Directional focus navigation

• US 7,735,016 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Celik, Tantek, Chan, Ada Y., Pettit, Bradley R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong, William
• Application Number:
  US11/380,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 715/767, 715817-824, 715853-862
• US Class Current: 715/767
• 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

Abstract

A rendering engine that supports directional focus navigation, in response to a directional input, shifts the focus to an appropriate focusable element. The rendering engine determines one or more focusable elements that are candidates to receive the focus based on the received directional input and based on the relative display locations of the focusable elements. The rendering engine selects the most appropriate candidate focusable element based on each candidate element'"'"'s display location in relation to the display location of the element that currently has focus.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a computer by a processor configured to execute instructions, that, when executed by the processor, direct the computer to perform acts comprising:

identifying a first element in a rendered document, the first element having a focus;

when a first indication of a directional input corresponding to a first direction is received, identifying a second focusable element that is closest to the first element along the first direction;

moving the focus from the first element to the second focusable element in response to the identifying of the second focusable element; and

when a second indication of the directional input corresponding to the first direction is received after the first indication and while the second focusable element has focus;

identifying a third focusable element and a fourth focusable element closest to the second focusable element along the first direction, the third focusable element being closer to the first element than the fourth focusable element along a second direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction; and

moving the focus from the second focusable element to the third focusable element based in part on the third focusable element being closer to the first element than the fourth focusable element along the second direction,

wherein identifying whether an element is closer to another element along a direction comprises comparing either a vertical or horizontal location of the element to a corresponding vertical or horizontal location of the another element.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first element, the second focusable element, the third focusable element, and the fourth focusable element are structurally equivalent within the rendered document.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein a plurality of focusable elements are arranged in rows and columns.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first direction spans two rendered documents.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the rendered document is a scrollable document, and the identifying the second focusable element further comprises scrolling the rendered document until the second focusable element is within a displayable area.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first direction is vertical and the second direction is horizontal.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the first direction is horizontal and the second direction is vertical.

8. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising when a third indication of the directional input corresponding to the first direction is received after the second indication and while the third focusable element has the focus, identifying a fifth focusable element that is closest to the third focusable element along the first direction and closest to the first element along the second direction.

9. A computer storage media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, perform acts comprising:

identifying a first element in a rendered document, the first element having a focus;

when a first indication of a directional input corresponding to a first direction is received, identifying a second focusable element that is closest to the first element along the first direction;

moving the focus from the first element to the second focusable element in response to the identifying of the second focusable element; and

when a second indication of the directional input corresponding to the first direction is received after the first indication and while the second focusable element has focus;

identifying a third focusable element and a fourth focusable element closest to the second focusable element along the first direction, the third focusable element being closer to the first element than the fourth focusable element along a second direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction; and

moving the focus from the second focusable element to the third focusable element based in part on the third focusable element being closer to the first element than the fourth focusable element along the second direction, wherein;

identifying whether an element is closer to another element along a direction comprises comparing either a vertical or horizontal location of the element to a corresponding vertical or horizontal location of the another element.

10. The computer storage media as described in claim 9, wherein the first element, the second focusable element, the third focusable element, and the fourth focusable element are structurally equivalent within the rendered document.

11. The computer storage media as described in claim 9, wherein a plurality of focusable elements are arranged in rows and columns.

12. The computer storage media as described in claim 9, wherein the first direction spans two rendered documents.

13. The computer storage media as described in claim 9, wherein the rendered document is a scrollable document, and the identifying the second focusable element further comprises scrolling the rendered document until the second focusable element is within a displayable area.

14. The computer storage media as described in claim 9, wherein the first direction is vertical and the second direction is horizontal.

15. The computer storage media as described in claim 9, wherein the first direction is horizontal and the second direction is vertical.

16. The computer storage media as described in claim 9 further comprising when a third indication of the directional input corresponding to the first direction is received after the second indication and while the third focusable element has the focus, identifying a fifth focusable element that is closest to the third focusable element along the first direction and closest to the first element along the second direction.