Movement reduction when scrolling for item selection during direct manipulation

• US 9,146,654 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2011
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ibm Raleigh Iplaw (International Business Machines Corporation), International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cordes, Richard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choi, David
• Application Number:
  US13/115,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20120304122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 715/822, 715/823, 715/835, 715/810, 715/860
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A method includes receiving a user input to cause movement of a display of a screen of a direct manipulation device, wherein the movement is in a direction away from a target item. The method includes receiving a release input to indicate that the user has released the user input at a release point on the display of the screen. The method also includes determining a location of the release point on the display of the screen relative to selectable items. The method includes determining the target item from among the selectable items, wherein the target item is at a distance from the location of the release point. The method also includes displaying a surrogate selectable item at the release point. The method includes performing an action that is the same as an action that would occur in response to a user selection of the target item.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a user input to cause movement of a display of a screen of a direct manipulation device, wherein the movement is in a direction away from a target item;

receiving a release input to indicate that a user has released the user input at a release point on the display of the screen;

determining a location of the release point on the display of the screen relative to selectable items;

determining the target item from among the selectable items, wherein the target item is at a distance from the location of the release point, wherein the determining of the target item comprises determining the target item based on a pattern of usage by at least one of the user and group of users;

displaying a surrogate selectable item at the release point, wherein the surrogate selectable item includes a property of the target item that includes at least one of color, shape, and text;

displaying an arrow that originates at the release point from the surrogate selectable item and points to the target item; and

responsive to a user selection of the surrogate selectable item, performing an action that is the same as an action that would occur in response to the user selection of the target item.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the screen is touch sensitive, wherein the user input comprises a user touch of the screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the target item is viewable at least after the movement of the display of the screen.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the surrogate selectable item is semi-transparent.

5. A computer program product for movement reduction, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising a computer usable program code configured to;

receive a user input to cause movement of a display of a screen of a direct manipulation device, wherein the movement is in a direction away from a target item;

receive a release input to indicate that a user has released the user input at a release point on the display of the screen;

determine a location of the release point on the display of the screen relative to selectable items;

determine the target item from among the selectable items, wherein the target item is at a distance from the location of the release point, wherein the computer usable program code configured to determine the target item comprises computer usable program code to determine the target item based on a pattern of usage by at least one of the user and group of users;

display a surrogate selectable item at the release point, wherein the surrogate selectable item includes a property of the target item that includes at least one of color, shape, and text;

display an arrow that originates at the release point from the surrogate selectable item and points to the target item; and

responsive to a user selection of the surrogate selectable item, perform an action that is the same as an action that would occur in response to the user selection of the target item.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the screen is touch sensitive, wherein the user input comprises a user touch of the screen.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the target item is viewable at least after the movement of the display of the screen.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the surrogate selectable item is semi-transparent.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a screen;

a processor communicatively coupled to the screen; and

a movement module executable on the processor, the movement module configured to,

receive a user input to cause movement of a display of the screen, wherein the movement is in a direction away from a target item;

receive a release input to indicate that a user has released the user input at a release point on the display of the screen;

determine a location of the release point on the display of the screen relative to selectable items;

determine the target item from among the selectable items, wherein the target item is at a distance from the location of the release point, wherein the movement module configured to determine the target item comprises the movement module configured to determine the target item based on a pattern of usage by at least one of the user and group of users;

display a surrogate selectable item at the release point, wherein the surrogate selectable item includes a property of the target item that includes at least one of color, shape, and text;

display an arrow that originates at the release point from the surrogate selectable item and points to the target item; and

responsive to a user selection of the surrogate selectable item, perform an action that is the same as an action that would occur in response to the user selection of the target item.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the screen is touch sensitive, wherein the user input comprises a user touch of the screen.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the target item is viewable at least after the movement of the display of the screen.