Gesture-enabled settings

• US 9,026,950 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Issued: 05/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Eltoft, Justin D
• Primary Examiner(s): WENG, PEI YONG
• Application Number:
  US13/228,133
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Techniques (200) and apparatuses (102, 800) for gesture-enabled settings are described. In some embodiments, a gesture manager (112) is configured to enable selection (202) to enter a settings mode during presentation of a user interface (120), responsive to selection indicate (204) that the user interface is in the settings mode, enable (206) selection to alter a setting through a gesture made to a label in the user interface, and alter (210) the setting responsive to the selection.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

outputting, by a computing device, for display, a user interface including a plurality of labels, wherein each label of the plurality of labels is associated with a respective application of a plurality of applications of the computing device;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a first user input to enter a settings mode;

responsive to receiving the indication of the first user input, outputting, by the computing device, an indication that the user interface is in a settings mode without altering respective positions of the plurality of labels;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a second user input to select a particular label of the plurality of labels;

responsive to receiving the indication of the second user input, outputting, by the computing device, for display, an updated user interface including settings information for the respective application associated with the particular label without altering the respective positions of the plurality of labels; and

responsive to receiving an indication of a third user input to alter a setting of the respective application associated with the particular label, altering the setting for the respective application associated with the particular label.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the updated user interface includes a setting indicator graphically proximate to the particular label, the setting indicator identifying a particular setting that will be altered responsive to re-selection of the particular label.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the updates user interface includes a setting indicator graphically proximate to the particular label, wherein the setting indicator indicates that a particular setting will cycle responsive to re-selection of the particular label.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the indication that the user interface is in the settings mode includes a translucent watermark visually positioned one or more of the plurality labels without altering a layout or orientation of the plurality labels.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein altering the setting changes one or more of an audio volume setting, a visual resolution setting, an alert setting, an alarm setting, a toggle setting for enabling and disabling functionality provided by the particular application, or a data setting of the respective application associated with the particular label.

5. A method comprising:

outputting, by a computing device, for display, a user interface including a plurality of labels, wherein each label of the plurality of labels is associated with a respective application of the computing device;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a first user input to enter a settings mode;

responsive to receiving the indication of the first user input, outputting, by the computing device, an indication that the user interface is in a settings mode without alerting respective positions of the plurality of labels;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a non-simple gesture performed over or around a particular label from the plurality of labels;

responsive to receiving the indication of the non-simple gesture, outputting, by the computing device, for display, an updated graphical user interface including a submenu that enables a user-selection to alter a setting of the respective application associated with the particular label;

receiving, by the computing device, an indication of a second user input to select at least a portion of the submenu; and

responsive to receiving the indication of the second user input, altering, by the computing device, the setting of the respective application associated with the particular label.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the non-simple gesture comprises a circular gesture located around the particular label.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the non-simple gesture comprises a back-and-forth gesture located over the particular label.

8. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the submenu is presented visually and geographically proximate the particular label and includes settings of only the application associated with the particular label.

9. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the user interface is a start menu, home screen, or application-selection interface that is not in a settings mode.

17. The method of claim 5, wherein altering the setting changes one or more of an audio volume setting, a visual resolution setting, an alert setting, an alarm setting, a toggle setting for enabling and disabling functionality provided by the particular application, or a data setting of the respective application associated with the particular label.

10. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

a display; and

one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors;

output, for display by the display, a user interface including one or more labels, wherein each label of the one or more labels is associated with a respective application of a plurality of applications;

receive an indication of a first user input to enter a settings mode;

responsive to receiving the indication of the first user input, output an indication that the user interface is in a settings mode without alerting respective positions of the plurality of labels;

receive an indication of a second user input to select a particular label of the one or more labels;

responsive to receiving the indication of the second user input, output, for display by the display, an updated user interface including settings information for the respective application associated with the particular label without altering respective positions of the one or more labels; and

responsive to receiving an indication of a third user input to alter a setting of the respective application associated with the particular label, alter the setting for the respective application associated with the particular label.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the alteration to the setting further turns on, turns off, or alters a service of:

a personal-area-network transceiver, a flash of a camera application, a peripheral input keyboard, a peripheral pointing mechanism, a peripheral speaker, a peripheral microphone, a peripheral printer, a peripheral scanner, a peripheral or non-peripheral battery, a power management application, or a network.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the first user input comprises one or more of:

a manual or mechanical control;

or

a non-simple gesture within detected by the display.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the updated user interface includes an at least partially translucent overlay visually positioned over at least one of the one or more labels, the overlay indicating that the user interface is in a settings mode.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the updated graphical user interface further includes a submenu comprising settings of only the respective application of the selected label.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the updated graphical user interface includes an altered appearance of at least one label of the one or more labels or a setting indicator proximate to at least one of the one or more labels.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein altering the setting changes one or more of an audio volume setting, a visual resolution setting, an alert setting, an alarm setting, a toggle setting for enabling and disabling functionality provided by the particular application, or a data setting of the respective application associated with the particular label.