Moving a graphical selector

• US 8,826,190 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kirkpatrick, Ficus
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Linh K
• Application Number:
  US13/117,924
• Publication Number:
  US 20130024820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 715/862, 715/863, 345/157
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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

Abstract

In general, this disclosure describes techniques for moving a graphical selector. In one example, a method includes activating, by a computing device, a graphical key that is displayed with a presence-sensitive interface of the computing device. Upon activation of the graphical key, the method also includes receiving gesture input corresponding to a directional gesture using the presence-sensitive interface of the computing device and moving a graphical selector displayed with the presence-sensitive interface from a first graphical location to a second graphical location by at least one selected increment based on a property of the gesture input.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

activating, by a computing device, a graphical key of a graphical keyboard, wherein the graphical key is associated with a touch-target and is displayed at a touch-based interface, wherein the computing device controls a graphical selector displayed at the touch-based interface using input received at the touch-target;

upon activation of the graphical key, receiving gesture input corresponding to a directional gesture at the touch-based interface, wherein the directional gesture is a swipe motion originating at the touch target; and

moving the graphical selector from a first graphical location at the touch-based interface to a second graphical location at the touch-based interface by at least one selected increment, wherein the at least one selected increment is at least partially based on a speed of the gesture input originating at the touch target, wherein the at least one selected increment comprises a first increment if the speed of the gesture input is below a speed threshold, and wherein the at least one selected increment comprises a second increment larger than the first increment if the speed of the gesture input is above or equal to the speed threshold,

wherein the at least one selected increment is one or more of a space, a letter, a character, a plurality of characters, a word, a line, a sentence, a paragraph, a single pixel, a plurality of pixels, a distance, a block, a row, a column, or an image segment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

moving the graphical selector from the first graphical location to the second graphical location by the at least one selected increment is further based on a direction of movement of the gesture input, and

the graphical selector is moved in a direction related to the direction of movement of the gesture input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the graphical selector from the first graphical location to the second graphical location by the at least one selected increment is further based on a displacement of the directional gesture.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the at least one selected increment is of a first increment if the displacement of the gesture input is below a displacement threshold, and

the at least one selected increment is of a second increment larger than the first increment if the displacement of the gesture input is equal to or above the displacement threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical key is a pre-existing key of the graphical keyboard.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the pre-existing key is a space bar; and

activating the graphical key comprises activating the graphical key responsive to receiving a swipe gesture originating at the space bar.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein activating the graphical key comprises activating the graphical key responsive to the input received at the touch-target.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the graphical selector further comprises moving the graphical selector by a number of selected increments, wherein the number of selected increments is proportional to the speed of the gesture input.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

updating a location of the graphical selector in real-time while receiving the gesture input corresponding to the directional gesture.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

defining a plurality of sub-gestures based on the directional gesture, wherein moving the graphical selector further comprises moving the graphical selector according to one or more properties of each sub-gesture of the plurality of sub-gestures.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

ordering the plurality of sub-gestures into a chronological order of inputs,

wherein moving the graphical selector further comprises moving the graphical selector sequentially based on the chronological order of inputs.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating the graphical key upon completion of the directional gesture.

13. The method of claim 12,

wherein the directional gesture is completed after a release of the directional gesture from the touch-based interface.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

activating a graphical key of a graphical keyboard, wherein the graphical key is associated with a touch-target and is displayed at a touch-based interface, wherein input received at the touch-target is used to control a graphical selector displayed at the touch-based interface;

upon activation of the graphical key, receiving gesture input corresponding to a directional gesture at the touch-based interface, wherein the directional gesture comprises a swipe motion originating at the touch target; and

moving the graphical selector from a first graphical location at the touch-based interface to a second graphical location at the touch-based interface by at least one selected increment, wherein the selected increment is at least partially based on a displacement of the gesture input originating at the touch-target, wherein the graphical selector is moved in a direction related to a direction of movement of the gesture input, wherein the at least one selected increment comprises a first increment if the displacement of the gesture input is below a displacement threshold, and wherein the at least one selected increment comprises a second increment larger than the first amount if the displacement of the gesture input is equal to or above the displacement threshold,

wherein the at least one selected increment is one or more of a space, a letter, a character, a plurality of characters, a word, a line, a sentence, a paragraph, a single pixel, a plurality of pixels, a distance, a block, a row, a column, or an image segment.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein:

moving the graphical selector further comprises moving the graphical selector by a number of selected increments; and

the number of selected increments is proportional to the speed of the gesture input.

16. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

activate a graphical key of a graphical keyboard, wherein the graphical key is associated with a touch-target and is displayed at a touch-based interface, and wherein a graphical selector displayed at the touch-based interface is controlled using input received at the touch-target;

upon activation of the graphical key, receive gesture input corresponding to a directional gesture at the touch-based interface, wherein the directional gesture is a swipe motion originating at the touch-target; and

move the graphical selector from a first graphical location at the touch-based interface to a second graphical location at the touch-based interface by at least one selected increment, wherein the at least one selected increment is at least partially based on a speed of the gesture input, wherein the at least one selected increment comprises a first increment if the speed of movement of the gesture input is below a speed threshold and wherein the at least one selected increment comprises a second increment larger than the first increment if the speed of the gesture input is above or equal to the speed threshold,

wherein the at least one selected increment is one or more of a space, a letter, a character, a plurality of characters, a word, a line, a sentence, a paragraph, a single pixel, a plurality of pixels, a distance, a block, a row, a column, or an image segment.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein:

the one or more processors are configured to move the graphical selector by a number of selected increments; and

the number of selected increments is proportional to the speed of the gesture input.