Systems and methods for changing control functions during an input gesture

• US 9,547,433 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Feldstein, Michael, Olmos, Hector Ouilhet, Shiplacoff, Daniel Marc Gatan
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US14/272,395
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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

The disclosed technology includes using horizontal components and vertical components of a velocity vector associated with movement of an input gesture to determine a user'"'"'s intended, dominant direction of movement and corresponding control function at various points during the input gesture. Thresholds may be dynamically adjusted to prevent a user from unintentionally changing control functions during the input gesture. By adjusting the sensitivity associated with changes in a direction of movement of a continuous input gesture, it can be made effectively more difficult for the user to unintentionally cause a change in control functions. In example implementations, one or more thresholds associated with changing a control function may be increased or decreased during a continuous input gesture. For example, the thresholds may be increased or decreased in proportion to an increase or decrease in a velocity vector component.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

responsive to receiving, at a computing device, an indication of an input gesture in a first direction of movement, determining, by the computing device, a first component value corresponding to a first predetermined component of a velocity vector associated with the input gesture;

responsive to determining, by the computing device, that the first component value exceeds a first threshold value associated with a dominant direction of movement, initiating, by the computing device, a first control function;

determining, by the computing device, a second component value corresponding to a second predetermined component of the velocity vector associated with the input gesture;

responsive to receiving, at the computing device, an indication that the input gesture has changed from the first direction of movement to a second direction of movement, determining, by the computing device, that the second component value exceeds a second threshold value associated with movement in a non-dominant direction of movement, wherein the second threshold value is higher than the first threshold value;

responsive to determining, by the computing device, that the second component value exceeds the second threshold value, initiating, by the computing device, a second control function; and

responsive to determining, by the computing device, that the first component value is less at a first predetermined time than at a second predetermined time subsequent to the first predetermined time, increasing the threshold value associated with movement in a non-dominant direction of movement, from the second threshold value to a third threshold value that is greater than the second threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first predetermined component of the velocity vector is a horizontal component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second predetermined component of the velocity vector is a vertical component.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to determining, by the computing device, that the first component value is greater at a first predetermined time than at a second predetermined time subsequent to the first predetermined time, reducing the threshold value associated with movement in a non-dominant direction of movement, from the second threshold value to a threshold value that is less than the second threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein reducing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction of movement comprises reducing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction in proportion to a difference between the first component value at the first predetermined time and the first component value at the second predetermined time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein increasing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction of movement comprises increasing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction in proportion to a difference between the first component value at the first predetermined time and the first component value at the second predetermined time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input gesture comprises a slide interaction at an input device associated with the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first control function and second control function includes manipulating one or more objects that are output for display on a display device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first control function and second control function includes at least one of a scrolling function, selection function, and navigation function.

10. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the one or more processors, storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

responsive to receiving an indication of an input gesture in a first direction of movement, determine a first component value corresponding to a first predetermined component of a velocity vector associated with the input gesture;

responsive to determining that the first component value exceeds a first threshold value associated with a dominant direction of movement, initiate a first control function;

determine a second component value corresponding to a second predetermined component of the velocity vector associated with the input gesture;

responsive to receiving an indication that the input gesture has changed from the first direction of movement to a second direction of movement, determine that the second component value exceeds a second threshold value associated with movement in a non-dominant direction of movement, wherein the second threshold value is higher than the first threshold value;

responsive to determining that the second component value exceeds the second threshold value, initiate a second control function; and

responsive to determining that the first component value is less at a first predetermined time than at a second predetermined time subsequent to the first predetermined time, increase the threshold value associated with movement in a non-dominant direction of movement, from the second threshold value to a third threshold value that is greater than the second threshold value.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first predetermined component of the velocity vector is a horizontal component.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the second predetermined component of the velocity vector is a vertical component.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

responsive to determining that the first component value is greater at a first predetermined time than at a second predetermined time subsequent to the first predetermined time, reduce the threshold value associated with movement in a non-dominant direction of movement, from the second threshold value to a threshold value that is less than the second threshold value.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein reducing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction of movement comprises reducing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction in proportion to a difference between the first component value at the first predetermined time and the first component value at the second predetermined time.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein increasing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction of movement comprises increasing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction in proportion to a difference between the first component value at the first predetermined time and the first component value at the second predetermined time.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the input gesture comprises a slide interaction at an input device associated with the computing device.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first control function and second control function includes manipulating one or more objects that are output for display on a display device.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first control function and second control function includes at least one of a scrolling function, selection function, and navigation function.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a computing device to:

responsive to receiving an indication of an input gesture in a first direction of movement, determine a first component value corresponding to a first predetermined component of a velocity vector associated with the input gesture;

responsive to determining that the first component value exceeds a first threshold value associated with a dominant direction of movement, initiate a first control function;

determine a second component value corresponding to a second predetermined component of the velocity vector associated with the input gesture;

responsive to receiving an indication that the input gesture has changed from the first direction of movement to a second direction of movement, determine that the second component value exceeds a second threshold value associated with movement in a non-dominant direction of movement, wherein the second threshold value is higher than the first threshold value;

responsive to determining that the second component value exceeds the second threshold value, initiate a second control function; and

responsive to determining that the first component value is less at a first predetermined time than at a second predetermined time subsequent to the first predetermined time, increase the threshold value associated with movement in a non-dominant direction of movement, from the second threshold value to a third threshold value that is greater than the second threshold value.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first predetermined component of the velocity vector is a horizontal component.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second predetermined component of the velocity vector is a vertical component.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to:

responsive to determining that the first component value is greater at a first predetermined time than at a second predetermined time subsequent to the first predetermined time, reduce the threshold value associated with movement in a non-dominant direction of movement, from the second threshold value to a threshold value that is less than the second threshold value.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein reducing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction of movement comprises reducing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction in proportion to a difference between the first component value at the first predetermined time and the first component value at the second predetermined time.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein increasing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction of movement comprises increasing the threshold value associated with movement in the non-dominant direction in proportion to a difference between the first component value at the first predetermined time and the first component value at the second predetermined time.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the input gesture comprises a slide interaction at an input device associated with the computing device.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first control function and second control function includes manipulating one or more objects that are output for display on a display device.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first control function and second control function includes at least one of a scrolling function, selection function, and navigation function.