Interfacing with a computing application using a multi-digit sensor

• US 8,810,509 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Benko, Hrvoje, Wigdor, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Leiby, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US12/767,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20110260962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-178, 715/700, 715/863
• US Class Current: 345/156
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A technology is described for interfacing with a computing application using a multi-digit sensor. A method may include obtaining an initial stroke using a single digit of a user on the multi-digit sensor. A direction change point for the initial stroke can be identified. At the direction change point for the initial stroke, a number of additional digits can be presented by the user to the multi-digit sensor. Then a completion stroke can be identified as being made with the number of additional digits. A user interface signal to can be sent to the computing application based on the number of additional digits used in the completion touch stroke. In another configuration of the technology, the touch stroke or gesture may include a single stroke where user interface items can be selected when additional digits are presented at the end of a gesture.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing device comprising a display and an input device, the method comprising:

monitoring discrete unbroken strokes inputted by a user of the computing device to detect, among the strokes, first unbroken strokes and second unbroken strokes, each discrete unbroken stroke comprising an uninterrupted input inputted by the user providing input from only a single finger;

the monitoring detecting the first strokes by analyzing features of the strokes to determine that the first strokes have features that correspond to the first strokes;

(i) having been inputted by only a single finger, and (ii) having ended with the single finger having moved substantially in only two predefined directions, and (iii) having never been accompanied by input from any other fingers, the two predefined directions comprising a first direction and then a second direction, the first direction different than the second direction;

each time a first stroke is detected, responding by automatically activating a first function on the computing device;

the monitoring detecting the second strokes by analyzing features of the strokes to determine that the second strokes have features that correspond to (i) having been inputted by only a single finger, and (ii) having ended with the single finger having moved substantially in only the two directions, and (iii) having been accompanied by input from only one other finger that moved substantially in only the second direction; and

each time a second stroke is detected, responding by automatically activating a second function on the computing device.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

the monitoring detecting third strokes by analyzing features of the strokes to determine that the third strokes (i) were inputted by only a single finger, and (ii) ended with the single finger having moved substantially in only the two directions, and (iii) were accompanied by input from only two other fingers that moved substantially in only the second direction; and

each time a third stroke is identified, responding by automatically activating a third function on the computing device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the strokes are inputted with a touch-sensitive surface.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the strokes are inputted with a video camera.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first function comprises displaying a menu and the second function comprises an item of the menu.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first direction is substantially perpendicular to the second direction.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a display with two pairs of opposing edges, and the first direction corresponds to the first pair of opposing edges and the second direction corresponds to the second pair of opposing edges.

8. A method performed by a computing device comprising a display and an input device, the method comprising:

receiving strokes inputted by a user using the input device, the input device detecting presentation of fingers for input and detecting movement of fingers presented for input;

analyzing the strokes inputted by a user with the input device to identify single unbroken strokes substantially having an “

L”

shape, such single unbroken “

L”

shaped strokes having a first segment and a substantially perpendicular second segment, wherein for each of the strokes only a single finger inputs the first and second segments, for first of the strokes no other finger accompanies the single finger when inputting the corresponding second segments, and for second of the strokes another finger accompanies the single finger when inputting the corresponding second segments;

for the unbroken “

L”

shaped strokes, determining whether another finger accompanied the single finger when inputting the second segment; and

each time an unbroken “

L”

shaped stroke ends, automatically selecting, from among a first function and a second function according to whether another finger was determined to accompany the single finger.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the first function causes a first set of menu items to be displayed and the second function causes a second set of menu items to be displayed.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the first function activates a first user interface feature and the second function activates a second user interface function.

11. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:

selecting the first function each time a unbroken “

L”

shaped stroke ends with a count of zero, selecting the second function each time a unbroken “

L”

shaped stroke ends with a count of one, and selecting a third function each time a unbroken “

L”

shaped stroke ends with a count of two.

12. A method according to claim 8, wherein the “

L”

shaped strokes can have any arbitrary orientation relative to the display.

13. A method according to claim 8, further comprising displaying a menu when an “

L”

shaped stroke ends and which items are displayed in the menu depends on the count of the “

L”

shaped stroke.

14. A method performed by a computing device comprising a display and an input device, the method comprising:

analyzing features of discrete unbroken strokes, inputted by a user presenting a single finger to the input device, to identify target strokes substantially having a shape consisting of a first segment inputted by only the single finger before the single finger inputs a second segment, the first segment connected at an angle with the second segment, the first segment having a different direction than the second segment;

each time a target stroke is identified by the analyzing, determining a count of fingers newly presented via the input device substantially at a time when the target stroke'"'"'s second segment is completed by the user via the input device, wherein the one or more newly presented fingers are associated with the target stroke; and

whenever a target stroke ends, performing a first step or a second step according to the corresponding determined count of fingers for the ending target stroke, wherein at least some of the target strokes have a count of a first number, and at least some of the target strokes have a count of second number, and wherein

when the count of a target stroke is the first number the first step is performed, and

when the count is the second number the second step is performed and the first step is not performed.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein when the count of the ending target stroke is two a third step is performed.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein when the count of the ending target stroke is three a fourth step is performed.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the angle is substantially ninety degrees.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the input device comprises a touch-sensitive surface, and the discrete unbroken strokes are inputted by corresponding discrete periods of a single finger initiating new contact with the touch-sensitive surface and remaining in contact with the touch-sensitive surface until the contact ends.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein the steps correspond to features of a menu.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the features comprise which items of the menu to select or display.