Method for manipulating a graphic widget in a three-dimensional environment displayed on a touch panel of an interactive input system

• US 8,416,206 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2009
• Issued: 04/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ten Cate, Thomas, Isenberg, Tobias, CARPENDALE, SHEELAGH, Hancock, Mark Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Tzeng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US12/629,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20110069019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/427, 382/154
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04109 FTIR in optical digitiser, i.e. touch detection by frustrating the total internal reflection within an optical waveguide due to changes of optical properties or deformation at the touch location
• 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 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method for manipulating a graphic widget in a three-dimensional environment displayed on a touch panel of an interactive input system is provided. The method includes tracking the x-y positions of two touch points associated with the graphic widget; and modifying the z-position of the graphic widget in accordance with changes in the distance between the x-y positions of the touch points. An interactive input system and computer readable medium embodying the method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for manipulating a graphic widget in a three-dimensional environment displayed on a touch panel of an interactive input system, the method comprising:

tracking the x-y positions of two touch points associated with the graphic widget; and

modifying the z-position of the graphic widget in accordance with changes in the distance between the x-y positions of the touch points.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking the x-y position of a third touch point associated with the graphic widget;

rotating the graphic widget about the x-y plane at its z-position in accordance with changes in the x-y position of the third touch point.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the rotating is conducted about a line passing between the x-y positions of the two touch points at the z-position of the graphic widget.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rotating the graphic widget in the x-y plane in accordance with changes in the angle of a line that passes through the x-y positions of the touch points.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the rotating in the x-y plane is conducted about a z-axis defined by the x-y position of one of the two touch points.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modifying the x-y position of graphic widget in accordance with changes together in the x-y positions of the two touch points.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the graphic widget with a second graphic widget displayed in the three-dimensional environment;

modifying the graphic widget based on tracking the x-y positions of one or more touch points associated with the second graphic widget.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second graphic widget is a virtual tool.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the virtual tool comprises a dial.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein modifying the graphic widget comprises scaling the graphic widget in accordance with changes in the x-y position of one or more touch points associated with the dial.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the modifying the graphic widget comprises changing the colour of the graphic widget.

12. An interactive input system comprising:

a touch panel; and

processing structure tracking the x-y positions of two touch points on the touch panel associated with a graphic widget in a three-dimensional environment displayed on the touch panel and modifying the z-position of the graphic widget in accordance with changes in the distance between the x-y positions of the touch points.

13. The interactive input system of claim 12, wherein the processing structure is further for tracking the x-y position of a third touch point associated with the graphic widget and rotating the graphic widget about the x-y plane at its z-position in accordance with changes in the x-y position of the third touch point.

14. A computer readable non-transitory medium embodying a computer program for manipulating a graphic widget in a three-dimensional environment displayed on a touch panel of an interactive input system, the computer program comprising:

program code tracking the x-y positions of two touch points associated with the graphic widget; and

program code modifying the z-position of the graphic widget in accordance with changes in the distance between the x-y positions of the touch points.