Semantic Zoom Gestures

• US 20130067420A1
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Pittappilly, Theresa B., Deutsch, Rebecca, Soegiono, Orry W., Waggoner, Nicholas R., Kuehnle, Holger, Carr, William D., Luengen, Ross N., Kwiatkowski, Paul J., Markiewicz, Jan-Kristian, Hofmeester, Gerrit H., Disano, Robert, Myhres, Justin S.
• Application Number:
  US13/228,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067420A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Semantic zoom techniques are described. In one or more implementations, techniques are described that may be utilized by a user to navigate to content of interest. These techniques may also include a variety of different features, such as to support semantic swaps and zooming “in” and “out.” These techniques may also include a variety of different input features, such as to support gestures, cursor-control device, and keyboard inputs. A variety of other features are also supported as further described in the detailed description and figures.

Claims

1. A method implemented by one or more computing devices, the method comprising:

recognizing inputs as describing movement;

identifying a zoom gesture from the recognized inputs to cause an operation to be performed to zoom a display of a user interface as following the recognized inputs; and

identifying a semantic swap gesture from the inputs to cause an operation to replace the first view of representations of content in the user interface with a second view that describes the content differently in the user interface.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the operation of the zoom causes the zoom to be performed in real time.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the semantic swap is identified responsive to a determination that the input has reached the semantic zoom threshold.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the zoom is a zoom in or a zoom out configured to change a display size of the representations.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the operation of the semantic swap gesture causes different arrangements of the representations of the content.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the content relates to a file system of the computing device.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the operation of the semantic swap gesture is configured to change which metadata is displayed in a user interface.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the operation of the semantic swap gesture is configured to replace representations of single items of content with representations of groups of the items.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the movement described by the inputs corresponds to a pinch or a reverse-pinch gesture.

10. A method implemented by one or more computing devices, the method comprising:

identifying a zoom gesture from inputs that are recognized as describing movement;

displaying a zoom animation responsive to the identifying of the zoom gesture, the zoom animation configured to zoom a display of the user interface;

identifying a semantic swap gesture from the inputs that are recognized as describing movement; and

displaying a semantic swap animation responsive to the identifying of the semantic swap gesture, the semantic swap animation configured to replace a first view of representations of content in the user interface with a second view of the content in the user interface.

11. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the movements of the semantic swap gesture are identified as a continuation of the movements of the zoom gesture.

12. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the zoom is a zoom in or a zoom out that is configured to change a display size of the representations, accordingly.

13. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the semantic swap animation involves different arrangements of the representations of the content.

14. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the content relates to a file system of the computing device.

15. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the semantic swap animation is configured to change which metadata is displayed in a user interface.

16. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the semantic swap animation is configured to replace representations of single items of content with representations of groups of the items.

17. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the semantic swap animation involves a crossfade between the views.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer executable instructions that, responsive to execution by a computing device, causes the computing device to implement an operating system to display animations upon detection of pinch or reverse-pinch gestures to zoom a display of representations of content in a user interface or replace a first view of the representations of content in the user interface with a second view of the content in the user interface.

19. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 18, wherein the animation to replace the first view with the second view involves a crossfade.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 18, wherein the content relates to a file system of the computing device.