EXPLICIT TOUCH SELECTION AND CURSOR PLACEMENT

• US 20130067373A1
• Filed: 09/12/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Weir, Jeffrey J., Hofmeester, Gerrit H., Markiewicz, Jan-Kristian, Washington, David Earl, Kotler, Matthew J., Demopoulos, Ryan, Patel, Amish, Anderson, Jennifer L., Wolfe, Jennifer, Brauninger, Andrew R., Stuple, Stuart J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,612,670 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A system and method for implementing an efficient and easy to user interface for a touch screen device. A cursor may be placed by a user using simple inputs. The device operates places the cursor coarsely and refines the cursor placement upon further input from the user. Text may be selected using a gripper associated with the cursor. The user interface allows text selection without occluding the text being selected with the user'"'"'s finger or the gripper. For selecting text in a multi-line block of text, a dynamic safety zone is implemented to simplify text selection for the user.

Claims

1. A method for placing a cursor on a display screen of a computing device displaying a string of characters, the method comprising:

receiving a first input indicating a first cursor input location on the display screen associated with the string of characters;

displaying a cursor on the display screen in the first cursor location;

additional input indicating a refined cursor location proximate the first cursor location;

displaying the cursor on the display screen in the refined cursor location.

2-20. -20. (canceled)