Precise selection techniques for multi-touch screens

• US 10,203,836 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Benko, Hrvoje, Wilson, Andrew D., Baudisch, Patrick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Rayeez R
• Application Number:
  US15/818,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20180074678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A unique system and method is provided that facilitates pixel-accurate targeting with respect to multi-touch sensitive displays when selecting or viewing content with a cursor. In particular, the system and method can track dual inputs from a primary finger and a secondary finger, for example. The primary finger can control movement of the cursor while the secondary finger can adjust a control-display ratio of the screen. As a result, cursor steering and selection of an assistance mode can be performed at about the same time or concurrently. In addition, the system and method can stabilize a cursor position at a top middle point of a user'"'"'s finger in order to mitigate clicking errors when making a selection.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a multi-touch screen;

processing circuitry; and

memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations comprising;

detecting a primary member location on a surface of the multi-touch screen;

visualizing a cursor on the surface based on the primary member location on the surface;

detecting a secondary member location on the surface; and

concurrently with moving the cursor, adjusting a speed of the cursor based on a detected movement of the secondary member relative to the primary member by performing at least one of;

reducing the speed of the cursor, in response to movement of the secondary member closer to the primary member, by an amount based on a distance moved;

or

increasing the speed of the cursor, in response to movement of the secondary member away from the primary member, by an amount based on a distance moved.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary member comprises a primary finger, and wherein the secondary member comprises a secondary finger.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise signaling the speed of the cursor to the user by displaying a cursor notification graphic.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein reducing the speed of the cursor comprises freezing the cursor in place.

3. A method implemented at processing circuitry of at least one machine coupled with a surface of a multi-touch device, the method comprising:

detecting, using the processing circuitry, a primary member location on a surface;

visualizing a cursor on the surface at an initial cursor location corresponding to the primary member location on the surface;

detecting, using the processing circuitry, a secondary member location on the surface; and

concurrently with moving the cursor from the initial cursor location, controlling a speed of the cursor by reducing the speed of the cursor, in response to a detected movement of the secondary member closer to the primary member, by an amount based on a distance moved, or increasing the speed of the cursor, in response to a detected movement of the secondary member away from the primary member, by an amount based on a distance moved.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the primary member comprises a primary finger, and wherein the secondary member comprises a secondary finger.

15. The method of claim 3, further comprising signaling the speed of the cursor to the user by displaying a cursor notification graphic.

16. The method of claim 3, wherein reducing the speed of the cursor comprises freezing the cursor in place.

5. A method implemented at processing circuitry of a computing device having a multi-touch screen, the method comprising:

detecting, using the processing circuitry, a primary finger location on the multi-touch screen;

visualizing a cursor on the multi-touch screen based on the primary finger location on the multi-touch screen;

detecting, using the processing circuitry, a secondary finger location on the multi-touch screen; and

concurrently with moving the cursor, reducing a speed of the cursor relative to a normal speed in discrete steps based on a detected movement of the secondary finger towards the primary finger or increasing the speed of the cursor up to the normal speed based on a detected movement of the secondary finger away from the primary finger.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a distance that the secondary finger traverses in switching speed reduction modes corresponding to the discrete steps is predefined.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the distance that the secondary finger traverses in switching speed reduction modes is independent of the distance between the primary and secondary fingers.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising staying in a current speed reduction mode after the secondary finger is lifted.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein continued movement of the primary and secondary fingers apart triggers a snap movement that brings the cursor back to the primary finger'"'"'s location.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising signaling the snap to a user by a sound effect.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the discrete correspond to speed reduction modes, the speed reduction modes comprising a frozen cursor mode.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising signaling the speed of the cursor to the user by displaying a cursor notification graphic.