Touch sensitive device with concentration mode

• US 8,963,865 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nook Digital, LLC (f/k/a Barnesandnoble.com LLC) (Bahwan CyberTek Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hicks, Kourtny M., Brewer, Dale J., Mesguich Havilio, Amir, Cueto, Gerald B.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHERMAN, STEPHEN G
• Application Number:
  US13/715,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20140168076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 345/156, 345/905, 345/901, 178 1801- 1809, 178/18.11, 715/764, 715/772, 715/776
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for providing a concentration mode in electronic touch sensitive devices. The concentration mode can be used to highlight given textual content on a line by line basis, or other consumable content. The user can engage the mode with a particular gesture. Once engaged, a UI feature is displayed that assists the user in viewing the given content. In some cases, the UI feature includes a reading pane that encompasses one to three complete lines of displayed text or other content. Background content outside the reading pane can be faded or otherwise softened. In some cases, the UI feature also includes, or alternatively includes, a straight-edged reading guide. The initial placement of the UI feature can be set, for instance, based on the initial contact point touched by the user. As the contact point moves, the UI feature moves accordingly. Concentration mode disengages when user releases contact point.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a display for displaying content to a user;

a touch sensitive surface for allowing user input; and

a user interface including a reading guide feature for temporarily highlighting a line of the content displayed to a user, the reading guide feature configured to be displayed on the display in response to user contact via the touch sensitive interface, the user contact uniquely identifying the user'"'"'s desire to use the reading guide feature and including multiple contact points applied simultaneously, wherein the reading guide feature is maintained until all user contact has been removed.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the display is a touch screen display that includes the touch sensitive surface.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the touch sensitive surface is a track pad.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the reading guide feature includes at least one of a reading pane and/or a straight-edge.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein content displayed to the user that is not highlighted by the reading guide feature is faded.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the reading guide feature provides magnification and/or is user-resizable.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the degree of magnification is user-configurable.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the reading guide feature advances in response to user dragging contact on the touch sensitive surface.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the reading guide feature advances automatically.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the reading guide feature advances automatically at a rate that is user-configurable.

11. A device, comprising:

a display having a touch screen interface and for displaying content to a user; and

a user interface including a reading guide feature for highlighting a complete line of the content displayed to a user, the reading guide feature configured to be displayed on the display in response to user contact via the touch screen interface, the user contact uniquely identifying the user'"'"'s desire to use the reading guide feature and including multiple contact points applied simultaneously, wherein the reading guide feature advances automatically at a predetermined rate until paused or stopped.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein content displayed to the user that is not highlighted by the reading guide feature is faded, and/or content that is highlighted by the reading guide can be selectively amplified by the user.

13. The device of claim 11 wherein the reading guide feature provides magnification and/or is user-resizable.

14. The device of claim 11 wherein the reading guide feature advances automatically at a rate that is user-configurable.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein the device is an eReader device or a tablet computer or a smartphone.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause a process to be carried out, the process comprising:

in response to user contact via a touch sensitive interface, providing for display to the user a user interface including a reading guide feature for temporarily highlighting a line of content displayed to a user, the user contact uniquely identifying the user'"'"'s desire to use the reading guide feature and including multiple contact points applied simultaneously;

advancing the reading guide feature as the user consumes the content; and

maintaining the reading guide feature until all user contact has been removed.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the reading guide feature includes at least one of a reading pane and/or a straight-edge.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the process further includes causing content displayed to the user that is not highlighted by the reading guide feature to be faded.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the reading guide feature advances in response to user dragging contact on the touch sensitive surface.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the reading guide feature advances automatically.