User interface for use in computing device with sensitive display

• US 9,116,598 B1
• Filed: 01/01/2013
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koyo Licensing LLC (Quest Patent Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Koji Yoden
• Inventors: Yoden, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverman, Seth A
• Application Number:
  US13/732,407
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 715/863
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 3/04842 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 at a computing device with a sensitive display is disclosed. A dialog is popped up, on the sensitive display, at a position that is predetermined pixels away from the position of hover or a tap of an object detected by the sensitive display. A menu for operation of a computer program is displayed responsive to such hover being detected above a predetermined location within a screen of the computer program on the sensitive display. An assistance object for assisting a tappable object to be tapped is displayed responsive to such hover being detected above the tappable object on the sensitive display. A tappable object is emphasized responsive to such hover being detected above the tappable object on the sensitive display.

Claims

1. A method under control of a computer coupled to a sensitive display and to communication circuitry for communication with an external display device other than the sensitive display, the method comprising:

detecting hover of a user'"'"'s physical object in proximity over the sensitive display when the user'"'"'s physical object is hovered in proximity over the sensitive display;

in response to the detection of the hover of the user'"'"'s physical object, determining a hover position above which the user'"'"'s physical object is hovered within a computer screen;

distinctively from the hover, detecting a tap of the user'"'"'s physical object onto the sensitive display when the user'"'"'s physical object is subsequently tapped onto the sensitive display;

in response to the detection of the tap of the user'"'"'s physical object, determining a tap position onto which the user'"'"'s physical object is tapped within the computer screen and executing a predetermined action associated with a tappable graphical user interface element in the computer screen if the user'"'"'s physical object is determined to be tapped onto the tappable graphical user interface element to be tapped by the user'"'"'s hovering physical object for the predetermined action;

determining whether or not the communication is active with the external display device through the communication circuitry; and

while detecting the hover of the user'"'"'s physical object in proximity over the sensitive display, conditionally using the determined hover position to visually guide the hovering user'"'"'s physical object to the tappable graphical user interface element, depending at least on whether or not the communication is determined to be active with the external display device through the communication circuitry,

wherein the conditionally using the determined hover position includes;

if the communication is determined to be active, displaying the computer screen and a graphical indicator located at the determined hover position in the computer screen on the external display device via the active communication, instead of displaying the computer screen on the sensitive display, wherein the graphical indicator indicates the hover position by being displayed at the hover position thereby assisting a user to recognize where in the sensitive display the user should tap on in order to tap the tappable graphical user interface element in the computer screen displayed on the external display device;

whereas if the communication is determined to be not active, displaying the computer screen while failing to display the graphical indicator on the sensitive display, instead of displaying the computer screen and the graphical indicator on the external display device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the conditionally using the determined hover position depends also on whether or not the tappable graphical user interface element is appearing on the computer screen, and wherein the conditionally using the determined hover position includes, if the communication is active with the external display device through the communication circuitry, displaying the computer screen and the graphical indicator on the external display device via the active communication only when the tappable graphical user interface element is appearing on the computer screen, whereas displaying the computer screen while failing to display the graphical indicator on the external display device via the active communication when the tappable graphical user interface element is not appearing on the computer screen.

3. A method under control of a computer coupled to a sensitive display and to communication circuitry for communication with an external display device other than the sensitive display, the method comprising:

detecting hover of a user'"'"'s physical object in proximity over the sensitive display when the user'"'"'s physical object is hovered in proximity over the sensitive display;

in response to the detection of the hover of the user'"'"'s physical object, determining a hover position above which the user'"'"'s physical object is hovered within a computer screen;

distinctively from the hover, detecting a tap of the user'"'"'s physical object onto the sensitive display when the user'"'"'s physical object is subsequently tapped onto the sensitive display;

in response to the detection of the tap of the user'"'"'s physical object, determining a tap position onto which the user'"'"'s physical object is tapped within the computer screen and executing a predetermined action associated with a tappable graphical user interface element in the computer screen if the user'"'"'s physical object is determined to be tapped onto the tappable graphical user interface element to be tapped by the user'"'"'s hovering physical object for the predetermined action;

determining whether or not the communication is active with the external display device through the communication circuitry; and

while detecting the hover of the user'"'"'s physical object in proximity over the sensitive display, conditionally using the determined hover position to visually guide the hovering user'"'"'s physical object to the tappable graphical user interface element, depending at least on whether or not the communication is determined to be active with the external display device through the communication circuitry,

wherein the conditionally using the determined hover position includes;

if the communication is determined to be active, emphasizing the tappable graphical user interface element in response to the determined hover position being corresponding to a position of the tappable graphical user interface element as well as displaying the computer screen on the external display device via the active communication, instead of displaying the computer screen on the sensitive display device;

whereas if the communication is determined to be not active, failing to emphasize the tappable graphical user interface element regardless of whether or not the determined hover position corresponds to the position of the tappable graphical user interface element as well as displaying the computer screen on the sensitive display, instead of displaying the computer screen on the external display device.