Techniques for identifying rolling gestures on a device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10775901-B2
Application number	US-201514610683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 30, 2015
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

Techniques and apparatus are described for obtaining user input via a stylus configured to serve as an interface for providing user input into a computing device. The computing device may obtain rotation-related information indicative of rotational position or rotational movement of the stylus about a longitudinal axis of the stylus. The computing device may identify an operation in response to the rotation-related information, and perform the identified operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for obtaining user input via a stylus configured to serve as an interface for providing user input to a computing device, the method comprising:
obtaining, at the computing device, rotation-related information indicative of a first rotational movement of the stylus in a first direction about a longitudinal axis of the stylus followed by a second rotational movement of the stylus in a second direction opposite the first direction about the longitudinal axis, wherein the rotation-related information comprises at least a degree of rotation of the first rotational movement, a degree of rotation of the second rotational movement, a rotational speed of the first rotational movement, a rotational speed of the second rotational movement, and a time duration from a start of the first rotational movement to an end of the second rotational movement;
determining, by the computing device, based on the rotational speed of the first rotational movement and the rotational speed of the second rotational movement being at least equal to a threshold rotational speed, the degree of rotation of the first rotational movement, the degree of rotation of the second rotational movement, and further based on the time duration being less than a threshold time, that the first rotational movement and the second rotational movement correspond to a single gesture intended as user input to the computing device;
identifying, at the computing device, an operation corresponding to the determined gesture; and
performing, at the computing device, the identified operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotation-related information comprises magnetic sensor readings from at least one magnetic sensor aboard the computing device, the magnetic sensor readings measuring forces from at least one magnetic field emanating from at least one magnetic field source aboard the stylus.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one magnetic sensor comprises at least one inductor coil positioned within a display panel of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one magnetic field source comprises at least one active magnetic field emitter positioned off of the longitudinal axis of the stylus.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining a ratio between a first magnetic sensor reading from a first sensor and a second magnetic sensor reading from a second sensor; and
identifying the operation based at least on the determined ratio.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the rotation-related information comprises positional information derived from at least one positional sensor aboard the stylus and communicated to the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining, at the computing device, orientation-related information indicative of a side of the stylus which is facing a reference direction; and
identifying the operation in response to the orientation-related information.

8. An apparatus for obtaining user input via a stylus, comprising:
means for obtaining rotation-related information indicative of a first rotational movement of the stylus in a first direction about a longitudinal axis of the stylus followed by a second rotational movement of the stylus in a second direction opposite the first direction about the longitudinal axis, wherein the rotation-related information comprises at least a degree of rotation of the first rotational movement, a degree of rotation of the second rotational movement, a rotational speed of the first rotational movement, a rotational speed of the second rotational movement, and a time duration from a start of the first rotational movement to an end of the second rotational movement;
means for determining, based on the rotational speed of the first rotational movement and the rotational speed of the second rotational movement being at least equal to a threshold rotational speed, the degree of rotation of the first rotational movement, the degree of rotation of the second rotational movement, and further based on the time duration being less than a threshold time, that the first rotational movement and the second rotational movement correspond to a single gesture intended as user input to the apparatus;
means for identifying an operation corresponding to the determined gesture; and
means for performing the identified operation.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the rotation-related information comprises magnetic sensor readings from at least one magnetic sensor aboard the apparatus, the magnetic sensor readings measuring forces from at least one magnetic field emanating from at least one magnetic field source aboard the stylus.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one magnetic sensor comprises at least one inductor coil positioned within a display panel of the apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one magnetic field source comprises at least one active magnetic field emitter positioned off of the longitudinal axis of the stylus.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:
means for determining a ratio between a first magnetic sensor reading from a first sensor and a second magnetic sensor reading from a second sensor; and
means for identifying the operation based at least on the determined ratio.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the rotation-related information comprises positional information derived from at least one positional sensor aboard the stylus and communicated to the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:
means for obtaining orientation-related information indicative of a side of the stylus which is facing a reference direction; and
means for identifying the operation in response to the orientation-related information.

15. An apparatus for obtaining user input via a stylus comprising:
at least one processor configured to:
obtain rotation-related information indicative of a first rotational movement of the stylus in a first direction about a longitudinal axis of the stylus followed by a second rotational movement of the stylus in a second direction opposite the first direction about the longitudinal axis, wherein the rotation-related information comprises at least a degree of rotation of the first rotational movement, a degree of rotation of the second rotational movement, a rotational speed of the first rotational movement, a rotational speed of the second rotational movement, and a time duration from a start of the first rotational movement to an end of the second rotational movement;
determine, based on the rotational speed of the first rotational movement and the rotational speed of the second rotational movement being at least equal to a threshold rotational speed, the degree of rotation of the first rotational movement, the degree of rotation of the second rotational movement, and further based on the time duration being less than a threshold time, that the first rotational movement and the second rotational movement correspond to a single gesture intended as user input to the computing device;
identify an operation corresponding to the determined gesture, and
perform the identified operation; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the rotation-related information comprises magnetic sensor readings from at least one magnetic sensor aboard the apparatus, the magnetic sensor readings measuring forces from at least one magnetic field emanating from at least one magnetic field source aboard the stylus.

17. The apparatus of cl

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Keating Virginia Walker
• Padovani Niccolo Andrew
• Bornstein Gilad
• Lee Thien
• Altman Nathan

Classifications

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G06F3/03545 Primary

  Pens or stylus · CPC title

• G06F3/046

  by electromagnetic means · CPC title

• G06F2203/04808

  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 title