Methods and arrangements for interacting with controllable objects within a graphical user interface environment using various input mechanisms

• US 6,704,032 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2000
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Banay, Dan, Falcon, Stephen R., Bailey, Richard St. Clair
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/699,898
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 345/746, 345/765, 345/767, 345/802, 345/822, 345/821, 701/2
• US Class Current: 715/746
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

Improved methods and arrangements provide user interface platforms that are capable of meeting the unique requirements of manufacturers, while also advantageously supporting the development of independently designed software applications. In accordance with certain aspects of the present invention, methods and arrangements are provided whereby certain key events are defined and operatively associated with the hardware suite. These key events, which are essentially virtual events, can be invoked or otherwise implemented by the manufacturers and independent software vendor (ISV) applications. These key events are categorized as being either determinate events or indeterminate events, and their functionality can be based on different behavior models. The behavior models consider the notion that the user interface will most likely include various focusing (e.g., function selection) and/or editing (e.g., parameter modifying) capabilities. As such, the methods and arrangements can support several different behavior models, including, for example, a full-focus mode, a focus-free mode, and an edit-free mode.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing multiple different user input hardware arrangements with virtual object-based graphical user interface logic, the method comprising:

generating a displayable form within a graphical user interface, the displayable form including at least one controllable virtual user-input object;

establishing a set of key events, wherein at least a portion of the key events can be operatively associated with a plurality of different types of non-virtual user input mechanisms;

receiving user input via at least one non-virtual user input mechanism selected from the plurality of different types of non-virtual user input mechanisms;

establishing a behavior model for the displayable form; and

determining when an operational change associated with the controllable virtual user-input object is required based at least on the behavior model and the received user input and when appropriate causing the operational chance to occur such that the virtual user-input controllable object is graphically altered in appearance and associated controlled logic functionality is modified accordingly.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is only operatively controllable when in an edit mode.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is selectively placed in the edit mode via at least one of the key events.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is selectively placed in the edit mode via an override identifier.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is always in the edit mode.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is only operatively controllable when the controllable virtual user-input object is in a focus mode.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is selectively placed in the focus mode via at least one of the key events.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is always in the focus mode.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is programmable to selectively respond to each one of the key events.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of key events includes a subset of key events that operate independent an operational mode associated with the displayable form, and the operational mode includes an edit mode and a non-edit mode.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of key events includes a subset of key events that operate depending upon an operational mode associated with the displayable form, and the operational mode includes an edit mode and a non-edit mode.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a plurality of controllable virtual user-input objects are provided within the displayable form and a focus on a particular one of the controllable virtual user-input objects is selectable via at least one corresponding focus event selected from the set of key events.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein, when placing the focus on the particular one of the controllable virtual user-input objects further allows the controllable virtual user-input object to be selectively placed in the edit mode via a corresponding edit event selected from the set of key events.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is automatically placed in the edit mode when the focus is on the particular one of the controllable virtual user-input objects.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the set of key events is selected from a group of key events comprising:

focus right, focus left, focus up, focus down, focus upper right, focus, lower left, focus, upper left, focus lower right, value right, value left, value up, value down, value increment, value decrement, enter edit, exit edit, focus next, focus previous, right, left, up, down, advance, decline, action, edit free right, edit free left, edit free up, edit free down, edit free advance, and edit free decline.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the non-virtual user input mechanism is selected from a group of input mechanisms comprising:

an electrical switch, a mechanical switch, an optical switch, a thermal switch, a transducer, a touch pad, a keypad, a button, a rotating knob, a push knob, a pull knob, a directional pad, a toggle switch, and a joystick.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is selected from a group of graphically displayable controllable virtual user-input objects comprising sliders, knobs, buttons, edit fields, spinners, and scrollable boxes.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

generating a displayable form within a graphical user interface, the displayable form including at least one controllable virtual user-input object;

establishing a set of key events, wherein at least a portion of the key events can be operatively associated with a plurality of different types of non-virtual user input mechanisms;

receiving user input via at least one non-virtual user input mechanism selected from the plurality of different types of non-virtual user input mechanisms;

establishing a behavior model for the displayable form; and

determining when an operational change associated with the controllable virtual user-input object is required based at least on the behavior model and the received user input and when appropriate causing the operational change to occur such that the virtual user-input controllable object is graphically altered in appearance and associated controlled logic functionality is modified accordingly.

19. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is only operatively controllable when in an edit mode.

20. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is selectively placed in the edit mode via at least one of the key events.

21. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is selectively placed in the edit mode via an override identifier.

22. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 19, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is always in the edit mode.

23. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is only operatively controllable when the controllable virtual user-input object is in a focus mode.

24. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is selectively placed in the focus mode via at least one of the key events.

25. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 23, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is always in the focus mode.

26. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is programmable to selectively respond to each one of the key events.

27. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the set of key events includes a subset of key events that operate independent an operational mode associated with the displayable form, and the operational mode includes an edit mode and a non-edit mode.

28. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the set of key events includes a subset of key events that operate depending upon an operational mode associated with the displayable form, and the operational mode includes an edit mode and a non-edit mode.

29. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein a plurality of controllable virtual user-input objects are provided within the displayable form and a focus on a particular one of the controllable virtual user-input objects is selectable via at least one corresponding focus event selected from the set of key events.

30. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 29, wherein, when placing the focus on the particular one of the controllable virtual user-input objects further allows the controllable virtual user-input object to be selectively placed in the edit mode via a corresponding edit event selected from the set of key events.

31. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 30, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is automatically placed in the edit mode when the focus is on the particular one of the controllable virtual user-input objects.

32. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein at least one of the set of key events is selected from a group of key events comprising:

focus right, focus left, focus up, focus down, focus upper right, focus, lower left, focus, upper left, focus lower right, value right, value left, value up, value down, value increment, value decrement, enter edit, exit edit, focus next, focus previous, right, left, up, down, advance, decline, action, edit free right, edit free left, edit free up, edit free down, edit free advance, and edit free decline.

33. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is selected from a group of graphically displayable controllable virtual user-input objects comprising sliders, knobs, buttons, edit fields, spinners, and scrollable boxes.

34. An apparatus comprising:

at least one non-virtual user input mechanism;

a display; and

logic operatively coupled to the non-virtual user input mechanism and the display and configured to generate a displayable form within a graphical user interface on the display wherein the displayable form includes at least one controllable virtual user-input object, establish a set of key events, wherein at least a portion of the key events can be operatively associated with the one none virtual user input mechanism and at least one other different type of non-virtual user input mechanism, receive user input via the one non-virtual user input mechanism, establish a behavior model for the displayable form, determine when an operational change associated with the controllable virtual user-input object is required based at least on the behavior model and the received user input, and cause the operational change to occur such that the virtual user-input controllable object is graphically altered in appearance and associated controlled functionality of the apparatus is modified accordingly.

35. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is only operatively controllable when in an edit mode.

36. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein the logic selectively places the controllable virtual user-input object in the edit mode based on at least one corresponding edit event selected from the set of key events.

37. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein the logic selectively places the controllable virtual user-input object in the edit mode based on a definable override identifier.

38. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is always in the edit mode.

39. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein at least one of the set of key events is selected from a group of key events comprising:

focus right, focus left, focus up, focus down, focus upper right, focus, lower left, focus, upper left, focus lower right, value right, value left, value up, value down, value increment, value decrement, enter edit, exit edit, focus next, focus previous, right, left, up, down, advance, decline, action, edit free right, edit free left, edit free up, edit free down, edit free advance, and edit free decline.

40. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein the one non-virtual user input mechanism is selected from a group of non-virtual user input mechanisms comprising:

an electrical switch, a mechanical switch, an optical switch, a thermal switch, a touch pad, a keypad, a button, a rotating knob, a push knob, a pull knob, a directional pad, a toggle switch, and a joystick.

41. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, wherein the controllable virtual user-input object is selected from a group of graphically displayable controllable objects comprising sliders, knobs, buttons, edit fields, spinners, and scrollable boxes.