STICKY FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20100211910A1
• Filed: 02/17/2010
• Published: 08/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schlegel, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,140,972 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

Manipulation of elements in a graphical user interface is aided by allowing the graphical user interface to treat certain mouse button actuation and releases as holding the mouse button in an actuated state. When predetermined conditions are satisfied, the graphical user interface will treat a mouse button actuation and release as if the mouse button were held in an actuated state. A user can then manipulate elements in the graphical user interface as if the user held the mouse button in an actuated state. The types of manipulation can include the moving of a window, the resizing of a window, moving an icon, and the scrolling through the visible portion of a window.

Claims

1. A method of manipulating an element in two alternative ways in a user interface on a display device of a computer, comprising:

dragging said element in accordance with movement of an input device connected to the computer in a first mode of operation that is invoked by said input device returning to a first state pertaining to actuation of said input device from a second state pertaining to actuation of said input device; and

dragging said element in accordance with movement of said input device in a second, alternative mode of operation that is invoked by said input device being in the second state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said input device comprises an actuation element, and wherein said actuation element is not actuated in said first state and is actuated in said second state.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said actuation element is a button.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said element is an icon.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said element is a window.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said steps of dragging said element comprises:

dragging the window about the user interface in accordance with the movement of said input device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said element is a resize box of a window, and wherein the steps of dragging said element comprises:

dragging said resize box about the user interface in accordance with the movement of said input device, thereby resizing said window.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said element is a slider, and wherein the steps of dragging said element comprises:

dragging said slider in accordance with the movement of said input device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said slider is a component of a window, and wherein said dragging changes a viewable portion of said window.

10. A computer-readable medium containing a program recorded thereon that causes a computer to control a manipulation of an element in a user interface in two alternative ways, the program causing the computer to execute the steps of:

dragging said element of said user interface in accordance with movement of an input device in a first mode of operation that is invoked by said input device returning to a first state pertaining to actuation of said input device from a second state pertaining to actuation of said input device; and

dragging said element in accordance with movement of said input device in a second, alternative mode of operation that is invoked by said input device being in the second state.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said input device comprises an actuation element, and wherein said actuation element is not actuated in said first state and is actuated in said second state.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein said actuation element is a button.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said element is an icon.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said element is a window.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein said steps of dragging said element comprises:

dragging the window about the user interface in accordance with the movement of said input device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said element is a resize box of a window, and wherein the steps of dragging said element comprises:

dragging said resize box about the user interface in accordance with the movement of said input device, thereby resizing said window.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said element is a slider, and wherein the steps of dragging said element comprises:

dragging said slider in accordance with the movement of said input device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein said slider is a component of a window, and wherein said dragging changes a viewable portion of said window.

19. A computer system comprising:

an input device;

a user interface; and

a processor for controlling dragging of an element in said user interface in two alternative ways, the processor moves said element about the user interface in accordance with movement of said input device in a first mode of operation that is invoked by said input device returning to a first state pertaining to actuation of said input device from a second state pertaining to actuation of said input device, and the processor moves said element about the user interface in accordance with movement of said input device in a second, alternative mode of operation that is invoked by said input device being in the second state.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said input device comprises an actuation element, and wherein said actuation element is not actuated in said first state and is actuated in said second state.

21. The computer system of claim 20, wherein said actuation element is a button.

22. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said element is an icon.

23. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said element is a window.

24. The computer system of claim 23, wherein said dragging of said element comprises dragging the window about the user interface in accordance with the movement of said input device.

25. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said element is a resize box of a window, and wherein the dragging said element comprises dragging said resize box about the user interface in accordance with the movement of said input device, thereby resizing said window.

26. The computer system of claim 19, wherein said element is a slider, and wherein the dragging of said element comprises dragging said slider in accordance with the movement of said input device.

27. The computer system of claim 26, wherein said slider is a component of a window, and wherein said dragging changes a viewable portion of said window.

28. A method for manipulating an element of a user interface on a display device of a computer, comprising the following steps:

determining whether a cursor is positioned over one of a plurality of predetermined types of user interface elements displayed in the user interface;

determining whether an input device is actuated and deactuated under a predetermined condition while said cursor is positioned over one of said predetermined types of user interface elements; and

dragging said one element in response to movement of said cursor if said predetermined condition is met.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said predetermined condition is whether the amount of time that lapses between actuation and deactuation of said input device is no greater than a predetermined value.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said predetermined condition is whether the distance traveled by the cursor between actuation and deactuation of the input device is no greater than a predetermined value.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein said plurality of predetermined types of user interface elements comprise predetermined components of a window.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said predetermined components comprise a title bar, a resize element, and a scrolling control element.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein said input device comprises a button on a cursor control device.

34. The method of claim 28, further including the step of terminating said dragging step in response to subsequent actuation of said input device.

35. A computer-readable medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to manipulate an element in a user interface displayed on a display device of the computer, the program causing the computer to execute the steps of:

detecting placement of a cursor over an element in the user interface;

receiving, for an input device in a first state connected to the computer, a control input containing an actuation of the input device to place the input device in a second state;

receiving, from the input device, a control input containing a deactivation of the input device to return the input device to the first state;

determining whether the actuation and the deactivation of the input device occurs within a predetermined amount of time;

receiving, from the input device, a control input containing an instruction to drag the element in the user interface in accordance with a movement of the input device; and

moving the element in the user interface in accordance with the movement of the input device when the actuation and the deactivation of the input device occurs within the predetermined amount of time.

36. The computer-readable medium according to claim 35, wherein the program further causes the computer to perform an alternative operation of manipulating an element in a user interface on the display device of the computer, the program causing the computer to execute the steps of:

detecting placement of a cursor over a portion of a window in the user interface;

receiving, from the input device in the first state, a control input containing an actuation of the input device to place the input device in the second state;

receiving, from the input device, a control input containing an instruction to drag the element in the user interface in accordance with the movement of the input device while the input device is in the second state; and

moving the element in the user interface in accordance with the movement of the input device.

37. The computer-readable medium according to claim 35, wherein the program further causes the computer to execute the step of:

determining whether the deactivation of the input device occurs at a location within a predetermined distance from the location at which the input device was activated.

38. The computer-readable medium according to claim 35, wherein the input device is one of a mouse, a trackball, a trackpad, and a pen.

39. The computer-readable medium according to claim 35, wherein the element is one of a resize box, a scrollbar, a slider, a title bar, and an icon.

40. A computer system comprising:

an input device;

a display device;

a user interface displayed on the display device;

a processor for controlling manipulation of an element in the user interface; and

a memory device having recorded therein computer-readable instructions,

wherein the processor is configured to execute the computer-readable instructions recorded in the memory device to;

detect placement of a cursor over an element in the user interface;

receive, for the input device in a first state, a control input containing an actuation of the input device to place the input device in a second state;

receive, from the input device, a control input containing a deactivation of the input device to return the input device to the first state;

determine whether the actuation and the deactivation of the input device occurs within a predetermined amount of time;

receive, from the input device, a control input containing an instruction to drag the element in the user interface in accordance with a movement of the input device; and

move the element in the user interface in accordance with the movement of the input device when the actuation and the deactivation of the input device occurs within the predetermined amount of time.