According to Apple, methods and systems for implementing gestures with sensing devices are disclosed. More particularly, methods and systems related to gesturing with multipoint sensing devices are disclosed. The invention would recognize whether two or more fingers are being "swiped" across a multi-touch screen" and could be used in a variety of software.
Here's Apple's background on the invention: "There exist today many styles of input devices for performing operations in a computer system. The operations generally correspond to moving a cursor and making selections on a display screen. The operations may also include paging, scrolling, panning, zooming, etc. By way of example, the input devices may include buttons, switches, keyboards, mice, trackballs, touch pads, joy sticks, touch screens and the like. Each of these devices has advantages and disadvantages that are taken into account when designing the computer system.
"With touch pads, the movement of the input pointer corresponds to the relative movements of the user's finger (or stylus) as the finger is moved along a surface of the touch pad. Touch screens, on the other hand, are a type of display screen that has a touch-sensitive transparent panel covering the screen. When using a touch screen, a user makes a selection on the display screen by pointing directly to GUI objects on the screen (usually with a stylus or finger). In general, the touch device recognizes the touch and position of the touch and the computer system interprets the touch and thereafter performs an action based on the touch event.
"In order to provide additionally functionality, gestures have been implemented with some of these input devices. By way of example, in touch pads, selections may be made when one or more taps are detected on the surface of the touch pad. In some cases, any portion of the touch pad may be tapped, and in other cases a dedicated portion of the touch pad may be tapped. In addition to selections, scrolling may be initiated by using finger motion at the edge of the touch pad.
"Unfortunately, gesturing is severely limited by the fact that most touch technologies are only capable of reporting a single point even when multiple objects are placed on the sensing surface. That is, they lack the ability to track multiple points of contact simultaneously. In resistive and capacitive technologies, an average of all simultaneously occurring touch points are determined and a single point which falls somewhere between the touch points is reported. In surface wave and infrared technologies, it is impossible to discern the exact position of multiple touch points that fall on the same horizontal or vertical lines due to masking. In either case, faulty results are generated.
"Based on the above, there is a need for multipoint sensing devices and methods of implementing gestures with multipoint sensing devices."
And here's Apple's summary of the invention: "The invention relates, in one embodiment, to an electronic system. The electronic system includes a multipoint sensing device that provides a multipoint sensing area for receiving inputs from one or more objects. The electronic system also includes a gesture module configured to determine a gesture set for a given input arrangement received by the multipoint sensing area of the multipoint sensing device, to monitor the given input arrangement for one or more gesture events included in the gesture set, and to initiate input actions associated with a gesture event when the gesture event is performed with the input arrangement. The input arrangement may for example be an arrangement of fingers and/or other parts of the hand.
"The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a gestural control method. The method includes detecting multiple points within a sensing area at the same time. The method also includes determining a chord when one or more points are detected within the sensing area. The chord is a specific arrangement of points within the sensing area. The method further includes determining a gesture set associating commands to one or more gesture events. The method additionally includes monitoring points for gesture events. Moreover, the method includes performing command associated with gesture event if a gesture event is recognized.
"The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a control operation. The control operations includes detecting a touch or near touch. The operations also includes determining a gesture set for the touch. The gesture set includes one or more gesture events for provoking or initiating a command. The operation further includes monitoring the touch for a gesture event. The operation additionally includes initiating a command when a gesture event associated with the gesture set is performed.
"The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a gesture operation. The operation includes monitoring a touch motion. The operation also includes differentiating the touch motion between first and second states. The operation further includes performing a first action if the touch motion is associated with first state. The operation additionally includes performing a second action if motion is associated with second state.
"The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a control operation. The control operation includes providing a first input device and a second input device that is different than the first input device. The first input device includes an object sensing device such as a touch sensing device for providing input events. The operation also includes monitoring the first input device for input events. The operation further includes simultaneously monitoring the second input device for input events. The operation additionally includes performing input operations in accordance with input events associated with first input device. Moreover, the method includes simultaneously performing input operations in accordance with input events associated with second input device.
"The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a control operation. The control operation provides a list of input functions. The input function have commands and gesture events that are linked to the commands. The commands are related to the input function. The operation also includes assigning input functions to chords. The operation additionally includes linking an input function to a chord when the chord is recognized.
"The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a control panel. The control panel includes displaying a menu of input functions. The control panel also includes displaying a gesture set that shows commands associated with a selected input function, and gesture events assigned to the commands. The control operation further includes displaying a list of chords. In order to set up a gesture map, a user selects desired input function from list of input functions and selects a desired chord from the list of chords.
"The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a gesture design process. The design process includes providing a list of chords and ranking the chords from easiest to hardest. The design process also includes ranking the frequency of operations from most frequent to least frequent. The design process further includes matching the easiest chords with the most frequent operations, and matching the hardest chords with the least frequent operations. The design process may additionally include fine tuning chord/operation grouping.
"The invention relates, in another embodiment, to a gesture operation. The gesture operations includes detecting a first finger. The gesture operation also includes determining the state of the finger. The state of the finger may for example be moving or stationary. The gesture operation further includes detecting one or more additional fingers. For example, a second finger may be detected. The gesture operation additionally includes determining the state of the additional fingers. The state of the additional fingers may for example be that they are present or not. Moreover, the method includes implementing different input modes based on timing of states of first and additional fingers relative to one another. The different modes may for example be pointing modes, dragging modes and the like."
The inventors are Wayne C. Westerman, Steven P. Hotelling, Myra Haggerty, Bas Ording, Nima Pariva and Duncan Robert Kerr. The graphic below shows an illustrative gesture control operation, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
