Free-form entries during payment processes

• US 10,372,305 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Patel, Amol B., Menon, Suraj S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shedrick, Charles T
• Application Number:
  US15/267,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 455566, 455440, 345173, 345179, 345467
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• 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 3/0484 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/381 Currency conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for allowing a user to perform a free-form action to initiate an activity associated with a user interface element are provided. For example, a computer-implemented method may include providing a user interface comprising a user interface element for display, detecting a free-form action performed by a user, determining a free-form definition corresponding to the detected free-form action where the determined free-form definition is one of a plurality of stored definitions, and performing an activity associated with the user interface element where the activity corresponds to the determined free-form definition.

Claims

1. A 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;

providing a user interface comprising a user interface element for display on a display, wherein the user interface element is associated with an activity that is performed when the user interface element is selected on the display;

detecting a free-form action performed by a user on the display;

determining a free-form definition corresponding to the detected free-form action, wherein the free-form action includes a variation from the free-form definition and wherein the free-form definition comprises one of a plurality of stored definitions specific to the user; and

performing the activity associated with the user interface element without the user interface element being selected on the display, the activity corresponding to the determined free-form definition.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined free-form definition is associated with the user interface element matched with the detected free-form action, and wherein a different free-form definition is associated with the detected free-form action matched with an element other than the user interface element.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the determining, at least in part, is based on a type of the system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the free-form definition is associated with a profile of the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein detecting the free-form action the user on the display includes detecting a movement performed by the user on an image displayed on the display.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein detecting the free-form action the user on the display includes detecting a user action on a touch screen included on the display.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a notification of the determined free-form definition.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing, by one or more hardware processors, a user interface comprising a user interface element for display on a display, wherein the user interface element is associated with an activity that is performed when the user interface element is selected on the display;

detecting, by one or more of the hardware processors, a free-form action performed by a user on the display;

determining, by one or more of the hardware processors, a free-form definition corresponding to the detected free-form action, wherein the free-form action includes a variation from the free-form definition and wherein the free-form definition comprises one of a plurality of stored definitions specific to the user; and

performing, by one or more of the hardware processors, the activity associated with the user interface element without the user interface element being selected on the display, the activity corresponding to the determined free-form definition.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the determined free-form definition is associated with the user interface element matched with the detected free-form action, and wherein a different free-form definition is associated with the detected free-form action matched with an element other than the user interface element.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the determining, at least in part, is based on a type of a system storing the stored definitions.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the free-form definition is associated with a profile of the user.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein detecting the free-form action by the user on the display includes detecting a movement performed by the user on an image displayed on the display.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein detecting the free-form action by the user on the display includes detecting a user action on a touch screen included on the display.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying, by one or more of the hardware processors, a notification of the determined free-form definition.

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

providing a user interface comprising a user interface element for display on a display, wherein the user interface element is associated with an activity that is performed when the user interface element is selected on the display;

detecting a free-form action performed by a user on the display;

determining a free-form definition corresponding to the detected free-form action, wherein the free-form action includes a variation from the free-form definition and wherein the free-form definition comprises one of a plurality of stored definitions specific to the user; and

performing the activity associated with the user interface element without the user interface element being selected on the display, the activity corresponding to the determined free-form definition.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the determined free-form definition is associated with the user interface element matched with the detected free-form action, and wherein a different free-form definition is associated with the detected free-form action matched with an element other than the user interface element.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the determining, at least in part, is based on a type of a system storing the stored definitions.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the free-form definition is associated with a profile of the user.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein detecting the free-form action by the user on the display includes detecting a user action on a touch screen included on the display.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying a notification of the determined free-form definition.