Apple Multi-Touch Patent
Apple has been granted a patent describing a system whereby multitouch input is augmented with input from other media, for instance voice control, facial expression or even biometric data. Entitled “Multi-Touch Data Fusion“, the patent explains a system where sensors could be built into, or around, a multitouch panel, measuring voice, temperature, vibration, light and more. A possible application of this could be manipulating an on-screen control (for instance a dial) while saying “color change”; the dial would therefore control the hue.
Alternatively, drawing or other media control could be simultaneously manipulated with touch and voice commands. In fig.10, the line (240) being drawn by the movement of the fingers has its properties changed (e.g. color, thickness and form) by voice commands issued while the fingers are in motion. The effect is fewer interruptions to the multitouch input.
Other aspects of the patent include a system for recognising hand profiles - that is, the angle of the hands and which finger is making contact with a multitouch surface - built into either a desk or making use of the webcam in a MacBook screen bezel. This could be used to perform gestures in front of the notebook, which would be interpreted as multitouch commands.
Apple suggests that alternative sensors could include:
“Biometric sensors, audio sensors, optical sensors, sonar sensors, vibration sensors, motion sensors, location sensors, light sensors, image sensors, acoustic sensors, electric field sensors, shock sensors, environmental sensors, orientation sensors, pressure sensors, force sensors, temperature sensors and/or the like” Apple patent
Updated Apple patents documenting how the company envisages larger-scale multitouch displays reacting to all fingers of both of a user’s hands have added further fuel to the suspicion that a MacBook Tablet is in development. The patent, 52 pages in length, suggests a full-touchscreen Mac Tablet with window-based GUI as in OS X; controls would adapt to finger input, expanding to avoid accidental overlap presses, horizontal, vertical or circular scrolling would be supported, and a full on-screen QWERTY keyboard provided.
Controls, such as option boxes, would enlarge when the thumb was placed over them, giving larger targets for a finger to press; they would shrink again either with its removal, after selection, or after a predetermined period of time. Scrolling, meanwhile, would be similar to that on the iPhone; in one example, Apple suggested a system whereby two fingers would scroll and one finger select from the list.
Multitouch is also in evidence with the on-screen QWERTY keyboard, with Apple outlining how the shift key, say, could be held at the same time as letters selected with other fingers. More than two simultaneous keypresses could also be recognised.
Scrollwheels, such as those found - albeit in hardware form - on previous-gen iPods would also be possible, appearing either when a certain number of fingers (e.g two) touched the screen or when a user touched a specific area of the GUI. Apple describes a possible interface for iTunes whereby a single finger selects options (tracks, etc) while two fingers calls up the on-screen scrollwheel. They could be rotated either with a circular motion or an upward/downward one.
The patent is an updated amalgam of previously awarded filings from the past two years.
Gestures for touch sensitive input devices
Abstract
Methods and systems for processing touch inputs are disclosed. The invention in one respect includes reading data from a multipoint sensing device such as a multipoint touch screen where the data pertains to touch input with respect to the multipoint sensing device, and identifying at least one multipoint gesture based on the data from the multipoint sensing device.
Application number: 11/048,264
Publication number: US 2006/0026536 A1
Filing date: Jan 31, 2005
Inventors: Steve Hotelling, Joshua A. Strickon, Brian Q. Huppi, Imran Chaudhri, Greg Christie, Bas Ording, Duncan Robert Kerr, Jonathan P. Ive
U.S. Classification
715863000
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A computer implemented method for processing touch inputs, said method comprising:
reading data from a touch sensitive device, the data pertaining to touch input with respect to the touch sensitive device, and the touch sensitive device having a multipoint capability; and
identifying at least one multipoint gesture based on the data from the touch sensitive device.
2. A method of invoking a user interface element on a display via a multipoint touch sensitive device of a computing system, said method comprising:
detecting and analyzing the simultaneous presence of two or more objects in contact with said touch sensitive device;
based at least in part on said analyzing, selecting a user interface tool, from a plurality of available tools, to display on a display for interaction by a user of said computing system; and
controlling the interface tool based at least in part on the further movement of said objects in relation to said touch sensitive device.
3. A computer implemented method for processing touch inputs, said method comprising:
reading data from a touch sensitive device, the data pertaining to touch input with respect to the touch sensitive device, and the touch sensitive device having a multipoint capability;
converting the data to a collection of features;
classifying the features;
grouping the features into one or more feature groups;
calculating key parameters of the feature groups; and
associating the feature groups to user interface elements on a display.
4. A method for recognizing a zoom gesture made on a multipoint touch sensitive device, comprising:
detecting the relative locations of a first object and a second object at the same time;
detecting a change in the relative locations of said first and second object;
generating a zoom signal in response to said detected change.
5. A method for recognizing a pan gesture made on a multipoint touch sensitive device, comprising:
detecting the presence of at least a first object and a second object at the same time;
monitoring the position of the said at least first and second objects when the objects are moved together across the touch sensitive device; and
generating a pan signal when the position of the said at least first and second objects changes relative to an initial position.
6. A method for recognizing a rotate gesture made on a multipoint touch sensitive device, comprising:
detecting the presence of at least a first object and a second object at the same time;
detecting a rotation of said at least first and second objects; and
generating a rotate signal in response to said detected rotation of said at least first and second objects.
7. A computer implemented method for initiating floating controls via a touch sensitive device, the method comprising:
detecting the presence of an object on the touch sensitive device;
recognizing the object; and
generating a user interface element on a display based on the recognized object.
8. A computer implemented method of initiating a page turn via a touch sensitive device, the method comprising:
displaying a page from a multitude of pages in a GUI presented on a display;
detecting the presence of an object on the touch sensitive device; and
generating a page turn signal when the object is translated horizontally on the touch sensitive device.