Facilitating Interaction with a Computing Device Based on Force of Touch

• US 20190018532A1
• Filed: 07/14/2017
• Published: 01/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: KLEIN, Christian, DISANO, Robert, STEEN, Robert David
• Granted Patent: US 10,725,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/00 Teaching, or communicating with, the blind, deaf or mute audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04; devices or methods for replacing direct visual or auditory perception by another kind of perception A61F9/08, A61F11/04; audible indication of meter readings or of colour G01D7/12; watches for blind persons G04B25/02; speech analysis, speech recognition G10L; sound-recording or reproducing, per se G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/008 using visual presentation of the information for the partially sighted

Abstract

A technique is described herein that allows a user to control a user interface presentation provided by a computing device based on a force-dependent manner in which the user engages a surface of a force-sensitive input device. This manner of control allows any user to efficiently interact with the computing device, but is particularly beneficial to users who have motor-related and/or vision-related disabilities.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating interaction with a computing device, comprising:

receiving input signals from an input device, the input signals including at least one signal component that reflects a degree of force at which a user presses against a surface of the input device;

determining, based on the input signals, whether the user has performed a force-dependent actuation in which the user presses the surface of the input device with a prescribed force-dependent signal profile;

activating a control mode in response to determining that the user has performed the force-dependent actuation; and

providing an assistive technology user interface experience in response to the control mode that has been activated, the assistive technology user interface experience corresponding to an experience that is configured to assist users with visual and/or motor impairments in interacting with a user interface presentation of the computing device.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein said determining involves determining that the user has applied the force-dependent actuation to a selected location on the user interface presentation,

wherein said activating involves activating an active listening control mode, and

wherein said providing involves:

receiving additional input signals that are produced in response to detecting information spoken by the user; and

interpreting the information spoken by the user with respect to a context established by the selected location.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said determining involves determining that the user has applied the force-dependent actuation to at least one graphical object on the user interface presentation,

wherein said activating involves activating a drag-and-drop control mode, and

wherein said providing involves:

receiving additional input signals that are produced in response to movement of said at least one graphical object by the user from a first location on the user interface presentation to a second location, via corresponding movements on the surface of the input device; and

moving said at least one graphical object from the first location to the second location, without regard to whether the user maintains continuity in physical contact with the surface of the input device throughout the movement.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving further input signals from the input device;

determining, based on the further input signals, whether the user has performed another force-dependent actuation in which the user presses the surface of the input device, while at the second location, with a prescribed force-dependent signal profile; and

deactivating the drag-and-drop control mode in response to determining that the user has performed the other force-dependent actuation.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein said determining involves determining that the user has applied the force-dependent actuation to a first location on the user interface presentation,

wherein the activating involves activating a selection control mode, and

wherein said providing involves:

receiving additional input signals that are produced in response to tracing, by the user, of at least one path on the user interface presentation, via corresponding movements on the surface of the input device; and

selecting content that is associated with an area defined by said at least one path.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing involves responding to a gesture on a single user interface presentation provided by the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing involves responding to a gesture across two user interface presentations provided by the computing device, or two respective computing devices.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein said determining involves determining that the user has applied the force-dependent actuation to a first location on the user interface presentation,

wherein said activating involves activating an axis-locked control mode, and

wherein said providing involves:

moving a graphical object along a path locked to an axis, in response to corresponding movements on the surface of the input device by the user,

the computing device selecting a first axis when the force-dependent actuation exhibits a first prescribed amount of force, and

the computing device selecting a second axis when the force-dependent actuation exhibits a second prescribed amount of force.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein said determining further includes identifying a touch intensity value that describes the degree of force at which a user presses against the surface of the input device, the touch intensity value corresponding to a value within a range of more than two possible touch intensity values, and

wherein said providing comprises:

determining one or more aspect values of the user interface presentation provided by the computing device, as a function of the touch intensity value; and

providing the user interface presentation on one or more output devices, the user interface presentation being specified, in part, by said one or more aspect values,

each aspect value varying with increasing touch intensity values, over a range of aspect values including more than two aspect values.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein an aspect value that is determined corresponds to a level of magnification at which the computing device presents information within at least one part of the user interface presentation.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein an aspect value that is determined corresponds to a level of clarity at which the computing device presents information within at least one part of the user interface presentation, the level of clarity being based on a composition of the information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the level of clarity corresponds to one or more of:

a level of contrast associated with the information that is presented by the computing device; and

/or

a level of complexity associated with the information that is presented by the computing device; and

/or

a density at which information is presented by the computing device, the density relating to a spatial arrangement of pieces of the information; and

/or

a quantity of other user interface events which compete with the information.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein an aspect value that is determined corresponds to a speed at which the computing device delivers information to the user.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein an aspect value that is determined corresponds to an informational scope at which the computing device delivers information to the user.

15. The method of claim 9,

wherein an aspect value corresponds to a level of damping that the computing device applies to movement of a graphical object on the user interface presentation, with respect to corresponding movement of a touch contact over the surface of the input device, and

wherein said providing involves dynamically producing a range of levels of damping in response to different intensities at which the user presses against the surface of the input device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining also includes determining, based on the input signals, that the user has made two or more touch contacts with the surface of the input device, at a same time, or in temporal succession.

17. One or more computing devices for providing a user interface experience, comprising:

a device driver configured to receive input signals from an input device, the input signals including at least one signal component that reflects a degree of force at which a user presses against a surface of the input device;

an interpretation component configured to determine, based on the input signals, whether the user has performed a force-dependent actuation in which the user presses the surface of the input device with a prescribed force-dependent signal profile; and

a control component configured to;

activate a control mode in response to determining that the user has performed the force-dependent actuation; and

provide an assistive technology user interface experience in response to the control mode that has been activated, the assistive technology user interface experience corresponding to an experience that is configured to assist users with visual and/or motor impairments in interacting with a user interface presentation provided by said one or more computing devices.

18. The one or more computing devices of claim 17, wherein the control component is configured to provide the assistive technology user interface experience while operating in the control mode, regardless of whether the user maintains continuity of contact with the surface of the user input device.

19. The one or more computing devices of claim 17,

wherein the interpretation component is configured to identify a touch intensity value that describes the degree of force at which a user presses against the surface of the input device, the touch intensity value corresponding to a value within a range of more than two possible touch intensity values, and

wherein the control component is configured to provide the assistive technology user interface experience by:

determining one or more aspect values of the user interface presentation provided by said one or more computing devices, as a function of the touch intensity value; and

providing the user interface presentation on one or more output devices, the user interface presentation being specified, in part, by said one or more aspect values,

each aspect value varying with increasing touch intensity values, over a range of aspect values including more than two aspect values.

20. A computer-readable storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by one or more processor devices of a computing device, performing a method that comprises:

receiving input signals from an input device, the input signals including at least one signal component that reflects a degree of force at which a user presses against a surface of the input device;

determining, based on the input signals, whether the user has performed a force-dependent actuation in which the user presses the surface of the input device with a prescribed force-dependent signal profile;

activating a control mode in response to determining that the user has performed the force-dependent actuation; and

providing an assistive technology user interface experience in response to the control mode that has been activated, the assistive technology user interface experience corresponding to an experience that is configured to increase a readability of information presented on a user interface presentation, and/or to reduce a consequence of inadvertent movement by the user when interacting with the surface of the computing device.