BRUSH, CARBON-COPY, AND FILL GESTURES

• US 20110185300A1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hinckley, Kenneth P., Yatani, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 8,261,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• 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 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves

Abstract

Techniques involving gestures and other functionality are described. In one or more implementations, the techniques describe gestures that are usable to provide inputs to a computing device. A variety of different gestures are contemplated, including bimodal gestures (e.g., using more than one type of input) and single modal gestures. Additionally, the gesture techniques may be configured to leverage these different input types to increase the amount of gestures that are made available to initiate operations of a computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recognizing a first input as selecting an object displayed by a display device;

recognizing a second input as a line drawn outside the bounds of the object, the line recognized as being drawn while the object is selected; and

identifying a brush gesture from the recognized first and second inputs, the brush gesture effective to cause a display of the line being drawn as a copy of a corresponding line of the object.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first input is recognized as a touch input and the second input is recognized as a stylus input.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the first input is one of a touch input or a stylus input; and

the second input is the other of the touch input or the stylus input.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first input is recognized as selecting a point in the object and the corresponding line is copied from the object beginning at the point.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the recognizing of the second input is performed for a plurality of lines and the brush gesture is effective to copy a corresponding plurality of lines from the object having a matching spatial relationship to the plurality of lines of the second input.

6. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising detecting the first and second inputs using a camera.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the object is recognized as having an orientation in a user interface and the brush gesture is further effective to cause the object to be copied as having the orientation.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the brush gesture is effective to use the object as fill.

9. A method comprising:

recognizing a first input as selecting an object displayed by a display device;

recognizing a second input as a line drawn within the bounds of the object, the line recognized as being drawn while the object is selected; and

identifying a carbon-copy gesture from the recognized first and second inputs, the carbon-copy gesture effective to cause display of a copy of portions of the object through which the line is drawn.

10. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the display of the copy of the portions of the object through which the line has been drawn is displayed as occurring beneath the display of the object.

11. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the display of the copy of the portions of the object through which the line has been drawn is displayed as occurring over the display of the object.

12. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the first input is recognized as selecting two points of the object.

13. A method as described in claim 12, wherein the first input is recognized as touch inputs and the second input is recognized as a stylus input.

14. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the recognizing of the second input is performed for a plurality of lines and the carbon-copy gesture is effective to copy a corresponding plurality of lines from the object which are displayed as having a matching spatial relationship to the plurality of lines of the second input.

15. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the object is recognized as having an orientation in a user interface and the carbon-copy gesture is further effective to cause the object to be copied as having the orientation.

16. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the carbon-copy gesture is effective to use the object as fill.

17. A method comprising:

recognizing a first input as selecting an object displayed by a display device;

recognizing a second input as a frame drawn outside a boundary of the object, the frame recognized as being drawn while the object is selected; and

identifying a fill gesture from the recognized first and second inputs, the fill gesture effective to use the object for fill in the frame.

18. A method as described in claim 17, wherein the first input is recognized as selecting two points of the object.

19. A method as described in claim 18, wherein the first input is recognized as touch inputs and the second input is recognized as a stylus input.

20. A method as described in claim 17, wherein:

the first input is one of a touch input or a stylus input; and

the second input is the other of the touch input or the stylus input.