Detecting and interpreting real-world and security gestures on touch and hover sensitive devices

• US 9,158,454 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2010
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Westerman, Wayne Carl, Haggerty, Myra Mary
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dixon, Mary
• Application Number:
  US12/753,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20100192109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,020 Days
• Field of Search: 715/860, 715/863
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04101 2.5D-digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface and also measures the distance of the input means within a short range in the Z direction, possibly with a separate measurement setup
• 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 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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

“Real-world” gestures such as hand or finger movements/orientations that are generally recognized to mean certain things (e.g., an “OK” hand signal generally indicates an affirmative response) can be interpreted by a touch or hover sensitive device to more efficiently and accurately effect intended operations. These gestures can include, but are not limited to, “OK gestures,” “grasp everything gestures,” “stamp of approval gestures,” “circle select gestures,” “X to delete gestures,” “knock to inquire gestures,” “hitchhiker directional gestures,” and “shape gestures.” In addition, gestures can be used to provide identification and allow or deny access to applications, files, and the like.

Claims

1. A method for receiving a directional gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, comprising:

detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;

determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined hitchhiker gesture;

determining a directional parameter from a shape of the one or more images;

associating the hitchhiker gesture with a user interface (UI) element; and

performing a directional action in accordance with the UI element.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined hitchhiker gesture by:

identifying four curled finger features;

identifying an extended thumb feature; and

identifying a palm heel feature.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code for receiving an approving gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, the program code for causing performance of a method comprising:

detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;

determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined stamp of approval gesture;

determining a centering parameter from the one or more images;

associating the stamp of approval gesture with a user interface (UI) element coincident with the centering parameter, the UI element accepting an approving input; and

providing the approving input to the UI element.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3, the method further comprising determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined stamp of approval gesture by:

tracking the one or more images over time; and

determining that the one or more images rapidly appeared and then disappeared.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code for receiving a directional gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, the program code for causing performance of a method comprising:

detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;

determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined hitchhiker gesture;

determining a directional parameter from a shape of the one or more images;

associating the hitchhiker gesture with a user interface (UI) element; and

performing a directional action in accordance with the UI element.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5, the method further comprising determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined hitchhiker gesture by:

identifying four curled finger features;

identifying an extended thumb feature; and

identifying a palm heel feature.

7. A method for receiving a security gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, comprising:

detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;

determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined unlock gesture comprising two fingers and two thumbs of two hands touching near a center of the sensor panel; and

performing an unlocking action.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined unlock gesture by:

identifying four initial images corresponding to the two fingers and two thumbs from the two hands; and

determining that the four initial images move towards the corners of the sensor panel over time.

9. A method for receiving a security gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, comprising:

detecting four images at the sensor panel, each image being near a different corner of the sensor panel;

determining that the four images correspond to a predetermined lock gesture comprising two fingers and two thumbs of two hands; and

performing a locking action.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined lock gesture by:

determining that the four initial images move towards a center of the sensor panel over time.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code for receiving a security gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, the program code for causing performance of a method comprising:

detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;

determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined unlock gesture comprising two fingers and two thumbs of two hands touching near a center of the sensor panel; and

performing an unlocking action.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, the program code further for causing performance of a method comprising determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined unlock gesture by:

identifying four initial images corresponding to the two fingers and two thumbs from the two hands; and

determining that the four initial images move towards the corners of the sensor panel over time.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code for receiving a security gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, the program code for causing performance of a method comprising:

detecting four images at the sensor panel, each image being near a different corner of the sensor panel;

determining that the four images correspond to a predetermined lock gesture comprising two fingers and two thumbs of two hands; and

performing a locking action.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, the program code further for causing performance of a method comprising determining that the one or more images correspond to a predetermined lock gesture by:

determining that the four initial images move towards a center of the sensor panel over time.

15. A method for receiving an approving gesture formed on or about a sensor panel, comprising:

detecting one or more images at the sensor panel;

determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined stamp of approval gesture;

determining a centering parameter from the one or more images;

associating the stamp of approval gesture with a user interface (UI) element coincident with the centering parameter, the UI element accepting an approving input; and

providing the approving input to the UI element.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining that the one or more images are arranged in a pattern corresponding to a predetermined stamp of approval gesture by:

tracking the one or more images over time; and

determining that the one or more images rapidly appeared and then disappeared.