Gesture sensitive buttons for graphical user interfaces
First Claim
1. A gesture sensitive button for a graphical user interface comprising:
- a digital processor,a display screen coupled to said digital processor;
a pointer for pointing to locations on said display screen;
a button image displayed on said display screen, said digital processor being responsive without any intermediate input to at least two different button gestures made by said pointer on said display screen at any location over said button image; and
gesture recognition means for detecting gestures made on said display screen by said pointer and operative to initiate a process in said digital processor that is determined by a recognizable button gesture made with said pointer on said display screen which selects said button image and which has meaning to said digital processor based upon a context associated with said button image wherein the gesture recognition means is arranged such that the function associated with each of said button gestures will be initiated and executed in an identical manner regardless of the location over the button image that the gesture was made,wherein said digital processor is operable such that when said gesture recognition means recognizes a particular recognizable button gesture for said button image, said digital processor provides feedback relative to said button confirming that said button image has been selected, said feedback relative to said button also indicative of the particular function associated with said particular recognizable button gesture.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gesture sensitive button for graphical user interfaces characterized by a digital computer, a screen coupled to the digital computer, a pointer mechanism used for pointing locations on the screen, a "button" image displayed on the screen, and a gesture recognizer for detecting gestures made on the screen by the pointing mechanism. The button is responsive to at least two different button gestures made on the screen on or near the button. A process implementing the gesture sensitive button of the present invention includes: providing a button image on a computer screen; detecting a gesture made on the screen by a pointer such as a stylus, mouse, or trackball; determining whether the gesture is associated with the button image; and initiating one of at least two processes if the gesture is associated with the button image. The gesture sensitive button conserves real estate on the computer screen by permitting a single button to control multiple functions and processes.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A gesture sensitive button for a graphical user interface comprising:
-
a digital processor, a display screen coupled to said digital processor; a pointer for pointing to locations on said display screen; a button image displayed on said display screen, said digital processor being responsive without any intermediate input to at least two different button gestures made by said pointer on said display screen at any location over said button image; and gesture recognition means for detecting gestures made on said display screen by said pointer and operative to initiate a process in said digital processor that is determined by a recognizable button gesture made with said pointer on said display screen which selects said button image and which has meaning to said digital processor based upon a context associated with said button image wherein the gesture recognition means is arranged such that the function associated with each of said button gestures will be initiated and executed in an identical manner regardless of the location over the button image that the gesture was made, wherein said digital processor is operable such that when said gesture recognition means recognizes a particular recognizable button gesture for said button image, said digital processor provides feedback relative to said button confirming that said button image has been selected, said feedback relative to said button also indicative of the particular function associated with said particular recognizable button gesture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A method for providing and utilizing a gesture sensitive button for a graphical user interface, wherein the gesture sensitive button has a plurality of distinct gestures associated therewith, each distinct gesture that is associated with the gesture sensitive button having a distinct process associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing a button image on a computer display screen; detecting an inputted gesture made upon said computer display screen by a pointer; determining whether said inputted gesture is associated with said button image by determining whether said gesture contacts said button image and determining whether said gesture is one of the distinct gestures that is associated with the gesture sensitive button; and when the inputted gesture is determined to be associated with the button image, performing the following substeps of;
(a) providing feedback relative to the button image confirming that the button image has been selected, (b) providing feedback relative to the button image indicative of the process associated with the inputted gesture, and (c) initiating the process associated with said inputted gesture and the button image. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A method for initiating and executing one of a plurality of command sequences from inputs made with a stylus on a gesture sensitive button image displayed on a touch-sensitive display screen of a pen-based computer system, the method comprising the steps of:
-
displaying a button object having a button context on the display screen of the pen-based computer system, said button object having a button bounding box; entering with the stylus a gesture object, having a gesture bounding box, anywhere over said button object; determining whether said gesture bounding box substantially overlaps said button bounding box; and when the gesture bounding box is determined to substantially overlap the button bounding box, performing the steps of (a) providing feedback relative to the button confirming that said button object has been selected;
(b) providing feedback relative to the button object indicative a command sequence associated with the entered gesture and (c) executing the command sequence in said pen-based computer system that is associated with the entered gesture without utilizing an intermediate input to the pen-based computer system;wherein when a first gesture type is entered, the executed command sequence turns a function associated with said button object on if previously off and off if previously on; and wherein when a second gesture type is entered, the executed command sequence brings up a choice palette wherein a further selection within the choice palette can be made and a function associated therewith executed. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification