TEMPORALLY SEPARATE TOUCH INPUT

• US 20100060588A1
• Filed: 09/09/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fong, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US12/206,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20100060588A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method of processing touch input includes recognizing a first touch input, and then, after conclusion of the first touch input, recognizing a second touch input temporally separate from the first touch input. The temporally separate combination of the first touch input and the second touch input is then translated into a multi-touch control.

Claims

1. A method of manipulating an image on a display, the method comprising:

presenting the image on the display;

recognizing a first touch input at a first position on the display;

setting an anchor at the first position;

after conclusion of the first touch input, recognizing a second touch input on the display; and

changing a characteristic of the image on the display based on a path of the second touch input relative to the anchor set by the first touch input.

2. The method of claim 1, where changing a characteristic of the image on the display includes increasing a scale of the image if a path of the second touch input is directed away from the anchor set by the first touch input.

3. The method of claim 1, where changing a characteristic of the image on the display includes decreasing a scale of the image if a path of the second touch input is directed towards the anchor set by the first touch input.

4. The method of claim 1, where changing a characteristic of the image on the display includes rotating the image if a path of the second touch input is directed around the anchor set by the first touch input.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an anchor indicator at the first position after conclusion of the first touch input.

6. The method of claim 1, where an anchor is set only if a touch input is held at a given position for a predetermined period of time before that touch input is concluded.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising releasing the anchor after the characteristic of the image is changed.

8. The method of claim 1, where recognizing a first touch input on the display includes detecting a change in an electric field near the display.

9. The method of claim 1, where recognizing a first touch input on the display includes detecting a change in pressure on the display.

10. A method of processing touch input, the method comprising:

recognizing a first touch input;

after conclusion of the first touch input, recognizing a second touch input temporally separate from the first touch input; and

translating a temporally separate combination of the first touch input and the second touch input into a multi-touch control.

11. The method of claim 10, where the multi-touch control is a zoom control for increasing a scale of an image if a path of the second touch input is directed away from a position of the first touch input.

12. The method of claim 10, where the multi-touch control is a zoom control for decreasing a scale of an image if a path of the second touch input is directed toward a position of the first touch input.

13. The method of claim 10, where the multi-touch control is a rotation control for rotating an image if a path of the second touch input is directed around a position of the first touch input.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying an anchor indicator at a position of the first touch input after conclusion of the first touch input.

15. A computing device, comprising:

a display configured to visually present an image;

a touch-input subsystem configured to recognize touch input on the display; and

a control subsystem configured to;

set an anchor at a first position responsive to a first touch input recognized at a first position by the touch-input subsystem; and

change a characteristic of the image on the display responsive to a second touch input recognized after conclusion of the first touch input, the control subsystem configured to change the characteristic of the image based on a path of the second touch input relative to the anchor.

16. The computing device of claim 15, where the control subsystem is configured to increase a scale of the image on the display if a path of the second touch input is directed away from the anchor set by the first touch input.

17. The computing device of claim 15, where the control subsystem is configured to decrease a scale of the image on the display if a path of the second touch input is directed towards the anchor set by the first touch input.

18. The computing device of claim 15, where the control subsystem is configured to rotate the image if a path of the second touch input is directed around the anchor set by the first touch input.

19. The computing device of claim 15, where the control subsystem is configured to cause the display to display an anchor indicator at the first position responsive to the first touch input.

20. The computing device of claim 15, where the control subsystem is configured to set an anchor only if a touch input is held at a given position for a predetermined period of time before that touch input is concluded.