Touch screen for bridging multi and/or single touch points to applications

• US 8,749,499 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2010
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Ameling, Michael, Herzig, Philipp
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Long D
• Application Number:
  US12/796,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,463 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods determining a number of contact points applied to a touch-screen, executing, using one or more processors, an application function based on the number of contact points, determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the application function, determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero, and continuing execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining that contact points are applied to a touch-screen, and in response;

determining a gesture of a user based on a number of contact points applied to the touch-screen, a movement of each of the contact points, and an interpretation order, the interpretation order comprising a plurality of gestures, the gesture being included in the plurality of gestures;

determining an application function to be executed based on the gesture; and

executing, using one or more processors, the application function;

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the application function, and in response;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero and that movement of remaining contact points corresponds to the gesture; and

continuing execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the number of contact points is equal to zero; and

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is zero.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the number of contact points has increased during execution of the application function;

determining an updated number of contact points in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased;

identifying a subsequent application function corresponding to the updated number of contact points;

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased; and

executing the subsequent application function.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the subsequent application function;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero; and

continuing execution of the subsequent application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that that the number of contact points has decreased comprises:

generating a current frame corresponding to the touch-screen;

retrieving a previous frame corresponding to the touch-screen from a computer-readable storage device; and

comparing the current frame to the previous frame to determine a change in the number of contact points.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each contact point is provided as a binary large object (BLOB) and includes an associated identification and x-y coordinates relative to the touch-screen.

7. The method of claim 1, the gesture comprising a syntax component and a semantic component.

8. A computer-readable storage device coupled to one or more processors having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining that contact points are applied to a touch-screen, and in response;

determining a gesture of a user based on a number of contact points applied to the touch-screen, a movement of each of the contact points, and an interpretation order, the interpretation order comprising a plurality of gestures, the gesture being comprised in the plurality of gestures;

determining an application function to be executed based on the gesture; and

executing, using one or more processors, the application function;

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the application function, and in response;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero and that movement of remaining contact points corresponds to the gesture; and

continuing execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

9. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points is equal to zero; and

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is zero.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points has increased during execution of the application function;

determining an updated number of contact points in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased;

identifying a subsequent application function corresponding to the updated number of contact points;

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased; and

executing the subsequent application function.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the subsequent application function;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero; and

continuing execution of the subsequent application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein determining that that the number of contact points has decreased comprises:

generating a current frame corresponding to the touch-screen;

retrieving a previous frame corresponding to the touch-screen from a computer-readable storage device; and

comparing the current frame to the previous frame to determine a change in the number of contact points.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 8, wherein each contact point is provided as a binary large object (BLOB) and includes an associated identification and x-y coordinates relative to the touch-screen.

14. A system, comprising:

a touch-screen display;

one or more processors that receive input from and provide output to the touch-screen display; and

a computer-readable storage device coupled to the one or more processors having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

determining that contact points are applied to a touch-screen, and in response;

determining a gesture of a user based on a number of contact points applied to the touch-screen, a movement of each of the contact points, and an interpretation order, the interpretation order comprising a plurality of gestures, the gesture being comprised in the plurality of gestures;

determining an application function to be executed based on the gesture; and

executing, using one or more processors, the application function;

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the application function, and in response;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero and that movement of remaining contact points corresponds to the gesture; and

continuing execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points is equal to zero; and

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is zero.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points has increased during execution of the application function;

determining an updated number of contact points in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased;

identifying a subsequent application function corresponding to the updated number of contact points;

halting execution of the application function in response to determining that the number of contact points has increased; and

executing the subsequent application function.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining that the number of contact points has decreased during execution of the subsequent application function;

determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero; and

continuing execution of the subsequent application function in response to determining that the number of contact points is greater than zero.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein determining that that the number of contact points has decreased comprises:

generating a current frame corresponding to the touch-screen;

retrieving a previous frame corresponding to the touch-screen from a computer-readable storage device; and

comparing the current frame to the previous frame to determine a change in the number of contact points.