Gesture recognition feedback for a dual mode digitizer

• US 8,587,526 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: N-Trig Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Moore, Jonathan, Engelhardt, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): MERKOULOVA, OLGA VLADIMIROVNA
• Application Number:
  US11/783,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20070242056A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,413 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/175, 345/176, 345/177, 345/178, 345/179, 178/18.01, 178/18.06, 178/18.05, 178/18.04, 178/19.01, 178/19.04, 178/19.05, 340/407.1
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04162 for exchanging data with external devices, e.g. smart pens, via the digitiser sensing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A system and method for providing feedback to a user making a gesture for switching between at least two types of user interactions used to operate a digitizer system, the method comprising recognizing the gesture to switch between the types of user interactions, switching the type of user interaction used to operate the digitizer system, and providing feedback to the user indicating recognition of the gesture.

Claims

1. A method for switching between a first and second type of user interaction for operating a computing device with a digitizer system and for providing feedback to a user making a gesture for initiating the switching, the method comprising:

using only input obtained with the first type of user interaction to operate the computing device while ignoring all input obtained with the second type of user interaction other than a first gesture, the first gesture predefined for indicating a desire to switch to operating the computing device with the second type of user interaction;

recognizing the first gesture obtained with the second type of user interaction;

providing feedback to the user indicating that only the second type of user interaction is being used to operate the computing device, the feedback provided in response to recognition of the first gesture; and

using only input obtained with the second type of user interaction to operate the computing device in response to recognition of the first gesture.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein providing the feedback to the user comprises displaying a visual indication.

3. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

sensing a location on the digitizer system at which the first gesture was performed; and

displaying the feedback to the user in an area corresponding to the location that was sensed.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first type of user interaction is a stylus.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the stylus is an electro-magnetic stylus.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second type of user interaction is finger touch.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first gesture is a finger touch gesture.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the feedback is temporal feedback.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the feedback is provided for a period between 0.5 seconds and 1.5 seconds.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein the feedback is animated.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the feedback is audio feedback.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second type of user interaction is a finger touch.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second type of user interaction is a body part.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein one of the first and second type of user interaction is a game piece.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the first gesture is a “

double tap”

touch gesture.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein in response to recognition of the first gesture, subsequent input obtained with first type of user interaction is only used to recognize a second gesture to switch to the first type of user interaction.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second type of user interactions is detected by a separate digitizer of the digitizer system, and wherein switching to operating the computing device with the input obtained with the second type of user interaction includes switching the digitizer used to operate the computing device.

18. The method according to claim 1, comprising:

recognizing a second gesture when performed by the user, the second gesture predefined to indicate a desire to switch to operating the computing device with the first type of user interaction; and

using only input obtained with the first type of user interaction to operate the computing device while ignoring all input obtained with the second type of user interaction in response to recognition of the second gesture.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first gesture is the same as the second gesture.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first and second gestures are performed with the same type of user interaction.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein both the first and second gestures are performed with finger touch.

22. The method of claim 1, comprising ignoring the input obtained with the first type of user interaction in response to recognition of the first gesture.

23. A method for switching between a stylus and finger for operating a computing device with a digitizer system and for providing feedback to a user making a gesture for initiating the switching, the method comprising:

forwarding only input obtained with the stylus to the computing device while ignoring for forwarding to the computing device all input from the finger other than a first gesture, the first gesture predefined for indicating a desire to switch to operating the computing device with the finger;

recognizing the first gesture when performed with the finger;

providing feedback to the user in response to the recognizing; and

forwarding only input obtained with the finger to operate the computing device in response to recognizing the first gesture.

24. The method according to claim 23, comprising:

ignoring all input from the stylus for forwarding to the computing device other than a second gesture, the second gesture predefined for indicating a desire to switch to operating the computing device with the stylus;

recognizing the second gesture; and

forwarding only input obtained with the stylus to the computing device in response to recognizing the second gesture, while ignoring for forwarding to the computing device all input from the finger other than the first gesture.