Gesture Detection Zones

• US 20110254791A1
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Glenn A, Solomon, Mark C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,928,604 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A system and method for utilizing a gesture-based user interface. A system includes an operator input device and a processor. The operator input device detects gestures and multiple simultaneous touch points. An input area of the operator input device includes a plurality of gesture detection zones. The processor is coupled to the operator input device. The processor executes a gesture recognition software program that processes inputs from the input device. The gesture recognition program causes the processor to recognize a primary gesture and a simultaneous secondary gesture, and to perform a processing function based, at least in part, on the primary gesture and a gesture detection zone in which the secondary gesture is detected.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an operator input device that detects gestures and multiple simultaneous touch points, an input area of the operator input device comprises a plurality of gesture detection zones; and

a processor coupled to the operator input device, the processor executes a gesture recognition software program that processes inputs from the input device;

wherein the gesture recognition program causes the processor to recognize a primary gesture and a simultaneous secondary gesture and to perform a processing function based, at least in part, on the primary gesture and a gesture detection zone in which the secondary gesture is detected.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein selection of the processing function is based, at least in part, on the secondary gesture.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each gesture detection zone defines a discrete area for detection of the secondary gesture.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary gesture comprises a point of contact with the input device established prior to and maintained throughout the primary gesture.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a detection zone comprises a horizontal band of input detection area.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary gesture is performed in any detection zone.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a number of functions corresponding to a primary gesture is equal to at least a total number of gesture detection zones.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a detection zone comprises a plurality of detection zones in which secondary gestures are performed simultaneously.

9. A method, comprising:

detecting a primary gesture with an operator input device coupled to a processor;

recognizing the primary gesture with the processor;

detecting a secondary gesture with the operator input device, the second gesture is detected contemporaneously with the primary gesture;

recognizing the secondary gesture with the processor; and

performing a processing function with the processor based, at least in part, on the primary gesture and the secondary gesture.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising dividing a gesture detection area of the operator input device into a plurality of gesture detection zones.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining in which of the plurality of gesture detection zones the secondary gesture is performed.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising performing the processing function based, at least in part, on the gesture detection zone in which the secondary gesture is performed.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting a processing function to perform from a plurality of processing functions corresponding to the primary gesture, wherein the number of processing functions corresponding to the primary gesture is at least a great as the number of gesture detection zones.

14. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program, comprising:

instructions that when executed cause a processor to recognize a primary gesture and a secondary gesture performed concurrently with the primary gesture;

instructions that when executed cause the processor to divide the detection area of a gesture input device into a plurality of gesture detection zones; and

instructions that when executed cause the processor to select a processing function to perform based, at least in part, on the primary gesture and a gesture detection zone in which the secondary gesture is performed.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the processor to select a processing function to perform based, at least in part, on the secondary gesture.