Computer-readable storage medium, coordinate processing apparatus, coordinate processing system, and coordinate processing method

• US 8,952,908 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohta, Keizo
• Primary Examiner(s): HALEY, JOSEPH R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frank, Emily
• Application Number:
  US13/417,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20130106728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/347 Sampling; Contour coding; Stroke extraction

Abstract

A value of a finger degree variable representing a degree of likelihood of a finger is updated at all times in accordance with whether the shape of an input trajectory represented by input coordinate data is a predetermined shape, whether a continuous contact time indicated by input coordinate data is less than a predetermined time, or whether or not a continuous non-contact time indicated by input coordinate data is less than a predetermined time. A degree of smoothening the shape of the input trajectory is changed in response to the value of the finger degree variable.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a coordinate processing program for use with a computer of an information processing device, the coordinate processing program comprising instructions configured to cause a computer to:

accept input coordinate data which is outputted from a coordinate input device, the input coordinate data indicating a contact position with respect to an operation surface of the coordinate input device;

determine an input element type which is in contact with the operation surface from among a plurality of input element types that have different contact areas;

correct the input coordinate data in accordance with determination of the input element type; and

correct the input coordinate data such that a shape of an input trajectory represented by the input coordinate data is smoothened,

wherein the input trajectory represented by the corrected input coordinate data is more smoothened when it is determined that a first input element type having a relatively large contact area is in contact with the operation surface, than when it is determined a second input element type having a relatively small contact area is in contact with the operation surface.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the input coordinate data is corrected at a degree based on the determined input element type, such that the shape of the input trajectory is smoothened.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the input coordinate data is corrected in accordance with the result of the determination of the determination section, such that responsiveness to variation of the contact position changes.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to:

calculate a following coordinate which follows a target coordinate, which is set on the basis of the input coordinate data, at a rate which changes based on the determined input element type, and

the input coordinate data is corrected based on the calculated following coordinate.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein the following coordinate follows the target coordinate at a smaller rate for the first input element type than the second input element type.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein the following coordinate follows the target coordinate by being updated such that the following coordinate approaches the target coordinate by a predetermined rate of a distance from the following coordinate to the target coordinate.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein the target coordinate is an allowance coordinate which, when being distant from an input coordinate indicated by the input coordinate data by more than a distance which changes in response to the determined input element type, moves toward the input coordinate so as to be located at a position away from the input coordinate by the distance.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to:

calculate an allowance coordinate which, when being distant from an input coordinate indicated by the input coordinate data by more than a distance which changes in response to the determined input element type, moves toward the input coordinate so as to be located at a position away from the input coordinate by the distance, and

the input coordinate data is corrected on the basis of the allowance coordinate.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the distance is increased when it is determined that the first input element type having a relatively large contact area is in contact with the operation surface as compared to that when it is determined that the second input element having a relatively small contact area is in contact with the operation surface.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to:

when a period during which a contact position indicated by the input coordinate data is temporarily interrupted is within a predetermined time, determine that contact continues even during the period and correct the input coordinate data, and

the predetermined time is set based on the determined input element type.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined time is increased when it is determined that the first input element type having a relatively large contact area is in contact with the operation surface as compared to when it is determined that the second input element having a relatively small contact area is in contact with the operation surface.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the input coordinate data is corrected in real time.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of input elements types includes at least a finger and a pen and the input element type is determined on the basis of the input coordinate data outputted from the coordinate input device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to:

update a value of a finger degree variable representing a degree of likelihood that the determined input element type is a finger based on the input coordinate data outputted from the coordinate input device,

wherein the input coordinate data is corrected in accordance with the value of the finger degree variable.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the determined input element type is either a finger or a pen and the determination as to which one is based on whether or not a shape of an input trajectory represented by the input coordinate data outputted from the coordinate input device is a predetermined shape.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the determined input element type is either a finger or a pen and the determination as to which one is based on whether or not a continuous contact time indicated by the input coordinate data outputted from the coordinate input device is less than a predetermined time.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the determined input element type is either a finger or a pen and the determination as to which one is based on whether or not a continuous non-contact time indicated by the input coordinate data outputted from the coordinate input device is less than a predetermined time.

18. A coordinate processing apparatus for processing input coordinate data which is outputted from a coordinate input device, the input coordinate data indicating a contact position with respect to an operation surface of the coordinate input device, the coordinate processing apparatus comprising:

a computer processing system that includes at least one processor circuit coupled to the coordinate input device, the computer processing system configured to;

receive the input coordinate data output from the coordinate input device;

determine a type of input element, from among plural types of input elements that have different contact area profiles with the operation surface, which is in contact with the operation surface;

correct the input coordinate data in accordance with the type of input element that is determined; and

correct the input coordinate data such that a shape of an input trajectory represented by the input coordinate data is smoothened,

wherein the input trajectory represented by the corrected input coordinate data is more smoothened when it is determined that a first type of input element a relatively large contact area is in contact with the operation surface, than when it is determined a second type of input element having a relatively small contact area is in contact with the operation surface.

19. A coordinate processing system for processing input coordinate, the coordinate processing system comprising:

a coordinate input device that is configured to accept input at a contact position on an operation surface of the coordinate input device; and

a computer processing system that includes at least one processor circuit coupled to the coordinate input device, the computer processing system configured to;

receive input coordinate data which is outputted from the coordinate input device, the input coordinate data indicating the contact position with respect to the operation surface of the coordinate input device;

determine an input element type which is in contact with the operation surface from among a plurality of input element types that have different contact areas; and

smooth a shape of an input trajectory that is represented by the input coordinate data by correcting the received input coordinate data,

wherein an amount of smoothing for the shape of the input trajectory is based on the determined input element type such that the amount of smoothing is greater for a first input element type having a relatively large contact area with the operation surface than the amount of smoothing for a second input element type having a relatively small contact area with the operation surface.

20. A coordinate processing method executed by a computer of a coordinate processing system, the coordinate processing method comprising:

storing, in a memory of the computer of the coordinate processing system, input coordinate data outputted from a coordinate input device, the input coordinate data indicating a contact position with respect to an operation surface of the coordinate input device;

determining, by using the computer of the coordinate processing system, a type of input element, from among plural types of input elements that have different contact areas, which is in contact with the operation surface;

correcting, by using the computer of the coordinate processing system, the input coordinate data in accordance with the type of input element that has been determined; and

correcting, by using the computer of the coordinate processing system, the input coordinate data such that a shape of an input trajectory represented by the input coordinate data is smoothened,

wherein the input trajectory represented by the corrected input coordinate data is more smoothened when it is determined that a first input element type having a relatively large contact area is in contact with the operation surface, than when it is determined a second input element type having a relatively small contact area is in contact with the operation surface.