Systems and methods for enhancing user interaction with displayed information

• US 10,078,415 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gandhi, Saumil Ashvin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsui, Wilson W
• Application Number:
  US14/868,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20160018966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method of enhancing user interaction with content displayed on a display of a touch screen device is provided. The method includes displaying at least one enhanced cursor within a viewable area of the display, the at least one enhanced cursor having a predefined action associated therewith, and receiving a selection of the at least one enhanced cursor. The method also includes detecting movement of the selected at least one enhance cursor onto displayed content, and executing the predefined action on the content. The method may further include detecting a subject matter of content being displayed on a display of a device coupled to the processor. Furthermore, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for execution by a processor that cause the processor to perform the provided method may also be provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

parsing, by one or more hardware processors, visual content being displayed on an electronic user interface to determine a subject matter of the visual content;

selecting, by the one or more hardware processors, a first set of to actions, from a plurality of available actions, for an enhanced cursor for use with the visual content based on the determined subject matter;

assigning, by the one or more hardware processors, the first set of actions to the enhanced cursor;

displaying, by the one or more hardware processors, the enhanced cursor at an initial area on the electronic user interface without obscuring the visual content;

receiving, by the one or more hardware processors, a selection of a portion of the visual content based on detecting a user selection of the enhanced cursor and movement of the enhanced cursor from the initial area of the electronic user interface to the portion of the displayed content on the electronic user interface; and

in response to receiving the selection of the portion of the visual content, executing, by the one or more hardware processors, the first set of actions using the portion of the visual content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial area of the enhanced cursor is an area where the visual content is not displayed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user selection of the enhanced cursor comprises at least one of a double-clicking or a double-tapping.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced cursor includes configurable elements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of actions comprises running a search query based on the portion of the visual content against a database and displaying search results on a separate window of the electronic user interface, wherein the method further comprises moving the enhanced cursor to the initial area of the electronic user interface after executing the first set of actions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the enhanced cursor displays predefined information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined information indicates the first set of actions.

8. An enhanced cursor system comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

parsing visual content being displayed on an electronic user interface to determine a subject matter of the visual content;

selecting a first action, from a plurality of available actions, for a first cursor for use with the visual content based on the determined subject matter;

assigning the first action to the first cursor;

displaying the first cursor in a cursor palette comprising a plurality of cursors at an initial area on the electronic user interface without obscuring the visual content;

receiving a selection of a portion of the content based on detecting a user selection of the first cursor from the cursor palette and movement of the first cursor from the initial area to the portion of the visual content displayed on the electronic user interface; and

in response to receiving the selection of the portion of the visual content, executing the first action using the portion of the visual content.

9. The enhanced cursor system of claim 8, wherein the cursor palette is displayed in an area where the visual content is not displayed.

10. The enhanced cursor system of claim 8, wherein the user selection of the first cursor comprises at least one of a double-clicking or a double-tapping.

11. The enhanced cursor system of claim 8, wherein the first cursor includes configurable elements.

12. The enhanced cursor system of claim 8, wherein the first action is comprises purchasing a product based on the visual content.

13. The enhanced cursor system of claim 8, wherein the first cursor displays predefined information.

14. The enhanced cursor system of claim 13, wherein the predefined information indicates the first action.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

parsing visual content being displayed on an electronic user interface to determine a subject matter of the visual content;

selecting a first action, from a plurality of available actions, for a cursor within a cursor palette based on the determined subject matter;

assigning the first action to the cursor;

displaying the cursor at an initial area on the electronic user interface without obscuring the visual content;

receiving a selection of a portion of the visual content based on detecting a user selection of the cursor from the cursor palette and movement of the cursor from the initial area to the portion of the visual content displayed on the electronic user interface; and

in response to receiving the selection of the portion of the visual content, executing the first action using the portion of the visual content.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the cursor palette is displayed in an area where the visual content is not displayed.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the cursor has a user defined appearance.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the cursor displays Really Simple Syndication (RSS) news.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first action comprises initiating a payment authorization for a product based on selected portion of the visual content.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the cursor displays predefined information indicating the first action.