Smart drag-and-drop

• US 20070234226A1
• Filed: 03/29/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Szeto, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,793,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are described for manipulating objects in a user interface. The user interface includes a first interface object operable to be selected and moved within the user interface. In response to selection and movement of the first interface object in the user interface, at least one additional interface object is presented in the user interface in proximity of the first interface object. Each additional interface object represents a drop target with which the first interface object may be associated.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for manipulating objects in a user interface, comprising:

providing the user interface including a first interface object operable to be selected and moved within the user interface; and

in response to selection and movement of the first interface object in the user interface, presenting at least one additional interface object in the user interface in proximity of the first interface object, each additional interface object representing a drop target with which the first interface object may be associated.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first interface object represents any of a data file, a shortcut, an executable, a contact, and a message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each additional interface object corresponds to a current interface object present in the user interface prior to the selection and movement of the first interface object, each current interface object representing the drop target to which the corresponding additional interface object corresponds.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the at least one additional interface object is presented closer to the first interface object than the corresponding current interface object.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one additional interface object is presented in the user interface instead of the corresponding current interface object.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one additional interface object is presented in the user interface simultaneously with the corresponding current interface object.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to presenting the at least one additional interface object, identifying the at least one additional interface object with reference to at least one of a parameter associated with the first interface object, at least one currently instantiated object in the user interface, previous user interaction with the drop target, a user preference, a speed of movement of the first interface object in the user interface, a direction of movement of the first interface object in the user interface, a position of the first interface object in the user interface, and a position of a preexisting drop target in the user interface.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising facilitating association of the first interface object with the drop target represented by a selected one of the at least one additional interface object.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein facilitating association of the first interface object with the drop target represented by the selected additional interface object comprises associating the first interface object with the drop target in response to the first interface object being dragged over and dropped on the selected additional interface object.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the drop target corresponds to a first portion of a file system, and wherein facilitating association of the first interface object with the drop target represented by the selected additional interface object comprises associating the first interface element with the first portion of the file system.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising facilitating navigation of a second portion of the file system related to the first portion of the file system by presenting at least one further additional interface object representing at least one further drop target associated with the second portion of the file system.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface is provided on a display associated with any of a personal computer, a media computing platform, a wireless device, a telecommunications device, and a handheld computing device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the user interface is associated with any of a web application, an operating system, a client application, and a messaging application.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one additional interface object comprises a plurality of additional interface objects in a configuration relative to the first interface object.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the configuration of the additional interface objects is determined with reference to at least one of a number of the additional interface objects, a speed of movement of the first interface object in the user interface, a direction of movement of the first interface object in the user interface, and a position of the first interface object in the user interface.

16. A device comprising a processor, memory, and a display, the processor and memory being configured to:

provide a user interface on the display including a first interface object operable to be selected and moved within the user interface; and

present at least one additional interface object in the user interface in proximity of the first interface object in response to selection and movement of the first interface object in the user interface, each additional interface object representing a drop target with which the first interface object may be associated.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the device comprises one of a personal computer, a media computing platform, a wireless device, a telecommunications device, and a handheld computing device.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the user interface is associated with any of a web application, an operating system, a client application, and a messaging application.

19. A computing platform comprising at least one processor and memory configured to provide a user interface on a remote device in communication with the computing platform, the user interface including a first interface object operable to be selected and moved within the user interface, the user interface being operable to present at least one additional interface object in the user interface in proximity of the first interface object in response to selection and movement of the first interface object in the user interface, each additional interface object representing a drop target with which the first interface object may be associated.

20. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable medium having computer program instructions stored therein which are operable to cause a computing device to:

provide a user interface including a first interface object operable to be selected and moved within the user interface; and

present at least one additional interface object in the user interface in proximity of the first interface object in response to selection and movement of the first interface object in the user interface, each additional interface object representing a drop target with which the first interface object may be associated.