Pinch gesture to navigate application layers

• US 8,856,688 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2010
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Erick
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hope, Darrin
• Application Number:
  US12/901,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20120089950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 715/854, 345/173
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Using pinch gestures to navigate user interface layers of an application. In particular embodiments, a pinch gesture may cause an application program to close a currently running user interface layer of the application, or return to a previously viewed user interface layer. In some implementations, a pinch gesture may cause an application to close.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a computing device, receiving user input comprising a two-dimensional pinch event during execution of an application executing on the computing device, the application comprising one or more user-interface layers in a navigation hierarchy;

by the computing device, determining a user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event; and

by the computing device;

if the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event is a root layer of the navigation hierarchy, then terminating presentation of the application on the computing device;

or

if the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event is not the root layer of the navigation hierarchy, then closing the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event and navigating to a parent user-interface layer of the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the user-interface layer of the application comprises a selected layer type, implementing a zoom-out function in response to the pinch event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pinch event comprises an in-pinch event.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein terminating presentation of the application on the computing device comprises terminating execution of the application on the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein terminating presentation of the application on the computing device comprises closing the application and leaving one or more components of the application in a random-access memory (RAM) of the computing device.

6. A system comprising:

a touch-pad interface;

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

determine, in response to a two-dimensional pinch event received via the touch-pad interface during execution of an application, a user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event, the application comprising one or more user-interface layers arranged in a navigation hierarchy; and

by the processors;

if the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event is a root layer of the navigation hierarchy, terminate presentation of the application;

or

if the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event is not the root layer of the navigation hierarchy, then close the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event and navigating to a parent user-interface layer of the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

if the user-interface layer of the application comprises a selected layer type, implementing a zoom-out function in response to the pinch event.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the pinch event comprises an in-pinch event.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein terminating presentation of the application comprises terminating execution of the application on the computing device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein terminating presentation of the application comprises closing the application and leaving one or more components of the application in the memory.

11. A method comprising:

in response to receiving a user input comprising a two-dimensional pinch event during execution of an application on a computing device, the application comprising one or more user-interface layers arranged in a navigation hierarchy;

by the computing device, determining a user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event; and

by the computing device;

if the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event is a root layer of the navigation hierarchy, terminating presentation of the application;

if the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event is not the root layer of the navigation hierarchy and a navigation history identifies a previous user-interface layer of the application, navigating to the previous user-interface layer of the application identified in the navigation history;

or

if the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event is not the root layer of the navigation hierarchy and a navigation history does not exist, navigating to the root layer of the navigation hierarchy.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the pinch event is an out-pinch event.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

if the user-interface layer of the application is a selected layer type, implementing a zoom-in function in response to the pinch event.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein terminating presentation of the application on the computing device comprises terminating execution of the application on the computing device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein terminating presentation of the application on the computing device comprises closing the application and leaving one or more components of the application in a random-access memory (RAM) of the computing device.

16. A system comprising:

a touch pad interface;

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

determine, in response to a pinch event received via the touch-pad interface during execution of an application, a user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event, the application comprising one or more user-interface layers arranged in a navigation hierarchy; and

by the processors;

if the user-interface layer of the application corresponding to the pinch event is a root layer of the navigation hierarchy, terminate presentation of the application;

if the user-interface layer of the application is not the root layer of the navigation hierarchy and has a navigation history, navigate to a previous user-interface layer of the application;

or

if the user-interface layer of the application is not the root layer of the navigation hierarchy and does not have navigation history, navigate to the root layer of the navigation hierarchy.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the pinch event is an out-pinch event.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

if the user-interface layer of the application is a selected layer type, implementing a zoom-in function in response to the pinch event.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein terminating presentation of the application comprises terminating execution of the application on the computing device.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein terminating presentation of the application comprises closing the application and leaving one or more components of the application in the memory.