ADJUSTING CONTENT TO AVOID OCCLUSION BY A VIRTUAL INPUT PANEL

• US 20130111391A1
• Filed: 11/01/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Penner, Nathan Robert, Rampson, Benjamin Edward, Lisse, Michelle E.
• Application Number:
  US13/287,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20130111391A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• 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 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/045 Zooming at least part of an image, i.e. enlarging it or shrinking it
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

The display of a content area is automatically adjusted such that the display of a virtual input panel (e.g. virtual keyboard, gesture area, handwriting area, . . . ) does not occlude content with which the user is interacting. After adjusting the display of the content area, the content being interacted with is visible within the content area. The content area is automatically adjusted such that it remains visible during the interaction. In some situations, a content area may also be temporarily resized while the virtual input panel is displayed. When a zoom scale is set to automatically change in response to a change to the content area, the zoom scale may be set to a fixed percentage. When the virtual input panel is dismissed, the content area may be returned to its original configuration before the virtual input panel was displayed.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting a content area to avoid occlusion by a display of a virtual input panel, comprising:

displaying a content area;

receiving an interaction with content that indicates an interaction area within the content area;

determining when a display of the virtual input panel occludes the interaction area; and

adjusting the display of the content area such that the display of the virtual input panel does not occlude the interaction area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the display of the content area comprises at least one of:

scrolling the content area and moving the content area.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising adjusting both a size of an area within the content area and moving a display of the content within the content area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual input panel is one of:

a virtual keyboard, a touch gesture input panel;

a handwriting area, and a software input panel.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a size of an area within the content area such that at least a portion of the adjusted area is exposed when the virtual input panel is displayed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the area is at least one of:

a notes area and a comments area.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the virtual input panel alpha-blended such that at least a portion of content below the display of the virtual input panel remains visible.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically adjusting the content area when the virtual input panel is displayed before a portion of the content becomes occluded while the virtual input panel is displayed.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a current scaling factor before adjusting the adjusting the display of the content area and when the virtual input panel is removed from the display adjusting the content region back to the scaling factor.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for adjusting a content region to avoid occlusion by a display of a virtual input panel, comprising:

displaying a content area;

receiving an interaction with content that indicates an interaction area within the content area;

determining a location to display the virtual input panel;

determining when a display of the virtual input panel at the determined location occludes the interaction area; and

adjusting the display of the content area such that the display of the virtual input panel does not occlude the interaction area.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein adjusting the display of the content area comprises at least one of:

scrolling the content area and moving the content area.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the virtual input panel is one of:

a virtual keyboard, a touch gesture input panel;

a handwriting area, and a software input panel.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising adjusting a size of an area within the content area such that at least a portion of the adjusted area is exposed when the virtual input panel is displayed.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising displaying the virtual input panel alpha-blended such that at least a portion of content below the display of the virtual input panel remains visible.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising automatically adjusting the content area when the virtual input panel is displayed before a portion of the content becomes occluded while the virtual input panel is displayed.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising determining a current scaling factor before adjusting the adjusting the display of the content area and when the virtual input panel is removed from the display adjusting the content region back to the scaling factor.

17. A system for adjusting a content region to avoid occlusion by a display of a virtual input panel, comprising:

a display;

a network connection that is coupled to tenants of the multi-tenant service;

a processor and a computer-readable medium;

an operating environment stored on the computer-readable medium and executing on the processor; and

a process operating under the control of the operating environment and operative to perform actions, comprising;

displaying a content area;

receiving an interaction with content that indicates an interaction area within the content area;

determining a location to display the virtual input panel;

determining when a display of the virtual input panel at the determined location occludes the interaction area; and

adjusting the display of the content area such that the display of the virtual input panel does not occlude the interaction area.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein adjusting the display of the content area comprises moving a portion of the content in content area.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising adjusting a size of an area within the content area such that at least a portion of the adjusted area is exposed when the virtual input panel is displayed.

20. The system of claim 17, further comprising automatically adjusting the content area when the virtual input panel is displayed before a portion of the content becomes occluded while the virtual input panel is displayed.