Gesture recognition method and touch system incorporating the same

• US 8,325,134 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hill, Douglas B., Morrison, Gerald D.
• Primary Examiner(s): OSORIO, RICARDO
• Application Number:
  US13/017,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345/163, 345/173, 345/177, 341/22, 341/33, 341/34, 178 1801- 1807, 178 1901- 1905, 715/812, 715/773, 715863-866
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0421 by interrupting or reflecting a light beam, e.g. optical touch-screen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A gesture recognition method includes detecting multiple pointers in close proximity to a touch surface to determine if the multiple pointers are being used to perform a known gesture. When the multiple pointers are being used to perform a known gesture, executing a command associated with the gesture. A touch system incorporating the gesture recognition method is also provided.

Claims

1. An event generation method comprising:

detecting multiple pointers brought into contact with a touch surface, the subsequent relative movement of said pointers along said touch surface and the pointer types; and

generating an event based on the subsequent relative movement of said pointers along said touch surface and the pointer types.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said detecting comprises capturing images of the touch surface from different vantages using imaging devices that are aimed to look generally across the touch surface and processing the captured images to detect the subsequent relative movement of said pointers and the pointer types.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein during said processing, the captured images are processed to detect movement of multiple pointers away from one another.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein during said processing, the captured images are processed to detect movement of multiple pointers towards one another.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the event is a graphical object manipulation command.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the graphical object manipulation command is one of a graphical object resize command, a graphical object rotate command and a graphical object translate command.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising executing said graphical object manipulation command.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein during said processing, the captured images are processed to detect movement of multiple pointers away from one another.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein during said processing, the captured images are processed to detect movement of multiple pointers towards one another.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein during said processing, the captured images are processed to detect movement of one pointer in a generally arcuate path about another pointer.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein during said processing, the captured images are processed to detect movement of one pointer in a generally arcuate path about another pointer.

12. An interactive input system comprising:

at least one imaging device aimed to look generally across a touch surface; and

processing structure processing image data captured by said at least one imaging device and being configured to;

detect multiple pointers brought into contact with said touch surface, the subsequent relative movement of said pointers along said touch surface and the pointer types; and

generate an event based on the subsequent relative movement of said pointers along said touch surface and the pointer types.

13. The interactive input system of claim 12 wherein said processing structure generates said event when said pointers are moved along said touch surface away from one another.

14. The interactive input system of claim 13 wherein the event is a graphical object manipulation command.

15. The interactive input system of claim 12 wherein said processing structure generates said event when said pointers are moved along said touch surface towards one another.

16. An event generation method comprising:

detecting multiple pointers brought into contact with a touch surface, the relative positions of the pointer contacts, the subsequent relative movement of said pointers along said touch surface and the pointer types by processing images captured using imaging devices that are proximate to the touch surface and aimed to look generally across the touch surface to determine if a gesture has been input; and

generating an event when an input gesture is determined.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein during said detecting, the subsequent relative movement of said pointers is examined to determine if said pointers are moving towards one another.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein during said detecting, the subsequent relative movement of said pointers is examined to determine if said pointers are moving away from one another.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein during said detecting, the subsequent relative movement of said pointers is examined to determine if one pointer is moving in a generally arcuate path about another pointer.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein during said detecting, the subsequent relative movement of said pointers is examined to determine if said pointers are moving in a generally similar direction.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein said event is a graphical object manipulation command.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said graphical object manipulation command is one of a graphical object resize command, a graphical object rotate command and a graphical object translate command.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising executing said graphical object manipulation command.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein during said detecting, the subsequent relative movement of said pointers is examined to determine if said pointers are moving towards one another.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein during said detecting, the subsequent relative movement of said pointers is examined to determine if said pointers are moving away from one another.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein during said detecting, the subsequent relative movement of said pointers is examined to determine if one pointer is moving in a generally arcuate path about another pointer.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein during said detecting, the subsequent relative movement of said pointers is examined to determine if said pointers are moving in a generally similar direction.

28. An event generation method comprising:

capturing images of a touch surface from different vantages using imaging devices;

processing the captured images to detect multiple pointers brought into contact with said touch surface and to recognize a gesture based on the pointer contact positions, the subsequent relative movement of the pointers along said touch surface and the pointer types; and

generating an event when a gesture is recognized.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein during said processing, the captured images are processed to detect movement of multiple pointers towards one another.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein during said processing, the captured images are processed to detect movement of multiple pointers away from one another.

31. The method of claim 28 wherein during said processing, the captured images are processed to detect movement of one pointer in a generally arcuate path about another pointer.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein said event represents a graphical object manipulation command.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said graphical object manipulation command is one of a graphical object resize command, a graphical object rotate command and a graphical object translate command.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein during said processing, captured the images are processed to detect movement of multiple pointers towards one another.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein during said processing, the captured images are processed to detect movement of multiple pointers away from one another.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein during said processing, the captured images are processed to detect movement of one pointer in a generally arcuate path about another pointer.

37. The method of claim 32 further comprising executing said graphical object manipulation command.