Detection of Gesture Orientation on Repositionable Touch Surface

• US 20110102333A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: WESTERMAN, Wayne Carl
• Application Number:
  US12/609,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20110102333A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Detection of an orientation of a gesture made on a repositionable touch surface is disclosed. In some embodiments, a method can include detecting an orientation of a gesture made a touch surface of a touch sensitive device and determining whether the touch surface has been repositioned based on the detected gesture orientation. In other embodiments, a method can include setting a window around touch locations captured in a touch image of a gesture made on a touch surface of a touch sensitive device, detecting an orientation of the gesture in the window, and determining whether the touch surface has been repositioned based on the detected gesture orientation. The pixel coordinates of the touch surface can be changed to correspond to the repositioning.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting an orientation of a gesture made on a touch surface; and

determining a repositioning of the touch surface based on the detected gesture orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the orientation of the gesture comprises:

capturing a touch image of a gesture made on a touch surface;

identifying touch locations of the gesture in the touch image;

determining a base vector between a leftmost and a rightmost of the touch locations;

determining finger vectors between the leftmost or rightmost touch location and the remaining touch locations;

calculating cross products between the finger vectors and the base vector; and

summing the cross products, the sum being indicative of the gesture orientation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the touch locations correspond to touches on the touch surface by a thumb, an index finger, a middle finger, a ring finger, and a pinkie.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the leftmost and rightmost touch locations correspond to touches by a thumb and a pinkie.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the repositioning of the touch surface comprises:

if a sum of cross products of vectors formed between fingers making the gesture is positive, determining that there has been no repositioning of the touch surface; and

if the sum of the cross products is negative, determining that there has been a repositioning of the touch surface by about 180°

.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sum of the cross products is positive if the sum is greater than a predetermined positive threshold and the sum of the cross products is negative is the sum is less than a predetermined negative threshold.

7. A touch sensitive device comprising:

a touch surface having multiple pixel locations for detecting a gesture; and

a processor in communication with the touch surface and configured to

identify an orientation of the detected gesture,

determine whether the touch surface is repositioned based on the identified orientation, and

reconfigure coordinates of the pixel locations based on the determination.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein identifying the orientation of the detected gesture comprises:

identifying touch locations of the gesture on the touch surface;

determining a base vector between a leftmost and a rightmost of the touch locations;

if neither the leftmost nor rightmost touch location corresponds to a thumb touch, replacing the determined base vector with another base vector between the touch location corresponding to the thumb touch and either the leftmost or rightmost touch location; and

utilizing either the determined base vector or the other base vector to identify the gesture orientation.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein identifying the orientation of the detected gesture comprises:

identifying touch locations of the gesture on the touch surface;

determining a base vector between a leftmost and a rightmost of the touch locations;

determining finger vectors between the leftmost or rightmost touch location and the remaining touch locations;

selecting a larger eccentricity of the leftmost and the rightmost touch locations;

selecting a largest eccentricity among the remaining touch locations;

calculating a ratio of the selected larger eccentricity to the selected largest eccentricity;

calculating cross products between the base vector and the finger vectors;

applying the ratio as a weight to the calculated cross products; and

utilizing the weighted cross products to identify the gesture orientation.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein identifying the orientation of the detected gesture comprises:

identifying touch locations of the gesture on the touch surface;

determining a base vector between a leftmost and a rightmost of the touch locations;

determining finger vectors between the leftmost or the rightmost touch location and the remaining touch locations;

computing magnitudes of the finger vectors;

calculating a first ratio between the two largest magnitudes;

calculating a second ratio between the two smallest magnitudes;

comparing the first and second ratios; and

if the second ratio is substantially larger than the first ratio, aborting execution by the processor.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein identifying the orientation of the detected gesture comprises:

identifying touch locations of the gesture on the touch surface;

determining a base vector between a leftmost and a rightmost of the touch locations;

determining finger vectors between the leftmost or the rightmost touch location and the remaining touch locations; and

if the finger vectors are aligned with the base vector, aborting execution by the processor.

12. The device of claim 7, wherein identifying the orientation of the detected gesture comprises:

identifying touch locations of the gesture on the touch surface;

determining a base vector between a leftmost and a rightmost of the touch locations;

determining finger vectors between the leftmost or the rightmost touch location and the remaining touch locations;

calculating cross products between the base vector and the finger vectors; and

if all of the cross products do not have the same sign, aborting execution by the processor.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein determining whether the touch surface is repositioned comprises:

determining that the touch surface is not repositioned if the orientation indicates a convexity of the gesture; and

determining that the touch surface is repositioned if the orientation indicates a concavity of the gesture.

14. The device of claim 7, wherein reconfiguring the coordinates of the pixel locations comprises changing the coordinates of the pixel locations to correspond to approximately a 180°

repositioning of the touch surface.

15. A method comprising:

setting a window around touch locations in a touch image of a gesture made on a touch surface;

detecting an orientation of the gesture according to the touch locations in the window; and

determining a repositioning of the touch surface based on the detected orientation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting the orientation of the gesture comprises:

comparing a length of the window to a width of the window; and

if the window length is greater than the window width,

determining which of a topmost or a bottommost of the touch locations corresponds to a thumb touch,

determining a base vector between the topmost and bottommost touch locations,

determining finger vectors between the determined thumb touch location and the remaining touch locations,

calculating cross products between the finger vectors and the base vector, and

summing the calculated cross products, the sum being indicative of the gesture orientation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the topmost and the bottommost touch locations correspond to touches by a thumb and a pinkie on the touch surface.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the repositioning of the touch surface comprises:

if a sum of cross products of vectors formed between the fingers making the gesture is greater than a predetermined positive threshold, determining that there has been a repositioning of the touch surface by about +90°

; and

if the sum of the cross products is less than a predetermined negative threshold, determining that there has been a repositioning of the touch surface by about −

90°

.

19. A touch sensitive device comprising:

a touch surface having multiple pixel locations for detecting a gesture; and

a processor in communication with the touch surface and configured to

set a window around a touch image of the detected gesture,

determine whether the touch surface is repositioned based on an orientation of the gesture in the window, and

reconfigure coordinates of the pixel locations based on the determination.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to execute upon detection of a tap gesture on the touch surface.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured not to execute upon detection of a gesture movement exceeding a predetermined distance on the touch surface.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the touch surface is repositionable by about ±

90°

.

23. A repositionable touch surface comprising multiple pixel locations for changing coordinates in response to a repositioning of the touch surface, the repositioning being determined based on a characteristic of a gesture made on the touch surface.

24. The repositionable touch surface of claim 23, wherein the characteristic is an orientation of a five-finger gesture.

25. The repositionable touch surface of claim 23 incorporated into a computing system.