TOUCH PULL-IN GESTURE

• US 20100302172A1
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wilairat, Weerapan
• Granted Patent: US 8,836,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Embodiments of a touch pull-in gesture are described. In various embodiments, a touch input is detected that starts at an edge of a touch-screen and progresses as an expanding contact region from the edge of the touch-screen toward approximately a center region of the touch-screen while the touch input remains in contact with the touch-screen. The expanding contact region is determined as a touch pull-in gesture to initiate a display of a user interface component.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a portable computer device, the method comprising:

detecting a touch input that starts at an edge of a touch-screen and progresses as an expanding contact region from the edge of the touch-screen toward approximately a center region of the touch-screen while the touch input remains in contact with the touch-screen; and

determining the expanding contact region as a touch pull-in gesture to initiate a display of a user interface component.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the touch pull-in gesture is recognized as a combination of the touch input at the edge of the touch-screen and a motion gesture across the touch-screen.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising initiating a display of a drop-down menu as the user interface component when the touch pull-in gesture starts at a top edge of the touch-screen.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising initiating a display of a vertical scrollbar as the user interface component when the touch pull-in gesture starts at a side edge of the touch-screen.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising initiating a display of a hidden menu as the user interface component proximate a location of the touch pull-in gesture on the touch-screen.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the touch pull-in gesture gives the appearance of dragging the user interface component onto the touch-screen for display.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the expanding contact region is detected as a progression of motion as the touch input remains in contact with the touch-screen.

8. A portable computer device, comprising:

at least a memory and a processor configured to implement a touch pull-in gesture that gives the appearance of dragging a user interface component onto a touch-screen for display;

a touch-screen driver configured to detect a touch input that starts at an edge of the touch-screen and progresses as an expanding contact region from the edge of the touch-screen toward approximately a center region of the touch-screen while the touch input remains in contact with the touch-screen; and

an interface application configured to receive gesture data that corresponds to the touch pull-in gesture from the touch-screen driver and determine the expanding contact region as the touch pull-in gesture to initiate a display of the user interface component.

9. A portable computer device as recited in claim 8, wherein the touch pull-in gesture is recognized as a combination of the touch input at the edge of the touch-screen and a motion gesture across the touch-screen.

10. A portable computer device as recited in claim 8, wherein the touch-screen driver is further configured to detect the expanding contact region as a progression of motion as the touch input remains in contact with the touch-screen.

11. A portable computer device as recited in claim 8, wherein the interface application is further configured to initiate a display of a drop-down menu as the user interface component when the touch pull-in gesture starts at a top edge of the touch-screen.

12. A portable computer device as recited in claim 8, wherein the interface application is further configured to initiate a display of a vertical scrollbar as the user interface component when the touch pull-in gesture starts at a side edge of the touch-screen.

13. A portable computer device as recited in claim 8, wherein the interface application is further configured to initiate a display of a hidden menu as the user interface component when the touch pull-in gesture is determined.

14. A portable computer device as recited in claim 8, wherein the interface application is further configured to initiate the display of the user interface component proximate a location of the touch pull-in gesture on the touch-screen.

15. Computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, if executed by a portable computer device, initiate the portable computer device to:

detect a touch input that starts at an edge of a touch-screen and progresses as an expanding contact region from the edge of the touch-screen and across the touch-screen while the touch input remains in contact with the touch-screen;

determine the expanding contact region as a touch pull-in gesture; and

initiate a display of a user interface component proximate a location of the touch pull-in gesture on the touch-screen.

16. Computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, if executed, further initiate the portable computer device to recognize the touch pull-in gesture as a combination of the touch input at the edge of the touch-screen and a motion gesture across the touch-screen.

17. Computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, if executed, further initiate the portable computer device to initiate a display of a drop-down menu as the user interface component when the touch pull-in gesture starts at a top edge of the touch-screen.

18. Computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, if executed, further initiate the portable computer device to initiate a display of a vertical scrollbar as the user interface component when the touch pull-in gesture starts at a side edge of the touch-screen.

19. Computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, if executed, further initiate the portable computer device to initiate a display of a hidden menu as the user interface component that gives the appearance of dragging the hidden menu onto the touch-screen for display.

20. Computer-readable media as recited in claim 15, wherein the computer-executable instructions, if executed, further initiate the portable computer device to detect the expanding contact region as a progression of motion as the touch input remains in contact with the touch-screen.