System and methods for interacting with a control environment

• US 20080016467A1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Universal Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Yuh, Allen, Scott, Cheryl, Scott, Wayne, Chambers, Christopher, Arling, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,997,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A system and methods for facilitation of user interactions with an electronic device. A number of user interface methods are described and may be used alone or in combination with one another to present an enhanced interface to a user. A method of providing user interaction using a compact status indicator is described. A method for providing a virtual scroll wheel to a user for interaction with content sets is described. A method for allowing a user to dynamically modify a scalable user interface is described. A method for providing gesture based input to a user via a virtual gesture pad is described. A method of providing an interactive graphic search query interface is described. A method for indicating and selecting available content type is described.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device adapted to accept a gesture based input from a user, comprising a touch screen pad used to accept the gesture based input, the touch screen pad having a plurality of gesture accepting areas, each gesture accepting area being arranged to accept a gesture in a direction that is unique with respect to the other gesture accepting areas.

2. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a transmission circuit for transmitting commands to one or more electronic devices in response to the gesture based input.

3. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein each gesture accepting area is positioned on the touch screen display at a location that is unique with respect to the other gesture accepting areas.

4. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein all of the plurality of gesture accepting areas are initiated on the touch screen display in response to an initial gesture being provided to the touch screen pad.

5. A portable electronic device adapted to accept a gesture based input from a user, comprising a touch screen pad being used to display content and to accept the gesture based input, wherein the gesture based input comprises a first characteristic and programming associated with the touch screen pad functions to modify a first parameter of the content being displayed as a function of the first characteristic.

6. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the first parameter of the content comprises a zoom factor of the content being displayed on the display.

7. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the zoom factor of the content being displayed is modified from a first discrete zoom level to a second discrete zoom level as a function of the first characteristic.

8. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the zoom factor of the content is modified on a continuum from a first zoom level to a second zoom level as a function of the first characteristic.

9. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the first characteristic comprises a distance defined by the gesture based input.

10. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 6, wherein the first characteristic comprises a vector defined by the gesture based input.

11. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the programming associated with the touch screen pad is initiated in response to a gesture based input first being provided to the touch screen pad.

12. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the first parameter comprises a selection of graphical user interface input elements displayed as a part of the content.

13. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the first characteristic comprises an end point of the gesture based input on the touch screen pad.

14. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the first characteristic comprises a distance defined by the gesture based input.

15. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the first characteristic comprises a vector defined by the gesture based input.

16. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the first characteristic comprises a number of times the gesture based input has been repeated in succession.

17. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein gesture based input comprises a second characteristic and the programming associated with the touch screen pad functions to modify a second parameter of the content being displayed as a function of the second characteristic.

18. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein the first parameter of the content comprises a zoom factor of the content being displayed on the display and the second parameter comprises a selection of graphical user interface input elements displayed as a part of the content.

19. The portable electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein the first characteristic comprises a value provided by the gesture based input with reference to an x-axis of the touch screen pad and the second characteristic comprises a value provided by the gesture based input with reference to a y-axis of the touch screen pad.