TWO-FACTOR ROTATION INPUT ON A TOUCHSCREEN DEVICE

• US 20130222275A1
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: BYRD, Thomas Edward, PAUL-CAVALLIER, Julien Camille
• Granted Patent: US 8,854,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

An electronic device and method are provided for rotating an object displayed at or by the device. The object may be an entire displayed region of a display screen, such as a window, frame, or other region or subregion, or a block element or other type of content component such as an image or map. A first input defining a reference point for the object is detected at a first user interface mechanism. After commencement of the detected first input, a second input at a second user interface mechanism, such as a touchscreen display, is detected. In response to the second input, a rotation transformation is applied to the object, the rotation transformation center being defined by the reference point, and the rotation transformation angle being defined by the second input. The object may be displayed by the touchscreen display, or by a display device external to the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method implemented at an electronic device, the method comprising:

detecting a first input at a first user interface mechanism of a plurality of user interface mechanisms of the electronic device, the first input defining a reference point for a displayed object;

detecting, after commencement of the detected first input, a second input at a second user interface mechanism of the plurality of user interface mechanisms, the second user interface mechanism comprising a touchscreen display; and

in response to the detected second input, applying a rotation transformation to the displayed object, a center of the rotation transformation being defined by the reference point, and an angle of the rotation transformation being defined by the second input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed object is displayed by the touchscreen display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed object is displayed by a display device in communication with the electronic device comprising the touchscreen display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of a duration of the second input overlaps a duration of the first input, and further wherein a final angle of the rotation transformation is determined by an angle of rotation computed from the detected second input at a point that is the earlier of:

a detected end of the first input, and a detected end of the second input.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is displayed in a first one of a plurality of regions displayed on the touchscreen display, and in the first region comprising the object, the detected first input is associated with an event handler that operates to define the reference point, and in another one of the plurality of regions, the detected first input is associated with an event handler that does not operate to define the reference point.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the object is comprised in a webpage received by the electronic device, and the event handler associated with the detected first input is defined for the webpage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input and the second input are consecutive.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface mechanism is a pointing device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the first user interface mechanism is one of a mouse, trackpad, trackball, and optical joystick.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface mechanism is a simulated pointing device provided via the touchscreen display.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first input also identifies the object for the rotation transformation.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a plurality of user interface mechanisms;

a processor in operative communication with the plurality of user interface mechanisms, the processor being capable of;

detecting a first input at a first user interface mechanism of the plurality of user interface mechanisms, the first input defining a reference point for a displayed object;

detecting, after commencement of the detected first input, a second input at a second user interface mechanism of the plurality of user interface mechanisms, the second user interface mechanism comprising a touchscreen display; and

in response to the detected second input, applying a rotation transformation to the displayed object, a center of the rotation transformation being defined by the reference point, and an angle of the rotation transformation being defined by the second input.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the displayed object is displayed by the touchscreen display.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the displayed object is displayed by a display device in communication with the electronic device comprising the touchscreen display.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein at least a portion of a duration of the second input overlaps a duration of the first input, and further wherein a final angle of the rotation transformation is determined by an angle of rotation computed from the detected second input at a point that is the earlier of:

a detected end of the first input, and a detected end of the second input.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the object is displayed in a first one of a plurality of regions displayed on the touchscreen display, and in the first region comprising the object, the detected first input is associated with an event handler that operates to define the reference point, and in another one of the plurality of regions, the detected first input is associated with an event handler that does not operate to define the reference point.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the object is comprised in a webpage received by the electronic device, and the event handler associated with the detected first input is defined for the webpage.

18. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the first input and the second input are consecutive.

19. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the first user interface mechanism is a pointing device.

20. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the first user interface mechanism is one of a mouse, trackpad, trackball, and optical joystick.

21. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the first user interface mechanism is a simulated pointing device provided on the touchscreen display.

22. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the first input also identifies the object for the rotation transformation.

23. A program product comprising a non-transitory electronic device-readable medium bearing code which, when executed by a processor or processors of an electronic device, the electronic device comprising a plurality of user interface mechanisms, causes the electronic device to carry out a method of:

detecting a first input at a first user interface mechanism of the plurality of user interface mechanisms, the first input defining a reference point for a displayed object;

detecting, after commencement of the detected first input, a second input at a second user interface mechanism of the plurality of user interface mechanisms, the second user interface mechanism comprising a touchscreen display; and

in response to the detected second input, applying a rotation transformation to the displayed object, a center of the rotation transformation being defined by the reference point, and an angle of the rotation transformation being defined by the second input.

24. The program product of claim 23, wherein the first user interface mechanism is a pointing device.