Gesture-based selection and movement of objects

• US 9,354,780 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2012
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyake, Yuichi, Yamamoto, Yoshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Bycer, Eric J
• Application Number:
  US13/707,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20130167084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/14 with provision for individual teacher-student communication

Abstract

An information terminal includes: a display unit which displays one or more objects; a sensor unit which obtains a position of a first point and a position of a second point designated by a user on the display unit; and a control unit which selects, from among the one or more objects, at least one object displayed on a straight line determined by the first point and second point, and when the first point or the second point is moved along the straight line, moves the selected object in a direction corresponding to a direction of the movement of the first point or the second point.

Claims

1. An information terminal comprising:

a display configured to display one or more objects;

a sensor configured to obtain a position of a first point and a position of a second point designated by a user on the display; and

a control unit configured to (i) select, from among the one or more objects, at least one object displayed in a region on a straight line passing through the first point and second point, the region not being located between the first point and the second point and (ii) when the first point or the second point is moved along the straight line, move the selected object in a direction corresponding to a direction of the movement of the first point or the second point.

2. The information terminal according to claim 1,

wherein when the first point or the second point is moved along the straight line, the control unit is configured to move the selected object in the direction corresponding to the direction of the movement of the first point or the second point such that a proportion of a distance of the movement of the first point or the second point to a distance between the first point and the second point equals a proportion of a distance of the movement of the selected object to a distance between the selected object and the first point or the second point.

3. The information terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

the controller is configured to select two or more objects, from the one or more objects, displayed in the region, and

when the first point or the second point is moved along the straight line, the control unit is configured to move all the two or more selected bjects at once in the direction corresponding to the direction of the movement of the first point or the second point.

4. The information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the contol unit is configured to determine the straight line after the at least one of the first point and the second point is moved.

5. The information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display, when the at least one object is selected, the selected object and remaining one or more objects not selected on the display differently in appearance.

6. The information terminal according to claim 1, wherein the display is configured to display the straight line.

7. The information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising an execution unit configured to execute an operation corresponding to the selected object when a distance between the first point and the second point becomes shorter or equal to a threshold value as a result of the moving of at least one of the first point and the second point.

8. The information terminal according to claim 7, wherein after the execution unit executes the operation, the control unit is configured to move the selected object corresponding to the operation back to a previous position of the selected object, the previous position being a display position of the selected object before at least one of the first point and the second point is moved.

9. The information terminal according to claim 7, wherein:

the controller is configured to select two or more objects, from the one or more objects, displayed in the region,

the execution unit is configured to execute an operation corresponding to at least one of the selected two or more objects, and

the control unit is configured to subsequently move one or more remaining objects, which are displayed on the display and do not correspond to the executed operation, back to a previous position of the one or more remaining objects, the previous position being a position of the one or more remaining objects before at least one of the first point and the second point is moved.

10. The information terminal according to claim 7, wherein when the control unit selects, as the selected object, an icon associated with a predetermined application, the execution unit is configured to execute the predetermined application.

11. The information terminal according to claim 7, wherein when the control unit selects, as the selected object, an icon associated with predetermined document data or predetermined image data, the execution unit is configured to cause the display to display the document data or the image data.

12. The information terminal according to claim 1, further comprising an execution unit configured to execute an operation corresponding to the selected object when at least one of the first point and the second point is moved and subsequently held at a same position for a predetermined period of time.

13. The information terminal according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit is further configured to select, from among the one or more objects, at least one object that is displayed within an area which is a part of a locus of the straight line formed by moving at least one of the first point and the second point not along the straight line, and when at least one of the first point and the second point is moved along the straight line, the control unit is configured to move the selected object in a direction corresponding to a direction of the movement of the first point or the second point.

14. An information terminal comprising:

a display configured to display one or more objects;

a sensor configured to obtain a position of a first point and a position of a second point designated by a user on the display, thereby determining a straight line passing through the first point and the second point; and

a control unit configured to (i) select, from among the one or more objects, at least one object that is displayed within a region which is a part of a locus of the straight line formed by moving at least one of the first point and the second point not along the straight line, the region not being located between the first point and the second point, and (ii) when at least one of the first point and the second point is moved along the straight line, the control unit is configured to move the selected object in a direction corresponding to a direction of the movement of the first point or the second point.

15. A method of controlling an information terminal, comprising:

displaying one or more objects;

obtaining a position of a first point and a position of a second point designated by a user; and

(i) selecting, from among the one or more objects, at least one object displayed in a region on a straight line passing through the first point and second point obtained in the obtaining, the region not being located between the first point and the second point, and (ii) when the first point or the second point is moved along the straight line, moving the selected object in a direction corresponding to a direction of the movement of the first point or the second point.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for use in a computer, the recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for causing the computer to execute the method of controlling an information terminal according to claim 15.

17. The method of controlling an information terminal according to claim 15, further comprising:

selecting, from among the one or more objects, at least one object displayed within an area which is a part of a locus of the straight line formed by moving at least one of the first point and the second point, and when at least one of the first point and the second point is moved along the straight line, the selected object is moved in a direction corresponding to a direction of the movement of the first point or the second point.

18. A method of controlling an information terminal, comprising:

displaying one or more objects;

obtaining a position of a first point and a position of a second point designated by a user, thereby determining a straight line passing through the first point and the second point; and

selecting, from among the one or more objects, at least one object displayed within a region which is a part of a locus of the straight line formed by moving at least one of the first point and the second point not along the straight line, the region not being located between the first point and the second point, and (ii) when at least one of the first point and the second point is moved along the straight line, the selected object is moved in a direction corresponding to a direction of the movement of the first point or the second point.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for use in a computer, the recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon for causing the computer to execute the method of controlling an information terminal according to claim 18.