painting with multi-touch :))) Re: (text/number/info/notes) input with power of multi-touch :)))) Re: multicolour multi-touch screen Re: OpenMoko/Neo1973 is pure (r)evolution :))) - do you recognized the power of "multi-touch gesture recognition"

[Robert Michel]

Salve Sean!

Sean Moss-Pultz schrieb am Dienstag, den 05. Dezember 2006 um 23:07h:

> On 12/5/06 10:04 PM, "Robert Michel" <openmoko at robertmichel.de> wrote:
> 
> > So please go ahead with your concept :)
> > Single finger import is important, too ;))
> > 
> > But I wanted to remind that beside single touch concept,
> > real *new* concepts (without patent protections) could be
> > possible - and this concpets could suport real fast
> > key import that you don't have the need for a external
> > querty keyboard  :))))
> 
> I've been meaning to comment on this for almost a week now, but I've just
> been too consumed in other things. I'm in Japan now so I have a bit more
> time (less meetings each day ;-).

A Japan - this remember me my idea of paint-brush (not only for
chinese/japanese key paintings)
Use different hardware brushs (these that you are normaly use
for painting) to paint on a multi-touch sensor display - and
use virtual color pots and a virtual palette to mix them
and you could draw aquarells, acryl or other paintings.
For painting with color pens, coloured crayon or (carbon) pencil 
different hardware dummies could work.

So handwriting on a touchscreen would become to have a wide of 
the writingline - it would looks naturaly. Write and paint
your girlfind a coloured handwriten message with painings instead
of a sterile text message :))))

Together with the multi-colour-multi-touch sensor the pen-dummies could
have different spikes (narrow wide used round) and also diferent colours.

When the display would have a special harded surface and protected
against dirt/easy clean, it could become possible to use normal Pens,
like pencil or ballpen on the touchscreen.

(The opener wasn't a big joke - I want to have the device as robust
an strong as possible that it is stabil and longliving like all
mechanical tools that I have - or just as like ballpens. It isn't
law of nature that a machine must be broken after falling down 1m, 
getting wet or be used with a normal pen)


> I'm not sure where the multi-touch documents came from that were posted on
> the internet. They were concept drawings I did a while back. (For the
> record, long before Apple's interface patents.)

I hope that you did also published before Apple took the patents ;)

> The vendor of the touch panel we are using said it might be possible. But it
> would be a considerable driver effort. We are not going to have this done
> for our initial Neo1973 release. I was never even on our roadmap for this
> device.  

Don't wory - when the data of the hardware sensor could be accessed by
software than drivers could become hacked (also solution that maybe
will run in hardware on next generation of phone.)

During calling or some other applications that use high CPU power
no multi-touch is needed - but during text input there would be
enough CPU power to do multi-touch recongnition.

> I'll try to see if I can dig up more information about this for Robert when
> I return to Taiwan. I know it's something that got you very excited.

Indeed :))
 
> Once again, sorry for the needless confusion this has caused.

Oh no - I'm very happy about this :)))
I wouldn't be disapointet when the Neo1973 v1 couldn't use multi-touch,
it is just an very exciting potential for the next generation of device.

Even the 4 hardware buttons of a PalmPilot are dispensable when
a inclination sensor unlook the screen and a huge combination of
singel finger movements or combination of multitouch could be combined
with function/program starts....

Another idea of multi-touch - imagine a simple top down movement of
a single line - by using one finger you could start with you finger nail
and end with your finger tap = different to a line just with finger nail
or finger tap.

A combination of finger nail and fingertap (narrow line, wide line)
could be included in every movement of your key/finger stroke.


Don't worry to give more information about the hardware of the v1
- doing some brainstorming what power multi-coulor sensors would
have and how to use them would help for the next generation.

Maybe I will hack my Neo to do some multi-touch sensor developing
- adding the touchscreen to my PC and route the regognition back
(via usb) to my Neo :)))

So I'm not confused - I have enough ideas what to hack with the 
Neo1973 even only with the At-GSM/GPRS commands, AGPS and a single
touch sensor.


So IMHO some more important open questions (some stuff for meetings),
then details to the touch screen...

- will the device will get one light detector?
- could the touch sensor work as 2 (or 4) direction light detector?
- will the touch detector open engough for to some development?
- will there an audio in (mono/stero - frequenzy? 20-20.000 Hz?)
- will the SD card slot support SDIO? 
- realy only micro SD?
- sd card slot multiplexing (one normal size *and* 1-3 micro slots)?
- power supply for USB slot
- how long will the chaging via USB take? See greenphone reports
  wouldn't worth to have an additional express charging port
- one free SPI port for additional sensors
- some nice sensor already on the device inclination/acceleration/
  3d compass/light sensor/barometer/thermometer/MW radio
:)

Ah - but again, when even normal use of the Neo1973 wouldn't use
multi touch or high accurate touch positioning - it would be good
when the hardware on the device would be open for hacks to get
multi-touch-positions with higher resolution - even when this mode
would be to slow for normal use - it would make hacking/developing
possible. :))))

You've started a great project!

Cheers,
rob