Navigational interface for mobile and wearable computers

• US 6,925,611 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2001
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: SanGiovanni, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NHON D
• Application Number:
  US09/773,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 715/834, 715/841, 715/721, 715/845, 715/863, 345/805, 345/810, 345/834, 345/841, 345/806, 345/807, 345/808, 345/820, 345/825, 345/828, 345/829, 345/835, 345/839, 345/843, 345/845, 345/847, 345/850, 345/863, 700/18
• US Class Current: 715/834
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0233 Character input methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

The navigational interface allows a user to control computer operations and input text into applications running on the computing system with a single input device. The navigational interface operates by receiving selection signals from the input device. The navigational interface includes an input device, a navigational interface interpretation module having a sensor pattern, and a control display providing feedback of the navigational interface interpretation module operations. The sensor pattern is radially divided into a central sensory portion, a petals sensory portion divided into sensory petals, and a circumferential sensory portion. Each sensory portion references an information element. The information elements are associated with tasks to be performed in the computing system. The tasks might be computer control operations, application selection, application operation, or inputting and editing of textual characters into various applications running on the computing system. The information elements are selected by a selection stroke on the sensory portions and sensory petals of the sensor pattern. The selection stroke is defined by information in the selection signal, which is transmitted pursuant to a user input stroke. Tasks are performed through recognization of the selection signal by the navigational interface interpretation module. Following task execution, the information elements associated with the sensor pattern are functionally updated according to the executed task.

Claims

1. In a computing system, a navigational interface for inputting text and control information into the computing system, the navigational interface comprising:

an input pointer generating a selection stroke when operated by the user, the selection stroke indicative of a request to enter text or to perform a task in the computing system;

a sensor pattern device radially divided into a plurality of sensory portions, the sensor pattern device detecting the selection stroke and identifying at least one selected sensory portion included in the selection stroke; and

a first information element associated with a task to be performed in the computing system and referenced by one of the plurality of sensory portions;

a second information element associated with text to be entered in the computing system and referenced by one of the plurality of sensory portions; and

at least one selected sensory portion selected by the selection stroke, whereby information entering text in the computing system and requesting performance of a particular task by the computing system is input by the selection stroke; and

an interface interpretation module recognizing the selection stroke on the sensor pattern and entering the text or performing the task associated with the selected information element; and

wherein the sensor pattern comprises;

a central sensory portion forming a single sensory portion;

a petals sensory portion angularly divided into sensory petals distributed about the central sensory portion, each sensory petal forming a single sensory portion; and

an outer sensory portion associated with the sensory petals so that circumferential parts of the outer sensory portion are associated with individual sensory petals; and

wherein the selection stroke begins at a sensory petal and continues to at least one other sensory portion of the sensor pattern whereby the information input into the computing system is task information controlling operations in an application installed on the computing system; and

wherein the other sensory portion is the central sensory portion whereby the information input into the computing system is a drag task executing an operation of the application.

2. In a computing system, a navigational interface for inputting text and control information into the computing system, the navigational interface comprising:

an input pointer generating a selection stroke when operated by the user, the selection stroke indicative of a request to enter text or to perform a task in the computing system;

a sensor pattern device radially divided into a plurality of sensory portions, the sensor pattern device detecting the selection stroke and identifying at least one selected sensory portion included in the selection stroke; and

a first information element associated with a task to be performed in the computing system and referenced by one of the plurality of sensory portions;

a second information element associated with text to be entered in the computing system and referenced by one of the plurality of sensory portions; and

at least one selected sensory portion selected by the selection stroke, whereby information entering text in the computing system and requesting performance of a particular task by the computing system is input by the selection stroke; and

an interface interpretation module recognizing the selection stroke on the sensor pattern and entering the text or performing the task associated with the selected information element; and

wherein the sensor pattern comprises;

a central sensory portion forming a single sensory portion;

a petals sensory portion angularly divided into sensory petals distributed about the central sensory portion, each sensory petal forming a single sensory portion; and

an outer sensory portion associated with the sensory petals so that circumferential parts of the outer sensory portion are associated with individual sensory petals; and

wherein the selection stroke begins at a sensory petal and continues to at least one other sensory portion of the sensor pattern whereby the information input into the computing system is task information controlling operations in an application installed on the computing system; and

wherein the selection stroke begins at a sensory portion other than the outer sensory portion and continues to the outer sensory portion whereby the information input into the computing system is a cancel task initializing the plurality of information elements to an immediate previous instance.

3. The navigational interface according to claim 2 wherein the sensor pattern device is a touchpad having a surface and the selection stroke comprises:

a press on a first selected sensory portion on the surface of the touchpad;

a slide from the first selected sensory portion to at least one other selected sensory portion; and

a lift from the surface of the touchpad whereby the selection stroke is indicative of a touch, slide, and lift, and the selection stroke includes at least two selected sensory portions, begins at the first selected sensory portion, and ends at the other selected sensory portion.

4. The navigational interface according to claim 2 wherein the sensor pattern device is a touchpad having a surface and the selection stroke comprises:

a press on a selected sensory portion on the surface of the touchpad; and

a lift from the surface of the touchpad at the same selected sensory portion whereby the selection stroke is indicative of a touch and lift at one selected sensory portion.

5. The navigational interface according to claim 2 wherein the input pointer is a mouse having at least one button for press and lift and the sensor pattern device is a display device.