SMART GESTURES FOR DIAGRAM STATE TRANSITIONS

• US 20110234637A1
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Avital, Noaa, Pond, Arwen E., Ardila, Pedro, Mollicone, Laurent, Flynn, James Randall, Kimmerly, Randy S., Danton, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US12/731,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20110234637A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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

The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for smart gestures for diagram state transitions. Embodiments of the invention expose a set of gestures and behaviors, which permit diagram transitions to be made with a reduced number of (and potentially a single) user gesture(s). For example, zoom levels can be toggled between a working zoom level and a zoom level sufficient to present an entire diagram and vice versa using a single user input gesture. Likewise, diagrams can be appropriately (and automatically) panned to make selected as well as newly created diagram elements visible in their entirety using a single user input gesture.

Claims

1. At a computer system including a display device and a user input device, the display device displaying a portion of a diagram at a specified working zoom level, the specified working zoom level preventing all of the diagram from being simultaneously presented at the display device, a method for using a single user input gesture to change the zoom state of the diagram, the method comprising:

an act of presenting some but not all of the diagram on the display device at the specified working zoom level;

an act of receiving at the user input device a single user input gesture, the single user input gesture indicative of a user desire to transition from the working zoom level directly to a zoom level that permits the entire diagram to be presented on the display device;

in response to receiving the single user input gesture;

an act of calculating a reduced zoom level sufficient to display the entire diagram on the display device based on the size of the diagram;

an act of transitioning the zoom level for the diagram from the working zoom level to the calculated zoom level; and

an act of presenting the entire diagram on the display device at the calculated zoom level.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising after presenting the entire diagram on the display device an act of receiving at the user input device one or more additional user gestures indicating selection of a different part of the diagram.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein receiving at the user input device one or more additional user gestures indicating selection of a different part of the diagram comprises receive one or more one or more additional user gestures resulting in selection of a diagram element from within the diagram.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising after selection of the diagram element:

an act of receiving at the user input device a second single user input gesture, the second single user input gesture indicative of a user desire to transition from the calculated zoom level directly to the working zoom level;

in response to receiving the second single user input gesture;

an act of transitioning the zoom level for the diagram from the calculated zoom level to the working zoom level; and

an act of presenting the selected diagram element on the display device at the working zoom level.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the act of receiving at the user input device a second single user input gesture comprises an act of receiving a double click from a mouse.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising an act of indicating on the display along with the diagram that the current zoom level is the working zoom level.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of presenting some but not all of the diagram on the display device at the specified working zoom level comprises an act of presenting less than all of at least one workpad.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of presenting some but not all of the diagram on the display device at the specified working zoom level comprises an act of presenting some but not all of the diagram on the display device at the specified working zoom level, wherein the working zoom level is between 75% zoom and 125% zoom.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of receiving at the user input device a single user input gesture comprises an act of receiving a double click from a mouse.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the act of calculating a reduced zoom level sufficient to display the entire diagram on the display device comprises an act of calculating reduced zoom level sufficient to display the entire diagram on a view port, where the view port size is less than the full display of the display device due to one or more floating workpads.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising an act of indicating on the display that the current zoom level is reduced so that the entire diagram is visible.

12. At a computer system including a display device and a user input device, the display device displaying a portion of a diagram at a zoom level, the zoom level preventing all of the diagram from being simultaneously presented at the display device, a method a method for using a single user input gesture to change the pan state of the diagram, the method comprising:

an act of presenting some but not all of the diagram on the display at the specified working zoom level;

an act of receiving at the user input device a user gesture selecting a diagram element from within the diagram, at least part of the selected diagram element being outside the displayable area of the display device when selected; and

an act of panning the diagram to fully present the selected diagram element at the display device in response to the user gesture selecting the diagram element.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the act of presenting some but not all of the diagram on the display device at the specified working zoom level comprises an act of detecting that a portion of a workpad is visible and another portion of the workpad is not visible.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein an act of receiving at the user input device a user gesture selecting a diagram element from within the diagram comprise an act of receiving user input selecting part of workpad that is visible.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the act of panning the diagram to fully present the selected diagram element at the display device in response to the user gesture selecting the diagram element comprises an act of panning the diagram so that the portion of the workpad that is not visible becomes visible in response to selecting the portion of the workpad that is visible.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the act of presenting some but not all of the diagram on the display device at the specified working zoom level comprises an act of creating a new workpad that is not fully visible on the display.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein an act of receiving at the user input device a user gesture selecting a diagram element from within the diagram comprises an act of prior to presenting some but not all of the diagram selecting a portion of an existing workpad to cause the new workpad to be created.

18. A computer system, the computer system comprising:

system memory;

one or more processors;

a display device, the display device configured to display diagrams;

a user input device, the user input device configured to receive input gestures indicative of a user desire to alter the state of diagrams displayed on the display device; and

one more computer storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions representing a diagramming module, the diagramming module configured to provide displayable diagram data to the display device, the diagramming module including a zoom transition module and an auto-panning module, the zoom transition module configured to;

receive an indication of a single user input gesture representing a user desire to transition from a working zoom level directly to a zoom level that permits an entire diagram to be presented on the display device; and

in response to the single user input gesture;

calculate a zoom level sufficient to display the entire diagram on the display device based on the size of the diagram;

transitioning the zoom level for the diagram from the working zoom level to the calculated zoom level; and

provide displayable diagram data for presenting the entire diagram on the display device at the calculated zoom level;

wherein the zoom transition module is also configured to;

receive an indication of a second single user input gesture representing a user desire to transition from the calculated zoom level directly to the working zoom level; and

in response to the second single user input gesture;

transition the zoom level for the diagram from the calculated zoom level to the working zoom level; and

provide displayable diagram data for presenting a first selected diagram element on the display device at the working zoom level; and

wherein the auto panning module is configured to;

receive an indication of a third single user input gesture selecting a second diagram element from within the diagram, at least part of the selected second diagram element being outside the displayable area of the display device when selected; and

provide displayable diagram data for panning the diagram to fully present the selected second diagram element at the display device in response to the third single user gesture selecting the diagram element.

19. The computer system as recited in claim 18, wherein the system is further configured to indicate the current zoom state and the next zoom state of the diagram along with the diagram on the display.

20. The computer system as recited in claim 18, wherein the diagram elements are workpads contained data from a database.