Object transfer method using gesture-based computing device

• US 20120324368A1
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GOTO Group Incorporated (LogMeIn, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LogMeIn, Inc.
• Inventors: Juhász, György, Putz, Ákos, Anka, Márton B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,788,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A file transfer method is operative in a mobile computing device having a display interface that supports gesture-based control operations. The mobile computing device includes a remote access client. One or more other computers associated with the user each maintain connections to a Web-based remote access service. The user desires to copy and/or move resources between first and second of his or her connected computers. According to the file transfer method, after receipt of data indicating a first gesture requesting a copy or move operation with respect to the resource in the file system, an overview of one or more target devices is displayed. The overview is a folder level view of all folders and files located on the target devices, which are the one or more other computers also having a connection (or capable of having a connection) to the Web-based remote access service. In addition to displaying the folder-level view, an additional display element is shown. This display element is a representation of the resource from which the copy or move operation has been requested. The display element is displayed as an overlay, and it is adapted to be selectively positioned (by the user) in the overview using a gesture. Thereafter, and upon receipt of data indicating a second gesture that has caused the representation to be positioned over an available transfer location within a computer connected to the Web-based remote access service, the copy or move operation is completed.

Claims

1. A file transfer method, operative in a mobile computing device having a display interface that supports gesture-based control operations, comprising:

displaying a first view that includes a representation of a file system;

after receipt of data indicating a first gesture requesting a copy or move operation with respect to a resource in the file system, displaying a second view that provides a view of one or more target devices;

displaying, as an overlay in the second view, a representation of the resource for which the copy or move operation has been requested, the representation adapted to be selectively positioned in the second view using a gesture;

upon receipt of data indicating a second gesture that has caused the representation to be positioned over an available transfer location within a target device, completing the copy or move operation.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the file system is associated with a source device.

3. The method as described in claim 1 further including automatically minimizing the first view after receipt of the data indicating the first gesture.

4. The method as described in claim 1 further including replacing the first view with the second view while maintaining the first view open.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the overview also displays the available transfer locations within a target device.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the resource is one of:

a file, a set of files within a directory, contents of a directory, multiple directories, contents of a drive, and one or more identified objects.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further including displaying an indication that the available transfer location is available to receive the resource when the representation of the resource is juxtaposed with the available transfer location.

8. The method as described in claim 7 further including removing the indication when the representation of the resource is moved off of the available transfer location.

9. The method as described in claim 2 wherein the copy or move operation is completed by one of:

a peer-to-peer transfer between the source device and the target device, a transfer between the source device and the mobile computing device, and a transfer from the source device to the target device through the mobile computing device.

10. The method as described in claim 1 further including providing a confirmation dialog prior to completing the copy or move operation.

11. The file transfer method as described in claim 2 further including updating from the source device the resource that has been moved or copied to the available target location.

12. An article comprising a tangible machine-readable medium that stores a program, the program being executable by a machine to perform a method, comprising:

upon receipt of data indicating a copy or move action with respect to a selected resource on a source device, activating a visual representation of the selected resource;

upon receipt of data indicating that the visual representation is positioned on an available drop location on a target device and the available drop location has been selected, attempting to complete the copy or move action.

13. The article as described in claim 12 further including modifying a visual state of the visual representation to identify an available drop location.

14. The article as described in claim 12 wherein the visual state is modified by incorporating a message in the visual representation.

15. The article as described in claim 12 wherein the visual representation is persisted across one or more view windows.

16. The article as described in claim 12 wherein the one or more view windows comprise an overview identifying one or more target devices and their associated file systems.

17. The article as described in claim 12 wherein the data is received upon sensing a gesture on a touch-sensing interface on the machine.

18. The article as described in claim 12 wherein the machine is one of:

a cellular phone, and a tablet device.

19. Mobile device apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

computer memory holding computer program instructions executed by the one or more processors to provide a file transfer display method, the method comprising;

displaying a first view that includes a representation of a file system;

upon receipt of a first gesture, providing an indication in association with a selected resource to be copied or moved;

upon receipt of a second gesture initiating a copy or move operation, displaying a second view that provides an overview of one or more target devices;

displaying, as an overlay in the second view, a representation of the resource;

upon receipt of a third gesture identifying a target device, displaying a third view that includes a representation of the file system of the target device;

persisting the representation across the second and third views;

augmenting the representation with an indication that a transfer location within the target device is available to receive the resource; and

upon receipt of a fourth gesture indicating a selection of the transfer location, closing the representation.

20. The mobile device apparatus as described in claim 19 wherein the one or more processors comprise a graphics processing unit (GPU) for processing the gestures.