Gravity-based link assist

• US 8,386,927 B1
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Franklin, Patrick G, McCormack, Jonathan Ian
• Primary Examiner(s): PHANTANA ANGKOOL, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/789,157
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 715/701, 715/787, 715/857, 715/863
• US Class Current: 715/701
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A user interface of an electronic content rendering device implements gravity-based link assist to enhance user experience when browsing linked content. As a user moves a pointer along a trajectory across various links and objects, gravitational fields surrounding the links and objects provide a pulling effect that draws the pointer toward these fields. Responsive to pointer deceleration being detected when the pointer resides within a gravitational field, the link assist repositions the pointer to a center of the link or object relative to the trajectory of the pointer within the field.

Claims

1. A method implemented on an electronic book reader device, the method comprising:

presenting a user interface (UI) with one or more navigational elements on a display of the electronic book reader device, the UI having a movable pointer to allow user selection of the navigational elements;

defining a gravitational region corresponding to individual navigational elements, the gravitational region providing a visual effect to attract the pointer to the gravitational region as the pointer is moved across the corresponding navigational element;

receiving user-controlled movement of the pointer within the UI;

monitoring a trajectory of the pointer as the pointer is moved over the navigational elements;

determining whether the pointer is decelerating within a particular gravitational region, wherein determining whether the pointer is decelerating within the particular gravitational region comprises determining whether the pointer is decelerating within a predetermined distance relative to the gravitational region; and

responsive to determining the deceleration, repositioning the pointer to another location within the gravitational region.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the another location is approximately center of the navigational element.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more navigational elements comprise hyperlinks.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the gravitational region is identified as the space covered by the navigational element.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the gravitational region is identified as the space covered by the navigational element and a predetermined amount of surrounding space.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the surrounding space is measured relative to the center of the navigational element that is presented on the display.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance includes a configurable distance relative to the gravitational region.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the another location comprises a calculated middle of the gravitational region and the another location is based at least in part on the part of the navigation element visible on the display, irrespective of parts of the navigation element that may extend beyond the display.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the another location comprises a calculated middle of the gravitational region.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 implemented on an electronic book reader device, the method comprising:

presenting a user interface (UI) with one or more navigational elements on a display of the electronic book reader device, the UI having a movable pointer to allow user selection of the navigational elements;

defining a gravitational region corresponding to individual navigational elements, the gravitational region providing a visual effect to attract the pointer to the gravitational region as the pointer is moved across the corresponding navigational element;

receiving user-controlled movement of the pointer within the UI;

monitoring a trajectory of the pointer as the pointer is moved over the navigational elements;

determining whether the pointer is decelerating within a particular gravitational region; and

responsive to determining the deceleration, repositioning the pointer to another location within the gravitational region, wherein the another location comprises a calculated middle of the gravitational region and the another location is based at least in part on the part of the navigation element visible on the display, irrespective of parts of the navigation element that may extend beyond the display.

13. A method as recited in claim 12, further comprising in an event that the pointer is not decelerating within the particular gravitational region, refraining from repositioning the graphical indication of user input from a current location to the another location.

14. A method as recited in claim 12, wherein determining whether the pointer is decelerating within the particular gravitational region comprises determining whether the pointer is decelerating within a configurable distance and/or a predetermined distance relative to the gravitational region.

9. A method implemented on an electronic book reader device, the method comprising:

presenting a user interface (UI) with one or more navigational elements on a display of the electronic book reader device, the UI having a movable pointer to allow user selection of the navigational elements;

defining a gravitational region corresponding to individual navigational elements, the gravitational region providing a visual effect to attract the pointer to the gravitational region as the pointer is moved across the corresponding navigational element;

receiving user-controlled movement of the pointer within the UI;

monitoring a trajectory of the pointer as the pointer is moved over the navigational elements;

determining whether the pointer is decelerating within a particular gravitational region, wherein determining whether the pointer is decelerating within the particular gravitational region comprises determining whether the pointer is decelerating within a configurable distance relative to the gravitational region; and

responsive to determining the deceleration, repositioning the pointer to another location within the gravitational region.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the another location comprises a calculated middle of the gravitational region and the another location is based at least in part on the part of the navigation element visible on the display, irrespective of parts of the navigation element that may extend beyond the display.

