Using Pinching Gesture to Relate Applications Running on Discrete Touch-Screen Devices

Abstract

The authors propose the use of a pinching gesture for relating the applications running on discrete mobile devices. The gesture is realized by swiping the touch-screen of two annexed mobile devices as if pinching them together. The authors believe that this user interface can create new user experiences of multiple-screen usages, especially by designing the applications’ content to react instantly to the connection and disconnection triggered by the gesture, and to make it happen even while applications are running in each device. The authors expect this interface to fulfill a great potential in inspiring application designers to conceive various ideas especially suited for visually fascinating contents that take advantage of the dynamic reconfigurable multi-display feature. To demonstrate that potential, the authors produced some sample applications. Herein, the authors explain the idea and details of the interface mechanism, and explain the design of sample applications.