Device and method for controlling computerized equipment

• US 8,659,545 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2011
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissha Printing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Stantum SAS
• Inventors: Joguet, Pascal, Largillier, Guillaume
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, JENNIFER T
• Application Number:
  US13/013,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20110119580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,126 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-173, 345/179, 178 1801- 1809
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/045 using resistive elements, e.g. a single continuous surface or two parallel surfaces put in contact
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/047 using sets of wires, e.g. crossed wires
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/055 by switches with variable impedance elements
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/34 Switch arrangements, e.g. keyboards or mechanical switches specially adapted for electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/096 using a touch screen touch screen note input, e.g. using a displayed keyboard G10H2220/241; personal digital assistant [PDA] G10H2230/015
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/241 on touchscreens, i.e. keys, frets, strings, tablature or staff displayed on a touchscreen display for note input purposes

Abstract

A method of controlling a computerized device with a tactile multi-point matrix sensor placed on a display device, the method including the steps of simultaneously acquiring data of a first contact position and a second contact position of a first and a second finger that is placed on the multi-point tactile matrix sensor, respectively; creating a first cursor and a second cursor that are associated with the first and second finger, respectively; displaying a graphical object on the display device; associating the first cursor and the second cursor with the graphical object to interact with the graphical object; and generating control messages for the computerized device based on positional data of the first cursor, the second cursor, and the graphical object.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a computerized device with a tactile multi-point matrix sensor placed on a display device, comprising:

displaying at least a first and a second graphical object on the display device;

simultaneously acquiring data of a first contact position of a first finger on the multi-point tactile matrix sensor that overlays the display device, the first contact position corresponding to a position of the first graphical object and a second contact position of a second finger on the multi-point tactile matrix sensor that overlays the display device, the second contact position corresponding to a position of the second graphical object;

creating a first cursor and a second cursor that are associated with the first and second finger, respectively;

associating the first cursor with the first graphical object and the second cursor with the second graphical object, the first and second cursors interacting with the first and second graphical objects, respectively; and

generating control messages for the computerized device based on positional data of the first cursor, the second cursor, the first graphical object and the second graphical object.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step of associating further comprises:

following the first contact position and the second contact position with an evolution of time; and

updating at least one of a position or shape of the first or the second graphical object based on said step of following.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating in real time, based on a mathematical function having a parameter, new coordinate values for a cursor that is associated the first or the second graphical object, a value of the parameter controlling the computerized device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first or the second graphical object represents a linear potentiometer that is configured to control a continuous parameter value for the computerized device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first or the second graphical object represents a rotary button that is configured to control a playback position of at least one of an audio or video signal that is played by the computerized device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second graphical objects represent a keyboard as an input unit for the computerized device by the use of the first and second finger.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the second graphical objects are a multi-slider that is configured to control a frequency spectrum of audio that is processed by the computerized device.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first or the second graphical object is a dot located inside a displayed rectangular box, and a vertical movement of the dot within the rectangular box modifies a filter frequency for an audio filter that is implemented by the computerized device, and a horizontal movement of the dot within the rectangular box modifies the bandwidth of the audio filter.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second objects are different.

10. A computerized device comprising:

a display device configured to display at least a first graphical object and a second graphical object;

a tactile multi-point matrix sensor that is placed on the display device, configured to simultaneously acquire data of a first contact position of a first finger at a location corresponding to an image of the first graphical object and a second contact position of a second finger at a location of an image of the second graphical object; and

a processor configured to

create a first cursor and a second cursor that are associated with the first and second finger, respectively,

associate the first cursor with the first graphical object and the second cursor with the second graphical object, the first and second cursors interacting with the first and second graphical objects, respectively, and

generate control messages for the computerized device based on positional data of the first cursor, the second cursor, the first graphical object and the second graphical object.

11. The computerized device according to claim 10, wherein

the first and second graphical objects represent a graphical audio control interface for the computerized device, and include:

a music keyboard for playing sounds at different frequencies.

12. The computerized device according to claim 10, wherein

the first and second graphical objects represent a graphical audio control interface for the computerized device, and include:

a linear potentiometer for controlling a dynamic envelope of the audio.

13. The computerized device according to claim 10, wherein

the first and second graphical objects represent a graphical audio control interface for the computerized device, and include:

a rectangular area including a dot that can be moved within the rectangular area to control sound effects.

14. The computerized device according to claim 10, wherein

the first and second graphical objects represent a graphical audio control interface for the computerized device, and include:

a matrix of buttons that can be associated with different sequences of sound effects.

15. The computerized device according to claim 10, wherein

the first and second graphical objects represent a graphical audio control interface for the computerized device, and include:

a horizontally expanding line representing amplitudes of different audio frequencies that can be moved at multiple positions in vertical direction to modify the frequency curve of the audio.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions thereon, the computer-readable instructions when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

displaying at least a first and a second graphical object on a display device;

simultaneously acquiring data of a first contact position of a first finger on a multi-point tactile matrix sensor that overlays the display device, the first contact position corresponding to a position of the first graphical object and a second contact position of a second finger on the multi-point tactile matrix sensor that overlays the display device, the second contact position corresponding to a position of the second graphical object;

creating a first cursor and a second cursor that are associated with the first and second finger, respectively;

associating the first cursor with the first graphical object and the second cursor with the second graphical object, the first and second cursors interacting with the first and second graphical objects, respectively; and

generating control messages for the computerized device based on positional data of the first cursor, the second cursor, the first graphical object and the second graphical object.