Contact Grouping and Gesture Recognition for Surface Computing

Abstract

Tools and techniques for contact grouping and gesture recognition for surface computing are provided. These tools receive, from a finger grouping subsystem, data representing velocity parameters associated with contact points, with the contact points representing physical actions taken by users in interacting with software applications presented on a surface computing system. These tools also identify gestures corresponding to the physical actions by analyzing the velocity parameters, and provide indications of the identified gestures to the software applications.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a surface computing system, a plurality of touch inputs;   in response to receiving the plurality of touch inputs, generating, by the surface computing system, a plurality of contact signals corresponding to the plurality of touch inputs, wherein each contact signal of the plurality of contact signals has a velocity associated therewith;   identifying a first contact signal of the plurality of contact signals and a second contact signal of the plurality of contact signals that have a greatest velocity differential therebetween;   grouping, by the surface computing system, the first contact signal into a first data structure; and   grouping, by the surface computing system, the second contact signal into a second data structure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of touch inputs is associated with a single user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first data structure is associated with a first hand of the single user, and wherein the second data structure is associated with a second hand of the single user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 associating a first remainder of the plurality of contact signals with the first data structure, wherein the first remainder of the plurality of contact signals is associated with the first hand of the single user; and   associating a second remainder of the plurality of contact signals with the second data structure, wherein the second remainder of the plurality of contact signals is associated with the second hand of the single user.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of touch inputs is associated with multiple users. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first data structure is associated with a hand of a first user of the multiple users, and wherein the second data structure is associated with a hand of a second user of the multiple users. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 associating a first remainder of the plurality of contact signals with the first data structure, wherein the first remainder of the plurality of contact signals is associated with the hand of the first user; and   associating a second remainder of the plurality of contact signals with the second data structure, wherein the second remainder of the plurality of contact signals is associated with the hand of the second user.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of touch inputs is associated with at least one touch gesture. 
     
     
         9 . A tangible computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor of a surface computing system, cause the surface computing system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a plurality of touch inputs;   in response to receiving the plurality of touch inputs, generating a plurality of contact signals corresponding to the plurality of touch inputs, wherein each contact signal of the plurality of contact signals has a velocity associated therewith;   identifying a first contact signal of the plurality of contact signals and a second contact signal of the plurality of contact signals that have a greatest velocity differential therebetween;   grouping the first contact signal into a first data structure; and   grouping the second contact signal into a second data structure.   
     
     
         10 . The tangible computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of touch inputs is associated with a single user. 
     
     
         11 . The tangible computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the first data structure is associated with a first hand of the single user, and wherein the second data structure is associated with a second hand of the single user. 
     
     
         12 . The tangible computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 associating a first remainder of the plurality of contact signals with the first data structure, wherein the first remainder of the plurality of contact signals is associated with the first hand of the single user; and   associating a second remainder of the plurality of contact signals with the second data structure, wherein the second remainder of the plurality of contact signals is associated with the second hand of the single user.   
     
     
         13 . The tangible computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of touch inputs is associated with multiple users. 
     
     
         14 . The tangible computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the first data structure is associated with a hand of a first user of the multiple users, and wherein the second data structure is associated with a hand of a second user. 
     
     
         15 . The tangible computer-readable storage medium of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 associating a first remainder of the plurality of contact signals with the first data structure, wherein the first remainder of the plurality of contact signals is associated with the hand of the first user; and   associating a second remainder of the plurality of contact signals with the second data structure, wherein the second remainder of the plurality of contact signals is associated with the hand of the second user.   
     
     
         16 . A surface computing system comprising:
 a hardware substrate configured to receive a plurality of touch inputs from at least one user;   an input detection system configured to detect the plurality of touch inputs received via the hardware substrate and to generate a plurality of contact signals corresponding to the plurality of touch inputs, wherein each contact signal of the plurality of contact signals has a velocity associated therewith;   a processor; and   a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising
 identifying a first contact signal of the plurality of contact signals and a second contact signal of the plurality of contact signals that have a greatest velocity differential therebetween, 
 grouping the first contact signal into a first data structure, and 
 grouping the second contact signal into a second data structure. 
   
     
     
         17 . The surface computing system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform further operations comprising:
 associating a first remainder of the plurality of contact signals with the first data structure; and   associating a second remainder of the plurality of contact signals with the second data structure.   
     
     
         18 . The surface computing system of  claim 17 , wherein the first data structure is associated with a first hand of a first user, and wherein the second data structure is associated with a second hand of the first user. 
     
     
         19 . The surface computing system of  claim 17 , wherein the first data structure is associated with a hand of a first user, and wherein the second data structure is associated with a hand of a second user. 
     
     
         20 . The surface computing system of  claim 16 , wherein the computer-readable storage medium also has an application stored thereon, and wherein the application provides visual content to the hardware substrate which is further configured to display the visual content.