Multi-touch shape drawing

• US 8,749,497 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Elias, John Greer
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Sumati
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tung, David
• Application Number:
  US12/333,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20100149109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,006 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 715/211, 715/863
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Multi-touch shape drawing. The use of multi-touch gesture detection improves the user interface experience associated with generating and modifying shapes. By associating unique multi-touch gestures with the generation of corresponding shapes, the accuracy and ease of use with which shapes can be generated can be improved. By associating multi-touch gestures with the modification of shapes, the ease of use with which shapes can be modified can be improved.

Claims

1. A method of an electronic device, the method comprising:

storing an association between each of a plurality of multi-touch motions and each of a plurality of geometric shapes available to be displayed on a display of the electronic device;

detecting a first multi-touch motion of a multi-touch gesture applied to a touch-sensitive surface, wherein the first multi-touch motion is associated with each of a plurality of geometric shapes, the plurality of geometric shapes including some, but not all, of the plurality of geometric shapes available to be displayed;

detecting a second multi-touch motion of the multi-touch gesture, the second multi-touch motion following the first multi-touch motion without intervening multi-touch motions;

automatically selecting, from only the plurality of geometric shapes associated with the first multi-touch motion, a geometric shape to be displayed based on the detected first and second multi-touch motions of the multi-touch gesture without further user selection; and

displaying the selected geometric shape on the display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second multi-touch motions comprises a linear expansion motion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the linear expansion motion comprises a first point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving away from a stationary second point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the linear expansion motion comprises two points of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving away from each other.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises a lateral expansion motion followed by a linear contraction motion, and the geometric shape to be displayed comprises a triangle or a pyramid.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the linear contraction motion comprises a first point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving toward a stationary second point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the linear contraction motion comprises two points of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving toward each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises a parallel dual swipe motion followed by a linear contraction motion, and the geometric shape to be displayed comprises a square or a cube.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the linear contraction motion comprises a first point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving toward a stationary second point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the linear contraction motion comprises two points of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving toward each other.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises a linear expansion motion followed by a parallel dual swipe motion followed by a linear contraction motion, and the geometric shape to be displayed comprises a rectangle or a box.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting an additional multi-touch gesture applied to the displayed geometric shape; and

modifying the displayed geometric shape based on the additional multi-touch gesture.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the additional multi-touch gesture comprises a linear expansion motion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the modification of the displayed geometric shape comprises scaling the displayed geometric shape.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the scaling comprises uniform scaling relative to each dimension of the displayed geometric shape.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the scaling comprises scaling of one dimension of the displayed geometric shape.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the additional multi-touch gesture comprises a rotational motion.

18. A mobile telephone comprising:

a display;

an input device comprising a touch-sensitive surface; and

a processor configured to

store an association between each of a plurality of multi-touch motions and each of a plurality of geometric shapes available to be displayed on the display,

detect a first multi-touch motion of a multi-touch gesture applied to the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the first multi-touch motion is associated with each of a plurality of geometric shapes, the plurality of geometric shapes including some, but not all, of the plurality of geometric shapes available to be displayed,

detect a second multi-touch motion of the multi-touch gesture, the second multi-touch motion following the first multi-touch motion without intervening multi-touch motions,

automatically select, from only the plurality of geometric shapes associated with the first multi-touch motion, a geometric shape to be displayed based on the detected first and second multi-touch motions of the multi-touch gesture without further user selection, and

display the selected geometric shape on the display.

19. A media player comprising:

a display;

an input device comprising a touch-sensitive surface; and

a processor configured to

store an association between each of a plurality of multi-touch motions and each of a plurality of geometric shapes available to be displayed on the display,

detect a first multi-touch motion of a multi-touch gesture applied to the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the first multi-touch motion is associated with each of a plurality of geometric shapes, the plurality of geometric shapes including some, but not all, of the plurality of geometric shapes available to be displayed,

detect a second multi-touch motion of the multi-touch gesture, the second multi-touch motion following the first multi-touch motion without intervening multi-touch motions,

automatically select, from only the plurality of geometric shapes associated with the first multi-touch motion, a geometric shape to be displayed based on the detected first and second multi-touch motions of the multi-touch gesture without further user selection, and

display the selected geometric shape on the display.

20. A personal computer comprising:

a display;

an input device comprising a touch-sensitive surface; and

a processor configured to

store an association between each of a plurality of multi-touch motions and each of a plurality of geometric shapes available to be displayed on the display,

detect a first multi-touch motion of a multi-touch gesture applied to the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the first multi-touch motion is associated with each of a plurality of geometric shapes, the plurality of geometric shapes including some, but not all, of the plurality of geometric shapes available to be displayed,

detect a second multi-touch motion of the multi-touch gesture, the second multi-touch motion following the first multi-touch motion without intervening multi-touch motions,

automatically select, from only the plurality of geometric shapes associated with the first multi-touch motion, a geometric shape to be displayed based on the detected first and second multi-touch motions of the multi-touch gesture without further user selection, and

display the selected geometric shape on the display.

21. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a computing device to:

store an association between each of a plurality of multi-touch motions and each of a plurality of geometric shapes available to be displayed on a display;

detect a first multi-touch motion of a multi-touch gesture applied to the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the first multi-touch motion is associated with each of a plurality of geometric shapes, the plurality of geometric shapes including some, but not all, of the plurality of geometric shapes available to be displayed;

detect a second multi-touch motion of the multi-touch gesture, the second multi-touch motion following the first multi-touch motion without intervening multi-touch motions;

automatically select, from only the plurality of geometric shapes associated with the first multi-touch motion, a geometric shape to be displayed based on the detected first and second multi-touch motions of the multi-touch gesture without further user selection;

display the selected geometric shape on the display;

detect an additional multi-touch gesture applied to the displayed geometric shape; and

modify the displayed geometric shape based on the additional multi-touch gesture.