Local Coordinate Frame User Interface for Multitouch Gesture Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Multitouch-enabled devices are unable to distinguish between fingers and typically perform a single action per gesture, limiting their functionality and user interface customization.

Innovation Solution

A local coordinate frame user interface is constructed around the human hand using five-digit touch gestures, allowing for digit-specific user interface elements (avatars) to be displayed and manipulated, enabling multi-action gestures and enhanced control over applications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional gesture recognition is used, then the device can perform basic touch operations, but it cannot distinguish between different fingers or provide customized control for each digit

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegesture customizationVSAvoidcoordinate system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the gesture recognition system by creating separate local coordinate frames for each finger. Instead of treating all touch points uniformly, the system divides them into finger-specific groups, allowing independent tracking and customization of each digit's gestures and associated controls.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by establishing distinct local coordinate systems centered on each finger's position and orientation. This allows the interface to adapt to the specific geometry and movement patterns of each finger, providing customized control schemes tailored to local anatomical characteristics rather than using a single global coordinate system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of operation

If a single global coordinate system is used, then the interface is simple to implement, but it cannot provide finger-specific controls or natural hand-centered interactions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenatural hand interactionVSAvoidcoordinate frame structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of mapping finger positions to a global coordinate system and then interpreting gestures, the patent inverts the approach by establishing local coordinate systems at each finger and expressing all interactions relative to these local frames. This makes the interface more natural for hand-centered operations while the system handles the coordinate transformations automatically.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces local coordinate frames as intermediary systems between the physical finger positions and the logical interface controls. These intermediate coordinate systems serve as a bridge, translating complex multi-finger geometries into simplified local references that make gesture interpretation and control assignment more intuitive.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If traditional button-based interfaces are used, then actions are clearly defined, but the interface lacks intuitiveness and requires learning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterface intuitivenessVSAvoidinterface structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables the interface to self-organize around the user's natural hand posture. By detecting the positions and orientations of multiple fingers, the system automatically generates a hand-centered coordinate framework and assigns controls based on each finger's natural movement capabilities, eliminating the need for users to learn conventional button layouts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2503441B1Methods and apparatus for providing a local coordinate frame user interface for multitouch-enabled devices
Publication Date: 2021.05.05 ADOBE INC
  • EP2503441B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2503441B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP2503441B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods and apparatus for providing a local coordinate frame user interface for multitouch-enabled devices. A user interface may be provided on multitouch display devices, displayed according to a local coordinate frame constructed around the human hand. A user may place the tips of all five digits on a multitouch user interface with a natural gesture to provide five input points; the method detects which input points correspond to which digits, and constructs a local coordinate frame for the hand based on the input points. User interface elements (e.g., controls) may then be assigned to each digit and displayed on the multitouch display. The user may then selectively manipulate one or more of the displayed controls as desired via one or more gestures associated with the particular control.