Cursor positioning on display screen

• US 10,120,555 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Li Jia, Chen, Yu, Geng, Qiuju, Zhou, Kun
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nicholas, Wendy
• Application Number:
  US14/713,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20160334962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 715784, 345157, 345156, 345173, 345660, 455566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A user interface for a touchscreen display device including a technique for cursor positioning, with respect to: (i) a touchscreen display upon which the cursor is displayed; and (ii) displayable content (also sometimes herein referred to as a “display area”) which is also, at least in part, displayed on the touchscreen display. Based on a desired position to which the activated display area is moved while a cursor remains static on the display screen, a placement position at which the cursor is to be placed with respect to the displayable content is determined.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a first display on a touchscreen display device, with the first display including;

(i) a text box occupying an initial text box position with respect to the touchscreen display, and (ii) a cursor occupying an initial cursor position with respect to the touchscreen display;

receiving first user input data indicating that a user has touched the display of the text box on the touchscreen for at least a predetermined amount of time;

responsive to receipt of the first user input data, displaying a series of second displays where the text box is floating relative to the touchscreen and the cursor remains in a constant position with respect to the touchscreen;

during the displaying of the series of second displays where the text box is floating, receiving second user input indicative of a dragging gesture on the touchscreen by the user;

responsive to the receipt of the second user input, dragging the floating text box relative to the touchscreen in accordance with the dragging gesture while the cursor remains in the initial cursor position; and

after completion of the dragging gesture of the second user input, displaying a third display on the touchscreen display device, with the third display including;

(i) the text box occupying the initial text box position with respect to the touchscreen display, and (ii) the cursor at a changed position that is spaced apart from the initial cursor position;

wherein content of the text box of the first display, the series of second displays, and the third display is the same size, and the displayable area of the text box of the first display, the series of second displays, and the third display is the same size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein after completion of the dragging gesture of the second user input, text information between the initial cursor position and the cursor at the changed position is selected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the touchscreen display device is a smart phone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined amount of time is 3 seconds.

5. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium; and

computer code stored on the computer-readable storage medium, with the computer code including instructions for causing a processor(s) set to perform operations including the following;

displaying a first display on a touchscreen display device, with the first display including;

(i) a text box occupying an initial text box position with respect to the touchscreen display, and (ii) a cursor occupying an initial cursor position with respect to the touchscreen display;

receiving first user input data indicating that a user has touched the display of the text box on the touchscreen for at least a predetermined amount of time;

responsive to receipt of the first user input data, displaying a series of second displays where the text box is floating relative to the touchscreen and the cursor remains in a constant position with respect to the touchscreen;

during the displaying of the series of second displays where the text box is floating, receiving second user input indicative of a dragging gesture on the touchscreen by the user;

responsive to the receipt of the second user input, dragging the floating text box relative to the touchscreen in accordance with the dragging gesture while the cursor remains in the initial cursor position; and

after completion of the dragging gesture of the second user input, displaying a third display on the touchscreen display device, with the third display including;

(i) the text box occupying the initial text box position with respect to the touchscreen display, and (ii) the cursor at a changed position that is spaced apart from the initial cursor position;

wherein content of the text box of the first display, the series of second displays, and the third display is the same size, and the displayable area of the text box of the first display, the series of second displays, and the third display is the same size.

6. The product of claim 5, wherein after completion of the dragging gesture of the second user input, text information between the initial cursor position and the cursor at the changed position is selected.

7. The product of claim 5, wherein the touchscreen display device is a smart phone.

8. The product of claim 5, wherein the predetermined amount of time is 3 seconds.

9. A computer system comprising:

a processor(s) set;

a computer-readable storage medium; and

computer code stored on the computer-readable storage medium, with the computer code including instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform operations including the following;

displaying a first display on a touchscreen display device, with the first display including;

(i) a text box occupying an initial text box position with respect to the touchscreen display, and (ii) a cursor occupying an initial cursor position with respect to the touchscreen display;

receiving first user input data indicating that a user has touched the display of the text box on the touchscreen for at least a predetermined amount of time;

responsive to receipt of the first user input data, displaying a series of second displays where the text box is floating relative to the touchscreen and the cursor remains in a constant position with respect to the touchscreen;

during the displaying of the series of second displays where the text box is floating, receiving second user input indicative of a dragging gesture on the touchscreen by the user;

responsive to the receipt of the second user input, dragging the floating text box relative to the touchscreen in accordance with the dragging gesture while the cursor remains in the initial cursor position; and

after completion of the dragging gesture of the second user input, displaying a third display on the touchscreen display device, with the third display including;

(i) the text box occupying the initial text box position with respect to the touchscreen display, and (ii) the cursor at a changed position that is spaced apart from the initial cursor position;

wherein content of the text box of the first display, the series of second displays, and the third display is the same size, and the displayable area of the text box of the first display, the series of second displays, and the third display is the same size.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein after completion of the dragging gesture of the second user input, text information between the initial cursor position and the cursor at the changed position is selected.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the touchscreen display device is a smart phone.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the predetermined amount of time is 3 seconds.