FLUID MOTION USER INTERFACE CONTROL

• US 20090058801A1
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bull, William
• Application Number:
  US11/849,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20090058801A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/157
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A fluid motion user interface control is disclosed. According to an example of the disclosure, a processor receives a signal indicating a unit of motion applied to an input device, determines a distance to move a cursor based on the unit of motion, and displays a movement of the cursor over the distance in two or more stages.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a signal indicating a unit of motion applied to an input device;

determining a distance to move a cursor based on the unit of motion; and

displaying a movement of the cursor over the distance in two or more stages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of motion includes a number of regions of the input device that the motion has crossed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unit of motion includes a direction of the motion.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device includes a scroll wheel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more stages of display provide the cursor movement with a visual effect of fluid motion.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the two or more stages of display provide the cursor movement with a visual effect of acceleration or deceleration.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the cursor movement is associated with an advancement of the cursor from a first position associated with a first object to a second position associated with a second object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the cursor highlights the first object from the first position and highlights the second object from the second position.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein an appearance of the first and second objects is not altered when the cursor is advanced from the first position to the second position.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second objects include text objects.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein upon reaching a predetermined distance from the second position during the advancement of the cursor, the cursor movement is provided with a visual effect of snapping onto the second object.

12. A method comprising:

displaying a list including a first item and second item of different sizes; and

displaying a movement of a cursor from a position highlighting the first item to a position highlighting the second item, wherein a size of the cursor is adjusted during two or more stages of the movement.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the size of the cursor is adjusted in relation to the different sizes of the first item and second item.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the cursor movement is displayed to provide a visual effect of fluid motion.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the cursor movement is displayed to provide a visual effect of acceleration or deceleration.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second items include text items.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second items include icons.

18. A device comprising:

a processor configured to

recognize a command to move a cursor in a specified direction, and

determine a distance to move the cursor responsive to the command; and

an output device configured to display a movement of the cursor over the distance in a plurality of steps.