Highlevel active pen matrix

• US 6,897,853 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Iwema, Marieke, Jones, F. David, Lui, Charlton E., Cukierman, Ryan Edward, Jarrett, Robert, Cazzanti, Susanne Alysia Clark, Keely, Leroy B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Dennis-Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Srilakshmi K.
• Application Number:
  US09/736,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20020056575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 345/642, 345/585, 345/751, 345/769, 345/863, 345/179, 707/102, 709/231, 382/188, 382/313, 382/314
• US Class Current: 345/179
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/256 of results relating to different input data, e.g. multimodal recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system, method and medium for receiving and acting upon user input. In one embodiment, the user may only have access to a limited input device, like a stylus. Using the present invention, a user is provided with intuitive responses from the system based on inputs from the limited input device.

Claims

1. A method for classifying a user input to a digitizer, comprising steps of:

receiving the user input by the digitizer;

first determining whether the user input moves at least a first distance;

second determining whether the user input ends before a certain amount of time; and

responsive to the user input failing to move at least the first distance within the certain amount of time and failing to end before the certain amount of time, third determining whether the user input moves at least a second distance larger than the first distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is caused by a stylus contacting the digitizer, and the user input ends when the stylus no longer contacts the digitizer.

3. The method of claim 1, further including steps of:

responsive to the user input moving at least the first distance as determined by the step of first determining, classifying the user input as a first type of input;

responsive to the user input ending before the certain amount of time as determined by the step of second determining, classifying the user input as a second type of input different from the first type of input; and

responsive to an outcome of the step of third determining, classifying the user input as either a third type of input different from the first and second types of input or a fourth type of input different from the first, second, and third types of input.

4. The method of claim 1, further including a step of, responsive to the user input moving at least the first distance as determined by the step of first determining, fourth determining whether the input begins on a draggable object.

5. The method of claim 4, further including a step of, responsive to the user input beginning on a draggable object as determined by the step of fourth determining, fifth determining whether the user input satisfies a drag threshold.

6. The method of claim 4, further including a step of, responsive to the user input not beginning on a draggable object as determined by the step of fourth determining, fifth determining whether the user input is in an inkable location.

7. A method for classifying a user'"'"'s input to a computer comprising the steps of:

receiving a user'"'"'s input; and

first determining whether the input is a stroke based on a first move threshold;

if the input is not a stroke, then second determining whether the input is a tap based on a time threshold;

if the input is neither a stroke nor a tap, then third determining whether the stroke is a hold or a hold and drag.

8. The method of classifying a user'"'"'s input according to claim 7, wherein, if said input satisfies said first move threshold, the input is classified as a stroke.

9. The method of classifying a user'"'"'s input according to claim 7, wherein, if said input does not satisfy said first move threshold and said input does not satisfy said time threshold, the input is classified as a tap.

10. The method of classifying a user'"'"'s input according to claim 7, wherein, if said input does not satisfy said time threshold and said input does not satisfy said second move threshold, said input is classified as a hold.

11. The method of classifying a user'"'"'s input according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

simulating a right mouse click responsive to said input being classified as a hold.

12. The method of classifying a user'"'"'s input according to claim 7, wherein, if said input does not satisfy said time threshold and said input satisfies said second move threshold, said input is classified as a hold and drag.

13. The method of classifying a user'"'"'s input according to claim 12, further comprising the step of:

dragging a selected object responsive to said input being classified as a hold and drag.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of third determining includes determining whether the stroke is a hold or a hold and drag based on a second move threshold larger than the first move threshold.

15. A method for classifying a user input to a digitizer, comprising steps of:

receiving the user input by the digitizer;

classifying the user input as a stroke if the user input satisfies a first move threshold;

classifying the user input as a tap if the user input fails to satisfy both the first move threshold and a time threshold;

classifying the user input as a hold if the user input satisfies the time threshold but fails to satisfy both the first move threshold and a second move threshold different from the first move threshold; and

classifying the user input as a hold and drag if the user input satisfies both the time threshold and the second move threshold but fails to satisfy the first move threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, further including steps of:

responsive to the user input being classified as a stroke, determining whether an object associated with the stroke is draggable;

responsive to the object being draggable, determining whether the user input satisfies a drag threshold; and

responsive to the object not being draggable, determining whether the object is inkable.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the drag threshold includes a speed threshold.