TOUCH-SENSITIVE NAVIGATION IN A TAB-BASED APPLICATION INTERFACE

• US 20130222272A1
• Filed: 02/28/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: MARTIN, Richard Eugene Jr.
• Application Number:
  US13/407,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20130222272A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

Abstract

A method is provided for navigation in a tab-based application interface on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device. A start of a touch contact initiating proximate to a first edge of the touch-sensitive display is detected. An end of the touch contact terminating proximate to a second edge of the touch sensitive display is detected. An angular gesture can then be determined when the start of the touch contact and the end of the touch contact are from the first edge being perpendicular to the second edge of the touch-sensitive display. Content associated with a tab on the touch-sensitive display in the tab-based application interface in response to the angular gesture is then displayed.

Claims

1. A method for navigation in a tab-based application interface on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a start of a touch contact initiating proximate to a first edge of the touch-sensitive display;

detecting an end of the touch contact terminating proximate to a second edge of the touch sensitive display;

determining an angular gesture when the start of the touch contact and the end of the touch contact are from the first edge being perpendicular to the second edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

displaying content associated with a tab on the touch-sensitive display in the tab-based application interface in response to the angular gesture.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a navigation direction of the angular gesture based on where the second edge is located in relation to the touch-sensitive display; and

determining the tab to be displayed based upon the navigation direction.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the displayed tab is selected from one or more ordered tabs in relation to the determined navigation direction.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein when the second edge is located to a right edge of the touch-sensitive display the navigation direction of the angular gesture is forward to a next tab of the one or more ordered tabs.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein when a tab in the one or more ordered tabs is not defined in the determined navigation direction, a new tab is created.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein when the second edge is located to a left edge of the touch-sensitive display the navigation direction of the angular gesture is backwards to a previous tab of the one or more ordered tabs.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the touch-sensitive display is surrounded by a touch-sensitive non-display area, the angular gesture defines a meta-navigation gesture where the start of the touch contact is initiated within the touch sensitive non-display area and the end of the touch contact is terminated in the touch-sensitive non-display area.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the start touch contact and the end touch contact of the angular gesture are joined by a contact path over the touch-sensitive display to define the meta-navigation gesture.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the contact path of the angular gesture forms an arcuate elbow between the first edge and second edge to define the meta-navigation gesture.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the start touch contact is initiated within a defined threshold distance from the edge of the touch-sensitive display and the end touch contact is terminated within a defined threshold distance from a buffer region defining the edge of the touch-sensitive display.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the start touch contact and the end touch contact of the angular gesture are joined by a contact path over the touch-sensitive display.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the contact path of the angular gesture form an arcuate elbow between the first edge and second edge or the angular gesture is a 90 degree swipe between adjacent edges of the touch-sensitive display.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the tab-based application is an Internet web browser application, wherein each tab is associated with a respective universal resource locator.

14. A portable electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

a processor coupled to the touch-sensitive display; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing instructions for navigation in a tab-based application interface the instructions when executed by a processor performing;

detecting a start of a touch contact initiating proximate to a first edge of the touch-sensitive display;

detecting an end of the touch contact terminating proximate to a second edge of the touch sensitive display;

determining an angular gesture when the start of the touch contact and the end of the touch contact are from the first edge being perpendicular to the second edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

displaying content associated with a tab on the touch-sensitive display in the tab-based application interface in response to the angular gesture.

15. The portable electronic device of claim 14 further comprising:

determining a navigation direction of the angular gesture based on where the second edge is located in relation to the touch-sensitive display; and

determining the tab to be displayed based upon the navigation direction.

16. The portable electronic device of claim 15 wherein the displayed tab is selected from one or more ordered tabs in relation to the determined navigation direction.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 16 wherein when the second edge is located to a right edge of the touch-sensitive display the navigation direction of the angular gesture is forward to a next tab of the one or more ordered tabs.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17 wherein when a tab in the one or more ordered tabs is not defined in the determined navigation direction, a new tab is created and when the second edge is located to a left edge of the touch-sensitive display the navigation direction of the angular gesture is backwards to a previous tab of the one or more ordered tabs.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 14 wherein the touch-sensitive display is surrounded by a touch-sensitive non-display area, the angular gesture defines a meta-navigation gesture where the start of the touch contact is initiated within the touch sensitive non-display area and the end of the touch contact is terminated in the touch-sensitive non-display area.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19 wherein the start touch contact and the end touch contact of the angular gesture are joined by a contact path over the touch-sensitive display to define the meta-navigation gesture.

21. The portable electronic device of claim 20 wherein the contact path of the angular gesture forms an arcuate elbow between the first edge and second edge to define the meta-navigation gesture.

22. The portable electronic device of claim 14 wherein the start touch contact is initiated within a defined threshold distance from the edge of the touch-sensitive display and the end touch contact is terminated within a defined threshold distance from a buffer region defining the edge of the touch-sensitive display.

23. The portable electronic device of claim 22 wherein the start touch contact and the end touch contact of the angular gesture are joined by a contact path over the touch-sensitive display.

24. The portable electronic device of claim 23 wherein the angular gesture is a 90 degree swipe between adjacent edges of the touch-sensitive display or the tab-based application is an Internet web browser application, wherein each tab is associated with a respective universal resource locator.

25. A computer readable memory containing instructions for navigation in a tab-based application interface on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device, the instructions when executed by a processor performing:

detecting a start of a touch contact initiating proximate to a first edge of the touch-sensitive display;

detecting an end of the touch contact terminating proximate to a second edge of the touch sensitive display;

determining an angular gesture when the start of the touch contact and the end of the touch contact are from the first edge being perpendicular to the second edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

displaying content associated with a tab on the touch-sensitive display in the tab-based application interface in response to the angular gesture.