User interface

• US 10,346,026 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Heath, Taliver Brooks, Parker, Evan H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Van N
• Application Number:
  US15/387,756
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03 Arrangements for converting the position or the displacement of a member into a coded form
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03541 Mouse/trackball convertible devices, in which the same ball is used to track the 2D relative movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/232 Orthographic correction, e.g. spell checking or vowelisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

A method includes receiving a first input through a hands-based input device. A prompt is then output, and input responsive to the prompt may be received through either of a hands-based input device or a hands-free input device. Responsive to receiving a second input through a hands-free input device, a determination that the second input is responsive to the prompt may be made, an operation based on the second input may be performed, and cessation of the output of the prompt may occur.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying, on a screen of a computing device, a prompt that requests user selection of an action to be performed by the computing device;

receiving, while displaying the prompt, hands-based user input to the computing device that is not responsive to the prompt;

while displaying the prompt and continuing to receive the hands-based user input that is not responsive to the prompt;

receiving hands-free user input to the computing device, and

determining, by the computing device, whether the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt; and

performing, by the computing device, in response to determining that the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt, a selected action that is indicated by the hands-free user input.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the hands-free user input comprises visual input submitted to the computing device using a camera.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein determining that the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt comprises:

determining that the visual input submitted to the computing device using the camera shows a motion of a person'"'"'s head; and

identifying that the motion of the person'"'"'s head corresponds to a pre-defined nodding gesture that indicates the selected action is to perform an operation identified by the prompt, or that the motion of the person'"'"'s head corresponds to a pre-defined shaking gesture that indicates the selected action is to not perform the operation identified by the prompt.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the hands-free user input comprises spoken input submitted to the computing device using a microphone.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein determining that the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt comprises performing speech recognition on the spoken input to:

(i) determine whether the spoken input includes one or more terms that indicate the selected action is to perform an operation identified by the prompt, or

(ii) determine whether the spoken input includes one or more terms that indicate the selected action is to not perform the operation identified by the prompt.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, while displaying the prompt and before determining that the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt, receiving a first portion of the hands-based user input and determining that the first portion of the hands-based user input is not responsive to the prompt.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining that a first portion of the hands-free user input is not responsive to the prompt.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the hands-based user input is directed to a particular activity running on the computing device;

further comprising beginning to receive the hands-based user input that is directed to the particular activity before displaying the prompt, and continuing to receive the hands-based user input that is directed to the particular activity while displaying the prompt, the hands-based user input not being interrupted from the particular activity as a result of displaying the prompt.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the computing device is a mobile computing device, and

the hands-based user input is submitted to the mobile computing device using a touch-sensitive display of the mobile computing device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the hands-based user input comprises typed input that is entered using a virtual keyboard or a physical keyboard of the computing device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a particular term indicated by the hands-based user input is likely misspelled,

wherein displaying the prompt that requests user selection of the action to be performed by the computing device comprises;

(i) displaying, on the screen of the computing device, an indication that the particular term is likely misspelled, and

(ii) displaying, on the screen of the computing device, a suggested spell-corrected term to replace the particular term,

wherein determining that the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt comprises determining that the hands-free user input indicates a selection to replace or to not replace the particular term with the suggested spell-corrected term.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt, ceasing to display the prompt.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, cause performance of operations comprising:

displaying, on a screen of a computing device, a prompt that requests user selection of an action to be performed by the computing device;

receiving, while displaying the prompt, hands-based user input to the computing device that is not responsive to the prompt;

while displaying the prompt and continuing to receive the hands-based user input that is not responsive to the prompt;

receiving, hands-free user input to the computing device, and

determining, by the computing device, whether the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt; and

performing, by the computing device, in response to determining that the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt, a selected action that is indicated by the hands-free user input.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the hands-free user input comprises visual input submitted to the computing device using a camera.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 14, wherein determining that the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt comprises:

determining that the visual input submitted to the computing device using the camera shows a motion of a person'"'"'s head; and

identifying that the motion of the person'"'"'s head corresponds to a pre-defined nodding gesture that indicates the selected action is to perform an operation identified by the prompt, or that the motion of the person'"'"'s head corresponds to a pre-defined shaking gesture that indicates the selected action is to not perform the operation identified by the prompt.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the hands-free user input comprises spoken input submitted to the computing device using a microphone.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein determining that the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt comprises performing speech recognition on the spoken input to:

(i) determine whether the spoken input includes one or more terms that indicate the selected action is to perform an operation identified by the prompt, or

(ii) determine whether the spoken input includes one or more terms that indicate the selected action is to not perform the operation identified by the prompt.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise, while displaying the prompt and before determining that the hands-free user input is responsive to the prompt, receiving a first portion of the hands-based user input and determining that the first portion of the hands-based user input is not responsive to the prompt.