SCALABLE GESTURE-BASED DEVICE CONTROL

• US 20120297326A1
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Published: 11/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Molander, Mark, Bohrer, Patrick, Eischeid, Todd, Pagan, William G., Snyder, Devon
• Granted Patent: US 9,329,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/409 characterised by using manual data input [MDI] or by using control panel, e.g. controlling functions with the panel; characterised by control panel details or by setting parameters G05B19/408, G05B19/4093 take precedence
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• 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: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A method for providing control signals may include, but is not limited to: detecting a first user input associated with at least one graphical user interface element; transmitting one or more control signals associated with the at least one graphical user interface element in response to the first user input; detecting a second user input associated with a grouping of two or more graphical user interface elements; and transmitting one or more control signals associated with the grouping of two or more graphical user interface elements in response to the second user input.

Claims

1. A method for providing control signals comprising:

detecting a first user input associated with at least one graphical user interface element;

transmitting one or more control signals associated with the at least one graphical user interface element in response to the first user input;

detecting a second user input associated with a grouping of two or more graphical user interface elements; and

transmitting one or more control signals associated with the grouping of two or more graphical user interface elements in response to the second user input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first user input and the second user input is a touch input to a touch-screen displaying the graphical user interface element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the

wherein the detecting a first user input associated with at least one graphical user interface element comprises:

detecting a single-touch user input associated with at least one graphical user interface element; and

wherein the detecting a second user input associated with a grouping of two or more graphical user interface elements comprises;

detecting a multi-touch user input associated with a grouping of two or more graphical user interface elements.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the multi-touch user input associated with a grouping of two or more graphical user interface elements comprises:

at least one of a double-touch user input, a triple-touch user input, and a quadruple-touch user input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting one or more control signals associated with the at least one graphical user interface element in response to the first user input comprises:

transmitting at least one control signal to at least one controllable device associated with the at least one graphical user interface element in response to the single-touch user input.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one control signal causes the controllable device to perform at least one operation selected from:

powering on;

powering off;

restarting;

entering a sleep state;

exiting a sleep state;

throttling down; and

throttling up.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one controllable device is at a server device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting one or more control signals associated with the grouping of two or more graphical user interface elements in response to the second user input comprises:

transmitting one or more control signals to two or more controllable devices associated with the grouping of two or more graphical user interface elements in response to the multi-touch user input.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one control signal causes the controllable device to perform at least one operation selected from:

powering on;

powering off;

restarting;

entering a sleep state;

exiting a sleep state;

throttling down; and

throttling up.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the two or more controllable devices are server devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting one or more control signals associated with the at least one graphical user interface element in response to the first user input comprises:

transmitting at least one control signal to configure a database associated with the at least one graphical user interface element in response to the single-touch user input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one control signal configures the database by performing at least one operation selected from:

adding an element to the database, removing an element from a database, and transferring an element from a first grouping of database elements to a second grouping of database elements.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting one or more control signals associated with the grouping of two or more graphical user interface elements in response to the second user input comprises:

transmitting at least one control signal to configure a database associated with the grouping of two or more graphical user interface elements in response to the multi-touch user input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one control signal configures the database by performing at least one operation selected from:

adding two or more elements to the database, removing two or more elements from the database, and transferring two or more elements from a first grouping of database elements to a second grouping of database elements.