MULTI-MODE DIGITAL GRAPHICS AUTHORING

• US 20100201636A1
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kikin-Gil, Erez
• Application Number:
  US12/369,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201636A1
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Various embodiments related to the presentation of a multi-mode digital graphics authoring program are disclosed herein. One embodiment provides a computing device comprising a multi-touch display, a processor and memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to detect an initial touch of a physical object on the display, to display a workspace border defining a bounded workspace, to display a contextual menu associated with the bounded workspace, and to receive a touch input requesting an application setting selected from the contextual menu to be applied within the workspace border. The instructions are further executable to detect a subsequent touch within the workspace border, and, in response, to apply the application setting to the subsequent touch detected within the workspace border, to detect a subsequent touch outside of the workspace border, and, in response, not to apply the application setting to the subsequent touch detected outside of the workspace border.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a multi-touch display;

a processor; and

memory comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

detect an initial touch of a physical object on the display;

in response, display on the display a workspace border defining a bounded workspace associated with the physical object, the bounded workspace defining a bounded area of the display;

display on the display a contextual menu associated with the bounded workspace;

receive a touch input requesting an application setting selected from the contextual menu to be applied within the workspace border;

detect a subsequent touch within the workspace border and, in response, apply the application setting to the subsequent touch detected within the workspace border; and

detect a subsequent touch outside of the workspace border and, in response, not to apply the application setting to the subsequent touch detected outside of the workspace border.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the physical object is a finger of a user of the display.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable to detect a change in a location of the physical object, and in response, to adjust a location of the workspace border.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable, upon defining the bounded workspace, to wait for the touch input requesting the application setting before enabling a display response to a touch gesture made within the workspace border.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable, upon defining the bounded workspace, to apply a default application setting to a touch gesture made within the bounded workspace.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable to detect a lifting of the initial touch, to detect the subsequent touch within the workspace border before passage of a predetermined delay period, and to apply the application setting to the subsequent touch detected within the workspace border.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable to detect a lifting of the initial touch, to detect the subsequent touch within the workspace border after passage of a predetermined delay period, and not apply the application setting to the subsequent touch detected within the workspace border.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable to detect cessation of the initial touch of the physical object, and in response, display on the display a fading of the workspace border of the bounded workspace associated with the physical object.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further executable to detect cessation of the initial touch of the physical object, and in response, cease display of the workspace border after passage of a predetermined time period.

10. A method of operating a multi-mode digital graphics authoring program on a computing device comprising a multi-touch display, the method comprising:

detecting an initial touch of a first physical object on the display;

in response, displaying on the display a first workspace border defining a first bounded workspace associated with the first physical object, the first bounded workspace defining a bounded area of the display;

displaying on the display a first contextual menu associated with the first bounded workspace;

receiving a touch input requesting an application setting selected from the first contextual menu to be applied within the first workspace border;

detecting a subsequent touch on the display;

determining if the subsequent touch is detected at a location outside of the first workspace border;

if the subsequent touch is detected at a location outside of the first workspace border, then, in response to detecting the subsequent touch on the display, displaying on the display a second workspace border defining a second bounded workspace associated with the subsequent touch; and

if the subsequent touch is detected at a location within the first workspace border, applying the application setting to the subsequent touch.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising detecting a change in a location of the first physical object, and in response, adjusting a location of the first workspace border.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the multi-mode digital graphics authoring program is a painting program.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the initial touch of the first physical object on the display temporally overlaps with the subsequent touch detected on the display.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the initial touch of the first physical object is lifted before detecting the subsequent touch on the display.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting the subsequent touch on the display at a location within the first workspace border within a predetermined delay period, and applying the application setting to the subsequent touch.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting the subsequent touch on the display at a location within the first workspace border outside of a predetermined delay period, and not applying the application setting to the subsequent touch.

17. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computing device comprising a multi-touch display to perform a method of operating a multi-mode digital graphics authoring program, the method comprising:

detecting an initial touch of a first physical object on the display;

in response, displaying on the display a first workspace border defining a first bounded workspace associated with the first physical object, the first bounded workspace defining a bounded area of the display;

displaying on the display a first contextual menu associated with the first bounded workspace;

receiving a touch input requesting an application setting selected from the first contextual menu to be applied within the first workspace border;

detecting a change in a location of the initial touch of the first physical object on the display;

adjusting a location of the first workspace border in response to detecting the change in the location of the initial touch of the first physical object;

detecting a subsequent touch on the display;

determining if the subsequent touch is detected at a location outside of the first workspace border;

if the subsequent touch is detected at a location outside of the first workspace border, then, in response to detecting the subsequent touch on the display, displaying on the display a second workspace border defining a second bounded workspace associated with the subsequent touch; and

if the subsequent touch is detected at a location within the first workspace border, applying the application setting to the subsequent touch.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein detecting the subsequent touch on the display comprises detecting a subsequent touch that is temporally overlapping with the initial touch of the first physical object.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein detecting the subsequent touch on the display comprises detecting a subsequent touch that is temporally separated from the initial touch of the first physical object.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein, if the subsequent touch on the display is detected at a location within the first workspace border but outside of a predetermined delay period, then the method further comprises not applying the application setting to the subsequent touch.