LAUNCHER FOR CONTEXT BASED MENUS

• US 20130019172A1
• Filed: 10/26/2011
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kotler, Matthew, Sachidanandam, Vignesh, Gil, Erez Kikin, Pearson, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,746,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/711
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04895 Guidance during keyboard input operation, e.g. prompting

Abstract

A launching mechanism for context based menus is provided. A launcher indicator may be provided at a fixed or dynamic location on a user interface enabling a user to activate a context based menu through a variety of touch or gesture actions, as well as keyboard, mouse, or similar device inputs, directly related to the indicator or through inference from an action on the displayed content such as selection of a portion of the content. The launcher indicator may provide contextual information such as a type of available context based menu and appear/disappear in an animated fashion. Location of the indicator may also be dynamically adjusted based on selected content, user action location (i.e., location of a touch), available display area, and so on. Upon activation of the menu, the launcher indicator may disappear or be displayed at a center of the context based menu.

Claims

1. A method executed at least in part in a computing device for providing a launch mechanism for context based menus, the method comprising:

in response to detecting one of a selection of a portion of displayed content on a user interface and a user action on the user interface, presenting a launcher indicator associated with an underlying context based menu, wherein a location of the launcher indicator is selected based on the selected portion of the displayed content;

detecting another user action associated with the displayed launcher indicator; and

in response to the other user action, one of;

executing a command and displaying the underlying context based menu.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user action and the other user action include at least one from a set of:

a tap action on a fixed indicator on the user interface, a keyboard entry combination, a mouse input, a pen input, a tap action on a selected object, and a tap action on one of a pair of content selection handles.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting the launcher indicator at one of a fixed location on the user interface and a dynamically selected location based on at least one from a set of;

the selected portion of the displayed content, a displayed content type, available display area, user interface borders, and a device type.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

presenting the launcher indicator along one of;

a left side, a right side, a top, and a bottom of the selected portion of the displayed content based on a user attribute.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user attribute includes at least one from a set of:

a left or right handedness of a user, a size of fingers, a size a pointing device, a user credential, an ergonomic characteristic of the user, and a location attribute comprising one or more of a language selection for the user interface, geographic location information, time zone information, and country information.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

automatically moving the launcher indicator in response to a change of the user attribute.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising one or more of:

presenting the launcher indicator at a location relative to selected portion of the displayed content based on a direction of a detected swipe action; and

presenting the launcher indicator at a location relative to selected portion of the displayed content such that sufficient display area is provided for the underlying context based menu.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

if there is insufficient display area between the selected content and a user interface border to display the underlying context based menu, one of;

automatically moving the launcher indicator to another location on the user interface, reducing a size of the launcher indicator, and displaying the launcher indicator partially.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically moving the launcher indicator in response to one of;

a change in a size of the selected portion of the displayed content, a change in the size of the user interface, and a change in an orientation of the user interface.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a tooltip in response to the other user action causing a command from the underlying context based menu to be executed; and

displaying another tool tip to remind a user that the launcher indicator has been activated, but no action has been received.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to move the launcher indicator within the user interface based on a further user action.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user action and the other user action are one of touch and gesture based actions.

13. A computing device for providing a launch mechanism for context based menus, the computing device comprising:

an input device;

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory and the input device, the processor executing an application and causing a user interface associated with the application to be displayed on a screen, wherein the processor is configured to;

in response to detecting one of a selection of a portion of displayed content on the user interface and a first user action on the user interface, present a launcher indicator associated with an underlying context based menu at one of a fixed location on the user interface and a dynamically selected location based on at least one from a set of;

the selected portion of the displayed content, a displayed content type, available display area, user interface borders, and a device type, wherein a location of the launcher indicator is selected based on the selected portion of the displayed content;

if no other user action is detected within a predefined time, hide the launcher indicator;

detect a second user action associated with the displayed launcher indicator; and

in response to the second user action, hide the launcher indicator and one of;

execute a command and display the underlying context based menu.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a third user action away from the launcher indicator; and

hide the launcher indicator in an animated fashion.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the third user action is associated with one of:

scrolling a page, a zooming action, a selection of a different portion of displayed content, and a new content entry.

16. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

present the launcher indicator in a vicinity of the third user action on the user interface.

17. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the launch mechanism is controlled by one of the application and an operating system of the computing device.

18. A computer-readable memory device with instructions stored thereon for providing a launch mechanism for touch and gesture enabled menus, the instructions containing:

in response to detecting one of a selection of a portion of displayed content on the user interface and a one of a touch action and a gesture action on the user interface, presenting a launcher indicator associated with an underlying context based menu at one of a fixed location on the user interface and a dynamically selected location based on at least one from a set of;

the selected portion of the displayed content, a displayed content type, available display area, user interface borders, and a device type, wherein a location of the launcher indicator is selected based on the selected portion of the displayed content;

if no other user action is detected within a predefined time, hiding the launcher indicator;

detecting another one of a touch action and a gesture action associated with the displayed launcher indicator; and

in response to the other one of the touch action and a gesture action, hiding the launcher indicator and one of;

executing a command and displaying the underlying context based menu.

19. The computer-readable memory device of claim 18, wherein the launcher indicator comprises one of a graphic object, a textual object, and a combination of graphic and text object, and wherein at least one from a set of:

a color scheme, a graphical scheme, an animation scheme, and a shading scheme is employed to enhance a visual effect of the launcher indicator.

20. The computer-readable memory device of claim 19, wherein the launcher indicator displays contextual information associated with at least one of the selected portion of the displayed content and the underlying context based menu.