ANCHOR-DRAG TOUCH SYMBOL RECOGNITION

• US 20140160054A1
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Rabii, Khosro, Pham, Dat Tien
• Application Number:
  US13/707,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20140160054A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Described herein are methods and devices that employ a predefined class of anchor-drag touches to minimize host processor use in a mobile computing device. As described, detecting anchor-drag touch gestures enables the touch screen controller to handle a large portion of touch processing, even in mobile devices with larger displays. A first touch establishes an anchor area, from which a drag area is calculated, and a second touch within the drag area provides a command to the device. Some embodiments may limit subsequent touch processing to the identified drag area.

Claims

1. A system configured to recognize multitouch gestures, the system comprising:

a touch panel;

a touch detection module configured to capture a first touch event and a second touch event on the touch panel; and

a processing module configured to determine if the second touch event is within a predefined boundary area from the first touch event, and discard the touch event if it is outside of the predefined boundary, the processing module further configured to track a position of a touch event within the predefined boundary and activate a predetermined object drag process based on the position of the touch event.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system is implemented in a mobile phone, a computer, or digital imaging device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing module comprises a touch screen subsystem having a touch screen controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the touch panel comprises one of resistive, surface capacitive, projected capacitive, infrared, surface acoustic wave, strain gauge, optical imaging, or dispersive signal touch screen technologies

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first touch is made by a first finger of a single hand and the second touch is made by a second finger of the single hand.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the spatial relationship is based at least in part on Euclidean distance and angle between the first finger and the second finger.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second touch event comprises a geometric shape.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the drag area occupies an area smaller than the touch panel.

9. A method of implementing a multitouch recognition function on a computing device equipped with a touch panel, the method comprising:

detecting a first touch event at a first location;

defining a base area on the touchscreen display based at least in part on the first location;

determining a drag area of the touch panel based at least in part on a predetermined geometric boundary in relation to the base area;

temporarily limiting subsequent touch processing on the touch panel to the drag area; and

detecting a second touch event within the drag area.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first touch is made by a first finger of a hand and the second touch is made by a second finger of the hand, and wherein determining a drag area further comprises estimating a Euclidean distance and angle between the first finger and the second finger.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein temporarily limiting subsequent touch processing on the touch panel to the drag area comprises discarding touch events located outside of the drag area.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a geometric shape of the second touch event.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising associating a function with the geometric shape.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting a third touch event within the drag area, determining an additional geometric shape of the third touch event, and associating a function with the combination of the geometric shape and the additional geometric shape.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising establishing a permanent drag area from the predetermined geometric boundary and limiting all subsequent touch processing to the permanent drag area for a duration of a predefined session.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code that, when executed, causes an processor to perform the method of:

detecting a first touch event;

defining a base area of the touchscreen display from the first touch event;

determining a drag area of the touchscreen display, the drag area being defined within a predetermined geometric boundary in relation to the base area;

temporarily limiting subsequent touch processing on the touchscreen to the drag area; and

detecting a second touch event within the drag area.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first touch is made by a first finger of a hand and the second touch is made by a second finger of the hand, and wherein determining a drag area further comprises estimating a Euclidean distance and angle between the first finger and the second finger.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein temporarily limiting subsequent touch processing on the touch panel to the drag area comprises discarding touch events located outside of the drag area.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising determining a geometric shape of the second touch event.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising associating a function with the geometric shape.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, further comprising detecting a third touch event within the drag area, determining an additional geometric shape of the third touch event, and associating a function with the combination of the geometric shape and the additional geometric shape.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising establishing a permanent drag area from the predetermined geometric boundary and limiting all subsequent touch processing to the permanent drag area for a duration of a predefined session.

23. An apparatus for multitouch recognition, comprising:

means for receiving touch data comprising a first touch event and a second touch event;

means for calculating a spatial relationship between a first location of the first touch event and a second location of the second touch event and establishing a drag area having geometric boundary in relation to the first location;

means for limiting subsequent touch processing to the drag area.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first touch is made by a first finger of a single hand and the second touch is made by a second finger of the single hand.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the spatial relationship is based on Euclidean distance and angle between the first finger and the second finger

26. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for receiving touch data comprises a touch panel.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the touch panel comprises one of resistive, surface capacitive, projected capacitive, infrared, surface acoustic wave, strain gauge, optical imaging, or dispersive signal touch screen technologies.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for calculating a spatial relationship comprises a touch screen subsystem having a touch screen controller

29. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for limiting subsequent touch processing to the drag area comprises a touch screen subsystem having a touch screen controller.

30. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for determining a geometric shape of the second touch.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the means for determining a geometric shape of the second touch comprises a touch screen subsystem having a touch screen controller.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising means for associating a function with the geometric shape.