MAGNIFIER PANNING INTERFACE FOR NATURAL INPUT DEVICES

• US 20100083186A1
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Reid, Paul J., Zaman, Nazia
• Granted Patent: US 9,372,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/856
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A magnifier movement system is described herein that provides a more user-friendly experience for users of natural input devices when moving the magnifier and interacting with magnified user interface elements. The system receives an indication that a user has touched the screen with a natural input device at a particular location. The system displays a drag control for moving the magnifier, but does not move the magnifier unless the user selects the drag control and moves the natural input device. If the drag control is unselected and the system receives additional natural input, then the system passes the input on to the magnified application. Thus, the magnifier movement system provides a more satisfying user experience for users of natural input-based computer systems and screen magnifiers.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for moving a magnified area based on user interaction with a drag control, the method comprising:

receiving a location of a desktop touched by a touch-based input device;

determining whether the touched location contains a drag control that receives a user indication to move the magnified area;

if the touched location contains the drag control, moving the magnified area based on subsequent movement of the touch-based input device by the user; and

if the touched location does not contain the drag control, forwarding the touched location to a user interface element below the magnified area.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a location and subsequent movement comprise a user setting a stylus down on a touch screen and dragging the stylus in a direction.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, before forwarding the touched location, modifying the coordinates to account for a difference in location between the user interface element in the magnified area and its unmagnified location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein forwarding the touched location to the user interface element comprises forwarding a mouse button down message.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, when the cursor is over the drag control, modifying the cursor to provide an indication that the user can move the magnified area by selecting the drag control.

6. A computer system for selecting a displayed area to magnify, the system comprising:

an input device configured to receive input from a user and communicate the input to an operating system;

an input detection component configured to convert the received input into coordinates of a displayed cursor, wherein when a user moves the input device, the input detection component moves the displayed cursor;

a location identification component configured to identify one or more user interface elements present at a current location of the displayed cursor;

a panning component configured to pan a magnified view to a new location based on the current location of the cursor and movement of the cursor from the current location;

a display configured to display a graphical representation of one or more applications and the magnified view that contains an enlarged view of at least a portion of the graphical representation; and

a magnification component configured to generate the magnified view from a selected area of the graphical representation.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the input detection component is further configured to invoke an operating system API to distinguish input received from a touch device from input received from a keyboard or mouse.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the location identification component is further configured to determine whether the mouse cursor is near a drag control for moving the magnified view.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the location identification component is further configured to determine whether the current location of the cursor is over a user interface element in the magnified view that is an enlarged version of an element on an original desktop.

10. The system of claim 6 further comprising a forwarding component configured to pass received user input to the identified user interface elements when the drag control is not selected.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the forwarding component is further configured to modify the coordinates received from the input detection component so that the user'"'"'s click occurs over a user interface element that was displayed at the location the user clicked in the magnified view.

12. The system of claim 6 further comprising a configuration component configured to receive configuration information from the user that modifies behavior of the system.

13. The system of claim 6 wherein the input device is selected from the group consisting of a stylus, a digital pen, a mouse, and a touch screen.

14. The system of claim 6 wherein the panning component moves the magnified view using animation at an accelerated rate initially and decelerates the movement as the magnified view nears the new location.

15. The system of claim 6 wherein the display device displays the magnified view as a window that appears on a desktop provided by the operating system.

16. A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions for controlling a computer system to pan a view of a computer screen, by a method comprising:

detecting an update event that indicates a time for updating the contents and position of the view;

retrieving a current position of a displayed cursor;

determining whether a user has selected a location associated with the view containing a control for panning the view;

if the user has selected a location containing the control for panning, updating the view to magnify a different portion of the computer screen, such that movements of the cursor when the control is not selected do not pan the view.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 further comprising setting an update timer and wherein detecting an update event comprises receiving a notification that the timer has fired.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein detecting an update comprises detecting a user action that makes the view out of date with a state of the system.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the control is displayed at an edge of the view.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the view is displayed full screen on a display such that only a portion of the computer screen is visible on the display at a time and wherein the control appears within the view.