Page manipulations using on and off-screen gestures

• US 8,799,827 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hinckley, Kenneth P., Yatani, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdul-Ali, Omar
• Assistant Examiner(s): KEATON, SHERROD L
• Application Number:
  US12/709,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20110209099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Bezel gestures for touch displays are described. In at least some embodiments, the bezel of a device is used to extend functionality that is accessible through the use of so-called bezel gestures. In at least some embodiments, off-screen motion can be used, by virtue of the bezel, to create screen input through a bezel gesture. Bezel gestures can include single-finger bezel gestures, multiple-finger/same-hand bezel gestures, and/or multiple-finger, different-hand bezel gestures.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a bezel gesture input relative to a page displayed on a display device associated with a device, the bezel gesture input having;

a first portion that occurs only on a bezel of the device,

a second portion that occurs only on the display device and moves in an initial direction,

a third portion that exits the display device in a direction opposite the initial direction, and

the device being configured to sense the input portion that occurs only on the bezel,

the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion defining a continuous sliding bezel gesture and the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion occurring at separate times;

ascertaining page manipulation functionality associated with the bezel gesture input; and

accessing ascertained page manipulation functionality.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the page manipulation functionality comprises creating a dog-ear on a page.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating the continuous sliding bezel gesture on a corner of the bezel of the device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising initiating the continuous sliding bezel gesture on a location of the bezel of the device other than a corner of the bezel of the device.

7. The method of claim 1, the continuous sliding bezel gesture further comprising a fourth portion that occurs on the bezel of the device and occurs after the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein creating a dog-ear comprises displaying a portion of the page differently than the rest of the page.

3. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory having instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, on a device, a continuous sliding bezel gesture input relative to a page, the device being configured with one or more sensors to detect touch input that occurs only on an associated bezel;

recognizing a first portion of the continuous sliding bezel gesture input that occurs only on a first portion of the bezel, a second portion of the continuous sliding bezel gesture input that occurs only on a display device of the device, and a third portion of the continuous sliding bezel gesture input that occurs only on a second portion of the bezel across the display device from the first portion of the bezel;

saving the page responsive to receiving the continuous sliding bezel gesture input.

4. The system of claim 3, the operations further comprising:

receiving an additional bezel gesture input; and

responsive to receiving the additional bezel gesture input, exposing one or more tabs associated with a document.

9. The system of claim 3, the operations further comprising reducing the page to a thumbnail as part of said saving.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the device has separate display screens.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said saving is performed relative to a spine separating the display screens.

12. The system of claim 3, the operations further comprising displaying another page during the second portion of the continuous sliding bezel gesture.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the continuous sliding bezel gesture input moves rightward and the other page is a previous page.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the continuous sliding bezel gesture input moves leftward and the other page is a next page.

15. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory having instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a bezel gesture input relative to a page displayed on a display device associated with a device, the bezel gesture input having;

a first portion that occurs only on a bezel of the device,

a second portion that occurs only on the display device and moves in an initial direction,

a third portion that exits the display device in a direction opposite the initial direction, and

the device being configured to sense the input portion that occurs only on the bezel,

the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion defining a continuous sliding bezel gesture and the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion occurring at separate times;

ascertaining page manipulation functionality associated with the bezel gesture input; and

accessing ascertained page manipulation functionality.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the page manipulation functionality comprises creating a dog-ear on a page.

17. The system of claim 15, the operations further comprising initiating the continuous sliding bezel gesture on a corner of the bezel of the device.

18. The system of claim 15, the operations further comprising initiating the continuous sliding bezel gesture on a location of the bezel of the device other than a corner of the bezel of the device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein creating a dog-ear comprises displaying a portion of the page differently than the rest of the page.

20. The system of claim 15, the continuous sliding bezel gesture further comprising a fourth portion that occurs on the bezel of the device and occurs after the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion.