Recognizing multiple input point gestures

• US 8,624,855 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Weiss, John Guido Atkins, Duncan, Vale, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Md Saiful A
• Application Number:
  US12/949,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20110157041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-179, 178 1801- 1809, 715/863
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for recognizing multiple input point gestures. A recognition module receives an ordered set of points indicating that contacts have been detected in a specified order at multiple different locations on a multi-touch input surface. The recognition module determines the position of subsequently detected locations (e.g., third detected location) relative to (e.g., to the left of right of) line segments connecting previously detected locations (e.g., connecting first and second detected locations). The gesture module also detects whether line segments connecting subsequently detected locations (e.g., connecting third and fourth detected locations) intersect line segments connecting previously detected locations (e.g., connecting first and second detected locations). The gesture module recognizes an input gesture based on the relative positions and whether or not line segments intersect. The gesture module then identifies a corresponding input operation (e.g., cut, paste, etc.) to be performed.

Claims

1. At a computer system including a processor and system memory, a method for recognizing a multiple input point gesture, the method comprising:

an act of receiving an unordered set of point locations, the unordered set of point locations indicating that simultaneous contact was detected at a plurality of locations on an input surface without regard for the order in which contact was detected at individual locations included in the plurality of locations, the plurality of locations including at least three locations, including a first location, a second location and a third location, where a user touched the input surface with one or more fingers or other objects;

an act of determining a number of locations included in the at least three locations where contact was simultaneously detected from the unordered set of points;

an act of determining that the user released the one or more fingers or other objects from the input surface, such that contact is no longer detected at the at least three locations on the input surface where the simultaneous contact was initially detected; and

in response to determining that the user released the one or more fingers or other objects from the input surface, such that contact is no longer detected at the number of locations where simultaneous contact was initially detected, an act of the processor recognizing an input gesture based on and corresponding to (1) the number of locations where simultaneous contact was initially detected, but no longer detected, without regard for the order in which contact was detected at individual locations included in the plurality of locations, and (2) a relative orientation of the at least three locations on the input surface where the fingers or other objects were initially placed on the input surface, without detecting movement of the fingers or other objects, wherein different gestures correspond to different relative orientations for different determined numbers of locations where simultaneous contact was initially detected, but where contact is no longer detected.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of determining the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected comprises an act of identifying four locations on the input surface where contact was simultaneously detected, but no longer detected.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of determining the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected comprises an act of identifying five locations on the input surface where contact was simultaneously detected, but no longer detected.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of recognizing an input gesture comprises an act of recognizing one of a cut gesture and a paste gesture.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising an act of looking up the meaning of the recognized input gesture in a table of known input gestures.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of recognizing an input gesture comprises an act of recognizing an input gesture based on a physical size of the input gesture.

7. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for recognizing a multiple input point gesture, the computer program product comprising one or more physical recordable type computer storage medium having stored there one computer-executable instructions, that when executed at a processor, cause the computer system to perform the method, including the following:

receive an unordered set of point locations, the unordered set of point locations indicating that simultaneous contact was detected at a plurality of locations on an input surface without regard for the order in which contact was detected at individual locations included in the plurality of locations, the plurality of locations including at least three locations, including a first location, a second location and a third location where a user touched the input surface with one or more fingers or other objects;

determine a number of locations included in the at least three locations where contact was simultaneously detected from the unordered set of points;

an act of determining that contact is no longer detected at the at least three locations on the input surface where the simultaneous contact was initially detected; and

in response to determining that the user released the one or more fingers or other objects from the input surface, such that contact is no longer detected at the number of locations where simultaneous contact was initially detected, recognize an input gesture based on and corresponding to (1) the number of locations where simultaneous contact was detected without regard for the order in which contact was detected, but no longer detected, at individual locations included in the plurality of locations, and (2) a relative orientation of the at least three locations on the input surface where the fingers or other objects were initially placed on the input surface, without detecting movement of the fingers or other objects.

8. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to determine the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to identify four locations on the input surface where contact was simultaneously detected.

9. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to determine the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to identify five locations on the input surface where contact was simultaneously detected.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to recognize an input gesture comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to recognize one of a cut gesture and a paste gesture.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, further comprising computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to look up the meaning of the recognized input gesture in a table of known input gestures.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 7, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to recognize an input gesture comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to recognize an input gesture based on a speed in which the input gesture was executed.

13. A computer system, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

an input surface; and

one or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions representing a gesture recognition module, the gesture recognition module configured to;

perform a first act of receiving an unordered set of point locations, the unordered set of point locations indicating that simultaneous contact was detected at two locations on an input surface where one or more fingers or other objects were initially placed on the input surface, without detecting movement of the fingers or other objects and without regard for the order in which contact was detected at the two locations;

perform a second act of determining contact was simultaneously detected from the unordered set of points at the two locations;

perform a third act of determining that contact is no longer detected at either of the two locations on the input surface where the simultaneous contact was initially detected; and

perform a forth act of equating the first, second and third act as a mouse button double-click gesture.