Automatic zooming for text selection/cursor placement

• US 9,317,196 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2011
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Fong, Jeffrey Cheng-Yao, Arnold, Jeffery G., Chen, Liang, Kronlage, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gattew, Asteway T
• Application Number:
  US13/207,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20130042199A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,714 Days
• Field of Search: 715/780, 715/801, 715/863, 715/255, 715/800, 345/661
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Disclosed herein are tools and techniques for using a single-finger single touch to zoom content. In one embodiment disclosed herein, a single-finger single touch on a touch screen displaying at least a page of content is detected. At least in response to the detecting the single-finger single touch, a page zoom is performed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a first zoom scale, selecting text on a page using a first touch gesture on a touch screen;

detecting a second touch gesture on the touch screen displaying at least a page of content in the first zoom scale, wherein the second touch gesture is a single-finger single touch, the single-finger single touch being on the selected text displayed in the page of content in the first zoom scale;

at least in response to the detecting the single-finger single touch, performing a page zoom that produces at least displayed zoomed content in a second zoom scale;

without detecting removal of the single-finger single touch from the touch screen, detecting a dragging movement of the single-finger single touch on the displayed zoomed content in the second zoom scale;

at least in response to the detecting the dragging movement of the single-finger single touch, detecting if the single-finger single touch is near to a predetermined boundary of the displayed zoomed content in the second zoom scale;

in response to the detecting that the single-finger single touch is near to the predetermined boundary of the displayed zoomed content in the second zoom scale, scrolling to display at least some additional text in the displayed zoomed content in the second zoom scale;

based at least on the detecting the dragging movement on the displayed zoomed content in the second zoom scale, selecting the additional text in the displayed zoomed content as an addition to the selected text;

detecting a removal of the single-finger single touch; and

at least in response to the detecting the removal, zooming out on the page of content to the first zoom scale;

wherein the performing the page zoom comprises;

based on a location of the single-finger single touch on the touch screen, displaying the selected text such that the selected text is located as zoomed under the location of the single finger single touch on the touch screen;

so that through a single-finger single touch, a page zoom and selection of multiple characters of text is performed while continuous contact with the touch screen is detected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the page of content comprises editable text.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the single-finger single touch activates a cursor placement tool that comprises a cursor, and the method further comprises:

at least in response to the detecting the dragging movement of the single-finger single touch, relocating the cursor in editable text displayed in the touch screen.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the performing the page zoom comprises displaying a text edit box such that the text edit box is located in the display of the touch screen based on a location of the single-finger single touch on the touch screen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the page zoom is centered from an area of the touch screen based on a location of the contact.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the page of content is rendered at least using an application;

and

zooming system content based on the detecting the single-finger single touch, the system content rendered by an operating system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the single-finger single touch comprises a continuous contact with the touch screen that is moving along the touch screen.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an amount of scrolling depends on a position of the single-finger single touch relative to the predetermined boundary.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a direction of scrolling depends on a direction of the dragging movement of the single-finger single touch.

10. A computing device comprising a processor and memory, the memory comprising computer-executable instructions which when executed by the processor cause the computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

selecting text on a touch screen displaying at least a page of content, wherein the selecting comprises a gesture that contacts the touch screen and then is removed;

after the selection of the text, detecting a continuous contact of a single-finger single touch on the touch screen, the single-finger single touch being on the selected text displayed in the page of content;

based at least on the detecting the single-finger single touch, performing a page zoom, wherein the performing the page zoom produces at least displayed zoomed content;

detecting a dragging movement of the continuous contact on the displayed zoomed content;

based at least on the detecting the dragging movement of the continuous contact, scrolling to display at least some text not in the previously displayed zoomed content when the continuous contact is near an edge of the displayed zoomed content;

based at least on the detecting the dragging movement of the continuous contact on the displayed zoomed content, relocating the cursor in text displayed in the zoomed content so that multiple characters of the text are selected in the displayed zoomed content that were not previously selected;

detecting a removal of the single-finger single touch; and

based at least on the detecting the removal, zooming out on the page of content;

wherein the performing the page zoom comprises;

based on a location of the single-finger single touch on the touch screen, displaying the selected text as zoomed under the single finger single touch on the touch screen.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the performing the page zoom comprises displaying a text edit box such that the text edit box is located in the display of the touch screen based on a location of the single-finger single touch on the touch screen.

12. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the single-finger single touch comprises a continuous contact with the touch screen that is moving along the touch screen.

13. The computing device of claim 10, wherein the page of content is rendered at least using an application;

and

zooming system content based on the detecting the single-finger single touch, the system content rendered by an operating system.

14. The computing device of claim 10, wherein an amount of scrolling depends on a position of the continuous contact relative to the edge of the displayed zoomed content.

15. The computing device of claim 10, wherein a direction of scrolling depends on a direction of the dragging movement of the continuous contact.

16. A nonvolatile computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions which when executed cause a computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:

selecting text in a page of content displayed in a touch screen with a gesture that temporarily contacts the touch screen;

detecting a subsequent single-finger single touch with the touch screen initiated on the selected text, the single-finger single touch comprising a continuous contact with the touch screen;

based at least on the detecting the single-finger single touch, performing a page zoom to produce at least displayed zoomed content on the touch screen;

detecting a dragging movement of the continuous contact on the displayed zoomed content;

in response to the continuous contact reaching a predetermined boundary of the displayed zoomed content, scrolling to display revealed text not previously displayed in the touch screen, wherein a direction of scrolling depends on a direction of the dragging movement, and wherein an amount of scrolling depends on a position of the continuous contact relative to the predetermined boundary;

based at least on the detecting the dragging movement on the displayed zoomed content, selecting, in the displayed zoomed content, at least a portion of the revealed text, wherein the revealed text includes multiple characters;

so that the performed page zoom and the selection of the multiple characters occur while continuous contact of the touch screen is detected;

detecting a removal of the single-finger single touch; and

based at least on detecting the removal of the single-finger single touch, zooming out at least on the page of content;

wherein the performing the page zoom comprises;

based on a location of the single-finger single touch on the touch screen, displaying the selected text such that the selected text is located in the touch screen as zoomed under the location of the single finger single touch on the touch screen as the single finger single touch maintains the continuous contact with the touch screen.