch device;

identify a plurality of characteristics associated with the object or gesture;

use the plurality of physical characteristics, searching a data structure to determine the existence of a single object or a single gesture with characteristics that matches the plurality of characteristics;

responsive to a match, determine if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of the associated function, execute the associated function on one of a plurality of external electronic devices.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

responsive to a failure to identify the single object or the single gesture, search the data structure to determine the existence of one or more objects or gestures with characteristics within a tolerance of the plurality of characteristics;

responsive to identifying the one or more objects or gestures, prompt the user to identify the single object or the single gesture from a list of the one or more objects or gestures;

responsive to the user identifying the single object or the single gesture, determine if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of the associated function, execute the associated function on one of the plurality of external electronic devices.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

responsive to a failure to identify the one or more objects or gestures, prompt the user to identify the single object or the single gesture;

responsive to the user identifying the single object or the single gesture, determine if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of the associated function, execute the associated function on one of the plurality of external electronic devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

store the identification of the single object or the single gesture and the plurality of characteristics in the data structure.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

using the plurality of characteristics, search the data structure to determine the existence of the single object or the single gesture based on characteristics associated with another object or another gesture;

responsive to a match of characteristics of the single object or the single gesture based on the characteristics associated with the another object or another gesture, determine if the single object or the single gesture has an associated function; and

responsive to the existence of an associated function, execute the associated function on one of the plurality of external electronic devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the associated function is at least one of a volume up, volume down, mute, channel up, channel down, display guide, or display limited guide.