Graphical icon presentation

• US 8,719,719 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2011
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Gabriel Aaron, Westbrook, Paul T.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US13/163,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20120324381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764, 715/765, 715/864, 345/173, 345/175, 345/177
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Aspects of this disclosure may be directed to one or more techniques for a mobile device to present a graphical user-interface with different graphical user-interface layouts. The mobile device may present the different graphical user-interface layouts based on whether the mobile device is resting or not resting against a surface. For example, the mobile device may present a graphical user-interface layout that is more conducive for user interface when the mobile device is not held against a surface. The mobile device may present another graphical user-interface layout that is more conducive for user interaction when the mobile device is held against a surface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a mobile device, whether the mobile device is contacting a surface that is not associated with a hand of a user of the mobile device;

responsive to determining that the mobile device is contacting the surface, presenting, for display at a presence-sensitive screen of the mobile device, a first graphical keyboard layout;

responsive to determining that the mobile device is not contacting the surface, determining, by the mobile device, whether the user is holding the mobile device with one hand or with both hands; and

responsive to determining that the user is holding the mobile device with both hands and that the mobile device is not contacting the surface, presenting, for display at the presence-sensitive screen of the mobile device, a second graphical keyboard layout, different from the first graphical keyboard layout, the second graphical keyboard layout comprising a split graphical keyboard having disjointed halves that are graphically positioned towards opposite ends of the presence-sensitive screen,

wherein a first half of the disjointed halves comprises a first portion of the first graphical keyboard layout, and wherein a second half of the disjointed halves comprises a second, different portion of the first graphical keyboard layout.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the first graphical keyboard layout comprises presenting a continuous graphical keyboard layout, centered along substantially a horizontal axis of the presence-sensitive screen, such that a distance between neighboring icons of the continuous keyboard layout is substantially a same distance.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the user is holding the mobile device with one hand and that the mobile device is not contacting the surface, presenting a continuous graphical keyboard that is graphically positioned towards an end of the presence-sensitive screen.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining a side of the mobile device where the user is holding the mobile device,

wherein presenting the continuous graphical keyboard that is graphically positioned towards the end of the presence-sensitive screen comprises presenting a continuous graphical keyboard that is graphically positioned towards the end of the presence-sensitive screen that is opposite to the side of the mobile device where the user is holding the mobile device with one hand.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the user is holding the mobile device with both hands and that the mobile device is not contacting the surface;

determining a vertical position at a first side of the mobile device where the user is holding the mobile device; and

determining a vertical position at a second, different side of the mobile device where the user is holding the mobile device,

wherein presenting the second graphical keyboard layout comprises presenting the first half of the disjointed halves at a vertical position at a first end of the presence-sensitive screen that corresponds to the vertical position at the first side of the mobile device where the user is holding the mobile device, and presenting the second half of the disjointed halves at a vertical position at a second end of the presence-sensitive screen that corresponds to the vertical position at the second side of the mobile device where the user is holding the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mobile device is contacting the surface comprises determining whether the mobile device is contacting the surface based at least on a measurement from an accelerometer or gyroscope.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mobile device is contacting the surface comprises determining whether the mobile device is contacting the surface based at least on a measurement from one or more sensors on sides of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mobile device is contacting the surface comprises determining whether the mobile device is contacting the surface based at least on a measurement from one or more cameras of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the mobile device is contacting the surface comprises determining whether the mobile device is contacting the surface based at least on a detection by a docking detection unit.

10. A method comprising:

determining, by a mobile device, whether the mobile device is contacting a surface that is not associated with a hand of a user of the mobile device;

responsive to determining that the mobile device is contacting the surface, presenting, for display at a presence-sensitive screen of the mobile device, a plurality of graphical application icons arranged in a first arrangement, wherein, in the first arrangement, the plurality of graphical application icons are each of a first size, and the plurality of graphical application icons are arranged in rows and columns, wherein a last column in the first arrangement is at a first distance away from an end of the presence-sensitive screen;

responsive to determining that the mobile device is not contacting the surface, determining, by the mobile device, whether the user is holding the mobile device with one hand or with both hands; and

responsive to determining that the user is holding the mobile device with both hands and that the mobile device is not contacting the surface, presenting for display at the presence-sensitive screen of the mobile device, the plurality of graphical application icons arranged in a second arrangement, wherein, in the second arrangement, the plurality of graphical application icons are each of a second, different size, and the plurality of graphical application icons are arranged in the rows and columns, wherein a last column in the second arrangement is at a second distance, greater than the first distance, away from the end of the presence-sensitive screen.

11. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a mobile device to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the mobile device is contacting a surface that is not associated with a hand of a user of the mobile device;

responsive to determining that the mobile device is contacting the surface, presenting, for display at a presence-sensitive screen of the mobile device, a first graphical keyboard layout;

responsive to determining that the mobile device is not contacting the surface, determining whether the user is holding the mobile device with one hand or with both hands; and

responsive to determining that the user is holding the mobile device with both hands and that the mobile device is not contacting the surface, presenting, for display at the presence-sensitive screen of the mobile device, a second graphical keyboard layout, different from the first graphical keyboard layout, the second graphical keyboard layout comprising a split graphical keyboard having disjointed halves that are graphically positioned towards opposite ends of the presence-sensitive screen,

wherein a first half of the disjointed halves comprises a first portion of the first graphical keyboard layout, and wherein a second half of the disjointed halves comprises a second, different portion of the first graphical keyboard layout.

12. A mobile device comprising:

a presence-sensitive screen; and

one or more processors configured to;

determine whether the mobile device is contacting a surface that is not associated with a hand of a user of the mobile device;

responsive to determining that the mobile device is contacting the surface, cause the presence-sensitive screen to present for display a first graphical keyboard layout;

responsive to determining that the mobile device is not contacting the surface, determine whether the user is holding the mobile device with one hand or with both hands; and

responsive to determining that the user is holding the mobile device with both hands and that the mobile device is not contacting the surface, cause the presence-sensitive screen to present for display a second graphical keyboard layout, different from the first graphical keyboard layout, the second graphical keyboard layout comprising a split graphical keyboard having disjointed halves that are graphically positioned towards opposite ends of the presence-sensitive screen,

wherein a first half of the disjointed halves comprises a first portion of the first graphical keyboard layout, and wherein a second half of the disjointed halves comprises a second, different portion of the first graphical keyboard layout.