Manipulation of overlapping objects displayed on a multi-touch device

Abstract

A multi-touch display device that is configured to display multiple objects concurrently and that provides multi-touch controls for manipulating multiple of the displayed objects with multiple degrees of freedom concurrently but independently is configured to reduce the degrees of freedom provided by the manipulation controls for at least two of the displayed objects in response to detecting that an input mechanism is exerting control over the two displayed objects concurrently.

1 . A method performed by a multi-touch display device, the method comprising:
 displaying at least a first object and a second object on the multi-touch display device;   activating a multi-point input control providing at least four degrees of freedom that enables a user to translate the first object in two dimensions, rotate the first object, and scale the first object by engaging a surface of the multi-touch display device at one or more positions that correspond to one or more points within the first object;   determining that a user input device is engaging the surface of the multi-touch display device;   defining a region of influence of the user input device based on a position at which the user input device is engaging the surface;   determining that the region of influence engages the first object;   as a consequence of determining that the region of influence engages the first object, selecting the first object;   receiving a change in the engagement of the user input device with the surface;   as a consequence of the change in the engagement of the user input device, determining that the region of influence engages the second object concurrently with engaging the first object; and   as a consequence of determining that region of influence engages the second object, selecting the second object.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a size of the region of influence is a function of the pressure applied to the surface by the user input device, and the change in the engagement of the user input device with the surface comprises a change in the pressure. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the size of the region of influence increases as the pressure increases. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising determining that the position of the user input device remains unchanged as the pressure increases. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the region of influence comprises a circular region having a radius that varies with changes in the pressure. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising defining the region of influence of the first user input device as a function of an area of the surface that is engaged by the user input device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the change in the engagement of the user input device with the surface comprises a change in the position at which the user input device is engaging the surface. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising defining the region of influence of the first user input device as a boundary of the first object. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein as a consequence of determining that the region of influence engages the second object concurrently with engaging the first object, extending the region of influence to also include a boundary of the second object. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 tracking movements of the user input device about the surface of the multi-touch display device;   as a consequence of the movements, relocating the region of influence; and   as a consequence of relocating the region of influence, translating the first object and the second object.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 determining that the position at which the user input device is engaging the surface is within a boundary of the first object and is not within a boundary of the second object; and   as a consequence of determining that the position at which the user input device is engaging the surface is within the boundary of the first object and is not within the boundary of the second object, translating the first object and the second object by different distances.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein translating the first object and the second object by different distances comprises translating the second object by a second object distance that is proportional to a first object distance by which the first object is translated. 
     
     
         13 . A multi-touch display device, comprising:
 a display component configured to render a visual output display;   a touch-sensitive sensing system configured to determine that one or more user input devices are engaging a surface of the multi-touch display device; and   a computing system configured to:
 display at least a first object and a second object on the display component; 
 activate a multi-point input control providing at least four degrees of freedom that enables a user to translate the first object in two dimensions, rotate the first object, and scale the first object by engaging the surface of the multi-touch display device at one or more positions that correspond to one or more points within the first object; 
 determine that a user input device is engaging the surface of the multi-touch display device; 
 define a region of influence of the user input device based on a position at which the user input device is engaging the surface; 
 determine that the region of influence engages the first object; 
 as a consequence of determining that the region of influence engages the first object, select the first object; 
 receive a change in the engagement of the user input device with the surface; 
 as a consequence of the change in the engagement of the user input device, determine that the region of influence engages the second object concurrently with engaging the first object; and 
 as a consequence of determining that region of influence engages the second object, select the second object. 
   
     
     
         14 . The multi-touch display device of  claim 13 , wherein a size of the region of influence is a function of the pressure applied to the surface by the user input device, and the change in the engagement of the user input device with the surface comprises a change in the pressure. 
     
     
         15 . The multi-touch display device of  claim 13 , wherein the computing system is further configured to define the region of influence of the first user input device as a function of an area of the surface that is engaged by the user input device. 
     
     
         16 . The multi-touch display device of  claim 13 , wherein the computing system is further configured to define the region of influence of the first user input device as a boundary of the first object. 
     
     
         17 . The multi-touch display device of  claim 16 , wherein the computing system is further configured to, as a consequence of determining that the region of influence engages the second object concurrently with engaging the first object, extend the region of influence to also include a boundary of the second object. 
     
     
         18 . The multi-touch display device of  claim 13 , wherein the computing system is further configured to:
 track movements of the user input device about the surface of the multi-touch display device;   as a consequence of the movements, relocate the region of influence; and   as a consequence of relocating the region of influence, translate the first object and the second object.   
     
     
         19 . The multi-touch display device of  claim 18 , wherein the computing system is further configured to:
 determine that the position at which the user input device is engaging the surface is within a boundary of the first object and is not within a boundary of the second object; and
 as a consequence of determining that the position at which the user input device is engaging the surface is within the boundary of the first object and is not within the boundary of the second object, translate the first object and the second object by different distances. 
   
     
     
         20 . A method performed by a multi-touch display device, the method comprising:
 displaying at least a first object and a second object on the multi-touch display device;   activating a multi-point input control providing at least four degrees of freedom that enables a user to translate the first object in two dimensions, rotate the first object, and scale the first object by engaging a surface of the multi-touch display device at one or more positions that correspond to one or more points within the first object;   determining that a user input device is engaging the surface of the multi-touch display device;   defining a region of influence of the user input device based on a position at which the user input device is engaging the surface, wherein a size of the region of influence is a function of the pressure applied to the surface by the user input device;   determining that the region of influence engages the first object;   as a consequence of determining that the region of influence engages the first object, selecting the first object;   receiving a change in the pressure applied to the surface by the user input device;   as a consequence of the change in the pressure applied to the surface by the user input device, determining that the region of influence engages the second object concurrently with engaging the first object; and   as a consequence of determining that region of influence engages the second object, selecting the second object.