Gesture sensitive buttons for graphical user interfaces

• US 5,612,719 A
• Filed: 04/15/1994
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Capps, Stephen P., Beernink, Ernest H., Foster, Gregg S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAO, LUN YI
• Application Number:
  US08/228,460
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 382/13, 382/59, 382/187, 382/313, 382/314, 382/189, 178/18, 178/19, 340/706, 340/712, 345/156, 345/168, 345/173, 345/169, 345/179, 345/104, 345/172, 345/180, 345/182, 345/183
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A gesture sensitive button for graphical user interfaces characterized by a digital computer, a screen coupled to the digital computer, a pointer mechanism used for pointing locations on the screen, a "button" image displayed on the screen, and a gesture recognizer for detecting gestures made on the screen by the pointing mechanism. The button is responsive to at least two different button gestures made on the screen on or near the button. A process implementing the gesture sensitive button of the present invention includes: providing a button image on a computer screen; detecting a gesture made on the screen by a pointer such as a stylus, mouse, or trackball; determining whether the gesture is associated with the button image; and initiating one of at least two processes if the gesture is associated with the button image. The gesture sensitive button conserves real estate on the computer screen by permitting a single button to control multiple functions and processes.

Claims

1. A gesture sensitive button for a graphical user interface comprising:

a digital processor,

a display screen coupled to said digital processor;

a pointer for pointing to locations on said display screen;

a button image displayed on said display screen, said digital processor being responsive without any intermediate input to at least two different button gestures made by said pointer on said display screen at any location over said button image; and

gesture recognition means for detecting gestures made on said display screen by said pointer and operative to initiate a process in said digital processor that is determined by a recognizable button gesture made with said pointer on said display screen which selects said button image and which has meaning to said digital processor based upon a context associated with said button image wherein the gesture recognition means is arranged such that the function associated with each of said button gestures will be initiated and executed in an identical manner regardless of the location over the button image that the gesture was made,

wherein said digital processor is operable such that when said gesture recognition means recognizes a particular recognizable button gesture for said button image, said digital processor provides feedback relative to said button confirming that said button image has been selected, said feedback relative to said button also indicative of the particular function associated with said particular recognizable button gesture.

2. A gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 1 wherein said digital processor, said display screen, and said pointer are part of a pen-based computer system.

3. A gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 2 wherein said display screen comprises a touch-sensitive screen and said pointer comprises a stylus.

4. A gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 3 wherein a first one of said button gestures is a tap made by said stylus on said screen over any segment of said button image.

5. A gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 4 wherein another of said button gestures is selected from a group consisting of a check-mark and art X-mark that is made by said stylus on said display screen means over said button image.

6. A gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 4 wherein said feedback confirming that said button image has been selected includes altering the appearance of said button image.

7. A method for providing and utilizing a gesture sensitive button for a graphical user interface, wherein the gesture sensitive button has a plurality of distinct gestures associated therewith, each distinct gesture that is associated with the gesture sensitive button having a distinct process associated therewith, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a button image on a computer display screen;

detecting an inputted gesture made upon said computer display screen by a pointer;

determining whether said inputted gesture is associated with said button image by determining whether said gesture contacts said button image and determining whether said gesture is one of the distinct gestures that is associated with the gesture sensitive button; and

when the inputted gesture is determined to be associated with the button image, performing the following substeps of;

(a) providing feedback relative to the button image confirming that the button image has been selected, (b) providing feedback relative to the button image indicative of the process associated with the inputted gesture, and (c) initiating the process associated with said inputted gesture and the button image.

8. A method for providing a gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 7 wherein said button image comprises a visual representation of a button displayed upon said computer display screen.

9. A method for providing a gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 7 wherein said feedback confirming that the button image has been selected includes altering the visual representation of said button image.

10. A method for providing a gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 7 wherein said computer display screen is a touch sensitive screen and said pointer is a stylus.

11. A method for providing a gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 7 wherein a tap gesture is a first one of the distinct gestures associated with said button image.

12. A method for providing a gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 11 wherein a check-mark gesture is a second one of the distinct gestures associated with said button image.

13. A method for providing a gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 11 wherein an X-mark gesture is a third one of the distinct gestures associated with said button image.

14. A method for providing a gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 7 wherein said determining step includes the step of comparing said gesture with a set of recognizable gestures for said button image.

15. A method for providing a gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 14 wherein said initiating step includes the step of initiating at least one process step when said gesture is one of said set of recognizable gestures.

16. A method for providing a gesture sensitive button as recited in claim 15 wherein said initiating step initiates a plurality of process steps as determined by said gesture.

17. A method for initiating and executing one of a plurality of command sequences from inputs made with a stylus on a gesture sensitive button image displayed on a touch-sensitive display screen of a pen-based computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying a button object having a button context on the display screen of the pen-based computer system, said button object having a button bounding box;

entering with the stylus a gesture object, having a gesture bounding box, anywhere over said button object;

determining whether said gesture bounding box substantially overlaps said button bounding box; and

when the gesture bounding box is determined to substantially overlap the button bounding box, performing the steps of (a) providing feedback relative to the button confirming that said button object has been selected;

(b) providing feedback relative to the button object indicative a command sequence associated with the entered gesture and (c) executing the command sequence in said pen-based computer system that is associated with the entered gesture without utilizing an intermediate input to the pen-based computer system;

wherein when a first gesture type is entered, the executed command sequence turns a function associated with said button object on if previously off and off if previously on; and

wherein when a second gesture type is entered, the executed command sequence brings up a choice palette wherein a further selection within the choice palette can be made and a function associated therewith executed.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein said substantial overlap is an overlap of at least approximately 40% of the gesture bounding box and the button bounding box.

19. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein when a third gesture type is entered, the executed command sequence activates at least one of the functions associated with said button object.

20. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the gestures types include a tap, a check-mark, and an X-mark.