15. A method comprising:

rendering a pointer as part of a user interface (UI), the UI having one or more navigation elements each having an associated field that at least partially surrounds the navigation element;

receiving user control of the pointer as the pointer is moved across the user interface;

determining a trajectory of the pointer, the trajectory crossing one or more fields associated with the one or more navigation elements;

ascertaining changes in velocity of the pointer as the pointer is moving; and

in an event that the pointer is decelerating, repositioning the pointer from a current location to a new location, wherein the new location is within a field and substantially aligned based on the trajectory path, wherein the new location comprises a calculated middle of the field and the new location is based at least in part on the part of the navigation element visible on a display, irrespective of parts of the navigation element that may extend beyond the display.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the pointer comprises a Cursor.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the field is identified as a space covered by the navigation element.

18. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the field is identified as a space covered by the navigation element and a predetermined amount of surrounding space.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the surrounding space is measured relative to a center of the navigation element that is visible on a display.

20. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein ascertaining the changes in the velocity of the pointer is based at least in part on the pointer being within a threshold distance of the field.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the threshold distance comprises a predetermined distance relative to the field.

22. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the threshold distance comprises a configurable distance relative to the field.

23. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the field is determined relative to a center of a portion of the navigation element that is visible as part of the user interface.

24. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein determining the trajectory of the pointer comprises comparing at least two locations at corresponding times while the pointer is moved across the user interface.

25. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the new location comprises a horizontal or vertical middle of the field.

26. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising in an event that the pointer is not decelerating within the field associated with the navigation element, refraining from repositioning the pointer from a current location to a point within the field that aligns along the trajectory path.

27. A device comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible by the processor;

a display;

a user input mechanism; and

a user interface application stored in the memory and executable by the processor to;

provide a user interface having one or more navigation elements and a pointer that is movable responsive to user input across the navigation elements, the user interface having gravitational fields about individual navigation elements; and

detect changes in velocity of the pointer as the pointer is moved through individual gravitational fields such that the user interface repositions the pointer from a first location to a second location within a certain gravitational field when the pointer decelerates within the certain gravitational field, wherein the second location comprises a calculated middle of the certain gravitational field and the second location is based at least in part on the part of a corresponding navigation element visible on a display, irrespective of parts of the corresponding navigation element that may extend beyond the display.

28. A device as recited in claim 27, wherein the device comprises an electronic book reader.

29. A device as recited in claim 27, wherein the device comprises a dedicated handheld electronic book reading device.

30. A device as recited in claim 27, wherein the display comprises an electronic paper display.

31. A device as recited in claim 27, wherein the display comprises an electronic paper display having a display update time of greater than about 15 milliseconds.

32. A nontransitory computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions encoded thereon, the computer executable instructions, upon execution configuring a processor to perform operations comprising:

rendering a graphical indication of user input as part of a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface having one or more navigation elements each having an associated field;

receiving user control of the graphical indication of user input as the graphical indication of user input is moved across the graphical user interface;

determining a trajectory of the graphical indication of user input, the trajectory crossing one or more fields associated with the one or more navigation elements;

ascertaining changes in velocity of the graphical indication of user input as the graphical indication of user input is moving; and

in an event that the graphical indication of user input is decelerating, repositioning the graphical indication of user input from a current location to a new location, wherein the new location is within a field and based at least in part on the trajectory path, wherein the new location within the field comprises a calculated middle of the field and the new location is based at least in part on the part of the navigation element visible on a display, irrespective of parts of the navigation element that may extend beyond the display.

33. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the graphical indication of user input comprises a cursor.

34. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the graphical indication of user input comprises a changed visual representation of a pointer.

35. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the field is identified as a part of the graphical user interface covered by the navigation element.

36. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the predetermined additional part is measured relative to a center of the navigation element that is visible on a display.

37. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 36, wherein the threshold distance comprises a predetermined distance relative to the field.

38. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 36, wherein the threshold distance comprises a configurable distance relative to the field.

39. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the field is identified as a part of the graphical user interface covered by the navigation element and a predetermined additional part of the graphical user interface.

40. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein ascertaining the changes in the velocity of the graphical indication of user input is based at least in part on the graphical indication of user input being within a threshold distance of the field.

41. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the field is determined relative to a center of a portion of the navigation element that is visible as part of the graphical user interface.

42. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein determining the trajectory of the graphical indication of user input comprises comparing at least two locations at corresponding times while the graphical indication of user input is moved across the user interface.

43. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the new location within the field comprises a vertical middle of the field.

44. A nontransitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 32, further comprising in an event that the graphical indication of user input is not decelerating while located within the field associated with the navigation element, refraining from repositioning the graphical indication of user input from a current location to a new location within the field based at least in part on the trajectory path.