Bridging Multi and/or Single Point Devices and Applications

• US 20110298724A1
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ameling, Michael, Herzig, Philipp
• Granted Patent: US 8,749,499 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

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods determining a number of contact points applied to a touch-screen, executing, using one or more processors, an application function based on the number of contact points, determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the application function, determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero, and continuing execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining a number of contact points applied to a touch-screen;

executing, using one or more processors, an application function based on the number of contact points;

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the application function;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero; and

continuing execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the number of contact points is equal to zero; and

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is zero.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the number of contact points has increased during execution of the application function;

determining an updated number of contact points in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased;

identifying a subsequent application function corresponding to the updated number of contact points;

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased; and

executing the subsequent application function.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the subsequent application function;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero; and

continuing execution of the subsequent application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that that the number of contact points has decreased comprises:

generating a current frame corresponding to the touch-screen;

retrieving a previous frame corresponding to the touch-screen from a computer-readable storage device; and

comparing the current frame to the previous frame to determine a change in the number of contact points.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact points correspond to a gesture of a user and the application function is determined based on the gesture.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each contact point is provided as a binary large object (BLOB) and includes an associated identification and x-y coordinates relative to the touch-screen.

8. A computer-readable storage device coupled to one or more processors having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a number of contact points applied to a touch-screen;

executing an application function based on the number of contact points;

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the application function;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero; and

continuing execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points is equal to zero; and

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is zero.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points has increased during execution of the application function;

determining an updated number of contact points in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased;

identifying a subsequent application function corresponding to the updated number of contact points;

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased; and

executing the subsequent application function.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the subsequent application function;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero; and

continuing execution of the subsequent application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein determining that that the number of contact points has decreased comprises:

generating a current frame corresponding to the touch-screen;

retrieving a previous frame corresponding to the touch-screen from a computer-readable storage device; and

comparing the current frame to the previous frame to determine a change in the number of contact points.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the contact points correspond to a gesture of a user and the application function is determined based on the gesture.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein each contact point is provided as a binary large object (BLOB) and includes an associated identification and x-y coordinates relative to the touch-screen.

15. A system, comprising:

a touch-screen display;

one or more processors that receive input from and provide output to the touch-screen display; and

a computer-readable storage device coupled to the one or more processors having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

determining a number of contact points applied to a touch-screen;

executing an application function based on the number of contact points;

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the application function;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero; and

continuing execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points is equal to zero; and

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is zero.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points has increased during execution of the application function;

determining an updated number of contact points in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased;

identifying a subsequent application function corresponding to the updated number of contact points;

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased; and

executing the subsequent application function.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the subsequent application function;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero; and

continuing execution of the subsequent application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein determining that that the number of contact points has decreased comprises:

generating a current frame corresponding to the touch-screen;

retrieving a previous frame corresponding to the touch-screen from a computer-readable storage device; and

comparing the current frame to the previous frame to determine a change in the number of contact points.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the contact points correspond to a gesture of a user and the application function is determined based on the gesture.