IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,986,308
Granted Patent B2
US 7,986,308 · App. 11/590,826 · Granted Jul 26, 2011

Method and apparatus for detecting and interpreting path of designated position

Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,986,308
App. No.
11/590,826
Granted
Jul 26, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of detecting and interpreting a path of designated positions is disclosed. The method concurrently detects a plurality of designated positions on a touch panel, again detects the plurality of designated positions subsequent to a travel of the designated positions, determines the distances between each of the current designated positions and the respective immediately preceding designated positions, treats an immediately preceding designated position, closest to the current designated position of interest, as the immediately preceding designated position of the current designated position of interest, and acquires the path of each designated position, thereby recognizing the paths of the plurality of designated positions that move concurrently. A combination of the paths of the plurality of designated positions is interpreted to identify a designation input by a user, and an operation thus designated is executed.

Claims (26)

1. An operation apparatus comprising:

a path detector means for detecting paths of a plurality of concurrently moving designated positions;

a distance measuring means for measuring a distance between the plurality of designated positions detected by the path detector means;

a distance-change acquisition means for acquiring a change in the distance measured by the distance measuring means;

a magnification acquisition means for acquiring, based on the acquired change in distance, a magnification of distance after the change to distance before the change;

a designation interpreting means for interpreting a designation represented by a combination of the paths of the plurality of designated positions detected by the path detector means based on the acquired magnification; and

an operation means for performing an operation based on the designation interpreted by the designation interpreting means

wherein the magnification acquisition means comprises a rate of change acquisition means for acquiring a rate of change, and acquires an actual magnification from the acquired magnification and the rate of change acquired by the rate of change acquisition means.

2. An operation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the designation interpreting means interprets the designation as a contraction operation when the acquired magnification decreases.

3. An operation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the designation interpreting means interprets the designation as an expansion operation when the acquired magnification increases.

4. An operational method comprising:

a path detecting step of detecting paths of a plurality of concurrently moving designated positions;

a distance measuring step of measuring a distance between the plurality of designated positions detected in the path detector step;

a distance-change acquisition step of acquiring a change in the distance measured in the distance measuring step;

a magnification acquisition step of acquiring, based on the acquired change in distance, a magnification of distance after the change to distance before the change;

a designation interpreting step of interpreting a designation represented by a combination of the paths of the plurality of designated positions detected in the path detecting step based on the acquired magnification; and

an operation step of performing an operation based on the designation interpreted in the designation interpreting step

wherein the magnification acquisition step comprises a rate of change acquisition step of acquiring a rate of change, and acquiring an actual magnification from the acquired magnification and the rate of change acquired in the rate of change acquisition step.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium retrievably storing a manipulation program for controlling to perform manipulation, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:

a path detecting step of detecting paths of a plurality of concurrently moving designated positions;

a distance measuring step of measuring a distance between the plurality of designated positions detected in the path detector step;

a distance-change acquisition step of acquiring a change in the distance measured in the distance measuring step;

a magnification acquisition step of acquiring, based on the acquired change in distance, a magnification of distance after the change to distance before the change;

a designation interpreting step of interpreting a designation represented by a combination of the paths of the plurality of designated positions detected in the path detecting step based on the acquired magnification; and

an operation step of performing an operation based on the designation interpreted in the designation interpreting step

wherein the magnification acquisition step comprises a rate of change acquisition step of acquiring a rate of change, and acquiring an actual magnification from the acquired magnification and the rate of change acquired in the rate of change acquisition step.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2000-021427 · Jan 31, 2000 · national
Continuity (2)
Division 09769451 · Jan 26, 2001
Related Publication 20070103452A1 · May 10, 2007