Method and system for selecting content using a touchscreen

• US 9,069,416 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Garrett, Maryam Kamvar, Byrne, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hillery, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US12/731,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20110239110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• Field of Search: 715/256, 345/173
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0426 tracking fingers with respect to a virtual keyboard projected or printed on the surface virtual keyboards on touch screens G06F3/04886
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting

Abstract

Systems and methods allow a user to select a subset of displayed content using a touch screen. A user can touch the screen at or near a portion of the displayed content that the user would like to select. The touch module can display the selection of the selected portion on the touch screen using an indicator (e.g., highlighting, underlining, change in color). While the user continues to touch the screen, the selection of displayed content can expand to select additional content based on at least one rule. The rule(s) define how the selection of displayed content expands using characteristics of the user'"'"'s touch. For example, these characteristics can include an amount of pressure exerted on the screen, a direction of finger roll at the point of contact with the screen, and an amount of time that the user has touched the screen.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a processor, an indication of a first touch input entered at a first location of a touch display at which content is being displayed;

in response to receiving the indication of the first touch input, selecting, by the processor, a first portion of the content;

outputting, by the processor, for display, an indication of a selection of the first portion of the content;

in response to receiving, at the processor, an indication of a second touch input beginning at the first location of the touch display and ending at a second location of the touch display proximate to the first location, changing the selection of the first portion of content to include a second portion of the content, wherein;

the second touch input comprises a first rolling, in a first direction, of a finger used to enter the second touch input, and, without removing the finger from the touchscreen in between, a second rolling, in a second direction opposite to the first direction, of the finger used to enter the second touch input, and

the processor expands the selection to include more of the second portion of the content responsive to the first rolling, and contracts the selection to include less of the second portion of the content responsive to the second rolling;

and

outputting, by the processor, for display, the indication of the selection of the content to include the second portion of the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second touch input from the first location to the second location of the touch display is determined by monitoring, by the processor, pixels directly adjacent to pixels at the first location of the touch display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the processor, a command to perform an action in connection with the selection of the content; and

performing, by the processor, the action in connection with the selection of the content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the action includes at least one of changing a format of the selection of the content, copying the selection of the content, and editing the selection of the content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the content includes at least one of text, an image, a picture, and a graphic.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the selection of the content includes at least one of a highlight displayed proximate the selection of the content, an underline displayed under the selection of the content, a change in color of the selection of the content, and a start indicator displayed at a beginning of the selection of the content and an end indicator displayed at an end of the selection of the content.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing, by the processor, a rate of expansion of the selection to include the second portion of the content responsive to determining that the selection of the content exceeds a predetermined content selection threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting, by the processor, a rate of expansion of the selection to include the second portion of the content based on at least one rule.

9. A system, comprising:

a touch display;

a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured for storing data and instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising;

receiving, at the processor, an indication of a first touch input entered at a first location of the touch display at which content is being displayed;

in response to receiving the indication of the first touch input, selecting, by the processor, a first portion of the content;

outputting, by the processor, for display, an indication of a selection of the first portion of the content;

in response to receiving, at the processor, an indication of a second touch input beginning at the first location of the touch display and ending at a second location of the touch display proximate to the first location, changing the selection of the first portion of content to include a second portion of the content, wherein;

the second touch input comprises a first rolling, in a first direction, of a finger used to enter the second touch input, and, without removing the finger from the touchscreen in between, a second rolling, in a second direction opposite to the first direction, of the finger used to enter the second touch input, and

the processor expands the selection to include more of the second portion of the content responsive to the first rolling, and contracts the selection to include less of the second portion of the content responsive to the second rolling; and

outputting, by the processor, for display, the indication of the selection of the content to include the second portion of the content.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second touch input from the first location to the second location of the touch display is determined by monitoring pixels adjacent to the first location of the touch display.

11. The system of claim 9, the method further comprising:

receiving a command to perform an action in connection with the selection of the content; and

performing the action on the selection of the content.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the action comprises at least one of changing a format of text in the selection of the content, copying the selection of the content;

and editing the selection of the content.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the selection of the content includes at least one of text, an image, a picture, and a graphic.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the indication of the selection of the content includes at least one of a highlight displayed proximate the selection of the content, an underline displayed under the selection of the content, a change in color of the selection of the content, and a start indicator displayed at a beginning of the selection of the content and an end indicator displayed at an end of the selection of the content.

15. The system of claim 9, the method further comprising:

changing a rate of expansion of the selection to include the second portion of the content responsive to determining that the selection exceeds a predetermined content selection threshold.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the the method further includes:

adjusting a rate of expansion of the selection to include the second portion of the content based on at least one rule.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a computer program embodied therein, the computer program representing computer-executable instructions to cause a processor to perform operations including:

receiving, at the processor, an indication of a first touch input entered at a first location of a touch display at which content is being displayed;

in response to receiving the indication of the first touch input, selecting, by the processor, a first portion of the content;

outputting, by the processor, for display, an indication of a selection of the first portion of the content;

in response to receiving, at the processor, an indication of a second touch input beginning at the first location of the touch display and ending at a second location of the touch display proximate to the first location, changing the selection of the first portion of content to include a second portion of the content, wherein;

the second touch input comprises a first rolling, in a first direction, of a finger used to enter the second touch input, and, without removing the finger from the touchscreen in between, a second rolling, in a second direction opposite to the first direction, of the finger used to enter the second touch input, and

the processor expands the selection to include more of the second portion of the content responsive to the first rolling, and contracts the selection to include less of the second portion of the content responsive to the second rolling; and

outputting, by the processor, for display, the indication of the selection of the content to include the second portion of the content.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the second touch input from the first location to the second location of the touch display is determined by monitoring pixels adjacent to the first location of the touch display.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further include:

receiving a command to perform an action in connection with the selection of the content; and

performing the action in connection with the selection of the content.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the action comprises at least one of changing a format of text in the selection of the content, copying the selection of the content;

and editing the selection of the content.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the selection of the content includes at least one of text, an image, a picture, and a graphic.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the indication of the selection of the content includes at least one of a highlight displayed proximate the selection of the content, an underline displayed under the selection of the content, a change in color of the selection of the content, and a start indicator displayed at a beginning of the selection of the content and an end indicator displayed at an end of the selection of the content.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations include:

changing a rate of expansion of the selection to include the second portion of the content responsive to determining that the selection exceeds a predetermined content selection threshold.

24. The computer-readable storage program of claim 17, wherein the operations further include:

adjusting a rate of expansion of the selection to include the second portion of the content based on at least one rule.