US 5,809,267 AGranted

Apparatus and method for executing multiple-concatenated command gestures in a gesture based input system

AssigneeXerox Corporation

InventorsThomas P. Moran, Patrick Chiu

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A graphical editing system is provided which allows a user to draw number of commonly used gestures called primitive command gestures together in essentially one stroke. The primitive gestures are chosen to represent gestural syntax, analogous to a textual command syntax. The primitive gestures are concatenated. i.e., connected in a series of commands by a gestural operator called a break feature. Every input composite gesture is scanned to detect the break features. When found, the composite gesture is broken up into primitive gestures and each gesture is interpreted and executed in the order in which the individual gestures were drawn. The preferred break feature is sharp angle drawn between consecutive primitive gestures. In a composite gesture consisting of two primitive gestures, one being the selection gesture, the break feature is recognized as any departure from the selection gesture.

Claims5

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented graphic editing system comprising:

(a) a computer,
(b) a display under control of the computer,
(c) a computer application program including means for displaying on the display data operated on by the application program,
(d) a user-operated pointing device coupled to the display under control of the computer,
(e) means in the computer for recognizing gestures made by the pointing device when manipulated by a user,
(f) means for storing in the computer a library of primitive gestures and at least one break gesture that can be made with the pointing device, each of said primitive gestures representing an individual operator command to the computer to execute a specific command to edit the data displayed on the display in a specific manner,
(g) means in the computer for comparing each recognized gesture with the library of primitive gestures and at least one break gesture to determine whether any of the recognized gestures represent a primitive gesture or break gesture and to identify each said primitive gesture,
(h) means for storing in the computer a compound gesture inputted with the pointing device in a single continuous stroke, the compound gesture being comprised of at least first and second primitive gestures corresponding to primitive gestures stored in the library and further comprised of the break gesture which is drawn between the first and second primitive gestures on the display in a shape distinct from the shape of the first and second primitive gestures;
and
(i) means in the computer for first executing, after the inputting of the compound gesture, the command represented by the first primitive gesture and then executing the command represented by the second primitive gesture.

7 more elements

A method for graphical editing in a computer-implemented graphic editing system comprising:

(a) a computer,
(b) a display under control of the computer,
(c) a computer application program including means for displaying on the display data operated on by the application program,
(d) a user-operated pointing device coupled to the display under control of the computer,
(e) means in the computer for recognizing gestures made by the pointing device when manipulated by a user,
(f) means for storing in the computer a library of primitive gestures and at least one break gesture that can be made with the pointing device, each of said primitive gestures representing an individual operator command to the computer to execute a specific command to edit the data displayed on the display in a specific manner,
(g) means in the computer for comparing each recognized gesture with the library of primitive gestures and at least one break gesture to determine whether any of the recognized gestures represent a primitive gesture or break gesture and to identify each said primitive gesture;
and
(h) means for storing in the computer a compound gesture inputted with the pointing device in a single continuous stroke, the compound gesture being comprised of at least first and second primitive gestures corresponding to primitive gestures stored in the library and further comprised of the the break gesture which is drawn between the first and second primitive gestures on the display in a shape distinct from the shape of the first and second primitive gestures;
said method comprising the steps of:
(A) manipulating said pointing device to generate said compound gesture in a single continuous stroke,
(B) identifying the first and second primitive gestures and break gesture of step (A), and
(C) first executing the command represented by the the first primitive gesture identified in step (B) and then executing the command represented by the second primitive gesture identified in step (B).

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/618,083Filed 18 Mar 1996 · continuation
Priority: 30 Dec 1993
Granted: 15 Sep 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

G06F 3/04883
Using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
G06V 30/15
Segmentation of character regions: cutting or merging image elements, e.g. region growing, watershed or clustering-based techniques
G06V 30/36
Digital ink: matching; Classification
G06F
Computing and data processing