FINGER-SPECIFIC INPUT ON TOUCHSCREEN DEVICES

• US 20140160035A1
• Filed: 12/10/2012
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Sauer, Dietmar Michael, Eirich, Ilona
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,462 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0338 Fingerprint track pad, i.e. fingerprint sensor used as pointing device tracking the fingertip image
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

This specification describes apparatus, computer-implemented methods, and systems for interacting with computing systems using finger-specific input. In one general embodiment, a finger-specific input device can identify and differentiate each finger of a user. For example, the finger-specific input device may be able to detect features of each individual finger, such as fingerprints or detectable finger attachments, and to determine a set of fingers using the input device by camera or other visual cue, among others. A user can use multiple fingers to interact with a computing system and generate commands based on the use of a particular finger, a particular combination of fingers, and particular gestures of specific finger or combination of finger movements. In some implementations, specific commands are assigned to corresponding fingers and/or finger-specific multi-touch gestures in a program environment. In some implementations, users can define specific commands for specific fingers and/or finger-specific multi-touch gestures.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

detecting a contact with an electronic device;

identifying a finger associated with the detected contact;

determining a finger-specific command associated with the contact from the identified finger; and

performing the determined finger-specific command.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a touchscreen display and wherein the contact is detected with the touchscreen display.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying a graphical user interface element on the touchscreen display and wherein the finger-specific command is determined based on the identified finger and the graphical user interface element.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting a second contact with the touchscreen display; and

identifying a second finger associated with the second contact; and

wherein the finger-specific command is determined based on the identified finger and the identified second finger.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a gesture and wherein the finger-specific command is determined based on the gesture and the identified finger.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the finger associated with the received contact further comprises analyzing the fingerprint of the finger.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the finger associated with the received contact further comprises performing a visual analysis of a hand touching the input device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the finger associated with the received contact further comprises receiving input from a set of finger attachments.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of finger attachments includes at least one of an electronic glove having five finger receivers, one receiver for each finger of an average human hand, a plurality of visual attachments for optical recognition, or a plurality of radio-frequency identifications (RFIDs) embedded to each finger.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the finger-specific command is defined in a database of context-specific commands, the context-specific commands being applicable to a particular application.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the finger associated with the received contact further comprises at least one of:

analyzing the fingerprint of the finger, performing a visual analysis of a hand touching the input device, and receiving input from a set of finger attachments.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein prior to receiving the contact, further comprising receiving an indication of contact mode from a selector, the selector being associated with and triggering preparation for receipt of the finger-specific command.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the finger-specific command comprises an approval command and a rejection command in a business application, the approval command associated with a contact from a first finger and the rejection command associated with a contact from a different second finger.

14. A computer-program product comprising computer-readable instructions embodied on tangible non-transitory media and operable when executed to:

detect a contact with an electronic device;

identify a finger associated with the detected contact;

determine a finger-specific command associated with the contact from the identified finger; and

perform the determined finger-specific command.

15. The computer-program product of claim 14, wherein the electronic device includes a touchscreen display and wherein the contact is detected with the touchscreen display.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15, further comprising computer-readable instructions embodied on tangible non-transitory media and operable when executed to:

detect a second contact with the touchscreen display; and

identify a second finger associated with the second contact; and

wherein the finger-specific command is determined based on the identified finger and the identified second finger.

17. A system of one or more computers configured to perform operations comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs including instructions for;

detecting a contact with an electronic device;

identifying a finger associated with the detected contact;

determining a finger-specific command associated with the contact from the identified finger; and

performing the determined finger-specific command.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein identifying the finger associated the detected contact further comprises at least one of:

analyzing the fingerprint of the finger, performing a visual analysis of a hand touching the input device, or receiving input from a set of finger attachments.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the set of finger attachments includes at least one of an electronic glove having five finger receivers, one receiver for each finger of an average human hand, a plurality of visual attachments for optical recognition, or a plurality of radio-frequency identifications (RFIDs) embedded to each finger.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein prior to receiving the contact, receiving an indication of contact mode from a selector, the selector being associated with and triggering preparation for receipt of the finger-specific command.