Method of pre-caching user interaction elements using input device position

• US 6,486,874 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2000
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gillette, Joseph G., Muthuswamy, Sivakumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eisen, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US09/706,894
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 178/18-1-, 178/19-1-, 345/173-179, 345/810, 345/812, 345/862-864
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/1423 the instrument generating sequences of position coordinates corresponding to handwriting preprocessing or recognising digital ink G06V30/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/228 of three-dimensional handwriting, e.g. writing in the air

Abstract

A method (60) of pre-caching user interaction elements, includes monitoring motion patterns (40) with an electronic input device having a gesture recorder and a writing surface using a three-dimensional position of the recorder with respect to the writing surface, analyzing the monitored motion patterns (42) made while the recorder is off the writing surface to determine if the recorder is approaching a target area at the writing surface (44), the target area having an associated functionality, and triggering the functionality (50)before contact between the recorder and the target area. The steps are repeated continuously. The analyzing step (42) determines if the recorder is moving towards the writing surface, and, if so, a two-dimensional location of the recorder with respect to the plane of the writing surface is determined (46) and a trajectory is defined based upon the location and movement of the recorder off the writing surface. A control area disposed at an endpoint of the trajectory is identified (48) as the target area to be triggered. Alternatively, a plurality of trajectories between the recorder and a control area is defined based upon recorder location and movement off the writing surface and correlated with the actual trajectory. For the trajectory with the highest degree of correlation, a corresponding control area is defined as the target area to be triggered. Triggering of multiple control areas can be simultaneous or sequential. The method can be used with a variety of systems including an inductive stylus and tablet system and a radio frequency stylus and tablet system.

Claims

1. A method of pre-caching user interaction elements, which comprises:

monitoring motion patterns with an electronic input device having a gesture recorder and a writing surface using a three-dimensional position of the recorder with respect to the writing surface;

providing one or more control areas at the writing surface;

analyzing the monitored motion patterns made while the recorder is off the writing surface to determine if the recorder is approaching the writing surface;

when it is determined that the recorder is approaching the writing surface, defining a plurality of trajectories between the recorder and each of the one or more control areas based upon the location and movement of the recorder off the writing surface;

monitoring an actual trajectory of the recorder;

correlating the plurality of trajectories with the actual trajectory; and

for one of the plurality of trajectories with a highest degree of correlation, defining a corresponding control area as at least one target area, the at least one target area having an associated functionality; and

triggering at least one aspect of the functionality before contact between the recorder and the at least one target area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the analyzing step comprises analyzing the recorder position to determine if the recorder is moving towards a single target area.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the monitoring and analyzing steps are repeated until a determination is made that the recorder is moving towards the single target area.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring and analyzing steps are repeated until it is determined that the recorder is approaching at least one target area at the writing surface.

5. The method according to claim 4, which comprises:

determining a two-dimensional location of the recorder with respect to a plane of the writing surface when a determination is made that the recorder is approaching at least one target area at the writing surface; and

defining a trajectory based upon the two-dimensional location and movement of the recorder off the writing surface.

6. The method according to claim 5, which comprises providing control areas at the writing surface.

7. The method according to claim 6, which comprises:

identifying at least one of the control areas disposed approximately at an endpoint of the trajectory; and

defining the at least one of the control areas as the at least one target area.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one target area is one target area, the identifying step comprises identifying one of the control areas, and the defining step comprises defining the one of the control areas as the one target area.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the triggering step comprises triggering corresponding preliminary actions that are necessary to execute the functional that is assigned to the at least one of the control areas simultaneously.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the triggering step comprises triggering corresponding preliminary actions that are necessary to execute the functional that is assigned to the at least one of the control areas sequentially.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring step, the analyzing step, and the triggering step are repeated and performed continuously.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the recorder is a stylus.

13. The method according to claim 1, which comprises recording the motion patterns.

14. The method according to claim 1, which comprises electronically displaying the on-surface motion patterns upon the writing surface and not displaying the off-surface motion patterns.

