Touch Interaction with a Curved Display

• US 20100023895A1
• Filed: 12/26/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wilson, Andrew D., Benko, Hrvoje, Chen, Billy, Balakrishnan, Ravin, Baudisch, Patrick M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,459,784 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/042 by opto-electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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

Touch interaction with a curved display (e.g., a sphere, a hemisphere, a cylinder, etc.) is facilitated by preserving a predetermined orientation for objects. In an example embodiment, a curved display is monitored to detect a touch input on an object. If a touch input on an object is detected based on the monitoring, then one or more locations of the touch input are determined. The object may be manipulated responsive to the determined one or more locations of the touch input. While manipulation of the object is permitted, a predetermined orientation is preserved.

Claims

1. One or more processor-accessible tangible media comprising processor-executable instructions for enabling touch interaction with a curved display, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, direct a device to perform acts comprising:

monitoring a curved display to detect a touch input on an object;

if a touch input on an object is detected based on the act of monitoring,

determining one or more locations of the touch input; and

manipulating the object responsive to the one or more locations of the touch input; and

preserving a predetermined orientation for the object while permitting the manipulating of the object by implementing an object behavioral auto-rotation mechanism that adjusts a local orientation of the object to match the predetermined orientation.

2. The one or more processor-accessible tangible media as recited in claim 1, wherein the implementing of the object behavioral auto-rotation mechanism comprises acts of:

ascertaining a current position of the object;

ascertaining a current local orientation of the object at the current position;

determining a deviation angle between the current local orientation of the object and the predetermined orientation; and

adjusting the local orientation of the object to match the predetermined orientation responsive to the deviation angle.

3. The one or more processor-accessible tangible media as recited in claim 2, wherein the acts for the implementing of the object behavioral auto-rotation mechanism are performed at least partially during the act of manipulating.

4. The one or more processor-accessible tangible media as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of preserving a predetermined orientation for the object is performed by implementing a tether behavioral mechanism that comprises acts of:

ascertaining a current position of the object;

ascertaining a current axis of the object at the current position;

retrieving a tether axis of the object; and

adjusting the current axis of the object to match the tether axis.

5. The one or more processor-accessible tangible media as recited in claim 4, wherein the processor-executable instructions, when executed, direct the device to perform a further act comprising:

detecting if the touch input on the object ceases based on the act of monitoring;

wherein the acts for the implementing of the tether behavioral mechanism are not performed until the touch input on the object is detected to cease.

6. A method that is implemented by a device for touch interaction with a curved display, the method comprising acts of:

monitoring a curved display to detect a touch input on an object;

if a touch input on an object is detected based on the act of monitoring,

determining one or more locations of the touch input; and

manipulating the object responsive to the one or more locations of the touch input; and

preserving a predetermined orientation for the object while permitting the manipulating of the object.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of preserving comprises an act of:

maintaining the object in the predetermined orientation while a user is moving the object around the curved display in accordance with the manipulating of the object.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of preserving comprises an act of:

causing the object to return to the predetermined orientation in accordance with at least one tether axis when a user ceases the manipulating of the object.

9. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of preserving comprises acts of:

ascertaining a current position of the object;

ascertaining a current local orientation of the object at the current position;

determining a deviation angle between the current local orientation of the object and the predetermined orientation; and

adjusting the current local orientation of the object to match the predetermined orientation responsive to the deviation angle.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the act of adjusting comprises an act of:

applying a negative of the deviation angle to the current local orientation of the object to auto-rotate it with respect to the predetermined orientation.

11. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the act of preserving comprises acts of:

ascertaining a current position of the object;

ascertaining a current axis of the object at the current position;

retrieving a tether axis of the object; and

adjusting the current axis of the object to match the tether axis.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the act of adjusting comprises an act of:

smoothly animating the object between the current axis and the tether axis.

13. A device that enables touch interaction with a curved display, the device comprising:

a curved display; and

a processing unit including a detection unit and an interaction unit;

the detection unit to monitor the curved display to detect a touch input on an object and to determine one or more locations of the touch input, the interaction unit to enable manipulation of the object responsive to the one or more locations of the touch input and to preserve a predetermined orientation for the object while permitting the manipulation of the object.

14. The device as recited in claim 13, wherein the curved display is spherical, hemispherical, cuboidal, or cylindrical.

15. The device as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

a display component including a projection component and a detection component;

the projection component adapted to project images onto the curved display, and the detection component adapted to detect the one or more locations of the touch input on the curved display;

wherein the curved display has an interior and an exterior, with objects that are displayed visible from the exterior of the curved display; and

wherein the processing unit further includes a projection unit to instruct the projection component to display objects in accordance with the manipulation of the object and preservation of the predetermined orientation for the object.

16. The device as recited in claim 13, wherein the predetermined orientation comprises a right-side-up orientation;

and wherein the interaction unit comprises an object behavioral auto-rotation unit to maintain objects in the right-side-up orientation as users move the objects around the curved display.

17. The device as recited in claim 13, wherein the predetermined orientation comprises a right-side-up orientation;

and wherein the interaction unit comprises a tether behavioral unit to return objects to the right-side-up orientation after users have manipulated the objects.

18. The device as recited in claim 13, wherein the curved display comprises a spherical display or a hemispherical display;

wherein the predetermined orientation comprises a top of the spherical display or the hemispherical display; and

wherein the object comprises rectangular bordered data or omni-directional data.

19. The device as recited in claim 13, wherein the interaction unit comprises an object behavioral auto-rotation unit to determine a deviation angle between a current local orientation of the object and the predetermined orientation and to adjust the current local orientation of the object to match the predetermined orientation responsive to the deviation angle.

20. The device as recited in claim 13, wherein the interaction unit comprises a tether behavioral unit to adjust a current axis of the object to match a tether axis for the object upon release of the touch input on the object.