Gestures for Controlling, Manipulating, and Editing of Media Files Using Touch Sensitive Devices

• US 20110239155A1
• Filed: 06/07/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greg Christie
• Original Assignee: Greg Christie
• Inventors: Christie, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 8,686,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0446 using a grid-like structure of electrodes in at least two directions, e.g. using row and column electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, and software for implementing gestures with touch sensitive devices (such as a touch sensitive display) for managing and editing media files on a computing device or system. Specifically, gestural inputs of a human hand over a touch/proximity sensitive device can be used to control, edit, and manipulate files, such as media files including without limitation graphical files, photo files and video files.

Claims

1. A method for processing touch inputs using a touch sensitive display device, comprising:

detecting a touch input at a surface of the display device, the touch input including at least one touchdown point on the surface of the display device;

identifying the touch input to be a scroll gesture associated with a scrollable area displayed on the display device, the scroll gesture including a drag of the at least one touchdown point in a direction of the intended scroll; and

scrolling the scrollable area in the direction of the intended scroll.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

periodically determining the number of touchdown points associated with the scroll gesture; and

controlling a speed of the scrolling in accordance with the number of touchdown points determined to be associated with the scroll gesture, wherein the speed of the scrolling increases with an increased number of determined touchdown points.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a scroll action icon on the display device.

4. A computer system, comprising:

a touch sensitive display device;

means for detecting a touch input at a surface of the display device, the touch input including at least one touchdown point on the surface of the display device;

means for identifying the touch input to be a scroll gesture associated with a scrollable area displayed on the display device, the scroll gesture including a drag of the at least one touchdown point in a direction of the intended scroll; and

means for scrolling the scrollable area in the direction of the intended scroll.

5. The computer system of claim 4, including:

means for periodically determining the number of touchdown points associated with the scroll gesture; and

means for controlling a speed of the scrolling in accordance with the number of touchdown points determined to be associated with the scroll gesture, wherein the speed of the scrolling increases with an increased number of determined touchdown points.

6. The computer system of claim 4, including means for causing the display of a scroll action icon on the display device.

7. The computer system of claim 4, wherein the computer system is one of a mobile telephone and a digital audio player.

8. A program embodied in a computer-readable medium, the program containing executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method of processing touch inputs, the computer including a touch sensitive display device, the method comprising:

detecting a touch input at the surface of the display device, the touch input including at least one touchdown point on the surface of the display device;

identifying the touch input to be a scroll gesture associated with a scrollable area displayed on the display device, the scroll gesture including a drag of the at least one touchdown point in a direction of the intended scroll; and

scrolling the scrollable area in the direction of the intended scroll.

9. The program of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

periodically determining the number of touchdown points associated with the scroll gesture; and

controlling the speed of the scrolling in accordance with the number of touchdown points determined to be associated with the scroll gesture, wherein the speed of the scrolling increases with an increased number of determined touchdown points.

10. The program of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises displaying a scroll action icon on the display device.