Translating User Interaction With A Touch Screen Into Input Commands

• US 20110115721A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Yang, Hackborn, Dianne K., Cleron, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,432,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Systems and techniques for translating user interaction with a touch screen into input commands. In one aspect, a touch screen system includes a touch screen graphical display, a command interpreter configured to identify modifier interactions with the graphical display and, in response to identification of the modifier interaction, modify the interpretation of other interaction with the graphical display, one or more persistent data storage devices. The data storage devices store a first set of rules for interpreting user interaction with the graphical display and a second set of rules for interpreting user interaction with the graphical display. The first set of rules interpret motion across a map or a proper subset of a collection of information as a scrolling or panning command. The second set of rules interpret the motion as a glyph. The command interpreter is configured to modify the interpretation of the other interaction by switching between interpretation under the first set of rules and interpretation under the second set of rules.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a touch screen system identifying stationary contact with a touch screen graphical display;

the touch screen system starting a timer in response to the identification of the stationary contact;

the touch screen system determining whether a second user interaction with the touch screen graphical display is timely using the timer; and

in response to the second user interaction being timely, the touch screen system interpreting the second user interaction as a glyph.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the touch screen system interpreting the stationary contact as a zoom-in command in response to the second user interaction being untimely.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the second user interaction being untimely, the touch screen system interpreting the stationary contact as a command directing that that further details regarding an entry contacted by the stationary contact.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein interpreting the second user interaction as a glyph comprises interpreting the second user interaction under a set of rules tailored to the identification of alphanumeric characters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the stationary contact comprises determining that the stationary contact is in contact with an edge of the touch screen graphical display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein interpreting the second user interaction as a glyph comprises disabling of finger dragging interactions as scrolling or panning commands.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the touch screen system pinning the touch screen graphical display in response to identification of the stationary contact.

8. The method of claim 7, further wherein pinning the touch screen graphical display comprises maintaining the representation on graphical display completely immobile.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the touch screen system changing to a new translation mode in response to the second user interaction being timely.

10. The method of claim 10, wherein the new translation mode comprises a glyph translation mode tailored to interpret user interaction involving multiple finger drags across the touch screen graphical display as glyphs.

11. A touch screen system comprising:

a touch screen graphical display;

a command interpreter configured to identify modifier interactions with the graphical display and, in response to identification of the modifier interaction, modify the interpretation of other interaction with the graphical display; and

one or more persistent data storage devices, the data storage devices storing a first set of rules for interpreting user interaction with the graphical display and a second set of rules for interpreting user interaction with the graphical display, the first set of rules interpreting motion across a map or a proper subset of a collection of information as a scrolling or panning command, the second set of rules interpreting the motion as a glyph,

wherein the command interpreter is configured to modify the interpretation of the other interaction by switching between interpretation under the first set of rules and interpretation under the second set of rules.

12. The touch screen system of claim 11, further comprising a collection of map information stored at the one or more persistent data storage devices.

13. The touch screen system of claim 11, further comprising a hand-held housing mounting the touch screen graphical display.

15. The touch screen system of claim 11, wherein the command interpreter is configured to identify stationary contact followed by a timely second contact as modifier interactions.

16. The touch screen system of claim 11, wherein the second set of rules comprises rules for interpreting the motion as a custom glyph.

17. The touch screen system of claim 11, wherein the command interpreter is configured to identify a pinning command, the pinning command disabling a touch screen system from interpreting finger dragging as a scroll command or as a pan command.

18. The touch screen system of claim 11, wherein:

the touch screen system further comprises a clock; and

the command interpreter is configured to start a timer that relies on the clock in response to identification of a stationary contact with the graphical display.

19. The touch screen system of claim 18, wherein the command interpreter is configured to identify a modifier interaction in response to a second user interaction being received before the timer reaches a threshold period.

20. The touch screen system of claim 18, wherein the threshold period is within 15% of one second.

21. The touch screen system of claim 18, wherein the command interpreter is configured to interpret the stationary contact as a zoom-in command in response to a failure to receive a second user interaction before the timer reaches a threshold period.

22. The touch screen system of claim 18, wherein the command interpreter is configured to interpret the stationary contact as a command directing that that further details regarding an entry contacted by the stationary contact in response to a failure to receive a second user interaction before the timer reaches a threshold period.

14. The touch screen system of claim 14, wherein the command interpreter is configured to identify contact on a lateral side of the touch screen graphical display as modifier interactions.

23. A touch screen system comprising:

a touch screen graphical display;

means for translating a same user interaction with the touch screen graphical display into two different input commands; and

one or more persistent data storage devices storing rules accessible by the means for translating.

24. The touch screen system of claim 23, wherein the means for translating comprises:

a clock; and

a timer that relies on the clock and configured to start in response to identification of a stationary contact with the touch screen graphical display.