Precise selection techniques for multi-touch screens

• US 20120056840A1
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Benko, Hrvoje, Wilson, Andrew D., Baudisch, Patrick M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,052 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A unique system and method is provided that facilitates pixel-accurate targeting with respect to multi-touch sensitive displays when selecting or viewing content with a cursor. In particular, the system and method can track dual inputs from a primary finger and a secondary finger, for example. The primary finger can control movement of the cursor while the secondary finger can adjust a control-display ratio of the screen. As a result, cursor steering and selection of an assistance mode can be performed at about the same time or concurrently. In addition, the system and method can stabilize a cursor position at a top middle point of a user'"'"'s finger in order to mitigate clicking errors when making a selection.

Claims

1. A system to facilitate pixel-accurate targeting with respect to a multi-touch screen, the system comprising:

an input tracking component configured to track multi-touch input comprising an input received from a primary member and an input received from a secondary member and configured to disambiguate between the input received from the primary member and the input received from the secondary member;

a cursor control component configured to cause a cursor to be activated based on the input received from the primary member;

the input tracking component further configured to concurrently facilitate selecting content on the multi-touch screen by positioning the cursor over the content to be selected based on the input received from the primary member and adjusting a control-display ratio of the content selected based on the input received from the secondary member; and

the cursor control component further configured to cause the cursor to return to a default state when the input from the secondary member is removed from the multi-touch screen.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a menu component configured to invoke a menu comprising a plurality of selection areas to appear on the multi-touch screen based on the input received from the secondary member.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the menu comprises selecting a mode of at least one speed of the cursor from the plurality of selection areas based on the input received from the secondary member.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the menu comprises selecting a mode of magnify from the plurality of selection areas to magnify the content underneath the cursor based on the input received from the secondary member.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the cursor control component adjusts a speed of the cursor to be zero in which cursor movement is temporarily disabled in order to facilitate successful target selection based on the input received from the primary member.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the input tracking component includes:

a primary touch detection component configured to sense and to track cursor movements made by the primary member; and

a secondary touch detection component configured to trigger an offset of the cursor from its original location based on the input received from the secondary member.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the input tracking component includes:

a primary touch detection component configured to sense and to track cursor movements made by the primary member;

a secondary touch detection component configured to trigger an offset of the cursor from its original location based on the input received from the secondary member; and

the primary touch detection component or the secondary touch detection component configured to guide the cursor to an intended target on the multi-touch screen based on the input received from the primary member or the input received from the secondary member.

8. A system to facilitate pixel-accurate targeting with respect to a multi-touch screen, the system comprising:

an input tracking component configured to track multi-touch input comprising an input received from a primary member and an input received from a secondary member and configured to disambiguate between the input received from the primary member and the input received from the secondary member;

a cursor control component configured to cause a cursor to be activated based on the input received from the primary member; and

the input tracking component further configured to concurrently facilitate control of the cursor based on the input received from the primary member and a speed of the cursor based on the input received from the secondary member.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the input received from the secondary member comprises sliding the secondary member a distance to or from a primary member'"'"'s location on the multi-touch screen to adjust the speed of the cursor an amount based on the distance moved by the secondary member.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the input received from the secondary member comprises sliding the secondary member a distance closer to a primary member'"'"'s location on the multi-touch screen to reduce the speed of the cursor an amount based on the distance moved by the secondary member.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the input received from the secondary member comprises sliding the secondary member a distance away from a primary member'"'"'s location on the multi-touch screen to increase the speed of the cursor an amount based on the distance moved by the secondary member.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the cursor control component is further configured to cause the cursor to return to a default state when the input received from the secondary member is removed from the multi-touch screen.

13. A method that facilitates pixel-accurate targeting with respect to a multi-touch screen comprising:

tracking multi-touch input based on an input received from a primary member and an input received from a secondary member and disambiguating between the input received from the primary member and the input received from the secondary member;

receiving input from the primary member to activate a cursor being executed by a cursor control component;

concurrently facilitating to select content on the multi-touch screen by positioning the cursor over the content to be selected based on the input received from the primary member and adjusting a control-display ratio of the content selected based on the input received from the secondary member being executed by an input tracking component; and

returning the cursor control to a default state when the input from the secondary member is removed from the multi-touch screen being executed by the cursor control component.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising invoking a menu comprising a plurality of selections to appear on the multi-touch screen based on the input received from the secondary member.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a mode of at least one speed of the cursor from the plurality of selections based on the input received from the secondary member.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a mode of magnify from the plurality of selection areas to magnify the content underneath the cursor based on the input received from the secondary member.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a mode of snap from the plurality of selection areas to bring the cursor back to a primary member'"'"'s location based on the input received from the secondary member.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a mode of 4×

speed of the cursor from the plurality of selections based on the input received from the secondary member.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a mode of 10×

speed of the cursor from the plurality of selections based on the input received from the secondary member.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising selecting a mode of normal mode of the cursor from the plurality of selections to move the cursor with a same speed as the primary member based on the input received from the secondary member.