RECOGNIZING MULTIPLE INPUT POINT GESTURES

• US 20110157041A1
• Filed: 11/18/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vale, Peter, Duncan, Weiss, John Guido Atkins
• Granted Patent: US 8,624,855 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for recognizing multiple input point gestures. A recognition module receives an ordered set of points indicating that contacts have been detected in a specified order at multiple different locations on a multi-touch input surface. The recognition module determines the position of subsequently detected locations (e.g., third detected location) relative to (e.g., to the left of right of) line segments connecting previously detected locations (e.g., connecting first and second detected locations). The gesture module also detects whether line segments connecting subsequently detected locations (e.g., connecting third and fourth detected locations) intersect line segments connecting previously detected locations (e.g., connecting first and second detected locations). The gesture module recognizes an input gesture based on the relative positions and whether or not line segments intersect. The gesture module then identifies a corresponding input operation (e.g., cut, paste, etc.) to be performed.

Claims

1. At a computer system including a processor and system memory, a method for recognizing a multiple input point gesture, the method comprising:

an act of receiving an unordered set of point locations, the unordered set of point locations indicating that simultaneous contact was detected at a plurality of locations on an input surface without regard for the order in which contact was detected at individual locations included in the plurality of locations, the plurality of locations including at least a first location and a second location;

an act of determining the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected from the unordered set of points; and

an act of the processor recognizing an input gesture based on and corresponding to the number of locations where simultaneous contact was detected without regard for the order in which contact was detected at individual locations included in the plurality of locations.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an unordered set of point locations comprises an act of receiving an unordered set of point locations indicating that simultaneous contact was detected on the input surface at at least the first location, the second location, and a third location.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the act of determining the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected comprises an act of identifying three locations on the input surface where contact was simultaneously detected.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the act of determining the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected comprises an act of identifying four locations on the input surface where contact was simultaneously detected.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the act of determining the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected comprises an act of identifying five locations on the input surface where contact was simultaneously detected.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of recognizing an input gesture comprises an act of recognizing a mouse button double-click gesture.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of recognizing an input gesture comprises an act of recognizing one of a cut gesture and a paste gesture.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising an act of looking up the meaning of the recognized input gesture in a table of known input gestures.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of recognizing an input gesture comprises an act of recognizing an input gesture based on one or more parameters, the one or more parameters selected from among:

the orientation of the input gesture, the speed in which the input gesture was executed, and the physical size of the input gesture.

10. A computer program product for use at a computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for recognizing a multiple input point gesture, the computer program product comprising one or more computer storage media having stored there one computer-executable instructions, that when executed at a processor, cause the computer system to perform the method, including the following:

receive an unordered set of point locations, the unordered set of point locations indicating that simultaneous contact was detected at a plurality of locations on an input surface without regard for the order in which contact was detected at individual locations included in the plurality of locations, the plurality of locations including at least a first location and a second location;

determine the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected from the unordered set of points; and

recognize an input gesture based on and corresponding to the number of locations where simultaneous contact was detected without regard for the order in which contact was detected at individual locations included in the plurality of locations.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to receive an unordered set of point locations comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to receive an unordered set of point locations indicating that simultaneous contact was detected on the input surface at at least the first location, the second location, and a third location.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to determine the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to identify three locations on the input surface where contact was simultaneously detected.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to determine the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to identify four locations on the input surface where contact was simultaneously detected.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 11, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to determine the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to identify five locations on the input surface where contact was simultaneously detected.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to recognize an input gesture comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to recognize a mouse button double-click gesture.

16. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to recognize an input gesture comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to recognize one of a cut gesture and a paste gesture.

17. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to look up the meaning of the recognized input gesture in a table of known input gestures.

18. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to recognize an input gesture comprise computer-executable instructions, that when executed, cause the computer system to recognize an input gesture based on one or more parameters, the one or more parameters selected from among:

the orientation of the input gesture, the speed in which the input gesture was executed, and the physical size of the input gesture.

19. A computer system, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors;

system memory;

an input surface; and

one or more computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions representing a gesture recognition module, the gesture recognition module configured to;

receive an unordered set of point locations, the unordered set of point locations indicating that simultaneous contact was detected at a plurality of locations on an input surface without regard for the order in which contact was detected at individual locations included in the plurality of locations, the plurality of locations including at least a first location and a second location;

determine the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected from the unordered set of points; and

recognize an input gesture based on and corresponding to the number of locations where simultaneous contact was detected without regard for the order in which contact was detected at individual locations included in the plurality of locations.

20. The computer system as recited in claim 19, wherein the gesture recognition module configured to receive an unordered set of point locations comprises the gesture recognition module being configured to receive an unordered set of point locations indicating that simultaneous contact was detected on the input surface at at least the first location, the second location, and a third location;

wherein the gesture recognition module configured to determine the number locations where contact was simultaneously detected comprises the gesture recognition module being configured to identify at least three locations where contact with the input surface was simultaneously detected; and

wherein the gesture recognition module configured to recognize an input gesture comprises the gesture recognition module being configured to recognize a mouse a mouse button gesture.