Methods and Systems for Radial Input Gestures

• US 20120144345A1
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Munter, Aaron, McKay, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 9,361,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A computerized device can comprise a touch-enabled surface and a data processing hardware element configured by a gesture input engine to recognize an input gesture using data from the touch-enabled surface. A parameter value can be set based on determining a path traversed by the input gesture. The data processing element can comprise a processor and the gesture input engine can comprise program logic in a memory device and/or the engine may be implemented using hardware logic. Regardless, the radial input gesture can be used to set one or more parameter values without use of a direct mapping of interface coordinates to parameter values. A method can comprise tracking a plurality of input points, identifying a path defined by the plurality of input points, identifying a closed curve including the path, determining a percentage of the curve traversed by the path, and setting a parameter value based on the percentage.

Claims

1. A computerized device, comprising:

a touch-enabled surface; and

a data processing hardware element,

wherein the data processing hardware element implements a gesture input engine to recognize an input gesture based on data from the touch-enabled surface, determine a path defined by the input gesture, and to set a parameter value based on determining a percentage of a curve traversed by the path.

2. The computerized device of claim 1, wherein the input gesture comprises a radial input gesture and the curve is a closed curve.

3. The computerized device of claim 1, wherein the data processing hardware comprises a processor and the gesture input engine comprises program logic accessible by the processor.

4. The computerized device of claim 1, wherein the parameter value comprises a visual parameter setting in a design application.

5. A computer-implemented method comprising:

tracking a plurality of input points provided by an input device in response to an input gesture;

identifying a path defined by the plurality of input points;

identifying a closed curve including the path;

determining a percentage of the closed curve traversed by the path; and

setting a parameter value based on the percentage.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein setting the parameter value comprises adjusting a visual parameter setting in a design application.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the parameter value is set independently of a mapping of coordinate values to parameter values.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

prior to tracking the plurality of input points, determining the parameter value to be set based on an input command.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the closed curve comprises a circle, the path comprises an arc, and determining the percentage of the closed curve traversed by the path comprises:

identifying an anchor point corresponding to a center of the circle;

determining a circumference of the circle based on a radial distance from the arc to the anchor point; and

calculating the percentage based on a length of the arc and the circumference.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein tracking, identifying, and setting are carried out for a plurality of arcs defined as part of a continuous gesture, at least two of the plurality of arcs having a different radial distance from the anchor point.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

prior to tracking the plurality of input points, receiving input defining a location of the anchor point.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

in response to tracking the plurality of input points, rendering at least a portion of the path in a graphical user interface.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

while the plurality of input points are being tracked, rendering a selection graphic in a graphical user interface.

14. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory interfaced to the processor,

wherein the memory embodies program code comprising;

program code that configures the processor to receive input data representing a plurality of input points,

program code that configures the processor to identify an arc defined by the plurality of input points, and

program code that configures the processor to adjust a parameter value based on the identified arc and based on a radial distance between the arc and an anchor point.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a touch detection device, wherein the input data representing the plurality of input points is provided by the touch detection device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor and memory are included in a mobile device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the program code is comprised in a design application and the parameter value comprises a setting used to control a tool provided in the design application.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the setting comprises a visual parameter.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying program code, the program code comprising:

code which, when executed by a computing device, causes the computing device to analyze a plurality of input points and identify an arc defined by input points, the arc defined independently of any predefined path; and

code which, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to adjust a parameter value of an application based on the identified arc and a distance of the identified arc from a control point.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising code which, when executed by the computing device, causes the computing device to access the plurality of input points from a touch detection device.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the code that causes the computing device to adjust the parameter value causes the computing device to determine a percentage of a circle traversed by the arc and determine a corresponding percentage of a full scale value for the parameter value.