15. A method of pre-caching user interaction elements, which comprises:

monitoring motion patterns with an electronic input device having a gesture recorder and a writing surface using a three-dimensional position of the recorder with respect to the writing surface;

analyzing the monitored motion patterns made while the recorder is off the writing surface including;

determining if the recorder is moving towards the writing surface, and

determining if the recorder is approaching at least one target area at the writing surface, the at least one target area having an associated functionality,

wherein the monitoring and analyzing steps are repeated until it is determined that the recorder is moving towards the writing surface;

providing control areas at the writing surface;

when it is determined that the recorder is moving towards the writing surface, defining a plurality of trajectories between the recorder and each of the control areas based upon the location and movement of the recorder off the writing surface;

monitoring an actual trajectory of the recorder;

correlating the plurality of trajectories with the actual trajectory; and

for one of the plurality of trajectories with a highest degree of correlation, defining a corresponding control area as the at least one target area; and

triggering at least one aspect of the functionality before contact between the recorder and the at least one target area.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the at least one target area is one target area, and the defining a corresponding control area step comprises defining the corresponding control area as the one target area.

17. In a process for monitoring motion patterns, a method of pre-caching user interaction elements, which comprises:

monitoring motion patterns with an electronic input device having a gesture recorder and a writing surface using a three-dimensional position of the recorder with respect to the writing surface;

providing one or more control areas at the writing surface;

analyzing the monitored motion patterns made while the recorder is off the writing surface to determine if the recorder is approaching the writing surface;

when it is determined that the recorder is approaching the writing surface, defining a plurality of trajectories between the recorder and each of the one or more control areas based upon the location and movement of the recorder off the writing surface;

monitoring an actual trajectory of the recorder;

correlating the plurality of trajectories with the actual trajectory; and

for one of the plurality of trajectories with a highest degree of correlation, defining a corresponding control area as at least one target area, the at least one target area having an associated functionality; and

triggering at least one aspect of the functionality before contact between the recorder and the at least one target area.

18. In a process for monitoring motion patterns using an inductive stylus and tablet system, a method of pre-caching user interaction elements, which comprises:

monitoring motion patterns with an electronic input device having an inductive stylus and a tablet having a writing surface using a three-dimensional position of the stylus with respect to the tablet;

providing one or more control areas at the writing surface;

analyzing the monitored motion patterns made while the stylus is off the writing surface to determine if the stylus is approaching the writing surface of the tablet;

when it is determined that the stylus is approaching the writing surface, defining a plurality of trajectories between the stylus and each of the one or more control areas based upon the location and movement of the stylus off the writing surface;

monitoring an actual trajectory of the stylus;

correlating the plurality of trajectories with the actual trajectory; and

for one of the plurality of trajectories with a highest degree of correlation, defining a corresponding control area as at least one target area, the at least one target area having an associated functionality; and

triggering at least one aspect of the functionality before contact between the stylus and the at least one target area.

19. In a process for monitoring motion patterns using a radio frequency stylus and tablet system, a method of pre-caching user interaction elements, which comprises:

monitoring motion patterns with an electronic input device having a radio frequency stylus and a tablet having a writing surface using a three-dimensional position of the stylus with respect to the tablet;

providing one or more control areas at the writing surface;

analyzing the monitored motion patterns made while the stylus is off the tablet to determine if the stylus is approaching the writing surface of the tablet;

when it is determined that the stylus is approaching the writing surface, defining a plurality of trajectories between the stylus and each of the one or more control areas based upon the location and movement of the stylus off the writing surface;

monitoring an actual trajectory of the stylus;

correlating the plurality of trajectories with the actual trajectory; and

for one of the plurality of trajectories with a highest degree of correlation, defining a corresponding control area as at least one target area, the at least one target area having an associated functionality; and

triggering at least one aspect of the functionality before contact between the stylus and the at least one target area.

20. In a method for monitoring motion patterns of the type wherein a system for monitoring the motion patterns monitors the gestures at a writing surface using a gesture recorder, the writing surface including control areas with associated functionalities, the motion patterns including movements while the recorder is on the writing surface and movements while the recorder is off the writing surface, and analyzes the motion patterns using the monitored motion patterns, the improvement, which comprises:

analyzing the monitored motion patterns made while the recorder is off the writing surface to determine if the recorder is approaching one of the control areas at the writing surface;

when it is determined that the recorder is approaching the writing surface, defining a plurality of trajectories between the recorder and each of the one or more control areas based upon the location and movement of the recorder off the writing surface;

monitoring an actual trajectory of the recorder;

correlating the plurality of trajectories with the actual trajectory; and

for one of the plurality of trajectories with a highest degree of correlation, defining a corresponding control area as at least one target area; and

triggering at least one aspect of the associated functionality of the one control area before contact between the recorder and the control area.