Selection of characters in a string of characters

• US 8,656,296 B1
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Ouyang, Yu, Zhai, Shumin
• Primary Examiner(s): ULRICH, NICHOLAS S
• Application Number:
  US13/747,214
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 715/770, 715/256, 715/974, 715/702, 715/724, 715/856
• US Class Current: 715/770
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) displayed at a user interface device includes a character string that includes a substring. The computing device detects a movement of an input object from a first location on the user interface device to a second location on the user interface device. The first location corresponds to a second handle element and the second location corresponds to a particular position in the character string that is not at a beginning or end of the substring. In response, the computing device modifies the GUI such that the second handle element is located at the second location. The computing device also determines whether to select all characters of the substring. All characters of each substring completely displayed between a first handle element and the second handle element are also selected. The selected characters are visually differentiated from the non-selected characters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

outputting, by a computing device and for display at a display device, a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI including a first handle element, a second handle element, and a character string that includes a series of substrings, wherein the series of substrings includes an initial copy of a particular substring;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a first movement of an input object from a first location to a second location, the first location corresponding to the second handle element, the second location corresponding to a first position in the character string, wherein the first position in the character string is adjacent to a character in the initial copy of the particular substring;

in response to receiving the indication of the first movement of the input object;

modifying, by the computing device, the GUI, such that the second handle element indicates the first position in the character string;

outputting, by the computing device and for display at the display device, within the GUI and in addition to the character string, a magnification element and a third handle element, the magnification element including an enlarged copy of the particular substring that is larger than the initial copy of the particular substring, the third handle element being at a location that corresponds to a character in the enlarged copy of the particular substring;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a second movement of the input object from a third location to a fourth location, the third location corresponding to the third handle element, the fourth location corresponding to a particular position in the enlarged copy of the particular substring; and

in response to receiving the indication of the second movement of the input object;

outputting, by the computing device and for display at the display device, the third handle element in the GUI such that the third handle element indicates the particular position in the enlarged copy of the particular substring, and such that the second handle element indicates a second position in the character string, the second position in the character string corresponding to the particular position in the enlarged copy of the particular substring; and

modifying, by the computing device, the GUI, such that a series of selected characters is visually differentiated from characters in the character string that are not included in the series of selected characters, wherein the series of selected characters includes all characters of the character string between the first handle element and the second handle element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the character in the initial copy of the particular substring is not at a beginning or an end of the initial copy of the substring, and

the method further comprises, prior to receiving the indication of the second movement of the input object, determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on a speed of the first movement of the input object and a position within the initial copy of the particular substring of the first position, whether to include all the characters of the initial copy of the particular substring in the series of selected characters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the substring the method further comprises, prior to receiving the indication of the second movement of the input object, determining, by the computing device, to include all the characters of the initial copy of the particular substring in the series of selected characters if the first position in the character string is in a latter half of the initial copy of the particular substring.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the character in the initial copy of the particular substring is not at a beginning or an end of the initial copy of the substring, and

the method further comprises, prior to receiving the indication of the second movement of the input object, determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on a speed of the first movement of the input object and a direction of the first movement, whether to include all the characters of the initial copy of the particular substring in the series of selected characters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the character in the initial copy of the particular substring is not at a beginning or an end of the initial copy of the substring, and

the method further comprises, prior to receiving the indication of the second movement of the input object;

if a direction of the first movement of the input object corresponds to an increase in a number of characters in the series of selected characters, determining, by the computing device, that the series of selected characters includes all the characters of the initial copy of the particular substring; and

if the direction of the first movement corresponds to a decrease in the number of characters in the series of selected characters, determining, by the computing device, that the series of selected characters does not include all of the characters of the initial copy of the particular substring.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the GUI such that the series of selected characters is visually differentiated comprises highlighting the series of selected characters.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing, by the computing device and in response to receiving an indication of user input, an operation on the series of selected characters and not on the characters in the character string that are not in the series of selected characters.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the operation is a copy, cut, or delete operation.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the character in the initial copy of the particular substring is not at a beginning or an end of the initial copy of the substring, and

the method further comprises, prior to receiving the indication of the second movement of the input object, determining, by the computing device and based at least in part on a speed of the first movement of the input object and a location within the initial copy of the particular substring of the first position, whether to include none of the characters of the particular substring in the series of selected characters.

