Link Gestures

• US 20110191718A1
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Harris, Jonathan R., Petschnigg, Georg F., Hinckley, Kenneth P., Allen, Andrew S., Yatani, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 9,519,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

Techniques involving gestures and other functionality are described. In one or more implementations, the techniques describe gestures that are usable to provide inputs to a computing device. A variety of different gestures are contemplated, including bimodal gestures (e.g., using more than one type of input) and single modal gestures. Additionally, the gesture techniques may be configured to leverage these different input types to increase the amount of gestures that are made available to initiate operations of a computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recognizing a first input as selecting a first object displayed by a display device;

recognizing a second input as a line drawn from a second object displayed by the display device to the first object, the line recognized as being drawn while the first object is selected; and

identifying a link gesture from the recognized first and second inputs, the link gesture effective to create a link between the first and second objects.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the link is selectable to navigate from the second object to the first object.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the link gesture is effective to cause the link to be stored with the first object.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the link gesture is effective to cause the first object to be displayed in a manner that indicates existence of the link.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the link gesture is effective to configure the first object to be selectable to display the link without navigating to the second object.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the link gesture is effective to configure the first object to be selectable to display the link as included on a back of the object, the back of the object being accessible via a gesture.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first input is recognized as selecting two points of the object.

8. A method as described in claim 7, wherein the first input is recognized as touch inputs and the second input is recognized as a stylus input.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the first input is one of a touch input or a stylus input; and

the second input is the other of the touch input or the stylus input.

10. A method comprising:

recognizing a first input as selecting a first object displayed by a display device;

recognizing a second input as a line drawn from a second object displayed by the display device to the first object, the line recognized as being drawn while the first object is selected; and

identifying a link gesture from the recognized first and second inputs, the link gesture effective to associate metadata represented by the second object with the first object.

11. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the link gesture is effective to cause the metadata to be stored with the first object.

12. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the first input is recognized as a touch input and the second input is recognized as a stylus input

13. A method as described in claim 10, wherein

the first input is one of a touch input or a stylus input;

and

the second input is the other of the touch input or the stylus input.

14. A method comprising:

identifying a link gesture that is effective to create a link between first and second objects displayed by a display device, the first input recognized as selecting the first object and the second input recognized as a line drawn from the second object to the first object while the first object is selected; and

causing the first object to be displayed by the display device as indicating existence of the link to the second object, the link selectable to cause display of the second object.

15. A method as described in claim 14, wherein the link gesture is effective to cause the link to be stored with the first object.

16. A method as described in claim 14, wherein the link gesture is effective to configure the first object to be selectable to display the link without navigating to the second object.

17. A method as described in claim 14, wherein the link gesture is effective to configure the first object to be selectable to display the link as included on a back of the object, the back of the object being accessible via a gesture.

18. A method as described in claim 14, wherein the first input is recognized as selecting two points of the object.

19. A method as described in claim 18, wherein the first input is recognized as touch inputs and the second input is recognized as a stylus input.

20. A method as described in claim 14, wherein:

the first input is one of a touch input or a stylus input; and

the second input is the other of the touch input or the stylus input.