OBJECT BASED CONTEXTUAL MENU CONTROLS

• US 20150026642A1
• Filed: 07/15/2014
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pinterest, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pinterest, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Jason Luke, Gavini, Naveen, Ramkumar, Steven, Falzone, Anthony T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,152,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/825
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0383 Remote input, i.e. interface arrangements in which the signals generated by a pointing device are transmitted to a PC at a remote location, e.g. to a PC in a LAN
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems and methods that enable users to easily take action on objects through use of a contextual menu. The contextual menu may be independent of the application and/or device through which the object is accessed and allows the user to perform actions with respect to an object. The selected action may be locally performed and/or performed at a location remote from the client device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions, receiving a contextual menu invocation;

determining a selected object corresponding to the contextual menu invocation;

determining an action based at least in part on the selected object;

presenting a contextual menu to a user that includes a plurality of action identifiers, each of the plurality of action identifiers representative of an action that may be performed with respect to the selected object, wherein one of the plurality of action identifiers is representative of the determined action;

receiving a selection of an action identifier from the plurality of action identifiers; and

performing the action represented by the selected action identifier.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contextual menu invocation is received in response to the user selecting the object.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the object is one of a plurality of objects presented on a device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action is at least one of sending a message, posting the selected object on a social networking site or platform, adding a comment to the selected object, purchasing the selected object, searching for objects similar to the selected object, adding the selected object to a set, removing the selected object from a set, promoting the selected object, reporting the selected object, identifying other users that have taken actions with respect to the selected object, saving the selected object on a device, or downloading the selected object.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the action includes a remote action; and

sending action information to a remote computing resource.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the action information includes one or more of the selected object, action commands, or user information.

7. A computing system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to at least;

receive from a user an invocation of a contextual menu;

determine a plurality of actions to be presented to the user based at least in part on one or more of an identity of the user, a prior action selected by the user, an object, a prior object selected by the user, or a relationship between the object and the user;

send for display a contextual menu includes a plurality of action identifiers, each of the plurality of action identifiers corresponding to one of the plurality of actions;

receive a selection of an action identifier from the plurality of action identifiers; and

cause the action corresponding to the selected action identifier to be performed.

8. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

determine a plurality of action options corresponding to the selected action;

send for display, for each of the plurality of action options, an action option identifier;

receive a selection of an action option identifier from the plurality of action option identifiers; and

wherein program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors to cause the action corresponding to the selected action identifier to be performed include instructions to cause the action to be performed with respect to the selected action option identifier.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

determine a first action option corresponding to the selected action, wherein the first action option has a first probability of selection;

determine a second action option corresponding to the selected action, wherein the second action option has a second probability of selection; and

wherein plurality of action options include the first action option and the second action option.

10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

send for display a menu identifier enabling selection of additional action option identifiers.

11. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

determine an object selected as part of the invocation of the contextual menu.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the action is performed with respect to the object.

13. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors further cause the one or more processors to at least:

determine that the selected action is a remote action; and

send action information to a remote computing resource, wherein the action information includes a selected object and an identification of the selected action.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving from a user an input to invoke a contextual menu corresponding to an object;

determine a plurality of actions to be presented to the user based at least in part on one or more of an identity of the user, a prior action selected by the user, an object, a prior object selected by the user, or a relationship between the object and the user;

presenting to the user a contextual menu, wherein the contextual menu includes a plurality of actions identifiers, each action identifier corresponding to a determined action;

receiving a selection of an action identifier; and

causing an action corresponding to the action identifier to be performed.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein presenting the contextual menu includes:

presenting an input identifier at an approximate location of the input received to invoke the contextual menu; and

presenting each of the plurality of action identifiers at a first distance from the input identifier.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the input is a long press of an input device on a touch-based display of a device.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining the object based at least in part on a location of the input.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein the object is one of a plurality of objects presented on a display.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the action is performed with respect to the object and not with respect to other objects of the plurality of objects.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein the action is at least one of sending a message, posting the selected object on a social networking site or platform, adding a comment to the selected object, purchasing the selected object, searching for objects similar to the selected object, adding the selected object to a set, removing the selected object from a set, promoting the selected object, reporting the selected object, identifying other users that have taken actions with respect to the selected object, saving the selected object on a device, or downloading the selected object.