Gesture recognition method and touch system incorporating the same

• US 8,847,904 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TPK Touch Solutions (Xiamen) Inc. (TPK Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Chang, Ching-Yang, Wu, Hsiang-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US13/472,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20130027327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1806
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Methods and systems for implementing gestures with touch sensing device are disclosed. A gesture recognition method includes: determining whether an input gesture matches a predefined universal gesture based on touch information on a touch panel; and generating a corresponding gesture command set according to an event signal when the input gesture matches the predefined universal gesture.

Claims

1. A gesture recognition method, comprising:

determining whether an input gesture matches a predefined universal gesture based on touch information on a touch panel;

determining whether an application program is designated to respond to an event signal, comprising;

calculating a centroid of contacts, wherein the centroid is defined by coordinate

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the application program is designated to respond to the event signal, further comprising:

placing the event signal into an event queue of the application program; and

acquiring the event signal from the event queue and displaying the gesture command set corresponding to the application program.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein if the application program is not designated to respond to the event signal, further comprising displaying the gesture command set corresponding to an operating system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the universal gesture grab is performed by at least three fingers.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of determining whether the input gesture matches the predefined universal gesture based on the touch information comprises:

determining whether there are at least three contacts on the touch panel at initial time;

determining, within a first predefined time, whether an area of a polygon bounded by connecting adjacent contacts is in inverse proportion to time if the result of determining the contacts on the touch panel is true;

identifying the input gesture matching the predefined universal gesture if the area of the polygon is in inverse proportion to time.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of determining the area of the polygon further comprises:

determining whether all the contacts remain during the first predefined time; and

confirming the input gesture matching the predefined universal gesture is not valid if the result of determining all the contacts remaining is false or if the area of the polygon is false.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the step of determining whether the input gesture matches the predefined universal gesture based on the touch information further comprises:

determining whether all the contacts disappear within a second predefined time after the step of identifying the input gesture matching the universal gesture;

confirming the input gesture matching the universal gesture is valid if the result of determining all the contacts disappearing is true; and

confirming the input gesture matching the universal gesture is not valid if the result of determining all the contacts disappearing is false.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of determining whether the input gesture matches the predefined universal gesture based on the touch information comprises:

determining whether there are at least three contacts on the touch panel at initial time;

determining, within a first predefined time, whether distance between two adjacent contacts is in inverse proportion to time if the result of determining the contacts on the touch panel is true; and

identifying the input gesture matching the predefined universal gesture if the distance between two adjacent contacts is in inverse proportion to time.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of determining the distance between two adjacent contacts further comprises:

determining whether all the contacts remain during the first predefined time; and

confirming the input gesture matching the predefined universal gesture is not valid if the result of determining all the contacts remaining is false or the area of the polygon is false.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of determining whether the input gesture matches the predefined universal gesture based on the touch information further comprises:

determining whether all the contacts disappear within a second predefined time after the step of identifying the input gesture matching the universal gesture;

confirming the input gesture matching the universal gesture is valid if the result of determining all the contacts disappearing is true; and

confirming the input gesture matching the universal gesture is not valid if the result of determining all the contacts disappearing is false.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operating system performing a system command associated with the touch information when the input gesture does not match the predefined universal gesture.

12. A touch system, comprising:

a touch panel;

a touch IC configured to output an event signal when determining an input gesture matches a predefined universal gesture based on touch information on the touch panel; and

a processor configured to determine whether an application program is designated to respond to an event signal by calculating a centroid of contacts and determining whether the centroid is positioned within a window area of the application program, wherein the centroid is defined by coordinate

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising a storing unit configured to store the operating system and the application program running thereon.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the processor places the event signal into an event queue of the application program if the processor determines that the application program is designated to respond to the event signal, and the application program acquires the event signal from the event queue for displaying the gesture command set corresponding to the application program.

15. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with a touch panel, cause the electronic device to:

determine whether an input gesture matches a predefined universal gesture based on touch information on the touch panel;

determining whether an application program is designated to respond to an event signal, comprising;

calculating a centroid of contacts, wherein the centroid is defined by coordinate