# US 2014/0195991 A1 · Bounding box gesture recognition on a touch detecting interactive display > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195991 A1 - Document ID: US20140195991A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/207,201 - Filed: 2014-03-12 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2004-08-06 - Assignees: QUALCOMM Incorporated - Applicants: Qualcomm Incorporated - Inventors: W. Daniel Hillis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195991A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures - G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text - G06F 2203/04806: Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation - 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 - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract The invention provides a method and apparatus for identifying gestures performed by a user to control an interactive display. The gestures are identified based on a bounding box enclosing the points at which a user contacts a touch sensor corresponding with the display surface. The invention thus permits the use of inexpensive and highly reliable grid-based touch sensors that provide a bounding box to describe contact information. In identifying the gestures, the position, motion, shape, and deformation of the bounding box may all be considered. In particular, the center, width, height, aspect ratio, length of the diagonal, and orientation of the diagonal of the bounding box may be determined. A stretch factor, defined as the maximum of the ratio of the height of the bounding box to the width of the bounding box and the ratio of the width of the bounding box to the height of the bounding box, may also be computed. Finally, gestures may be identified based on the changes in time of these characteristics and quantities. ## Claims ### Claim 1 In an interactive display, a method for identifying a specific user gesture comprising the steps of: displaying imagery on an imaging surface; detecting a plurality of contact locations at which at least one user contacts a touch sensor to control said display; responsive to a determination that a deformation of a bounding box enclosing at least two of said plurality of contacts locations exceeds a predetermined deformation threshold and responsive to a determination that a motion of said bounding box is less than a predetermined motion threshold, identifying said specific user gesture as a rotate gesture; associating said specific user gesture with a display command; and executing said display command to alter the display of said imagery. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said display command affects any of: a translation of said imagery; a change in magnification of said imagery; and a change in orientation of said imagery. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: responsive to a determination that a motion of said bounding box exceeds said predetermined motion threshold and that deformation of said bounding box is less than said predetermined deformation threshold, identifying said specific user gesture as a pan command. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of: responsive to a determination that a stretch factor of said bounding box exceeds a predetermined stretch threshold and responsive to a determination that said stretch factor is either increasing or decreasing, identifying said specific user gesture as a zoom gesture. ### Claim 5 In an interactive display, a method for identifying a specific user gesture comprising the steps of: displaying imagery on an imaging surface; detecting a plurality of contact locations at which at least one user contacts a touch sensor to control said display; responsive to a determination that a stretch factor of a bounding box surrounding at least two of said contact locations exceeds a predetermined stretch threshold and responsive to a determination that said stretch factor is either increasing or decreasing, identifying said specific user gesture as a zoom gesture; associating said specific user gesture with a display command; and executing said display command to alter the display of said imagery. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein said display command affects any of: a translation of said imagery; a change in magnification of said imagery; and a change in orientation of said imagery. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of: responsive to a determination that a motion of said bounding box exceeds said predetermined motion threshold and that deformation of said bounding box is less than said predetermined deformation threshold, identifying said specific user gesture as a pan command. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of: responsive to a determination that a deformation of said bounding box exceeds a predetermined deformation threshold and responsive to a determination that a motion of said bounding box is less than a predetermined motion threshold, identifying said specific user gesture as a rotate gesture. ### Claim 9 In an interactive display, a method for identifying a specific user gesture comprising the steps of: displaying imagery on an imaging surface; detecting a plurality of contact locations at which at least one user contacts a touch sensor to control said display; responsive to a determination that a motion of a bounding box enclosing at least two of said plurality of contact locations exceeds said predetermined motion threshold and that deformation of said bounding box is less than said predetermined deformation threshold, identifying said specific user gesture as a pan gesture; associating said specific user gesture with a display command; and executing said display command to alter the display of said imagery. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein said display command affects any of: a translation of said imagery; a change in magnification of said imagery; and a change in orientation of said imagery. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of: responsive to a determination that a stretch factor of said bounding box exceeds a predetermined stretch threshold and responsive to a determination that said stretch factor is either increasing or decreasing, identifying said specific user gesture as a zoom gesture. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of: responsive to a determination that a deformation of said bounding box enclosing at least two of said plurality of contacts locations exceeds a predetermined deformation threshold and responsive to a determination that a motion of said bounding box is less than a predetermined motion threshold, identifying said specific user gesture as a rotate gesture.