Control of the operating system on a computing device via finger angle using a high dimensional touchpad (HDTP) touch user interface

• US 8,702,513 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2012
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NRI R&D Patent Licensing, LLC (Advanced Touchscreen and Gesture Technologies, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lester F. Ludwig
• Inventors: Lim, Seung E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US13/731,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20130217497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 463/30, 463/31, 463/36, 463/37, 348/14.03, 379/93.19, 379/916
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/214 for locating contacts on a surface, e.g. floor mats or touch pads
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/42 by mapping the input signals into game commands, e.g. mapping the displacement of a stylus on a touch screen to the steering angle of a virtual vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1075 using a touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6045 for mapping control signals received from the input arrangement into game commands
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6676 by dedicated player input
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

System and method for using 3D and 6D parameter capture, gesture recognition, and symbol events provided a high dimensional touchpad (HDTP) to control a variety of computer and other applications via spatial metaphors visual user interfaces.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a computing system executing one or more applications, the method comprising:

receiving a tactile user input on a tactile sensor array; and

recognizing the tactile user input as either an individual gesture or a series of gestures;

determining if the recognized gesture is specific to the application being executed on the computing system or not;

upon determining that the recognized gesture is specific to a first application being executed on the computing system, invoking a first command to control the first application based on the recognized gesture; and

upon determining that the recognized gesture is not specific to the first application being executed on the computing system, invoking a second command to control one or more aspects of the computing system based on the recognized gesture,

wherein at least one of the first gesture and the second gesture comprises a finger angle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein recognizing the tactile user input as either an individual gesture or a series of gestures comprises:

incorporating a time delay after receiving the tactile user input and before recognizing the tactile user input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein recognizing the tactile user input as either an individual gesture or a series of gestures comprises:

detecting moments in time where there is no tactile user input on the tactile sensor array.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein recognizing the tactile user input as either an individual gesture or a series of gestures comprises:

detecting intervals of time where there is no change in the tactile user input on the tactile sensor array.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the time delay is set by default.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the time delay is configured by a user of the computing system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining that the recognized gesture is not specific to the first application being executed on the computing system, interpreting the recognized gesture to signify a global command, and executing the global command regardless of the first application being executed on the computing system; and

upon determining that the recognized gesture is specific to the first application being executed on the computing system, interpreting the recognized gesture to signify a local command, and executing the local command to control one or more aspects of the first application.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

upon determining that the recognized gesture is specific to a second application being executed on the computing system, invoking a third command to control the second application based on the recognized gesture.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

executing the global command to control both the first and the second application based on the recognized gesture.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the finger angle comprises a yaw rotation of a single finger.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the finger angle comprises a roll rotation of a single finger.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the finger angle comprises a pitch rotation of a single finger.