INSTRUMENT AS WELL AS METHOD OF OPERATING AN INSTRUMENT

• US 20180081533A1
• Filed: 09/20/2016
• Published: 03/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: ZARSUELO, Laddie, DINGAL, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 10,444,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• 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 is described which comprises an input for receiving a signal, a data processing unit for analyzing said received signal and providing data to be displayed, and a touch enabled display screen for displaying said data to be displayed and receiving commands directed to said data processing unit. Said commands comprise commands that determine how said data is displayed on the touch enabled display screen and commands that determine operations that are performed by said instrument and/or said data processing unit. Said commands are specified by control gestures on said touch enabled display screen. Said control gestures are unambiguously related to certain commands. Said data processing unit recognizes said control gestures wherein said data processing unit is configured to determine a corresponding command specified by said detected control gesture and to process said determined command. Said instrument is a test instrument for measuring and/or analyzing said received signal.

Claims

1. An instrument comprising:

an input for receiving a signal;

a data processing unit for analyzing said received signal and providing data to be displayed;

a touch enabled display screen for displaying said data to be displayed and receiving commands directed to said data processing unit;

said commands comprising commands that determine how said data is displayed on said touch enabled display screen and commands that determine operations that are performed by said instrument and/or said data processing unit;

said commands being specified by control gestures on said touch enabled display screen;

said control gestures being unambiguously related to certain commands;

said data processing unit recognizing said control gestures wherein said data processing unit is configured to determine a corresponding command specified by said detected control gesture and to process said determined command;

said instrument being a test instrument for measuring and/or analyzing said received signal; and

said data processing unit and said touch enabled display screen are configured to recognize a multi-touch control gesture performed by more than one finger.

2. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein a first control gesture is specified by tapping a finger twice or by tapping two fingers simultaneously on said touch enabled display screen wherein said first control gesture is related to a first command according to which a marker is created in a displayed Smith chart mode and said marker is displayed on said touch enabled display screen.

3. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein said control gestures comprise drag gestures having a certain drag direction and/or drag length while the at least one finger remains in contact with said touch enabled display screen.

4. The instrument according to claim 3, wherein said drag length is related to the intensity of said corresponding command.

5. The instrument according to claim 3, wherein said drag gestures comprise drag gestures performed by only one finger.

6. The instrument according to claim 3, wherein said drag gestures comprise drag gestures performed by at least two fingers.

7. The instrument according to claim 3, wherein said drag gestures comprise drag gestures performed by five fingers.

8. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein a second control gesture is specified by swiping two fingers to a first direction on said touch enabled display screen wherein said second control gesture is related to a second command according to which a stop distance in a distance-to-fault mode is increased or decreased.

9. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein a third control gesture is specified by drawing a circle with two fingers on said touch enabled display screen wherein said third control gesture is related to a third command according to which a limit circle in a displayed Smith chart mode is provided.

10. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein a fourth control gesture is specified by pinching two fingers in a diagonal direction on said touch enabled display screen outwardly or inwardly wherein said fourth control gesture is related to a fourth command according to which the displayed data is zoomed out or zoomed in, in particular a displayed trace, screen or map.

11. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein a fifth control gesture is specified by pinching five fingers inwardly or outwardly wherein said fifth control gesture is related to a fifth command according to which backlight of said touch enabled display screen is dimmed or increased.

12. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein a sixth control gesture is specified by flicking one finger on said touch enabled display screen wherein said sixth control gesture is related to a sixth command according to which an object displayed is deleted.

13. The instrument according to claim 12, wherein said selected object is a marker displayed on said touch enabled display screen.

14. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein said touch enabled display screen is a resistive display screen.

15. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein said touch enabled display screen is a capacitive display screen.

16. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein said instrument is a signal/spectrum analyzer, a network analyzer, an oscilloscope or a directional finding unit.

17. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein said test instrument is a hand-held test instrument.

18. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein said instrument comprises a battery unit supplying the required power for operating said instrument.

19. A method of operating an instrument, in particular an instrument according to claim 1, wherein said instrument comprises an input for receiving a signal, a data processing unit for analyzing said received signal and providing data to be displayed, and a touch enabled display screen for displaying said data to be displayed and receiving commands directed to said data processing unit wherein said data processing unit and said touch enabled display screen are configured to recognize a multi-touch control gesture performed by more than one finger and wherein at least one of the following control gestures is performed to control said instrument:

tapping a finger twice or tapping two fingers once on said touch enabled display screen wherein said control gesture is related to a command according to which a marker is created and displayed on said touch enabled display screen in a displayed Smith chart mode,

swiping two fingers to a first direction on said touch enabled display screen wherein said control gesture is related to a command according to which a stop distance in a distance-to-fault mode is increased or decreased,

drawing a circle with two fingers on said touch enabled display screen wherein said control gesture is related to a command according to which a limit circle in a displayed Smith chart mode is provided,

pinching two fingers in a diagonal direction on said touch enabled display screen outwardly or inwardly wherein said control gesture is related to a command according to which the displayed data is zoomed out or zoomed in, in particular a displayed trace, screen or map,

pinching five fingers inwardly or outwardly wherein said control gesture is related to a command according to which backlight of said touch enabled display screen is dimmed or increased, or

flicking one finger on said touch enabled display screen wherein said control gesture is related to a command according to which an object displayed is deleted, in particular a marker displayed in a Smith chart on said touch enabled display screen.