Pressure sensitive controls

• US 20060132457A1
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jarrett, Robert James, Rimas-Ribikauskas, Emily
• Granted Patent: US 7,619,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2217/282 Carbides, silicides
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/154 by sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/328 Partly or completely removing a coating
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 2218/355 Temporary coating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• 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

The use of pressure-sensitive controls is disclosed in which controls respond differently to different pressure applied by a stylus on a digitizer. Users interacting with displayed controls may modify the speed, increment, or other property of the control by pressing harder or softer. Devices that allow for the input of location and pressure information may use embodiments of the invention, including computers with pressure sensitive mice or digitizer tablets, PDAs, or tablet computers. Controls that may use pressure to augment their behavior include scrollbars, spinner controls, resize handles, buttons, drop down menus and so forth.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for adjusting a displayed control, comprising the steps of:

(1) receiving an input upon a display surface of a display device at a location corresponding to the displayed control;

(2) determining an amount of pressure applied by the input;

(3) responsive to a first amount of pressure, the displayed control responding in a first manner; and

(4) responsive to a second greater amount of pressure, the displayed control responding in a second manner, wherein the second manner is different than the first manner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) comprises receiving the input upon the display surface at a location corresponding to a scroll control.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein step (3) comprises the scroll control scrolling at a first speed in response to the first amount of pressure, and wherein step (4) comprises the scroll control scrolling at a second speed in response to the second amount of pressure, wherein the second speed is faster than the first speed.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein step (3) comprises the scroll control incrementally scrolling toward the location of the input in response to the first amount of pressure, and wherein step (4) comprises the scroll control scrolling directly to the location of the input in response to the second amount of pressure.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) comprises receiving the input upon the display surface at a location corresponding to a spinner control, wherein step (3) comprises adjusting a value of the spinner control at a first increment in response to the first amount of pressure, and wherein step (4) comprises adjusting a value of the spinner control at a second increment in response to the second amount of pressure, wherein the second increment is larger than the first increment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) comprises receiving the input upon the display surface at a location corresponding to a resize handle associated with an object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein step (3) comprises resizing the object in a smooth manner in response to the first amount of pressure, and wherein step (4) comprises resizing the object in a constrained manner in response to the second amount of pressure.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (1) comprises receiving the input upon the display surface at a location corresponding to a repeating control, wherein step (3) comprises performing a repeated function at a first rate in response to the first amount of pressure, and wherein step (4) comprises performing the repeated function at a second rate faster than the first rate in response to the second amount of pressure.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(5) providing feedback to a user about the amount of pressure applied by the input.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein step (5) comprises displaying a pressure gauge.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein step (5) comprises visually modifying a displayed cursor in accordance with an amount of pressure applied by the input.

12. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

13. A method for interacting with a displayed control in a computer, comprising steps of:

(1) receiving an input from a pointing device directed to the displayed control;

(2) determining a pressure associated with the input;

(3) responsive to a first amount of pressure, causing the displayed control to operate in a first manner; and

(4) responsive to a greater second amount of pressure, causing the displayed control to operate in a second manner, wherein the second manner is different than the first manner.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the displayed control is a scrollbar.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein step (3) comprises scrolling the scroll control slowly in response to the first amount of pressure, and wherein step (4) comprises scrolling the scroll control faster in response to the second amount of pressure.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the displayed control is a spinner control.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein step (3) comprises changing the spinner control with a smaller increment in response to the first amount of pressure, and wherein step (4) comprises changing the spinner control with a larger increment in response to the second amount of pressure.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

(5) providing feedback to the user revealing the amount of pressure applied.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein step (5) comprises providing visual feedback.

20. A computer-readable medium for storing computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 13.