METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING QUICK ACCESS TO DEVICE FUNCTIONALITY

• US 20120284673A1
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Lamb, Duncan, Moltoni, Thomas, Koro, Timo, Skillman, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 10,222,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method for providing quick access to device functionality responsive to a touch gesture may include receiving an indication of a swipe gesture being performed from a first predefined portion of a display to a second predefined portion of a touch screen display, classifying the swipe gesture as a trigger gesture based on insertion of a motion delay of at least a threshold period of time in connection with the swipe gesture, and causing, in response to classifying the trigger gesture, a display of a predefined set of functional elements that cause execution of a corresponding function when a respective one of the predefined set of functional elements is selected. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a swipe gesture being performed from a first predefined portion of a display to a second predefined portion of a display;

classifying the swipe gesture as a trigger gesture based on at least one of an insertion of a motion delay of at least a threshold period of time in connection with the swipe gesture and a relationship of a length of the swipe gesture relative to a threshold length; and

causing, in response to classifying the trigger gesture, a display of a predefined set of functional elements that cause execution of a corresponding function when a respective one of the predefined set of functional elements is selected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication of the swipe gesture comprises receiving an indication of a swipe performed from a bottom edge of the display toward a middle portion of the display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold period is predefined or established by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein causing display of the predefined set of functional elements comprises:

causing the predefined set of functional elements to be displayed over content previously displayed over which the swipe gesture is provided;

causing the predefined functional elements to be displayed such that content previously displayed is displaced by the predefined set of functional elements;

or

causing the predefined set of functional elements to fade in while the content previously displayed fades out.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined set of functional elements include icons selected based on static relationships defining functional elements to be displayed based on a current device state, current application or currently displayed content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined set of functional elements include icons selected based on dynamic criteria associated with a current device state, current application or currently displayed content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising restoring previously displayed content responsive to reversal of the swipe gesture.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing for display of a different function and removal of the predefined set of functional elements responsive to extending the swipe gesture beyond the threshold length or responsive to release of the gesture prior to the threshold period.

9. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

receive an indication of a swipe gesture being performed from a first predefined portion of a display to a second predefined portion of a display;

classify the swipe gesture as a trigger gesture based on at least one of an insertion of a motion delay of at least a threshold period of time in connection with the swipe gesture and a relationship of a length of the swipe gesture relative to a threshold length; and

cause, in response to classifying the trigger gesture, a display of a predefined set of functional elements that cause execution of a corresponding function when a respective one of the predefined set of functional elements is selected.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to receive the indication of the swipe gesture by receiving an indication of a swipe performed from a bottom edge of the display toward a middle portion of the display.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the threshold period is predefined or established by a user.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to cause display of the predefined set of functional elements by:

causing the predefined set of functional elements to be displayed over content previously displayed over which the swipe gesture is provided;

causing the predefined functional elements to be displayed such that content previously displayed is displaced by the predefined set of functional elements;

or

causing the predefined set of functional elements to fade in while the content previously displayed fades out.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the predefined set of functional elements include icons selected based on static relationships defining functional elements to be displayed based on a current device state, current application or currently displayed content.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the predefined set of functional elements include icons selected based on dynamic criteria associated with a current device state, current application or currently displayed content.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to restore previously displayed content responsive to reversal of the swipe gesture.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to provide for display of a different function and removal of the predefined set of functional elements responsive to extending the swipe gesture beyond the threshold length or responsive to release of the gesture prior to the threshold period.

17. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for:

receiving an indication of a swipe gesture being performed from a first predefined portion of a display to a second predefined portion of a display;

classifying the swipe gesture as a trigger gesture based on at least one of an insertion of a motion delay of at least a threshold period of time in connection with the swipe gesture and a relationship of a length of the swipe gesture relative to a threshold length; and

causing, in response to classifying the trigger gesture, a display of a predefined set of functional elements that cause execution of a corresponding function when a respective one of the predefined set of functional elements is selected.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein program code instructions for receiving the indication of the swipe gesture include instructions for receiving an indication of a swipe performed from a bottom edge of the display toward a middle portion of the display.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein program code instructions for causing display of the predefined set of functional elements include instructions for:

causing the predefined set of functional elements to be displayed over content previously displayed over which the swipe gesture is provided;

causing the predefined functional elements to be displayed such that content previously displayed is displaced by the predefined set of functional elements;

or

causing the predefined set of functional elements to fade in while the content previously displayed fades out.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the predefined set of functional elements include icons selected based on static relationships defining functional elements to be displayed based on a current device state, current application or currently displayed content or include icons selected based on dynamic criteria associated with a current device state, current application or currently displayed content.