Multi-Touch Shape Drawing

• US 20100149109A1
• Filed: 12/12/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: ELIAS, John Greer
• Granted Patent: US 8,749,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Multi-touch shape drawing. The use of multi-touch gesture detection improves the user interface experience associated with generating and modifying shapes. By associating unique multi-touch gestures with the generation of corresponding shapes, the accuracy and ease of use with which shapes can be generated can be improved. By associating multi-touch gestures with the modification of shapes, the ease of use with which shapes can be modified can be improved.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a multi-touch gesture applied to a touch-sensitive surface;

identifying a geometric shape to be generated based on the detected multi-touch gesture; and

generating the identified geometric shape on a display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises a linear expansion motion, and the geometric shape to be generated comprises a line.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the linear expansion motion comprises a first point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving away from a stationary second point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the linear expansion motion comprises two points of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving away from each other.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises a lateral expansion motion followed by a linear contraction motion, and the geometric shape to be generated comprises a triangle or a pyramid.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the linear contraction motion comprises a first point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving toward a stationary second point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the linear contraction motion comprises two points of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving toward each other.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises a parallel dual swipe motion followed by a linear contraction motion, and the geometric shape to be generated comprises a square or a cube.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the linear contraction motion comprises a first point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving toward a stationary second point of contact on the touch-sensitive surface.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the linear contraction motion comprises two points of contact on the touch-sensitive surface moving toward each other.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises a linear expansion motion followed by a parallel dual swipe motion followed by a linear contraction motion, and the geometric shape to be generated comprises a rectangle or a box.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises one or more n-point taps where n>

1, and the geometric shape to be generated comprises a polygon.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the number of the n-point taps determines the number of sides of the polygon to be generated.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises an n-point curvilinear motion about a central point where n>

1 and the n points are equidistant from the central point, and the geometric shape to be generated comprises a circle or a sphere.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises an n-point parallel curvilinear motion where n>

1, and the geometric shape to be generated comprises an arc.

16. A method comprising:

displaying a geometric shape on a display;

detecting a multi-touch gesture applied to the displayed geometric shape; and

modifying the displayed geometric shape based on the multi-touch gesture.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises a linear expansion motion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the modification of the geometric shape comprising scaling the displayed geometric shape.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the scaling comprises uniform scaling relative to each dimension of the displayed geometric shape.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the scaling comprises scaling of one dimension of the displayed geometric shape.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises a rotational motion.

22. A mobile telephone comprising:

a display;

an input device comprising a touch-sensitive surface; and

a processor configured to

detect a multi-touch gesture applied to the touch-sensitive surface,

identify a geometric shape to be generated based on the detected multi-touch gesture, and

generate the identified geometric shape on the display.

23. A media player comprising:

a display;

an input device comprising a touch-sensitive surface; and

a processor configured to

detect a multi-touch gesture applied to the touch-sensitive surface,

identify a geometric shape to be generated based on the detected multi-touch gesture, and

generate the identified geometric shape on the display.

24. A personal computer comprising:

a display;

an input device comprising a touch-sensitive surface; and

a processor configured to

detect a multi-touch gesture applied to the touch-sensitive surface,

identify a geometric shape to be generated based on the detected multi-touch gesture, and

generate the identified geometric shape on the display.

25. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a computing device to:

detect a multi-touch gesture applied to a touch-sensitive surface;

identify a geometric shape to be generated based on the detected multi-touch gesture;

generate the identified geometric shape on a display;

detect a multi-touch gesture applied to the displayed geometric shape; and

modify the displayed geometric shape based on the multi-touch gesture.