Context Based Gesture-Controlled Instrument Interface

• US 20130328787A1
• Filed: 06/07/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kristopher A. Larsen
• Inventors: Stearns, Philip, Larsen, Kristopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,907,910 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 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An instrument and method for operating the same is disclosed. The instrument includes an input port for receiving a signal, a processor for measuring a first parameter related to the signal, and a touch-enabled display. The touch-enabled display receives commands directed to the processor and displays the first parameter. The commands including commands that determine how the first parameter is displayed and commands that determine the manner in which the instrument operates. The commands are grouped into a plurality of contexts. Each command in a context is specified by a control gesture on the touch-enabled display. A first control gesture is used for a first command in a first context, the first control gesture is also utilized for a second command in a second context, the first context being different from the second context.

Claims

1. An instrument comprising:

an input port for receiving a signal;

a processor for measuring a first parameter related to said signal; and

a touch-enabled display for receiving commands directed to said processor and displaying said first parameter, said commands including commands that determine how said first parameter is displayed and commands that determine one or more operations that are performed by said instrument,

wherein said commands are grouped into a plurality of contexts, each command in a context being specified by a corresponding one of a plurality of control gestures on said touch-enabled display, a first control gesture being used for a first command in a first context, said first control gesture also being utilized for a second command in a second context, said first context being different from said second context, said processor detecting said first control gesture.

2. The instrument of claim 1 wherein only one of said contexts is active at any given time and wherein that one of said contexts is chosen by said processor when a user touches a location on said touch-enabled display corresponding to that one of said contexts.

3. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said instrument utilizes a second parameter that determines how said instrument operates, said second parameter comprising a numeric value that is specified by a first control gesture in one of said contexts.

4. The instrument of claim 3 wherein said first control gesture comprises a one-finger gesture comprising dragging a finger along a path starting from a first location on said touch-enabled display and characterized by a direction and distance traveled by said finger.

5. The instrument of claim 4 wherein said numeric value depends on said first location.

6. The instrument of claim 4 wherein said numeric value depends on said direction.

7. The instrument of claim 4 wherein said numeric value depends on said distance.

8. The instrument of claim 4 wherein said first control gesture specifies an object on said touch-enabled display and wherein said first control gesture causes said object to move to a new location on said touch-enabled display, said numeric value depending on said new location.

9. The instrument of claim 3 wherein first control gesture comprises a two-finger gesture comprising dragging a first finger and a second finger along a path characterized by a direction and distance traveled of said first finger relative to said second finger.

10. The instrument of claim 9 wherein said numeric value increases in response to said first finger moving away from said second finger.

11. The instrument of claim 9 wherein said numeric value decreases in response to said first finger moving toward said second finger.

12. The instrument of claim 9 wherein said first finger and said second finger move in substantially the same direction and wherein said numeric value depends on an average distance between said first and second fingers.

13. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said instrument utilizes a plurality of parameters that determine how said instrument operates and wherein one of said contexts comprises a setup context having setup gestures for setting said plurality of parameters, said setup gestures comprising a default gesture that sets said plurality of parameters to corresponding default values stored in said instrument when said processor detects said default gesture while said context is said setup context.

14. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said touch-enabled display displays a plurality of objects and wherein one of said contexts is a display context comprising a first display gesture for causing a selected one of said plurality of objects to be expanded or reduced in size on said display while leaving another of said plurality of objects unchanged.

15. The instrument of claim 14 wherein a second display gesture causes an object on said touch-enabled display to be selected and removed from said touch-enabled display.

16. The instrument of claim 1 comprising an oscilloscope, one of said gestures determining how said oscilloscope is triggered.

17. The instrument of claim 16 wherein said one of said gestures determines a threshold for an input signal, said oscilloscope being triggered when said input signal crosses said threshold in a direction determined by said one of said gestures.

18. The instrument of claim 16 wherein said one of said gestures determines a rate of change for an input signal, said oscilloscope being triggered when said input signal changes at a rate that has a predetermined relationship to said rate of change in a direction determined by said one of said gestures.