Haptic feedback of user interface scrolling with synchronized visual animation components

• US 10,365,719 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Mellor, Madeleine, Zhai, Shumin, Lee, Seungyon (Claire)
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US15/660,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20190033970A1
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information

Abstract

Apparatus and methods related to visual and haptic feedback on mobile devices are provided. A computing device can present a symbol queue that includes a particular symbol on a screen. The computing device can receive user input to move through the symbol queue. In response to the user input, the computing device can: animate the particular symbol on the screen by at least presenting an expanded item display that includes at least the particular symbol and a particular informational item associated with the particular symbol, and generate haptic feedback that is synchronized with animating the particular symbol on the screen.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

presenting a symbol queue on a screen of a computing device, the symbol queue including a particular symbol, the computing device comprising a haptic actuator;

receiving, at the computing device, user input to scroll through the symbol queue; and

in response to the user input to scroll through the symbol queue, animating the particular symbol on the screen by at least;

presenting an expanded item display that includes the particular symbol and a particular informational item associated with the particular symbol on the screen; and

synchronizing haptic feedback with animating the particular symbol by the haptic actuator providing one or more haptic pulses of haptic feedback while the expanded item display is presented on the screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input to scroll through the symbol queue includes one or more of:

user input to scroll up in the symbol queue and user input to scroll down in the symbol queue.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user input to scroll through the symbol queue comprises user input to scroll up in the symbol queue, and wherein animating the particular symbol further comprises:

updating the symbol queue to remove the particular symbol; and

presenting the updated symbol queue on the screen.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user input to scroll through the symbol queue comprises user input to scroll down in the symbol queue, and wherein the method further comprises:

updating the symbol queue to add the particular symbol;

removing the expanded item display from the screen; and

presenting the updated symbol queue on the screen.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein a first haptic feedback is associated with user input to scroll up in the symbol queue, and wherein a second haptic feedback is associated with the user input to scroll down in the symbol queue.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronizing haptic feedback with animating the particular symbol on the screen comprises providing haptic feedback that changes progressively while scrolling through the symbol queue.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein animating the particular symbol occurs over a time period, and wherein synchronizing the haptic feedback with animating the particular symbol comprises providing the haptic feedback at one or more predetermined times within the time period.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more predetermined times are one or more of:

a beginning of the time period, an end of the time period, and a particular predetermined time between the beginning and the end of one time period.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein providing the haptic feedback at one or more predetermined times within the time period comprises generating haptic feedback that varies in duration, intensity, and waveform at a plurality of predetermined times during the time period.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the screen comprises an item display region that is visually distinct from the symbol queue, and wherein synchronizing haptic feedback with animating the particular symbol comprises presenting the expanded item display in the item display region.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user input to scroll through the symbol queue comprises user input that causes the computing device to continuously scroll through expanded items in the item display region.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein animating the particular symbol on the screen comprises:

in response to the user input to continuously scroll through expanded items in the item display region, updating the display of the symbol queue in coordination with continuously scrolling the expanded items in the item display region.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein synchronizing haptic feedback with animating the particular symbol on the screen further comprises:

continuously scrolling an amount of expanded items in the item display region;

determining that the amount of expanded items exceeds a threshold amount; and

in response to determining that the amount of expanded items exceeds the threshold amount, generating the haptic feedback.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein synchronizing haptic feedback with animating the particular symbol on the screen further comprises:

continuously scrolling the expanded items by a scrolling distance within the item display region;

determining that the scrolling distance exceeds a threshold scrolling distance; and

in response to determining the scrolling distance exceeds the threshold scrolling distance, generating the haptic feedback.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular informational item relates to one or more of:

receipt of one or more messages, sending one or more messages, availability of one or more software downloads, a reminder of an event, one or more particular locations, one or more particular persons and/or entities, and one or more particular computing devices.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device further comprises a touch interface, and wherein the user input to scroll through the symbol queue is received using the touch interface.

17. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a haptic actuator;

a screen; and

data storage including at least computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising;

presenting a symbol queue on the screen, the symbol queue including a particular symbol;

receiving user input to scroll through the symbol queue;

in response to the user input to scroll through the symbol queue, animating the particular symbol on the screen by at least;

presenting an expanded item display that includes the particular symbol and a particular informational item associated with the particular symbol on the screen; and

synchronizing haptic feedback with animating the particular symbol by the haptic actuator providing one or more haptic pulses of haptic feedback while the expanded item display is presented on the screen.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the user input to scroll through the symbol queue includes one or more of:

user input to scroll up in the symbol queue and user input to scroll down in the symbol queue.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the user input to scroll through the symbol queue comprises user input to scroll up in the symbol queue, and wherein animating the particular symbol further comprises:

updating the symbol queue to remove the particular symbol; and

presenting the updated symbol queue on the screen.

20. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the user input to scroll through the symbol queue comprises user input to scroll down in the symbol queue, and wherein the functions further comprise:

updating the symbol queue to add the particular symbol;

removing the expanded item display from the screen; and

presenting the updated symbol queue on the screen.

21. The computing device of claim 18, wherein a first haptic feedback is associated with user input to scroll up in the symbol queue, and wherein a second haptic feedback is associated with the user input to scroll down in the symbol queue.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions, that when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

presenting a symbol queue on a screen of the computing device, the symbol queue including a particular symbol, wherein the computing device comprises a haptic actuator;

receiving user input to scroll through the symbol queue;

in response to the user input to scroll through the symbol queue, animating the particular symbol on the screen by at least;

presenting an expanded item display that includes the particular symbol and a particular informational item associated with the particular symbol on the screen; and

synchronizing haptic feedback with animating the particular symbol by the haptic actuator providing one or more haptic pulses of haptic feedback while the expanded item display is presented on the screen.