GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE

• US 20160334960A1
• Filed: 07/22/2016
• Published: 11/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel E. Vaughan, Wendell D. Brown
• Original Assignee: Daniel E. Vaughan, Wendell D. Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Wendell D., Vaughan, Daniel E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,594,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/137 Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A graphical user interface is provided for navigating and/or manipulating content simply via touch of a touch-sensitive surface. The content may include discrete content items (e.g., songs, video clips, documents, web pages) and/or actions (e.g., place a call, read a message, play a game), and may or may not be hierarchical in nature. The interface may be presented on a touch-screen display, such that a user may navigate to a content item or action via a single touch on the display (e.g., with a finger or other tool), followed by gliding through any number of levels or clusters of nodes (representing content items, content compilations/categories and/or actions). The desired content item or action may be initiated automatically (e.g., opened, performed) simply by touching it, by lifting the gliding finger or by performing some other input (e.g., tapping a node, speaking a command, touching with a second finger).

Claims

1. A method of facilitating a user'"'"'s navigation of electronic content via a touch-screen display, the method comprising:

displaying a first cluster of nodes representing content available for presentation to the user on the touch-screen display;

defining, for at least a first node in the first cluster of nodes, an associated commit point located apart from the node;

in response to touch-selection, by the user, of the commit point associated with the first node, without touching the first node, displaying a second cluster of nodes separate from the first cluster of nodes;

tracking the user'"'"'s touching of the touch-screen display through multiple clusters of nodes, including the first cluster of nodes and the second cluster of nodes; and

opening content corresponding to a final node selected by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the commit point is located on a first path between a current node displayed on the touch-screen display and the first node.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

relocating the first node toward the location of the commit point when the user touch-selects the commit point.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

as the user'"'"'s touch traverses the first path, moving one or more nodes displayed on the touch-screen display, other than the first node.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

as the user'"'"'s touch traverses the first path, separating two or more nodes in the first cluster of nodes.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first path is marked on the touch-screen display.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first path is not marked on the touch-screen display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a control on the touch-screen display that, when actuated, toggles display of one or more of;

the commit points; and

for each commit point, a corresponding path that traverses the commit point, between a current node displayed on the touch-screen display and the node associated with the commit point.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the commit points are not displayed on the touch-screen display.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to the touch-selection of the first commit point:

removing from the display all nodes of the first cluster of nodes other than the first node.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the device to perform a method of facilitating a user'"'"'s navigation of electronic content via a touch-screen display of the device, the method comprising:

displaying a first cluster of nodes representing content available for presentation to the user on the touch-screen display;

defining, for at least a first node in the first cluster of nodes, an associated commit point located apart from the node;

in response to touch-selection, by the user, of the commit point associated with the first node, without touching the first node, displaying a second cluster of nodes separate from the first cluster of nodes;

tracking the user'"'"'s touching of the touch-screen display through multiple clusters of nodes, including the first cluster of nodes and the second cluster of nodes; and

opening content corresponding to a final node selected by the user.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the commit point is located on a first path between a current node displayed on the touch-screen display and the first node.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

relocating the first node toward the location of the commit point when the user touch-selects the commit point.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

as the user'"'"'s touch traverses the first path, moving one or more nodes displayed on the touch-screen display, other than the first node.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first path is marked on the touch-screen display.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

presenting a control on the touch-screen display that, when actuated, toggles display of one or more of;

the commit points; and

for each commit point, a corresponding path that traverses the commit point, between a current node displayed on the touch-screen display and the node associated with the commit point.

17. An apparatus for facilitating a user'"'"'s navigation of electronic content via a touch-screen display, the apparatus comprising:

the touch-screen display;

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to;

display a first cluster of nodes representing content available for presentation to the user on the touch-screen display;

define, for at least a first node in the first cluster of nodes, an associated commit point located apart from the node;

in response to touch-selection, by the user, of the commit point associated with the first node, without touching the first node, display a second cluster of nodes separate from the first cluster of nodes;

track the user'"'"'s touching of the touch-screen display through multiple clusters of nodes, including the first cluster of nodes and the second cluster of nodes; and

open content corresponding to a final node selected by the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the commit point is located on a first path between a current node displayed on the touch-screen display and the first node.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

relocate the first node toward the location of the commit point when the user touch-selects the commit point.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

as the user'"'"'s touch traverses the first path, move one or more nodes displayed on the touch-screen display.

21. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

as the user'"'"'s touch traverses the first path, separate two or more nodes in the first cluster of nodes.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first path is displayed on the touch-screen display.

23. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first path is not displayed on the touch-screen display.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

present a control on the touch-screen display that, when actuated, toggles display of one or more of;

the commit points; and

for each commit point, a corresponding path that traverses the commit point, between a current node displayed on the touch-screen display and the node associated with the commit point.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the commit points are not displayed on the touch-screen display.