VALUE INTERVAL SELECTION ON MULTI-TOUCH DEVICES

• US 20110283188A1
• Filed: 05/14/2010
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Markwig, Daniel, Richstein, Hans-Juergen, Farrenkopf, Eckhard
• Granted Patent: US 8,990,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/702
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

This disclosure provides examples of computerized methods and software for receiving time-based interval selections on multi-touch devices. In one aspect, a time interval slider is displayed in a portion of a graphical user interface, where the time interval slider is a listing of time values in a single dimension at a first granularity level. A request is received via a multi-touch gesture to change from the first granularity level of time values to a second granularity level of time values in the time interval slider. In response, an updated set of time values at a second granularity level is displayed within the time interval slider. A selection of a first time value is received for a first endpoint in a time interval via a first touch input, and a selection of a second time value is received for a second endpoint in the time interval via a second touch input.

Claims

1. A method for receiving time-based interval selections on multi-touch devices comprising:

displaying a time interval slider in a portion of a graphical user interface (GUI), the time interval slider comprising a listing of time values in a single dimension at a first granularity level;

receiving a request, via a multi-touch gesture, to change from the first granularity level of time values to a second granularity level of time values;

displaying, within the time interval slider, an updated set of time values at a second granularity level in response to the multi-touch gesture;

receiving a selection of a first time value on the time interval slider for a first endpoint in a time interval, the selection received via a first touch input associated with the time interval slider; and

receiving a selection of a second time value on the time interval slider for a second endpoint in the time interval, the selection received via a second touch input associated with the time interval slider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to change from the first granularity of time values to a second granularity level of time values is received prior to receiving the selection of the first time value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to change from the first granularity of time values to a second granularity level of time values is received after receiving the selection of the first time value and prior to receiving the selection of the second time value.

4. The method of claim 1, where the first granularity level and the second granularity level of time values comprise at least one of the following, but not the same, time values:

seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, days, months, and years.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

upon receiving the selection of the first time value, storing the first time value as a first endpoint in the time interval;

upon receiving the selection of the second time value, storing the second time value as a second endpoint in the time interval; and

applying the time interval defined by the first endpoint and the second endpoint.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the time interval defined by the first endpoint and the second endpoint is applied as a filter to a set of data, as a time interval value in an application, or as information to be provided to an application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection of a time value on the time interval slider via a touch input comprises:

identifying the location of a touch input on the time interval slider in relation to a reference point of the time interval slider;

based on the location of the touch input in relation to the reference point, assigning the selected time value as the start or stop endpoint point of the time interval.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein assigning the selected time value as the start or stop endpoint of the time interval comprises:

assigning the selected time as the start endpoint of the time interval if the location of the touch input is to the left of the reference point; and

assigning the selected time as the stop endpoint of the time interval if the location of the touch input is to the right of the reference point.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises:

a pinch gesture comprising a request to move from a relatively smaller time granularity level to a relatively larger time granularity level; and

a reverse pinch gesture comprising a request to move from a relatively larger time granularity level to a relatively smaller time granularity level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to change from the first granularity level of time values to a second granularity level of time values is dependent upon the relative pressure of the received multi-touch gesture.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to change from the first granularity level of time values to a second granularity level of time values is dependent upon the relative speed of the received multi-touch gesture.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the single dimension comprises a displayed row of values.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the updated set of time values at a second granularity level within the time interval slider in response to the received multi-touch gesture comprises an animated change from the display of the first granularity level to the display of the second granularity level.

14. A method for receiving value-based interval selections on multi-touch devices comprising:

displaying a value interval slider in at least a portion of a graphical user interface (GUI) on a touch screen display, the value interval slider comprising a one-dimensional display of values at a first granularity level, where each granularity level comprises a set of values at a particular hierarchical level;

receiving a request, via a multi-touch gesture, to change from the first granularity level of values to a second granularity level of values in the displayed value interval slider;

displaying, within the value interval slider, an updated set of values at a second granularity level in response to the multi-touch gesture;

receiving a selection of a first value on the value interval slider for a first endpoint in the value interval via touch input; and

receiving a selection of a second value on the value interval slider for a second endpoint in the value interval via touch input.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the values at each granularity level comprise values within a distinct hierarchical relationship.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the values of the first granularity level comprise values within a first hierarchical level, and where the values of the second granularity level comprise values within a second hierarchical level different from the first hierarchical level.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the multi-touch gesture comprises:

a pinch gesture comprising a request to move from a relatively lower hierarchical level to a relatively higher hierarchical level; and

a reverse pinch gesture comprising a request to move from a relatively larger hierarchical level to a relatively smaller hierarchical level.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the request to change from the first granularity level to a second granularity level is dependent upon at least one of the relative pressure or speed of the received multi-touch gesture.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the request to change from the first granularity level to the second granularity level is received prior to receiving the selection of the first value.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the request to change from the first granularity level to the second granularity level is received after receiving the selection of the first value, but prior to the selection of the second value.

21. An article comprising software for receiving time-based interval selections on multi-touch devices, the software comprising instructions stored on a tangible computer readable medium and operable when executed by a processor to:

display a time interval slider in a portion of a graphical user interface (GUI), the time interval slider comprising a listing of time values in a single dimension at a first granularity level;

receive a request, via a multi-touch gesture, to change from the first granularity level of time values to a second granularity level of time values;

display, within the time interval slider, an updated set of time values at a second granularity level in response to the multi-touch gesture;

receive a selection of a first time value on the time interval slider for a first endpoint in a time interval, the selection received via a first touch input associated with the time interval slider; and

receive a selection of a second time value on the time interval slider for a second endpoint in the time interval, the selection received via a second touch input associated with the time interval slider.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein the request to change from the first granularity of time values to a second granularity level of time values is received prior to receiving the selection of the first time value.

23. The article of claim 21, the software further comprising instructions operable when executed by the processor to:

store the first time value as a first endpoint in the time interval upon receiving the selection of the first time value;

store the second time value as a second endpoint in the time interval upon receiving the selection of the second time value; and

apply the time interval defined by the first endpoint and the second endpoint.