One-touch rotation of virtual objects in virtual workspace

• US 8,130,211 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Abernathy, David N
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABDIN, SHAHEDA A
• Application Number:
  US11/860,283
• Publication Number:
  US 20090079700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/174, 345/178, 345/184, 345/156, 345/158, 178/19.01, 178 1801- 1809, 715/856
• US Class Current: 345/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method of rotating a virtual object within a virtual workspace. The method includes recognizing a selection perimeter of the virtual object and detecting a one-touch user input having a starting location within the selection perimeter of the virtual object. The method further includes tracking movement of the one-touch user input within the virtual workspace, and rotating the virtual object within the virtual workspace responsive to tracked movement of the one-touch user input relative to the virtual object.

Claims

1. A method of moving and rotating a virtual object within a virtual workspace, the virtual workspace including an input surface operatively aligned with a display surface, the method comprising:

recognizing a rotation-permitting selection perimeter of the virtual object and a rotation-free selection perimeter interior the rotation-permitting selection perimeter;

detecting a one-touch user input from a touch on the input surface at a location where the virtual object is displayed, the one-touch user input having a starting location between the rotation-permitting selection perimeter of the virtual object and the rotation-free selection perimeter;

tracking movement of the one-touch user input within the virtual workspace; and

moving and rotating the virtual object within the virtual workspace responsive to tracked movement of the one-touch user input relative to the virtual object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising recognizing a virtual anchor of the virtual object, where a direction of rotation of the virtual object within the virtual workspace tracks a direction of rotation of the one-touch user input about the virtual anchor.

3. The method of claim 2, where a magnitude of rotation of the virtual object within the virtual workspace tracks a magnitude of rotation of the one-touch user input about the virtual anchor.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising recognizing a virtual anchor of the virtual object, where a direction of movement of the virtual object within the virtual workspace tracks a direction of movement of the one-touch user input relative to the virtual anchor.

5. The method of claim 1, where the rotation-permitting selection perimeter of the virtual object coincides with a display perimeter of the virtual object.

6. The method of claim 1, where the virtual object moves without rotating responsive to tracked movement of the one-touch user input when the starting location of the one-touch user input is interior the rotation-free selection perimeter of the virtual object.

7. The method of claim 1, where two or more virtual objects are rotated within the virtual workspace responsive to different one-touch user inputs.

8. The method of claim 1, where each one-touch user input is a one-finger gesture.

9. A method of rotating a virtual object within a virtual workspace of a surface computing system, the surface computing system including a display presenting the virtual object within the virtual workspace, the surface computing system also including an input surface operatively aligned with the display and configured to translate one-finger gestures on the input surface into commands for rotating the virtual object within the virtual workspace, the method comprising:

displaying, with the display of the surface computing system, the virtual object within the virtual workspace, the virtual object at least partially characterized by a virtual anchor and rotation-permitting selection perimeter that does not extend past where the virtual object is displayed;

detecting, with the input surface of the surface computing system, a one-finger gesture having a starting location between the rotation-permitting selection perimeter of the virtual object and a rotation-free perimeter interior the rotation-permitting selection perimeter;

tracking movement of the one-finger gesture within the virtual workspace;

rotating the virtual object within the virtual workspace responsive to tracked movement of the one-finger gesture relative to the virtual anchor such that a direction of rotation of the virtual object within the virtual workspace tracks a direction of rotation of the one-finger gesture about the virtual anchor and translating the virtual object within the virtual workspace responsive to tracked movement of the one finger gesture within the virtual workspace such that a direction of translation of the virtual object within the virtual workspace tacks a direction of movement of the one-finger-gesture relative to the virtual anchor.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising moving the virtual object within the virtual workspace responsive to tracked movement of the one-finger gesture within the virtual workspace such that a direction of movement of the virtual object within the virtual workspace tracks the direction of movement of the one-finger gesture relative to the virtual anchor.

11. The method of claim 9, where a magnitude of rotation of the virtual object within the virtual workspace tracks a magnitude of rotation of the one-finger gesture about the virtual anchor.

12. The method of claim 9, where the selection perimeter of the virtual object coincides with a display perimeter of the virtual object.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising recognizing a rotation-free perimeter of the virtual object interior the selection perimeter of the virtual object, where the virtual object moves without rotating responsive to tracked movement of the one-finger gesture when the starting location of the one-finger gesture is interior the rotation-free perimeter of the virtual object.

14. The method of claim 9, where two or more virtual objects are rotated within the virtual workspace responsive to different one-finger gestures.

15. A surface computing system, comprising:

a display presenting a virtual object within a virtual workspace, the virtual object including a rotation-permitting selection perimeter and a rotation-free selection perimeter, the rotation-free selection perimeter interior to the rotation-permitting selection perimeter; and

an input surface operatively aligned with the display and configured to translate a one-finger gesture into a command for rotating the virtual object within the virtual workspace when the one-finger gesture is executed between the rotation-permitting selection perimeter and the rotation-free selection perimeter, the input surface further configured to translate the one-finger gesture into a command for moving the virtual object without rotation within the virtual workspace when the one-finger gesture is executed within the rotation-free perimeter.

16. The surface computing system of claim 15, where the input surface translates the one-finger gesture into a command for rotating the virtual object within the virtual workspace such that a direction of rotation of the virtual object within the virtual workspace tracks a direction of rotation of the one-finger gesture about a virtual anchor of the virtual object.

17. The surface computing system of claim 15, where the input surface is further configured to translate the one-finger gesture into a command for moving the virtual object within the virtual workspace.

18. The surface computing system of claim 15, where two or more virtual objects are moved within the virtual workspace responsive to different one-finger gestures.

19. The surface computing system of claim 15, where the input surface includes a hand orientation detector, where tracking movement of the one-finger gesture within the virtual workspace includes tracking an orientation of a hand performing the one-finger gesture, and where the virtual object is rotated responsive to rotation of the hand performing the one-finger gesture.

20. The surface computing system of claim 15, where the input surface translates a one-finger gesture moving toward an edge of the virtual workspace into a command to automatically rotate the virtual object into a predetermined orientation relative to the edge of the virtual workspace.