Directional Focus Navigation

• US 20100299623A1
• Filed: 05/21/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pettit, Bradley R., Celik, Tantek, Chan, Ada Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,332,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/767
• 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

Abstract

A rendering engine that supports directional focus navigation, in response to a directional input, shifts the focus to an appropriate focusable element. The rendering engine determines one or more focusable elements that are candidates to receive the focus based on the received directional input and based on the relative display locations of the focusable elements. The rendering engine selects the most appropriate candidate focusable element based on each candidate element'"'"'s display location in relation to the display location of the element that currently has focus.

Claims

1. A method executed via one or more processors on a client device, the method comprising:

identifying a first focusable element in a rendered document;

receiving a first directional input;

moving focus from the first focusable element to a second focusable element located in the rendered document based on a location of the first focusable element, a location of the second focusable element, and the first directional input;

receiving a second directional input; and

moving the focus from the second focusable element to a third focusable element in the rendered document based on the location of the second focusable element, a relationship between a location of the third focusable element and the location of the first focusable element, and the second directional input.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein moving the focus from the second focusable element to the third focusable element is further based on a relationship between the location of the third focusable element and the location of the second focusable element.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the location of the second focusable element is along a first direction indicated by the first directional input in relation to the location of the first focusable element.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the rendered document is a scrollable document, and identifying the second focusable element comprises scrolling the rendered document until the second focusable element is within a displayable area.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first directional input corresponds to a first direction and the second directional input corresponds to a second direction, and the first direction is a same direction as the second direction.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first directional input corresponds to a first direction and the second directional input corresponds to a second direction, and the first direction is a different direction than the second direction.

7. A method executed via one or more processors on a client device, the method comprising:

determining a first element that currently has focus;

receiving a first directional input corresponding to a first direction;

identifying a second focusable element located a distance along the first direction from the first element;

moving focus from the first element that currently has focus to the second focusable element;

receiving a second directional input corresponding to a second direction; and

identifying a candidate focusable element based at least on the second directional input and a relationship between a location of the candidate focusable element and a location of the first element.

8. A method as described in claim 7, wherein identifying the candidate focusable element is further based on a relationship between the location of the candidate focusable element and a location of the second focusable element.

9. A method as described in claim 7, wherein the first element, the second focusable element and the candidate focusable element are displayed within a scrollable rendered document.

10. One or more computer storage media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, direct the one or more processors to perform the method as described in claim 7.

11. A method executed via one or more processors on a client device, the method comprising:

identifying a first element associated with a rendered document, the first element having focus;

receiving an indication of a directional input;

determining a display point of the first element corresponding to the directional input;

determining a display point of a second focusable element corresponding to the directional input;

calculating a first distance between the display point of the first element and the display point of the second focusable element; and

in an event the first distance is determined to be greater than a tolerance value, identifying the second focusable element as a candidate to receive focus in response to the directional input.

12. A method as described in claim 11, further comprising:

determining a display point of a third focusable element corresponding to the directional input;

calculating a second distance between the display point of the first element and the display point of the third focusable element; and

in an event the second distance is determined to be greater than the tolerance value, selecting one of the second focusable element or the third focusable element to receive focus in response to the directional input by comparing the first distance to the second distance.

15. A method as described in claim 11, wherein at least the first element or the second focusable element is not a symmetrical shape.

16. A method as described in claim 11, wherein at least the first element or the second focusable element is an arbitrary shape.

17. A method as described in claim 11, wherein the display point of the first element is a representative horizontal coordinate, determined by averaging a plurality of horizontal coordinates of the first element.

18. A method as described in claim 11, wherein the display point of the first element is a representative vertical coordinate, determined by averaging a plurality of vertical coordinates of the first element.

19. A method as described in claim 11, wherein the display point of the first element comprises:

an average vertical coordinate of the first element; and

an average horizontal coordinate of the first element.

20. A method as described in claim 11, wherein:

the display point of the first element represents a midpoint of the first element; and

the display point of the second focusable element represents a midpoint of the second focusable element.

13. A method as described in 11, wherein the tolerance value is based on a width of the first element having focus and a width of the second focusable element.

14. A method as described in 11, wherein the tolerance value is based on a height of the first element having focus and a height of the second focusable element.