SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MULTI-TOUCH INTERACTIONS WITH A TOUCH SENSITIVE SCREEN

• US 20110007029A1
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: BEN-DAVID, Amichai
• Granted Patent: US 9,182,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 3/0443 using a single layer of sensing electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/046 by electromagnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to interacting with a touch sensitive display screen. A method may include detecting a plurality of interactions with a touch sensitive screen. A display area may be defined based on locations associated with the interactions. An action may be performed with relation to a defined display area. An action may be performed with relation to content presented in a defined display area.

Claims

1. A method of interacting with a multi-touch sensitive screen, the method comprising:

detecting at least three interactions of a user related to at least three respective locations on said screen;

defining a display area based on said at least three locations; and

performing an action related to data content associated with said display area.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising detecting a movement of at least one of said at least three interactions, wherein said display area is further based on said movement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least three interactions are detected substantially simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least three interactions are detected within a predefined time interval.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said predefined interval is measured from the first to occur of said at least two interactions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said action is selected based on said data content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein after defining said display area, said action is performed upon detecting at least one interaction of a user with said screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein after defining said display area, said action is performed upon detecting at least two interactions at substantially the same location on the screen within a predefined time interval.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said action is performed upon detecting an interaction related to a curve on said screen.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said display area is selected from the group consisting of:

a polygon, a circle, an ellipse, and a substantially closed curve.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said action is selected from the group consisting of:

a resize, a zoom-in, a zoom-out, a cut, a copy, a displacement, a selection, a reflection about an axis, and a rotation.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said interactions are selected from the group consisting of:

a finger touch, a hover and a near finger touch.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said action comprises presenting a selection menu listing actions related to at least one of the group consisting of:

said data content and said display area.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said data content on which said action is performed is one of the group consisting of:

graphical data content, textual data content, and multimedia content.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said a display area is defined based on content presented by said screen.

16. A method of interacting with a multi-touch sensitive screen, the method comprising:

detecting at least three interactions of a user related to at least three respective locations on said screen;

defining a display area based on said at least three locations;

detecting a user gesture related to said at least three interactions; and

providing information related to said at least three interactions and said gesture to a computing device.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising performing an action related to said display area based on said a user gesture.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said user gesture is selected from the list consisting of:

a tapping on said screen and a movement on said screen.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said action comprises presenting a selection menu listing actions related to at least one of the group consisting of:

said display area and content associated with said display area.

20. A method of interacting with a multi-touch sensitive screen, the method comprising:

detecting two interactions of a user related to at least two respectively different locations on said screen;

defining a display area based on said two locations; and

performing an action related to data content associated with said display area.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein defining said display area based on said two locations comprises defining a rectangle defined by a diagonal having said two locations as endpoints.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein defining said display area based on said two locations comprises defining a circle defined by a diameter having said two locations as endpoints.