USER INTERFACE INDIRECT INTERACTION

• US 20130117715A1
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Published: 05/09/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Williams, Sarah G., Fleegal, Eric Boller, Voss, William Roger
• Granted Patent: US 9,594,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for utilizing input data received from an indirect interaction device (e.g., mouse, touchpad, etc.) to launch, engage, and/or close, etc. an object within a user interface. For example, a sensory surface of the indirect interaction device may be divided into two (or more) portions, a first portion utilized to launch, engage, and/or close an object and a second portion utilized to navigate (e.g., a cursor) within the user interface. When an object is launched based upon receipt of a predefined gesture(s), the first portion of the sensory surface may be mapped to the object to provide for interaction with the object via an interaction between a contact (e.g., finger) and the first portion. Also, the surface area of the first portion may be altered (e.g., enlarged) when it is mapped to the object and/or according to operations performed on the object.

Claims

1. A method for indirect interaction with a user interface, comprising:

receiving first input data indicative a first contact being applied in a first predefined manner relative to a sensory surface of an indirect interaction device;

launching an object in the user interface in response to the first input data; and

mapping at least a portion of the sensory surface to the object.

2. The method of claim 1, the first predefined manner comprising moving the first contact away from an edge of the sensory surface.

3. The method of claim 2, the first predefined manner comprising moving the first contact from the edge towards a center of the sensory surface.

4. The method of claim 1, launching the object comprising at least one of opening a menu and opening an on-screen keyboard.

5. The method of claim 1, mapping at least a portion of the sensory surface to the object comprising mapping less than all of the sensory surface to the object such that a first portion of the sensory surface is mapped to the object.

6. The method of claim 5, comprising:

receiving second input data indicative of a second contact being applied relative to the first portion of the sensory surface; and

engaging the object based at least in part upon the second input data.

7. The method of claim 5, comprising utilizing a second portion of the sensory surface to navigate within the user interface, the second portion different than the first portion.

8. The method of claim 7, at least some of the second portion of the sensory surface not mapped to the object.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving second input data indicative of a second contact being applied in a second predefined manner relative to the sensory surface of the indirect interaction device; and

hiding the object in response to the second input data such that the object is not presented in the user interface.

10. The method of claim 9, the second predefined manner comprising moving the second contact towards an edge of the sensory surface.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising dividing the sensory surface into at least two portions, where interactions with the first contact that initiate in a first portion of the sensory surface are configured to initialize a launch of one or more objects and interactions with a second contact that initiate in a second portion of the sensory surface are configured to be utilized to navigate within the user interface.

12. The method of claim 11, the first input indicative of the first contact initiating an interaction with the first portion of the sensory surface.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising upon launching the object, expanding a surface area of the first portion of the sensory surface while reducing a surface area of the second portion of the sensory surface, and mapping at least a portion of the sensory surface to the object comprising mapping the expanded first portion of the sensory surface to the object.

14. A system comprising:

a sensory component configured to cause a sensory surface of an indirect interaction device to comprise at least first and second portions, the first portion configured to be utilized to alter a user interface in response to detecting a first contact being applied in a predefined manner relative to the first portion and the second portion configured to be utilized to navigate within the user interface.

15. The system of claim 14, altering the user interface comprising at least one of opening a menu, closing a menu, opening an on-screen keyboard, closing an on-screen keyboard, and transitioning between two or more applications.

16. The system of claim 14, the sensory component configured to alter a surface area of at least one of the first and second portions of the sensory surface based at least in part upon detecting the first contact being applied in the predefined manner.

17. The system of claim 14, altering the user interface comprising opening an object, and the sensory component configured to enlarge a surface area of the first portion upon detecting the first contact being applied in the predefined manner.

18. The system of claim 14, altering the user interface comprising opening an object, and the system comprising a mapping component configured to map the first portion of the sensory surface to the object.

19. The system of claim 14, the indirect interaction device configured to generate input data indicative of interactions between the first contact and the sensory surface, and the system comprising a processing component configured to at least one of launch an object in the user interface and transition between two or more objects displayed in the user interface based at least in part upon the input data.

20. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed via a processor perform a method, comprising:

receiving first input data indicative a first contact being applied in a first predefined manner relative to a sensory surface of an indirect interaction device;

launching an object in a user interface in response to the first input data; and

mapping at least a portion of the sensory surface to the object.