Method and System for Selecting Content Using A Touchscreen

• US 20110239110A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Garrett, Maryam Kamvar, Byrne, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,069,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/256
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

Systems and methods allow a user to select a subset of displayed content using a touch screen. A user can touch the screen at or near a portion of the displayed content that the user would like to select. The touch module can display the selection of the selected portion on the touch screen using an indicator (e.g., highlighting, underlining, change in color). While the user continues to touch the screen, the selection of displayed content can expand to select additional content based on at least one rule. The rule(s) define how the selection of displayed content expands using characteristics of the user'"'"'s touch. For example, these characteristics can include an amount of pressure exerted on the screen, a direction of finger roll at the point of contact with the screen, and an amount of time that the user has touched the screen.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for selecting content via a touch screen, comprising the steps of:

detecting a touch by a user on a touch display that is displaying content;

causing, by a touch module, an indicator to be displayed on the touch display, the indicator indicating that a first portion of the displayed content has been selected, the first portion being located proximate a location of the touch on the touch display;

while the user continues to touch the touch display, automatically expanding, by the touch module, the selection of the displayed content to include a second portion of the displayed content based on at least one rule and information regarding the user'"'"'s touch; and

adjusting, by the touch module, the indicator to indicate that the first portion and the second portion have been selected,

wherein the touch module is implemented in at least one computer system that comprises instructions stored in a machine-readable medium and a processor that executes the instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the user'"'"'s touch comprises at least one of (1) an amount of time that the user touches the touch display during the touch, (2) an amount of pressure the user exerts on the touch display during the touch, and (3) a roll of an input device used by the user to cause the touch with respect to a surface of the touch display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the input device comprises one of a finger of the user, a stylus, and a pen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one rule determines a speed of expansion of the selection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the rule provides for an increase in the speed of expansion upon expiration of a predetermined time period during the touch.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the rule provides for a rate of speed of expansion based on an amount of pressure the user exerts on the touch display during the touch.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the rule provides for an increase in the speed of expansion upon a determination by the touch module, that the amount of pressure exerted by the user exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one rule determines a speed of expansion of the selection based on a direction that the user rolls an input device used by the user to cause the touch with respect to a surface of the touch display.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a direction of the expansion of the selection corresponds to a direction that the user rolls an input device used by the user to cause the touch with respect to a surface of the touch display.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a command to perform an action in connection with the selected first and second portions of displayed content; and

performing the action in connection with the selected first and second portions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the action comprises at least one of (1) changing a format of text in the selected portions, (2) copying and pasting the selected portions;

and

(3) editing the selected portions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first portion and the second portion comprises at least one of text, an image, a picture, and a graphic.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator comprises at least one of (1) a highlight displayed proximate each selected portion, (2) an underline displayed under each selected portion, (3) a change in color of each selected portion, and (4) a start indicator displayed at a beginning of the selected portions and an end indicator displayed at an end of the selected portions.

14. A system for selecting content via a touch screen, comprising:

a touch display that displays content;

a touch controller that detects a touch on the touch display from a user; and

a touch module comprising instructions stored in a machine-readable medium, the touch module;

causing an indicator to be displayed on the touch display, the indicator indicating that a first portion of the displayed content has been selected, the first portion being located proximate a location of the touch on the touch display;

while the user continues to touch the touch display, automatically expanding the selection of the displayed content to include a second portion of the displayed content based on at least one rule and information regarding the user'"'"'s touch; and

adjusting the indicator to indicate that the first portion and the second portion have been selected.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the information associated with the user'"'"'s touch comprises at least one of (1) an amount of time that the user touches the touch display during the touch, (2) an amount of pressure the user exerts on the touch display during the touch, and (3) a roll of an input device used by the user to cause the touch with respect to a surface of the touch display.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the input device comprises one of a finger of the user, a stylus, and a pen.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one rule determines a speed of expansion of the selection.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the rule provides for an increase in the speed of expansion upon expiration of a predetermined time period during the touch.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the rule provides for a rate of speed of expansion based on an amount of pressure the user exerts on the touch display during the touch.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the rule provides for an increase in the speed of expansion upon a determination by the touch module, that the amount of pressure exerted by the user exceeds a predetermined threshold.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one rule determines a speed of expansion of the selection based on a direction that the user rolls an input device used by the user to cause the touch with respect to a surface of the touch display.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein a direction of the expansion of the selection corresponds to a direction that the user rolls an input device used by the user to cause the touch with respect to a surface of the touch display.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the touch module:

receives a command to perform an action in connection with the selected first and second portions of displayed content; and

causes the action to be performed in connection with the selected first and second portions.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the action comprises at least one of (1) changing a format of text in the selected portions, (2) copying and pasting the selected portions;

and (3) editing the selected portions.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein each of the first portion and the second portion comprises at least one of text, an image, a picture, and a graphic.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the indicator comprises at least one of (1) a highlight displayed proximate each selected portion, (2) an underline displayed under each selected portion, (3) a change in color of each selected portion, and (4) a start indicator displayed at a beginning of the selected portions and an end indicator displayed at an end of the selected portions.

27. A computer program product for selecting content via a touch screen, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code comprising;

computer-readable program code for detecting a touch by a user on a touch display that is displaying content;

computer-readable program code for causing an indicator to be displayed on the touch display, the indicator indicating that a first portion of the displayed content has been selected, the first portion being located proximate a location of the touch on the touch display;

computer-readable program code for, while the user continues to touch the touch display, automatically expanding the selection of the displayed content to include a second portion of the displayed content based on at least one rule and information regarding the user'"'"'s touch; and

computer-readable program code for adjusting the indicator to indicate that the first portion and the second portion have been selected.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the information associated with the user'"'"'s touch comprises at least one of (1) an amount of time that the user touches the touch display during the touch, (2) an amount of pressure the user exerts on the touch display during the touch, and (3) a roll of an input device used by the user to cause the touch with respect to a surface of the touch display.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the input device comprises one of a finger of the user, a stylus, and a pen.

30. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the at least one rule determines a speed of expansion of the selection.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the rule provides for an increase in the speed of expansion upon expiration of a predetermined time period during the touch.

32. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the rule provides for a rate of speed of expansion based on an amount of pressure the user exerts on the touch display during the touch.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the rule provides for an increase in the speed of expansion upon a determination that the amount of pressure exerted by the user exceeds a predetermined threshold.

34. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the at least one rule determines a speed of expansion of the selection based on a direction that the user rolls an input device used by the user to cause the touch with respect to a surface of the touch display.

35. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein a direction of the expansion of the selection corresponds to a direction that the user rolls an input device used by the user to cause the touch with respect to a surface of the touch display.

36. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:

computer-readable program code for receiving a command to perform an action in connection with the selected first and second portions of displayed content; and

computer-readable program code for performing the action in connection with the selected first and second portions.

37. The computer program product of claim 36, wherein the action comprises at least one of (1) changing a format of text in the selected portions, (2) copying and pasting the selected portions;

and (3) editing the selected portions.

38. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein each of the first portion and the second portion comprises at least one of text, an image, a picture, and a graphic.

39. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the indicator comprises at least one of (1) a highlight displayed proximate each selected portion, (2) an underline displayed under each selected portion, (3) a change in color of each selected portion, and (4) a start indicator displayed at a beginning of the selected portions and an end indicator displayed at an end of the selected portions.