Gesture detection for a digitizer

1 . A method for detecting combination gestures with a digitizer, the method comprising:

storing a database of pre-defined combination gestures, wherein the combination gestures includes input from two different types of user interactions;

detecting a combination event, wherein the combination event includes input from the two different types of user interactions; and

matching input from the combination event to a pre-defined gesture from the database of pre-defined combination gestures.

2 . The method according to claim 1 wherein at least part of the input from the two different types of user interactions of the combination gesture is detected substantially simultaneously.

3 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the input from the two different types of user interactions of the combination gesture is detected sequentially.

4 . The method according to claim 1 wherein a gesture performed with one of the two different types of user interactions is associated with a pre-defined user command and the input from the other type of user interaction is associated with a parameter of the pre-defined user command.

5 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the two different types of user interactions include a body part and an inanimate object.

6 . The method according to claim 5 wherein the body part is selected from a group consisting of a finger and a hand.

7 . The method according to claim 5 wherein the inanimate object is selected from a group consisting of a stylus and a game piece.

8 . The method according to claim 5 wherein the inanimate object is a conductive object.

9 . The method according to claim 5 wherein the inanimate object is an electromagnetic object.

10 . The method according to claim 5 wherein the object includes passive circuitry that can be excited by an external excitation source.

11 . The method according to claim 1 wherein at least part of the input is input derived from touching the digitizer.

12 . The method according to claim 1 wherein at least part of the input is input derived from hovering over the digitizer.

13 . The method according to claim 1 comprising requesting verification from a user that a matched combination gesture from the pre-defined combination gesture is an intended combination gesture.

14 . The method according to claim 1 comprising conveying recognition of the combination gesture to a user.

15 . The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one pre-defined combination gesture in the database is a user defined combination gesture.

16 . The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one pre-defined combination gesture in the database is a system pre-defined combination gesture.

17 . The method according to claim 1 comprising executing a command indicated by the pre-defined gesture from the database.

18 . A method for detecting combination gestures with a digitizer, the method comprising:

storing a database of pre-defined combination gestures, wherein the combination gestures includes input from two different types of user interactions;

detecting a combination event, wherein the combination event includes input from the two different types of user interactions;

matching input from one type of user interaction of the two different type of user interactions with a pre-defined gesture associated with a pre-defined user command; and

matching input from the other type of user interaction with a parameter value associated with the pre-defined user command.

19 . The method according claim 18 wherein the two different types of user interactions include a body part and an inanimate object.

20 . The method according to claim 19 wherein the body part is selected from a group consisting of a finger and a hand.

21 . The method according to claim 19 wherein the inanimate object is selected from a group consisting of a stylus and a game piece.

22 . The method according to claim 18 wherein input from the body part is matched with the pre-defined gesture and wherein input from the inanimate object is matched with the parameter value.

23 . The method according to claim 18 wherein the input from the inanimate object is matched with the pre-defined gesture and wherein input from the body part is matched with the parameter value.

24 . The method according to claim 18 wherein the input from the two different types of user interactions is performed substantially simultaneously.

25 . The method according to claim 18 wherein the input from the two different types of user interactions is performed one after the other.

26 . A system for detecting combination gestures with a digitizer system, the digitizer system comprising:

at least one digitizer configured for detecting input from two different types of user interactions;

a memory unit configured for storing a database of pre-defined combination gestures, wherein the pre-defined combination gestures are associated with pre-defined user commands; and

a controller configured for matching input from the two different types of user interactions with a pre-defined combination gesture from the database.

27 . The system according to claim 26 wherein the memory unit is integral to the digitizer.

28 . The system according to claim 26 wherein the controller is integral to the digitizer.

29 . The system according to claim 26 wherein the controller includes functionality of a gesture recognition engine.

30 . The system according to claim 26 wherein the digitizer is configured to detect hovering of at least one of the two different types of user interactions.

31 . The system according to claim 26 wherein the digitizer is configured to detect touch of at least one of the two different types of user interactions.

32 . The system according to claim 26 wherein the two different types of user interactions include a body part and an inanimate object.

33 . The system according to claim 32 wherein the body part is selected from a group consisting of a finger and a hand.

34 . The system according claim 32 wherein the inanimate object is selected from a group consisting of a stylus and a game piece.

35 . The system according to claim 31 wherein the inanimate object includes passive circuitry that can be excited by an external excitation source.

36 . The system according to claim 26 wherein the digitizer is configured for capacitive-based detection.

37 . The system according to claim 26 comprising a host computer, wherein the host computer is configured to receive input from the digitizer.

38 . The system according to claim 37 wherein the controller is integral to the host computer.

39 . The system according to claim 37 wherein the memory unit is integral to the host computer.

40 . The system according to claim 37 wherein the pre-defined combination gestures are interpreted as pre-defined user commands to the host computer.

41 . The system according to claim 26 wherein at least part of the input from the two different types of user interactions of the combination gesture is detected substantially simultaneously.

42 . The system according to claim 26 wherein the input from the two different types of user interactions of the combination gesture is detected sequentially.

43 . The system according to claim 26 wherein the digitizer comprises a digitizer sensor and wherein the input from the two different types of user interactions is detected from the digitizer sensor.

44 . The system according to claim 43 wherein the digitizer sensor comprises a patterned arrangement of conducting lines and wherein input from the two types of user interactions are detected from at least one conducting line of the patterned arrangement of conducting lines.

45 . The system according to claim 26 wherein the digitizer comprises at least two digitizer sensors wherein the two different types of user interactions are detected from different digitizer sensors from the at least two digitizer sensors.

46 . The system according to claim 26 comprising a plurality of digitizers wherein the two different types of user interactions are detected from different digitizers from the plurality of digitizers.