10. The method of claim 1, where outputting the magnification element comprises outputting, by the computing device, the magnification element in response to determining that a speed of the first movement of the input object has decreased while the input object is at a location that corresponds to the initial copy of the particular substring.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising while the magnification element is displayed in the GUI, modifying, by the computing device and on a character-by-character basis, which characters of the initial copy of the particular substring are included in the series of selected characters in response to receiving an indication of a further movement of the input object.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular substring is the only substring of the character string shown in the magnification element.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing, by the computing device, the magnification element from the GUI in response to receiving an indication that the input object has moved to a location that is not associated with the initial copy of the particular substring.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first location, the second location, the third location, and the fourth location are locations on a user input device, and

the user interface device comprises the display device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular substring is a single word, number, or a semantically-meaningful sub-part of a single word.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the character in the initial copy of the particular substring is not at a beginning or an end of the initial copy of the substring, and

the method further comprises determining, by the computing device, based at least in part on a speed of the first movement of the input object, and prior to receiving the indication of the second movement of the input object, whether to include all the characters of the particular substring in the series of selected characters.

17. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more storage devices that store instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to;

output a graphical user interface (GUI) for display at a user interface device, the GUI including a first handle element, a second handle element, and a character string that includes a series of substrings, each of the substrings being a word or a number, wherein the series of substrings includes an initial copy of a particular substring;

receive an indication of a first movement of an input object from a first location to a second location, the first location corresponding to the second handle element, the second location corresponding to a first position in the character string, wherein the first position in the character string is adjacent to a character in the initial copy of the particular substring;

in response to receiving the indication of the first movement of the input object;

modify the GUI such that the second handle element indicates the first position in the character string;

determine a series of selected characters that includes all characters of each of the substrings that are completely displayed in the GUI between the first handle element and the second handle element;

modify the GUI such that the series of selected characters is visually differentiated from characters in the character string that are not included the series of selected characters;

output, for display at the display device, a magnification element within the GUI in addition to the character string, the magnification element including an enlarged copy of the particular substring that is larger than the initial copy of the particular substring; and

output, for display at the display device, a third handle element in the GUI at a location that corresponds to a character in the enlarged copy of the particular substring;

receive an indication that the input object is at a third location, the third location corresponding to the third handle element;

receive an indication of a second movement of the input object from the third location to a fourth location, the fourth location corresponding to a particular position in the enlarged copy of the particular substring; and

in response to receiving the indication of the second movement of the input object;

output, for display at the display device, the third handle element in the GUI such that the third handle element indicates the particular position in the enlarged copy of the particular substring, and such that the second handle element indicates a second position in the character string, the second position in the character string corresponding to the particular position in the enlarged copy of the particular substring; and

output, for display at the display device, one or more selected characters of the initial copy of the particular substring in the series of selected characters, the one or more selected characters of the initial copy of the particular substring including at least one character occurring in the particular substring between the first handle element and the second handle element.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein:

the character in the initial copy of the particular substring is not at a beginning or an end of the initial copy of the substring, and

the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to determine, based at least in part on a speed of the first movement of the input object, whether to include all the characters of the particular substring in the series of selected characters.

19. A computer readable storage medium that stores instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

output a graphical user interface (GUI) for display at a display device, the GUI including a first handle element, a second handle element, and a character string that includes a series of substrings, each of the substrings being a word or number, wherein the series of substrings includes an initial copy of a particular substring;

receive an indication of a first movement of an input object from a first location to a second location, the first location corresponding to the second handle element, the second location corresponding to a first position in the character string, wherein the first position in the character string is adjacent to a character in the initial copy of the particular substring;

in response to receiving the indication of the first movement of the input object;

modify the GUI such that the second handle element indicates the first position in the character string;

determine a series of selected characters that includes all characters of each of the substrings that are completely displayed in the GUI between the first handle element and the second handle element;

modify the GUI such that the series of selected characters is visually differentiated from characters in the character string that are not included the series of selected characters;

output, for display at the display device, a magnification element within the GUI in addition to the character string, the magnification element including an enlarged copy of the particular substring that is larger than the initial copy of the particular substring; and

output, for display at the display device, a third handle element in the GUI at a location that corresponds to a character in the enlarged copy of the particular substring;

receive an indication that the input object is at a third location, the third location corresponding to the third handle element;

receive an indication of a second movement of the input object from the third location to a fourth location, the fourth location corresponding to a particular position in the enlarged copy of the particular substring; and

in response to receiving the indication of the second movement of the input object;

output, for display at the display device, the third handle element in the GUI such that the third handle element indicates the particular position in the enlarged copy of the particular substring, and such that the second handle element indicates a second position in the character string, the second position in the character string corresponding to the particular position in the enlarged copy of the particular substring; and

output, for display at the display device, one or more selected characters of the initial copy of the particular substring in the series of selected characters, the one or more selected characters of the particular substring including at least one character occurring in the particular substring between the first handle element and the second handle element.

20. The computing readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein:

the character in the initial copy of the particular substring is not at a beginning or an end of the initial copy of the substring, and

the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the computing device, cause the computing device to determine, based at least in part on a speed of the first movement of the input object, whether to include all the characters of the particular substring in the series of selected characters.