Using a gesture to transfer an object across multiple multi-touch devices

• US 8,756,532 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Poon, Vincent, Lee, Kang, Tong, Aaron, Wu, Sung Fong
• Primary Examiner(s): Lubit, Ryan A
• Application Number:
  US12/691,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20110175822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 709208-211, 715/863, 178 1801- 2004, 382115-116, 382124-127, 340/5.53, 340/5.83
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

In an example embodiment, predefined gestures are used to provide an intuitive way to transfer objects between multi-touch devices. A first gesture, such as a pinching motion is used to select an object to transfer from a source device. A second gesture, such as a de-pinching gesture, is used to designate a destination for the object on a second device. Data associated with the initiator of the transfer, such as data representative of a fingerprint scan may be employed to match the source device with the destination device.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with a destination device; and

a user interface communicatively coupled to the transceiver;

logic coupled to the user interface configured to recognize a predefined pinching gesture;

wherein the logic is configured to determine commencement of an object to transfer based on the predefined pinching gesture;

wherein the logic is configured to determine a de-pinching gesture received from the destination device;

wherein the logic is configured to associate data representative of a user transferring the object with the object;

wherein the logic is configured to send a message via the transceiver advertising the object was selected for transfer;

wherein the user interface scans a fingerprint of the user transferring the object while detecting the predefined pinching gesture;

wherein the user interface is configured to send data representative of the fingerprint to the destination device responsive to a request received from the destination device; and

wherein the logic is configured to transfer the object to the destination device responsive to the destination device requesting the object, the de-pinching gesture and comparison of the fingerprint data and a fingerprint scanned at the destination device during the de-pinching gesture.

2. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to receive fingerprint data of a user associated with the destination device;

wherein the logic is configured to compare the fingerprint of the user transferring the object upon detecting the predefined pinching gesture with the fingerprint data of the user associated with the destination device; and

wherein the object is transferred responsive to the logic determining a match of the fingerprint of the user transferring the object upon detecting the predefined de-pinching gesture with the fingerprint data of the user associated with the destination device.

3. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is a wireless transceiver.

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the logic receives data identifying the destination device.

5. The apparatus set forth in claim 1, wherein the object is selected by a device having an identifier;

and

wherein the logic transmits via the transceiver data representative of the identifier.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with a source device; and

a user interface communicatively coupled to the transceiver;

logic coupled to the user interface configured to detect a predefined de-pinching gesture;

wherein the user interface acquires fingerprint data while recognizing the de-pinching gesture;

wherein the logic is configured to determine a de-pinching gesture received from the source device;

wherein the logic is configured to receive source fingerprint data from the source device;

wherein the logic is configured to receive data representative of an object to be transferred from a source device via the transceiver in accordance with a determined de-pinching gesture and acquired fingerprint data;

wherein the logic is configured to determine where to store the object based on the predefined de-pinching gesture; and

wherein the logic is configured to receive and store the object from the source device responsive to recognizing the predefined de-pinching gesture and a comparison of the source fingerprint data and the acquired fingerprint data.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with a destination device; and

a user interface communicatively coupled to the transceiver;

logic coupled to the user interface configured to recognize a predefined pinching gesture;

wherein the logic is configured to recognize a predefined de-pinching gesture received from the destination device;

wherein the logic is configured to determine an object to transfer based on the predefined pinching gesture;

wherein the logic is configured to determine a de-pinching gesture received from the destination device;

wherein the logic is configured to scan a fingerprint contemporaneously with recognizing the predefined pinching gesture;

wherein the logic is configured to send data representative of the fingerprint to the destination device;

wherein the logic is configured to receive a signal from the destination device via the transceiver; and

wherein the logic is configured to transfer the object to the destination device responsive to the signal from the destination device, the de-pinching gesture, and a comparison of the fingerprint data and a fingerprint scanned at the destination device during the de-pinching gesture.

8. The apparatus set forth in claim 7, wherein the user interface is further configured to acquire data representative of a user associated with the predefined pinching gesture;

wherein the source device is further configured to receive the fingerprint data representative of a user associated with the destination device; and

wherein the logic is configured to transfer the object responsive to determining the user associated with the pinching gesture matches the user associated with the destination device.

9. The apparatus set forth in claim 7, wherein the user interface is further configured to acquire data representative of a user associated with the predefined pinching gesture;

and

wherein the logic is further configured to send the data representative of the user to the destination device via the transceiver.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with a source device;

a user interface communicatively coupled to the transceiver;

logic coupled to the user interface configured to recognize a predefined de-pinching gesture detected by the user interface;

wherein the logic is configured to determine a de-pinching gesture received from the source device;

wherein the logic is configured to determine an identifier corresponding to an acquired fingerprint associated with the predetermined de-pinching gesture;

wherein the logic is configured to transmit a signal indicating a transfer of an object has been requested via the transceiver;

wherein the logic is configured to receive source fingerprint data contemporaneously acquired with a pinching gesture from the source device;

wherein the logic is further configured to determine where to store the object based on the predefined de-pinching gesture; and

wherein the logic is configured to receive the object via the transceiver and to store the object in accordance with the de-pinching gesture and a comparison of the acquired fingerprint data and the source fingerprint data.

11. The apparatus set forth in claim 10, wherein the logic is further configured to send the identifier associated with the predefined de-pinching gesture to the source device.

12. The apparatus set forth in claim 10, wherein the logic is further configured to receive an identifier, which includes the source fingerprint data, associated with an initiator of the transfer;

wherein the logic is further configured to compare the identifier associated with the initiator of the transfer with the identifier associated with the predefined pinching gesture; and

wherein the logic is further configured to receive the object responsive to determining the identifier associated with the initiator of the transfer matches the identifier associated with the predefined pinching gesture.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with a source multi-touch device and a destination multi-touch device;

logic communicatively coupled with the transceiver and operable to send and receive data via the transceiver;

wherein the logic is configured to receive a first signal via the transceiver from the source device comprising data representative of an object to transfer;

wherein the logic is configured to receive a second signal via the transceiver from the destination device comprising data indicating a destination of the object;

wherein the first signal comprises data representative of a user initiating the transfer and the second signal comprises data representative of a user associated with the destination multi-touch device;

wherein the first signal further comprises first fingerprint data associated with a user of the source device that is acquired during detection of a pinching gesture that generates the first signal;

wherein second signal further includes second fingerprint data associated with a user of the destination device that is acquired during detection of a de-pinching gesture that generates the second signal; and

wherein the logic commences transferring the object from the source multi-touch device to the destination multi-touch device responsive to the first and second signals and determining the user initiating the transfer matches the user associated with the destination multi-touch device in accordance with a comparison of the first and second fingerprint data.

14. The apparatus set forth in claim 13, wherein the logic discards the data representative of an object to transfer responsive to not receiving a request from the destination multi-touch device within a predetermined time period.

15. The apparatus set forth in claim 13, wherein the data representative of the first fingerprint data is associated with the user initiating the transfer and data representative of the second finger print data of the user is associated with the destination multi-touch device;

and

wherein determining the user initiating the transfer matches the user associated with the destination multi-touch device is based on whether the data representative of the fingerprint associated with the user initiating the transfer matches the data representative of the fingerprint of the user associated with the destination multi-touch device.