Rendering content around obscuring objects

• US 8,519,971 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mackraz, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): BRITTINGHAM, NATHANIEL P
• Application Number:
  US12/871,302
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/14 Electronic books and readers

Abstract

Techniques for reflowing content around obscuring objects are described herein. For instance, in one example the techniques may render content on a display of a handheld electronic device before detecting that a user'"'"'s grasp of the device obscures at least a portion of the content. Thereafter, and in response, the device may reflow the content around the grasp of the user, thus allowing the user to consume the content without the need to alter her grasp when she reaches the obscured portion of the content. In some instances, the device includes a touch-sensitive display that recognizes the grasp that obscures the content. In other instances, the device may recognize that the grasp obscures the content via a camera, a strain gauge, a light sensor, or in any other suitable manner.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

rendering content of an electronic book on a touch-sensitive display of a handheld electronic device, the touch-sensitive display being configured to accept touch inputs from a user operating the handheld electronic device;

identifying a location on the touch-sensitive display at which the user grasps the handheld electronic device; and

at least partly in response to the identifying of the location;

fitting a shape to the location on the touch-sensitive display at which the user grasps the handheld electronic device;

determining a first line along a major axis of the shape;

determining a second line that is offset from the first line;

extrapolating the major axis to a nearest edge of the touch-sensitive display;

calculating an area of the touch-sensitive display within which to refrain from rendering content based on the second line and a third line that is orthogonal to the nearest edge of the touch-sensitive display and re-rendering the content of the electronic book on the touch-sensitive display such that the area of the touch-sensitive display is free from content of the electronic book.

2. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the identifying of the location comprises:

identifying a touch input on the touch-sensitive display;

determining a size, shape, or temporal length of the touch input; and

classifying the touch input as a hold event based at least in part on the determined size, shape, or temporal length, the hold event indicating that the user is grasping the handheld electronic device at the identified location.

3. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the content of the electronic book comprises text, and the re-rendering of the content comprises re-flowing the text around the calculated area.

4. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the content of the electronic book comprises a display element, and the re-rendering of the content comprises altering a position of the display element or resizing the display element.

5. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the handheld electronic device comprises an electronic book reader device or a tablet computing device.

6. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

rendering content on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device;

detecting a touch input at a first area of the touch-sensitive display;

determining that the touch input obscures at least a portion of the rendered content;

determining a second area based on;

a first line that is offset from a major axis of the first area, and a second line that is orthogonal to an edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

re-rendering the content on the touch-sensitive display around but not within the second area of the touch-sensitive display at least partly in response to the determining.

7. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the content comprises text, and the re-rendering comprises re-flowing the text around but not within the second area of the touch-sensitive display.

8. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the electronic device comprises an electronic book reader device, a mobile phone, or a tablet computing device, and the content comprises an electronic book.

9. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the touch input is determined to obscure content based at least in part on a size of the first area of the touch input on the touch-sensitive display.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the touch input is determined to obscure content based at least in part on a touch profile of the touch input on the touch-sensitive display.

11. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the touch input is determined to obscure content based at least in part on a shape of the first area of the touch input on the touch-sensitive display.

12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein the touch input is determined to obscure content based at least in part on whether the first area of the touch input on the touch-sensitive display appears to be stationary or moving.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, further storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processor to perform an act comprising:

determining that the touch input occurs at the first area for more than a threshold amount of time; and

wherein the re-rendering of the content is also based at least in part on the determining that the touch input occurs at the first area for more than the threshold amount of time.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, further storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processor to perform an act comprising:

determining that a size of the touch input is greater than a threshold size; and

wherein the re-rendering of the content is also based at least in part on the determining that the size of the touch input is greater than the threshold size.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, further storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform an act comprising:

calculating an area that includes the first area of the touch input and at least an additional portion of the touch-sensitive display; and

wherein the re-rendering of the content comprises re-rendering the content around but not within the calculated area of the touch-sensitive display.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 6, wherein determining the second area comprises executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

fitting an ellipse to the touch input and extrapolating a major axis of the ellipse to a nearest edge of the touch-sensitive display;

calculating an area that includes the particular area of the touch input and at least an additional portion of the touch-sensitive display, the calculated area being based at least in part on the major axis of the ellipse that is extrapolated to the nearest edge of the touch-sensitive display and a line that is orthogonal to the nearest edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

wherein the re-rendering of the content comprises re-rendering the content around but not within the calculated area of the touch-sensitive display.

17. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory;

a touch-sensitive display, coupled to the one or more processors, configured to render content and detect touch inputs; and

a content-reflow engine, stored in the memory and executable on the one or more processors to;

classify a touch input received at a first area of the touch-sensitive display as obscuring at least a portion of content rendered on the touch-sensitive display;

calculate an area of the touch-sensitive display within which to refrain from rendering content based on a first line that is offset from a major axis of a shape fitted to the first area and a second line that is orthogonal to a nearest edge of the touch-sensitive display and

reflow the content rendered on the touch-sensitive display around and not within the calculated area.

18. An electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein:

the memory stores one or more touch profiles, and

the content-reflow engine is configured to compare the received touch input to the one or more touch profiles and classify the received touch input based at least in part on the comparison.

19. An electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein:

the memory stores an indication of one or more regions that are susceptible to reception of touch inputs that obscure content on the touch-sensitive display;

the content-reflow engine is further configured to identify a region in which the touch input is at least partially received; and

the classification of the received touch input as obscuring content on the touch-sensitive display is based at least in part on the content-reflow engine identifying the region in which the touch input is at least partially received as one of the one or more susceptible regions.

20. An electronic device as recited in claim 19, further comprising an orientation sensor to determine an orientation of the electronic device when the touch input is received, and wherein the one or more susceptible regions are based at least in part on the determined orientation of the electronic device.

21. An electronic device as recited in claim 17, wherein the shape comprises an ellipse.

22. An electronic device as recited claim 17, wherein the content-reflow engine is configured to calculate the area with reference to a viewing angle at which a user views the content.

23. A method comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with specific executable instructions,

detecting a presence of an object that at least partially obscures content being displayed on a display device by the one or more computer systems;

calculating an area within which to refrain from displaying content based at least in part on the detecting the presence of the object, the area calculated based on a line that is orthogonal to an edge of the display device; and

reflowing the content being displayed by the one or more computer systems to exclude the calculated area.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein calculating the area comprises:

fitting a shape to a location of the object;

determining a first line along a major axis of the shape;

determining a second line that is offset from the first line;

extrapolating the major axis to a nearest edge of the touch-sensitive display;

calculating the area within which to refrain from displaying content based on the second line and a third line that is orthogonal to the nearest edge of the touch-sensitive display.

25. A method as recited claim 24, wherein the calculating of the area comprises calculating an area that the object obscures with reference to an angle at which the one or more computer systems project the content onto the medium and a viewing angle at which a user views the content.

26. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

rendering content on a display of an electronic device that includes a touch sensor;

detecting a touch input at a first area of the touch sensor;

determining that the touch input obscures at least a portion of the content being rendered on the display;

determining a first line along a major axis of a geometric shape that is fitted to the first area;

determining a second line that is offset from the first line;

extrapolating the major axis to a nearest edge of the display;

calculating a second area based on the second line and a third line that is orthogonal to the nearest edge of the display; and

re-rendering the content on the display to exclude displaying the content on the second area at least partly in response to the determining.

27. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 26, wherein the device includes a bezel, and the touch sensor forms a portion of the bezel.

28. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 26, wherein the touch sensor and the display are integral with one another to form a touch-sensitive display, and the detecting of the touch input comprises detecting the touch input at a particular location on the touch-sensitive display.

29. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media as recited in claim 26, wherein the shape comprises an ellipse.