System and method for image processing using multi-touch gestures

• US 8,286,102 B1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilensky, Gregg D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Angkool, David Phantana
• Application Number:
  US12/789,223
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/854, 715/782
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text

Abstract

Various embodiments of a system and methods for processing digital images using multi-touch gestures are described. A multi-touch gestural input set which comprises a plurality of touch gestures may be applied to a display of an image. The gestural input set may include different gesture types, such as mobile and stationary gestures. Each gesture type may indicate a different image processing constraint that may be applied to modify the digital image. Stationary gestures may indicate constrained regions of the image that are not subject to modification. Mobile gestures may indicate regions of the image which may be subject to modification. Characteristics of the mobile gestures, such as velocity and/or pressure, may also indicate an amount by which an image may be modified over the region indicated by the mobile gesture. Image masks, which separate foreground and background regions of an image, may also be specified by the gestural input set.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying a digital image on an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is configured to receive sets of gestural inputs;

receiving, via the electronic device, a gestural input set, wherein the gestural input set comprises a plurality of gestures, and wherein each given gesture of the received plurality of gestures;

corresponds to one of multiple different regions within the digital image; and

specifies a respective type of image processing constraint for processing the corresponding one of the multiple different regions within the digital image, wherein the respective type of image processing constraint depends on the gesture type of the given gesture;

wherein the plurality of gestures in the received gestural input set include multiple different types of gestures such that the received gestural input set collectively specifies multiple types of image processing constraints;

analyzing the received gestural input set to determine, for each region of the multiple different regions, the respective type of image processing constraint for processing the region, as specified by the given gesture of the received plurality of gestures that corresponds to the region; and

subsequent to receiving the plurality of gestures including multiple different types of gestures, performing a particular image processing operation on the multiple different regions within the digital image according to each region'"'"'s respective specified image processing constraint as specified by the type of gesture applied to that region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified image processing constraints are determined without changing an image editing mode within a software application in which the digital image is displayed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said analyzing the received gestural input set comprises:

analyzing gesture data which represents the received gestural input set to determine characteristics of the received gestural input set; and

identifying a gesture type for each one of the plurality of gestures dependent on the determined characteristics.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said performing a particular image processing operation on the multiple different regions within the digital image each according to its respective specified image processing constraint comprises generating an image constraint mask dependent on the gesture types of the plurality of gestures.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said generating the image constraint mask is dependent on the multiple different regions of the digital image.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the image constraint mask identifies both a foreground region and a background region of the digital image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of gestures is a stationary gesture and another one of the plurality of gestures is a mobile gesture, wherein the stationary gesture corresponds to a region of the digital image that is not subject to modification and wherein the mobile gesture corresponds to a region of the digital image that is subject to modification.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a characteristic of the mobile gesture specifies a degree of modification to be applied to the specified region of the digital image that is subject to modification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a touch-enabled device comprising a touch-sensitive surface, and wherein the plurality of gestures are touch gestures applied to the touch-sensitive surface of the electronic device.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program instructions executable on a computer to implement a gesture module configured to:

display a digital image on an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is configured to receive sets of gestural inputs;

receive, via the electronic device, a gestural input set, wherein the gestural input set comprises a plurality of gestures, and wherein each given gesture of the received plurality of gestures;

corresponds to one of multiple different regions within the digital image; and

specifies a respective type of image processing constraint for processing the corresponding one of the multiple different regions within the digital image, wherein the respective type of image processing constraint depends on the gesture type of the given gesture;

wherein the plurality of gestures in the received gestural input set include multiple different types of gestures such that the received gestural input set collectively specifies multiple types of image processing constraints;

analyze the received gestural input set to determine, for each region of the multiple different regions, the respective type of image processing constraint for processing the region, as specified by the given gesture of the received plurality of gestures that corresponds to the region; and

subsequent to receipt of the plurality of gestures including multiple different types of gestures, perform a particular image processing operation on the multiple different regions within the digital image according to each region'"'"'s respective specified image processing constraint as specified by the type of gesture applied to that region.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the specified image processing constraints are determined without changing an image editing mode within a software application in which the digital image is displayed.

12. The medium of claim 10, wherein said analyzing the received gestural input set comprises:

analyzing gesture data which represents the received gestural input set to determine characteristics of the received gestural input set; and

identifying a gesture type for each one of the plurality of gestures dependent on the determined characteristics.

13. The medium of claim 10, wherein said performing a particular image processing operation on the multiple different regions within the digital image each according to its respective specified image processing constraint comprises generating an image constraint mask dependent on the gesture types of the plurality of gestures.

14. The medium of claim 13, wherein said generating the image constraint mask is dependent on the multiple different regions of the digital image.

15. The medium of claim 10, wherein one of the plurality of gestures is a stationary gesture and another one of the plurality of gestures is a mobile gesture, wherein the stationary gesture corresponds to a region of the digital image that is not subject to modification and wherein the mobile gesture corresponds to a region of the digital image that is subject to modification.

16. The medium of claim 15, wherein a characteristic of the mobile gesture specifies a degree of modification to be applied to the specified region of the digital image that is subject to modification.

17. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory, wherein the memory comprises program instructions executable by the one or more processors to implement a gesture module configured to;

display a digital image on an electronic device, wherein the electronic device is configured to receive sets of gestural inputs;

receive, via the electronic device, a gestural input set, wherein the gestural input set comprises a plurality of gestures, and wherein each given gesture of the received plurality of gestures;

corresponds to one of multiple different regions within the digital image; and

specifies a respective type of image processing constraint for processing the corresponding one of the multiple different regions within the digital image, wherein the respective type of image processing constraint depends on the gesture type of the given gesture;

wherein the plurality of gestures in the received gestural input set include multiple different types of gestures such that the received gestural input set collectively specifies multiple types of image processing constraints;

analyze the received gestural input set to determine, for each region of the multiple different regions, the respective type of image processing constraint for processing the region, as specified by the given gesture of the received plurality of gestures that corresponds to the region; and

subsequent to receipt of the plurality of gestures including multiple different types of gestures, perform a particular image processing operation on the multiple different regions within the digital image according to each region'"'"'s respective specified image processing constraint as specified by the type of gesture applied to that region.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the specified image processing constraints are determined without changing an image editing mode within a software application in which the digital image is displayed.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said performing a particular image processing operation on the multiple different regions within the digital image each according to its respective specified image processing constraint comprises generating an image constraint mask dependent on the gesture types of the plurality of gestures, wherein said generating the image constraint mask is dependent on the multiple different regions of the digital image.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein one of the plurality of gestures is a stationary gesture and another one of the plurality of gestures is a mobile gesture, wherein the stationary gesture corresponds to a region of the digital image that is not subject to modification and wherein the mobile gesture corresponds to a region of the digital image that is subject to modification.