NAVIGATION CONTROL FOR A TABLETOP COMPUTER SYSTEM

• US 20150058796A1
• Filed: 08/23/2013
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Thakur, Pavan Kumar Singh, John, Justin Varkey, Selvaraj, Venkatesh Mani
• Application Number:
  US13/974,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20150058796A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/800
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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

One aspect of the invention is a system for providing navigation control for a tabletop computer system. The system includes a multi-touch display and processing circuitry coupled to the multi-touch display. The processing circuitry is configured to display a user interface on the multi-touch display and render a navigation pane on the multi-touch display. The navigation pane includes a reduced-scale copy of the user interface. The processing circuitry is also configured to detect a touch-based input at a position on the navigation pane and determine a scaled position on the user interface corresponding to the position on the navigation pane. The processing circuitry is further configured to interpret the touch-based input at the position on the navigation pane as an equivalent touch-based input at the scaled position on the user interface and trigger an event corresponding to the equivalent touch-based input at the scaled position on the user interface.

Claims

1. A system for providing navigation control for a tabletop computer system, the system comprising:

a multi-touch display; and

processing circuitry coupled to the multi-touch display, the processing circuitry configured to;

display a user interface on the multi-touch display;

render a navigation pane on the multi-touch display, the navigation pane comprising a reduced-scale copy of the user interface;

detect a touch-based input at a position on the navigation pane;

determine a scaled position on the user interface corresponding to the position on the navigation pane;

interpret the touch-based input at the position on the navigation pane as an equivalent touch-based input at the scaled position on the user interface; and

trigger an event corresponding to the equivalent touch-based input at the scaled position on the user interface.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation pane is statically positioned on the multi-touch display.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to dynamically position the navigation pane on the multi-touch display.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to render one or more additional navigation panes on the multi-touch display.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the navigation pane is resizable with corresponding rescaling relative to the user interface.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the user interface is a user interface window of a touch-based environment.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to launch the navigation pane based on one or more of:

a detected gesture on the multi-touch display, a detected touch of an icon on the multi-touch display, and a detected placement of a physical object on the multi-touch display.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to respond to both direct touch-based inputs on the user interface and the equivalent touch-based input.

9. A method for providing navigation control for a tabletop computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface on a multi-touch display;

rendering, by processing circuitry coupled to the multi-touch display, a navigation pane on the multi-touch display, the navigation pane comprising a reduced-scale copy of the user interface;

detecting, by the processing circuitry, a touch-based input at a position on the navigation pane;

determining, by the processing circuitry, a scaled position on the user interface corresponding to the position on the navigation pane;

interpreting, by the processing circuitry, the touch-based input at the position on the navigation pane as an equivalent touch-based input at the scaled position on the user interface; and

triggering, by the processing circuitry, an event corresponding to the equivalent touch-based input at the scaled position on the user interface.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

statically positioning the navigation pane on the multi-touch display.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

dynamically positioning the navigation pane on the multi-touch display.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

rendering one or more additional navigation panes on the multi-touch display.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the user interface is a user interface window of a touch-based environment.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

launching the navigation pane based on one or more of;

a detected gesture on the multi-touch display, a detected touch of an icon on the multi-touch display, and a detected placement of a physical object on the multi-touch display.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

responding to both direct touch-based inputs on the user interface and the equivalent touch-based input.

16. A computer program product for providing navigation control for a tabletop computer system, the computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for causing processing circuitry coupled to a multi-touch display to implement a method, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface on the multi-touch display;

rendering a navigation pane on the multi-touch display, the navigation pane comprising a reduced-scale copy of the user interface;

detecting a touch-based input at a position on the navigation pane;

determining a scaled position on the user interface corresponding to the position on the navigation pane;

interpreting the touch-based input at the position on the navigation pane as an equivalent touch-based input at the scaled position on the user interface; and

triggering an event corresponding to the equivalent touch-based input at the scaled position on the user interface.

17. The computer program product according to claim 16, further comprising:

performing one or more of;

statically positioning the navigation pane on the multi-touch display; and

dynamically positioning the navigation pane on the multi-touch display.

18. The computer program product according to claim 16, further comprising:

rendering one or more additional navigation panes on the multi-touch display.

19. The computer program product according to claim 16, further comprising:

launching the navigation pane based on one or more of;

a detected gesture on the multi-touch display, a detected touch of an icon on the multi-touch display, and a detected placement of a physical object on the multi-touch display.

20. The computer program product according to claim 16, further comprising:

responding to both direct touch-based inputs on the user interface and the equivalent touch-based input.