COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM, COORDINATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, COORDINATE PROCESSING SYSTEM, AND COORDINATE PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20130106728A1
• Filed: 03/12/2012
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: OHTA, Keizo
• Granted Patent: US 8,952,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/347 Sampling; Contour coding; Stroke extraction

Abstract

A value of a finger degree variable representing a degree of likelihood of a finger is updated at, all times in accordance with whether the shape of an input trajectory represented by input coordinate data is a predetermined shape, whether a continuous contact time indicated by input coordinate data is less than a predetermined time, or whether or not a continuous non-contact time indicated by input coordinate data is less than a predetermined time. A degree of smoothening the shape of the input trajectory is changed in response to the value of the finger degree variable.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having stored therein a coordinate processing program for processing input coordinate data which is outputted from a coordinate input device and indicates a contact position with respect to an operation surface of the coordinate input device,

the coordinate processing program causing a computer to operate as:

a determination section configured to determine an input element which is in contact with the operation surface from among a plurality of types of input elements having different contact areas with the operation surface; and

a coordinate corrector configured to correct the input coordinate data in accordance with a result of the determination of the determination section.

2. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the coordinate corrector includes a shape corrector configured to correct the input coordinate data such that a shape of an input trajectory represented by the input coordinate data is smoothened, and

the shape corrector corrects the input coordinate data at a degree which changes in response to the result of the determination of the determination section, such that the shape of the input trajectory is smoothened.

3. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the shape corrector corrects the input coordinate data in accordance with the result of the determination of the determination section, such that responsiveness to variation of the contact position changes.

4. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein

the shape corrector includes a following coordinate calculator configured to calculate a following coordinate which follows a target coordinate, which is set on the basis of the input coordinate data, at a rate which changes in response to the result of the determination of the determination section, and

the coordinate corrector corrects the input coordinate data on the basis of the following coordinate.

5. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein when it is determined by the determination section that a first input element having a relatively large contact area is in contact with the operation surface, the following coordinate calculator calculates the following coordinate such that the following coordinate follows the target coordinate at a smaller rate than that when it is determined that a second input element having a relatively small contact area is in contact with the operation surface.

6. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein the following coordinate follows the target coordinate by being updated such that the following coordinate approaches the target coordinate by a predetermined rate of a distance from the following coordinate to the target coordinate.

7. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein the target coordinate is an allowance coordinate which, when being distant from an input coordinate indicated by the input coordinate data by more than a distance which changes in response to the result of the determination of the determination section, moves toward the input coordinate so as to be located at a position away from the input coordinate by the distance.

8. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein

the shape corrector includes an allowance coordinate calculator configured to calculate an allowance coordinate which, when being distant from an input coordinate indicated by the input coordinate data by more than a distance which changes in response to the result of the determination of the determination section, moves toward the input coordinate so as to be located at a position away from the input coordinate by the distance, and

the coordinate corrector corrects the input coordinate data on the basis of the allowance coordinate.

9. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein when it is determined by the determination section that a first input element having a relatively large contact area is in contact with the operation surface, the allowance coordinate calculator increases the distance as compared to that when it is determined that a second input element having a relatively small contact area is in contact with the operation surface, and calculates the allowance coordinate.

10. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein

the coordinate corrector includes an interruption compensator configured to, when a period during which a contact position indicated by the input coordinate data is temporarily interrupted is within a predetermined time, determine that contact continues even during the period and correct the input coordinate data, and

the interruption compensator changes the predetermined time in response to the result of the determination of the determination section.

11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein when it is determined by the determination section that a first input element having a relatively large contact area is in contact with the operation surface, the interruption compensator increases the predetermined time as compared to that when it is determined that a second input element having a relatively small contact area is in contact with the operation surface, and corrects the input coordinate data.

12. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the coordinate corrector corrects the input coordinate data in real time.

13. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the determination section determines whether the input element which is in contact with the operation surface is a finger or a pen, on the basis of the input coordinate data outputted from the coordinate input device.

14. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein

the determination section includes a finger degree variable update section configured to update a value of a finger degree variable representing a degree of likelihood of a finger, on the basis of the input coordinate data outputted from the coordinate input device, and

the coordinate corrector corrects the input coordinate data in accordance with the value of the finger degree variable.

15. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the determination section determines whether the input element which is in contact with the operation surface is a finger or a pen, on the basis of whether or not a shape of an input trajectory represented by the input coordinate data outputted from the coordinate input device is a predetermined shape.

16. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the determination section determines whether the input element which is in contact with the operation surface is a finger or a pen, on the basis of whether or not a continuous contact time indicated by the input coordinate data outputted from the coordinate input device is less than a predetermined time.

17. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the determination section determines whether the input element which is in contact with the operation surface is a finger or a pen, on the basis of whether or not a continuous non-contact time indicated by the input coordinate data outputted from the coordinate input device is less than a predetermined time.

18. A coordinate processing apparatus for processing input coordinate data which is outputted from a coordinate input device and indicates a contact position with respect to an operation surface of the coordinate input device, the coordinate processing apparatus comprising:

a determination section configured to determine an input element which is in contact with the operation surface from among a plurality of types of input elements having different contact areas with the operation surface; and

a coordinate corrector configured to correct the input coordinate data in accordance with a result of the determination of the determination section.

19. A coordinate processing system for processing input coordinate data which is outputted from a coordinate input device and indicates a contact position with respect to an operation surface of the coordinate input device, the coordinate processing system comprising:

a determination section configured to determine an input element which is in contact with the operation surface from among a plurality of types of input elements having different contact areas with the operation surface; and

a coordinate corrector configured to correct the input coordinate data in accordance with a result of the determination of the determination section.

20. A coordinate processing method executed by a computer of a coordinate processing system for processing input coordinate data which is outputted from a coordinate input device and indicates a contact position with respect to an operation surface of the coordinate input device, the coordinate processing method comprising the steps of:

determining an input element which is in contact with the operation surface from among a plurality of types of input elements having different contact areas with the operation surface; and

correcting the input coordinate data in accordance with a result of the determination.