Gesture actions for interface elements

• US 9,063,563 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gray, Timothy T., Donsbach, Aaron Michael, Privett, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles V
• Application Number:
  US13/626,475
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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

A user interface (UI) enables a user to access a set of options relating to an element of the UI by contacting a region of a touchscreen, or hovering a feature over the region, associated with that element. Upon contacting or hovering for at least a determined period of time, an arranged set of options is displayed and the user can swipe or move the feature in a specified direction to select a specific option. The options can be the same for each instance of a type of item. When a user learns the direction of one of these options, the user does not have to contact or hover long enough to bring up the menu, but can contact or hover long enough to indicate the element of interest and then perform the appropriate motion, which can cause the action to be performed without first displaying the menu.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

displaying, via a processor, a user interface element on a user interface of a computing device;

defining a first region and a second region on the user interface, the first region and the second region overlapping the user interface element;

detecting an object in contact with the user interface element;

performing an interface action on the user interface when the object is detected in contact with the first region;

determining an amount of time the object is detected in contact with the second region;

displaying a set of options associated with the user interface element when the amount of time exceeds a threshold amount of time, the set of options being displayed adjacent to the user interface element;

detecting movement of the object in a direction toward the selected option; and

performing, an element action associated with the selected option.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein performing the interface action includes scrolling the user interface.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein movement of the object is detected in the second region in a direction toward the selected option without the set of options being displayed on the user interface when the amount of time is less than the threshold amount of time.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the object is one of a fingertip, a thumb, a hand, a head, an eye, or an item held by a user.

5. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

displaying, via a processor, a user interface element on a user interface of a computing device;

defining a first region and a second region on the user interface, the first region and the second region overlapping the user interface element;

detecting an object positioned proximate to the user interface element;

performing an interface action on the user interface when the object is positioned over the first region; and

performing, an element action associated with the user interface element when the object is positioned over the second region for an amount of time that exceeds a threshold amount of time, the element action being selected based upon a detected movement of the object in a direction toward an element option.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

capturing an image with a camera of the computing device, and wherein detecting the object includes analyzing the captured image to recognize a representation of the object in the image.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

detecting a change in a capacitance using at least one sensor, wherein detecting the object includes analyzing the change in capacitance to recognize a presence of the object with respect to the computing device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein detecting the object includes detecting contact of a display screen by the object.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the object is one of a fingertip, a thumb, a hand, a head, an eye, or an item held by a user.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein performing the interface action includes scrolling the user interface in response to detecting movement of the object over the first region.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein defining the first region and the second region on the user interface includes defining a movement range of the object according to angular regions, the angular regions corresponding to the interface action in the first region and the element action in the second region.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

rotating the angular regions to compensate for movement of the object based at least in part upon a type of object detected.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing an interface that enables configuration of at least one of;

the option associated with the user interface element, a number of options to be associated with the user interface element, or an arrangement of options relative to the user interface element.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the option is displayed among a radial set of bubble elements.

15. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor;

a display screen; and

a memory device including instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to;

display a user interface element on a user interface;

define a first region and a second region on the user interface, the first region and the second region overlapping the user interface element;

detect an object positioned proximate to the user interface element;

perform an interface action on the user interface when the object is positioned over the first region; and

perform an element action associated with the user interface element when the object is positioned over the second region for an amount of time that exceeds a threshold amount of time, the element action being selected based upon a detected direction of movement of the object toward an element option.

16. The computing device of claim 15, further comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image, and wherein the computing device detects the object by analyzing the captured image to recognize a representation of the object in the image.

17. The computing device of claim 15, further comprising:

at least one capacitive sensor for detecting a change in capacitance, and wherein the computing device detects the object by analyzing the change in capacitance to recognize a presence of the object with respect to the computing device.

18. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the object is one of a fingertip, a thumb, a hand, a head, an eye, or an item held by a user.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

display a user interface element on a user interface;

define a first region and a second region on the user interface, the first region and the second region overlapping the user interface element;

detect an object positioned proximate to the user interface element displayed on a display screen of the computing device;

perform an interface action on the user interface when the object is positioned over the first region; and

perform an element action associated with the user interface element when the object is positioned over the second region for an amount of time that exceeds a threshold amount of time, the element action being selected based upon a detected direction of movement of the object toward an element option.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed cause the computing device to perform the interface action by scrolling the user interface in response to the detected movement of the object.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing device to define the first region and the second region on the user interface by defining a movement range of the object according to angular regions, the angular regions corresponding to the interface action in the first region and the element action in the second region.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing device to rotate the angular regions to compensate for movement of the object based at least in part upon a type of object detected.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions when executed further cause the computing device to:

provide an interface that enables configuration of at least one;

the option associated with the user interface element, a number of options to be associated with the user interface element, or an arrangement of options relative to the user interface element.