CONTENT-BASED SNAP POINT

• US 20120174005A1
• Filed: 12/31/2010
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Deutsch, Rebecca, Lau, Bonny P., Luengen, Ross N., Nelte, Michael A., Kuehnle, Holger, Waggoner, Nicholas R.
• Granted Patent: US 9,423,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

This document describes content-based snap points and techniques that use these snap points. In some embodiments, multiple content-based snap points are used to stop at points in content that are convenient, prevent overshooting of important parts in the content, and/or aid user'"'"'s in manipulating and consuming the content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, during presentation of content, a content-manipulation input having a projected stopping point in the content;

determining whether the projected stopping point in the content is within a threshold range of a content-based snap point; and

responsive to determining that the projected stopping point in the content is within the threshold range of the snap point, causing the content to be presented at the snap point;

or

responsive to determining that the projected stopping point in the content is not within the threshold range of the snap point, causing the content to be presented at the projected stopping point.

2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the content-manipulation input includes a velocity or inertia and the projected stopping point is based on the velocity or inertia and a friction.

3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 2, wherein the projected stopping point is within the threshold range of the snap point and causing the content to be presented at the snap point alters the velocity, inertia, or friction.

4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the content-manipulation input is a varying input having a variable factor on which the projected stopping point is based.

5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the projected stopping point is within the threshold range of the snap point and further comprising visually indicating that additional content is or is not available following the snap point.

6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 5, wherein visually indicating indicates that additional content is available by temporally presenting a portion of the additional content prior to causing the content to be presented at the snap point.

7. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising receiving, prior to receiving the content-manipulation input, the content-based snap point from a provider of the content.

8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising determining, prior to receiving the content-manipulation input, the content-based snap point.

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein determining the content-based snap point is based on a logical break of divider in the content, an organization of the content, or an expected use of the content.

10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein causing the content to be presented at the snap point or at the projected stopping point zooms in or out of the content.

11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein causing the content to be presented at the snap point or at the projected stopping point pans forward or backward within the content.

12. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein causing the content to be presented at the snap point or at the projected stopping point rotates the content.

13. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the content-based snap point acts as a hard stop, the threshold range of the snap point extending to an end of the content effective to cause the content-manipulation input to be within the threshold range.

14. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising, responsive to the content-manipulation input and prior to determining whether the projected stopping point in the content is within the threshold range of a content-based snap point, altering or determining the threshold range of the content-based snap point based at least in part on a magnitude of a factor of the content-manipulation input.

15. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the snap point is a first snap point and further comprising determining the threshold range based on a distance between the first snap point and an adjacent second snap point and prior to determining whether the projected stopping point in the content is within the threshold range.

16. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the snap point is a primary snap point having a primary threshold range and further comprising a secondary snap point having a secondary threshold range and further comprising determining that the projecting stopping point is within the secondary threshold range and:

responsive to determining that the projected stopping point is also within the primary threshold range causing the content to be presented at primary snap point;

or

responsive to determining that the projected stopping point is not within the primary threshold range causing the content to be presented at the secondary snap point.

17. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting, in an application-launching interface, selectable labels associated with applications, the presented selectable labels a subset of a full set of selectable labels available through the application-launching interface;

receiving, through the application-launching interface, a content-manipulation input to present additional selectable labels of the full set of selectable labels and having a projected stopping point within the full set of selectable labels; and

responsive to determining that the projected stopping point in the full set of selectable labels is within a threshold range of a content-based snap point, presenting, in the application-launching interface, additional selectable labels of the full set of selectable labels associated with and at the snap point.

18. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 17, wherein the content-based snap point is based on a grouping within the full set of selectable labels, the grouping selected through prior user interaction with the application-launching interface.

19. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 17, further comprising altering the content-based snap point responsive to the group changing size.

20. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 17, wherein the content-manipulation input includes a velocity or inertia and causing the content to be presented at the snap point alters the velocity, the inertia, or a friction associated with the content-manipulation input.