METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETECTING AND INTERPRETING PATH OF DESIGNATED POSITION

• US 20140062924A1
• Filed: 08/21/2013
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Wakai, Masanori, Kayano, Satomi
• Granted Patent: US 9,158,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/017 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• 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

Abstract

A method of detecting and interpreting a path of designated positions is disclosed. The method concurrently detects a plurality of designated positions on a touch panel, again detects the plurality of designated positions subsequent to a travel of the designated positions, determines the distances between each of the current designated positions and the respective immediately preceding designated positions, treats an immediately preceding designated position, closest to the current designated position of interest, as the immediately preceding designated position of the current designated position of interest, and acquires the path of each designated position, thereby recognizing the paths of the plurality of designated positions that move concurrently. A combination of the paths of the plurality of designated positions is interpreted to identify a designation input by a user, and an operation thus designated is executed.

Claims

1-156. -156. (canceled)

157. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a display control unit configured to cause a display screen to display an image;

a detection unit configured to detect a plurality of designated positions which is designated in the image displayed on the display screen by the display control unit at the same time; and

an interpreting unit configured to,

in a case where it is detected that the plurality of designated positions remains stationary during a predetermined period, interpret the designation based on the designated positions as a first operation for determining a designated area within the image based on the plurality of designated positions detected by the detection unit, and

in a case where it is detected that the plurality of designated positions moves, interpret the designation based on the designated positions as a second operation different from the first operation according to the movement of the plurality of designated positions.

158. The information processing apparatus according to claim 157, wherein the interpreting unit interprets, in a case where it is detected that the plurality of designated positions moves in directions such that the plurality of designated positions becomes further away from each other, the designation based on the designated positions as an expansion operation according to the movement of the plurality of designated positions.

159. The information processing apparatus according to claim 158, wherein magnification of the expansion operation corresponds to a ratio of change in a distance of travel between the designated positions detected by the detection unit.

160. The information processing apparatus according to claim 159, wherein the interpreting unit interprets, in a case where it is detected that the plurality of designated positions, on an area within the image where a character string is displayed, remains stationary during the predetermined period, the designation based on the designated positions as the first operation for designating an area of a character included in the character string which is enclosed by the plurality of designated positions detected by the detection unit.

161. The information processing apparatus according to claim 160, wherein the display control unit displays, in a case where the interpreting unit interprets the designation based on the designated positions as the first operation for designating an area of a character which is enclosed by the plurality of designated positions detected by the detection unit, the designed area of the character in a manner that clearly distinguishes the designed area of the character from the remaining area.

162. An operational method comprising:

displaying an image on a display screen;

detecting a plurality of designated positions which is designated in the image displayed on the display screen at the same time;

interpreting, in a case where it is detected that the plurality of designated positions remains stationary during a predetermined period, the designation based on the designated positions as a first operation for determining a designated area within the image based on the plurality of designated positions; and

interpreting, in a case where it is detected that the plurality of designated positions moves, the designation based on the designated positions as a second operation different from the first operation according to the movement of the plurality of designated positions.

163. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a manipulation program for controlling to perform manipulation, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:

displaying an image on a display screen;

detecting a plurality of designated positions which is designated in the image displayed on the display screen at the same time;

interpreting, in a case where it is detected that the plurality of designated positions remains stationary during a predetermined period, the designation based on the designated positions as a first operation for determining a designated area within the image based on the plurality of designated positions; and

interpreting, in a case where it is detected that the plurality of designated positions moves, the designation based on the designated positions as a second operation different from the first operation according to the movement of the plurality of designated positions.