REFINING MANUAL INPUT INTERPRETATION ON TOUCH SURFACES

• US 20100277419A1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mori, Hidetoshi, Matsubara, Masaki, Stewart, Aaron Michael, Ganey, Harriss Christopher Neil
• Granted Patent: US 9,354,795 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A computer system displays an object on a touch surface and detects multiple touch points on the touch surface in proximity to the displayed object. Next, the computer system detects one or more touch point movements originating from one or more of the plurality of touch points and determines a type of sector in which each of the touch point movements enters. In turn, when one of the touch point movements enters a rotate sector, the computer system performs a rotate command on the object.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying an object on a touch surface;

detecting a plurality of touch points on the touch surface in proximity to the displayed object;

detecting one or more touch point movements originating from one or more of the plurality of touch points;

for each of the one or more touch point movements, identifying a type of sector in which each of the one or more touch point movements enters; and

in response to determining that one of the touch point movements enters a rotate sector, performing a rotate command on the object.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of touch points include a first touch point and a second touch point, the method further comprising:

in response to detecting the first touch point and the second touch point, establishing a linear orientation between the first touch point and the second touch point;

defining a zoom sector as being equilaterally aligned on the linear orientation, wherein the zoom sector includes a central zoom angle opening that defines the size of the zoom sector; and

defining the rotate sector as being equilaterally positioned perpendicular to the linear orientation, wherein the rotate sector includes a central rotate angle opening that defines the size of the rotate sector.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a request to change the central rotate angle opening; and

changing the central rotate angle opening of the rotate sector, which changes the size of the rotate sector.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving a request to insert a dead zone between the zoom sector and the rotate sector; and

inserting the dead zone between the zoom sector and the rotate sector.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that one of the touch point movements entered a zoom sector and a different one of the touch point movements entered the rotate sector; and

in response to determining that one of the touch point movements entered the zoom sector and a different one of the touch point movements entered the rotate sector, performing the rotate command on the object.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in response to determining that each of the one or more touch point movements enters a zoom sector, performing a zoom command on the object.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of touch points result from a user contacting the touch surface at a plurality of contact locations.

8. An information handling system comprising:

a touch surface;

one or more processors, wherein one of the processors receive input from the touch surface;

a memory accessible by at least one of the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by at least one of the processors;

a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of;

displaying an object on the touch surface;

detecting a plurality of touch points on the touch surface in proximity to the displayed object;

detecting one or more touch point movements originating from one or more of the plurality of touch points;

for each of the one or more touch point movements, identifying a type of sector in which each of the one or more touch point movements enters; and

in response to determining that one of the touch point movements enters a rotate sector, performing a rotate command on the object.

9. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of touch points include a first touch point and a second touch point, the set of instructions further performing actions of:

in response to detecting the first touch point and the second touch point, establishing a linear orientation between the first touch point and the second touch point;

defining a zoom sector as being equilaterally aligned on the linear orientation, wherein the zoom sector includes a central zoom angle opening that defines the size of the zoom sector; and

defining the rotate sector as being equilaterally positioned perpendicular to the linear orientation, wherein the rotate sector includes a central rotate angle opening that defines the size of the rotate sector.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the set of instructions further performs actions of:

receiving a request to change the central rotate angle opening; and

changing the central rotate angle opening of the rotate sector, which changes the size of the rotate sector.

11. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the set of instructions further performs actions of:

receiving a request to insert a dead zone between the zoom sector and the rotate sector; and

inserting the dead zone between the zoom sector and the rotate sector.

12. The information handling system of claim 8 where the set of instructions further performs actions of:

determining that one of the touch point movements entered a zoom sector and a different one of the touch point movements entered the rotate sector; and

in response to determining that one of the touch point movements entered the zoom sector and a different one of the touch point movements entered the rotate sector, performing the rotate command on the object.

13. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the set of instructions further performs actions of:

in response to determining that each of the one or more touch point movements enters a zoom sector, performing a zoom command on the object.

14. The information handling system of claim 8 wherein the plurality of touch points result from a user contacting the touch surface at a plurality of contact locations.

15. A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions that include:

displaying an object on the touch surface;

detecting a plurality of touch points on the touch surface in proximity to the displayed object;

detecting one or more touch point movements originating from one or more of the plurality of touch points;

for each of the one or more touch point movements, identifying a type of sector in which each of the one or more touch point movements enters; and

in response to determining that one of the touch point movements enters a rotate sector, performing a rotate command on the object.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the plurality of touch points include a first touch point and a second touch point, the information handling system further performing actions of:

in response to detecting the first touch point and the second touch point, establishing a linear orientation between the first touch point and the second touch point;

defining a zoom sector as being equilaterally aligned on the linear orientation, wherein the zoom sector includes a central zoom angle opening that defines the size of the zoom sector; and

defining the rotate sector as being equilaterally positioned perpendicular to the linear orientation, wherein the rotate sector includes a central rotate angle opening that defines the size of the rotate sector.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the information handling system further performs actions of:

receiving a request to change the central rotate angle opening; and

changing the central rotate angle opening of the rotate sector, which changes the size of the rotate sector.

18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the information handling system further performs actions of:

receiving a request to insert a dead zone between the zoom sector and the rotate sector; and

inserting the dead zone between the zoom sector and the rotate sector.

19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the information handling system further performs actions of:

determining that one of the touch point movements entered a zoom sector and a different one of the touch point movements entered the rotate sector; and

in response to determining that one of the touch point movements entered the zoom sector and a different one of the touch point movements entered the rotate sector, performing the rotate command on the object.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the information handling system further performs actions of:

in response to determining that each of the one or more touch point movements enters a zoom sector, performing a zoom command on the object.