METHOD FOR MANIPULATING A TOOLBAR ON AN INTERACTIVE INPUT SYSTEM AND INTERACTIVE INPUT SYSTEM EXECUTING THE METHOD

• US 20120179994A1
• Filed: 01/12/2012
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Smart Technologies ULC (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rounding, Kathryn, Wallace, Erin, Forrest, Gregory G., Knowlton, Nancy
• Application Number:
  US13/349,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179994A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/779
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability

Abstract

A method comprises receiving input; and when said input is associated with a command to transpose a graphical user interface (GUI) element comprising a plurality of sub-elements that is positioned on a display surface, transposing at least one of said sub-elements.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving input; and

when said input is associated with a command to transpose a graphical user interface (GUI) element comprising a plurality of sub-elements that is positioned on a display surface, transposing at least one of said sub-elements within said GUI element.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said transposing is carried out in accordance with at least one predefined rule.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said at least one predefined rule comprises at least one of a sub-element shift rule and a sub-element reorder rule.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein during said transposing a plurality of said sub-elements is transposed

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said transposing comprises shifting the position of a plurality of said sub-elements in a specified direction.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said transposing comprises shifting the position of all of said sub-elements in a specified direction.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said transposing further comprises reverse ordering the shifted sub-elements.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said transposing further comprises reverse ordering the shifted sub-elements.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said transposing further comprises reversing the reading direction of text of the shifted sub-elements.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said transposing further comprises reversing the reading direction of text of the shifted sub-elements.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said sub-elements are arranged in groups and wherein said transposing comprises transposing at least one of said groups.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said transposing comprises shifting the position of said sub-elements in a specified direction.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said transposing further comprises reverse ordering the shifted sub-elements.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said transposing further comprises reversing the reading direction of text of the shifted sub-elements.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said transposing further comprises reverse ordering the sub-elements of a subset of said groups.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said transposing further comprises reversing the reading direction of text of the shifted sub-elements.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said input is generated in response to selection of a displayed icon associated with said transpose command.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting the presence and location of a user relative to said display surface; and

generating location data for use as said input.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said detecting is based on output generated by at least one proximity sensor associated with said display surface.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said detecting is based on images captured by at least one image sensor in the vicinity of said display surface.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein said detecting further comprises determining the location of user input made on said display surface.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions embodied thereon, said instructions being executed by processing structure to cause the processing structure to:

process received input;

determine whether said input is associated with a command to transpose a graphical user interface (GUI) element comprising a plurality of sub-elements on a display coupled to said processor; and

when said input is associated with said command is detected, transpose at least one of said sub-elements.

23. A computer program product including program code embodied on a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising:

program code for presenting a toolbar comprising a plurality of selectable buttons in an ordered state on a graphical user interface;

program code for receiving input; and

program code for arranging and displaying the buttons within the toolbar in another ordered state in response to said input.

24. An interactive input system comprising:

computing structure; and

a display coupled to said computing structure, said display presenting at least one graphical user interface (GUI) element comprising a plurality of sub-elements, said computing structure transposing at least one of said sub-elements within said GUI element in response to input received by said computing structure.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said computing structure transposes said at least one sub-element in accordance with at least one predefined rule.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein said at least one predefined rule comprises at least one of a sub-element shift rule and a sub-element reorder rule.

27. The system of claim 24 wherein said computing structure transposes a plurality of said sub-elements.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said computing structure shifts the position of a plurality of said sub-elements in a specified direction.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein said computing structure shifts the position of all of said sub-elements in a specified direction.

30. The system of claim 28 wherein said computing structure reverse orders the shifted sub-elements.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein said computing structure reverse orders the shifted sub-elements.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein said computing structure reverses the reading direction of text of the shifted sub-elements.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein said computing structure reverses the reading direction of text of the shifted sub-elements.

34. The system of claim 24 wherein said sub-elements are arranged in groups and wherein said computing structure transposes at least one of said groups.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said computing structure shifts the position of said sub-elements in a specified direction.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said computing structure reverse orders the shifted sub-elements.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said computing structure reverses the reading direction of text of the shifted sub-elements.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein said computing structure reverse orders the sub-elements of a subset of said groups.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein said computing structure reverses the reading direction of text of the shifted sub-elements.

40. The system of claim 24 wherein said input is generated in response to selection of an icon associated with said transpose command presented on said display.

41. The system of claim 24 wherein said at least one GUI element is one of a window, screen, dialogue box, menu, toolbar, sidebar, icon, button, box, field, and a list.

42. An apparatus comprising:

processing structure receiving input data; and

memory storing computer program code, which when executed by the processing structure, causes the apparatus to;

determine whether said input data is associated with a command to change the display order of at least one selectable icon within a graphical user interface (GUI) element comprising a plurality of icons; and

when said input data is associated with said command, transpose said at least one selectable icon.

43. A method comprising:

receiving input; and

when said input is associated with a command to transpose a graphical user interface (GUI) element comprising a sub-element on a display, changing at least one of the position and the reading direction of said sub-element within the GUI element.