VISUAL RESPONSE TO TOUCH INPUTS

• US 20100177049A1
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cronin, Michael, Beatty, Bryan, Williams, Sarah Graham, Levy, Robert, Wigdor, Daniel, Mazeev, Maxim
• Granted Patent: US 8,446,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The provision of visual responses to touch inputs is disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a computing device comprising a touch-sensitive display, a processor in operative communication with the touch-sensitive display, and memory comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to detect a touch input made via the touch-sensitive display, display on the touch-sensitive display a first visual response to the touch input indicating that the touch input was detected by the computing device, and if the touch input is made in a touch-interactive area on the touch-sensitive display, then to display a second visual response to the touch input indicating that the touch was made in the touch-interactive area of the display.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

a processor; and

memory comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to;

detect a touch input made via the touch-sensitive display;

display on the touch-sensitive display a first visual response to the touch input indicating that the touch input was detected by the touch-sensitive display; and

if the touch input is made in a touch-interactive area of the display, then to display a second visual response to the touch input indicating that the touch was made in the touch-interactive area of the touch-sensitive display.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to not display the second visual response if the touch input is made in an area on the touch-sensitive display that is not touch-interactive.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are executable to determine if the touch input is captured by a touch-enabled control in the touch-interactive portion of the display, and wherein the second visual response comprises a “

captured”

visual response that is displayed if the touch input is captured by the touch-enabled control.

4. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the instructions are executable to display an “

uncaptured”

response to the touch input if the touch input is made in the touch-interactive portion of the display but not captured by the touch-enabled control.

5. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the “

captured”

visual response comprises an animation converging toward a location of the touch input, and wherein the “

uncaptured”

visual response comprises an animation diverging from a location of the touch input.

6. The computing device of claim 4, wherein the “

captured”

visual response comprises a display of a first color, and the “

uncaptured”

visual response comprises a display of a second color.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the first visual response comprises an illumination of a location beneath the touch input.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the second visual response comprises an animation converging toward a location of the touch input.

9. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable to display a “

constraint notification”

visual response if a touch input is received that is ignored due to a constraint.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the touch-sensitive display comprises a multi-touch display, wherein the second visual response is a “

captured”

visual response that shows that the touch input was captured by a touch-enabled control displayed on the touch-sensitive display, and wherein the “

constraint notification”

visual response is displayed in response to an “

overcaptured”

touch state where a maximum number of touches recognized by the touch-enabled control is exceeded.

11. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising detecting a lifting of the touch input, and continuing displaying the first visual response for a pre-determined period of time after detecting the lifting of the touch input.

12. A computing device, comprising:

a multi-touch display;

a processor in operative communication with the multi-touch display; and

memory comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to;

detect a touch input made via the multi-touch display;

display on the multi-touch display a “

touch detected”

visual response to the touch input indicating that the touch input was detected by the touch-sensitive display;

if the touch input is made in an area of the multi-touch display associated with a touch-enabled control displayed on the multi-touch display, then displaying a “

captured”

visual response to the touch input if the touch input is captured by the touch-enabled control, or displaying an “

uncaptured”

visual response to the touch input if the touch input is not captured by the touch-enabled control; and

if the touch input is made in an area of the multi-touch display that is not touch-enabled, then not displaying the “

captured”

visual response or the “

uncaptured”

visual response.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the “

touch detected”

visual response comprises an illumination of a location beneath the touch input.

14. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the “

captured”

visual response comprises an animation converging toward a location of the touch input.

15. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the “

uncaptured”

visual response comprises an animation diverging from a location of the touch input.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further executable to detect an additional touch that causes a plurality of touches in the area associated with the touch-enabled control exceeds a maximum number of recognized touches, and to display an “

overcaptured”

visual response in response.

17. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the instructions are executable to detect a movement of a touch from over the touch-enabled control to a location spaced from the control, and to display a visual response indicating that the touch remains captured by the control.

18. A computing device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

a processor in operative communication with the touch-sensitive display; and

memory comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to;

detect a touch input made via the touch-sensitive display;

display on the touch-sensitive display a first visual response to the touch input indicating that the touch input was detected by the computing device;

detect a movement of the touch input on the touch-sensitive display from a first location to a second location; and

display on the touch-sensitive display an animated movement of the first visual response to move the first visual response from the first location to the second location.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the animated movement comprises an animation of a tail extending along a path of movement of the first visual response.

20. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the first visual response comprises an illumination of a location beneath the touch input.