Autodesk, Inc.

Xing-Dong Yang

George William Fitzmaurice

Tovi Samuel Grossman

Daniel John Wigdor

Pourang Polad Irani

A finger device initiates actions on a computer system when placed in contact with a surface. The finger device includes instrumentation that captures images and gestures. When in contact with a surface, the finger device captures images of the surface and gestures made on the surface. The finger device also transmits the images and gesture data to the computer system. An application on the computer system matches the images received from the finger device to a representation of the surface, identifies an action associated with the surface representation and gesture, and executes the action. Instrumenting the finger instead of the surface, allows a user to configure virtually any surface to accept touch input.

Always-available input through finger instrumentation

Systems and methods for providing graphical user interface elements optimized for touch-based input in connection with an application that is designed for conventional input received from a keyboard and a mouse. The touch-based graphical user interface elements are displayed when the computer system detects that a user is about to switch from conventional input devices to touch-sensitive input devices. The touch-based graphical user interface elements are hidden when the user provides input with the conventional input devices such that the touch-based graphical user interface elements do not distract from the applications normal operation. The display device includes a sensing capability that enables the computer system to detect when an object, such as a user's finger or a stylus, is proximate to, but not in contact with, the display device.

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Edmonton, Canada

Xing-Dong Yang