Accessing a menu utilizing a drag-operation

• US 9,563,352 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2012
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Matthews, David A, Sareen, Chaitanya D, Miner, Patrice L, Anderson, Bret P, Silvis, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Application Number:
  US13/625,546
• Publication Number:
  US 20130042207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 715/842, 715/843
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Computer-readable media, computerized methods, and computer systems for intuitively invoking a presentation action (e.g., rendering a menu) by applying a drag-operation at a top-level control button rendered at a touchscreen display are provided. Initially, aspects of a user-initiated input applied at the top-level control button are detected. These aspects may include an actuation location and a distance of a drag-movement therefrom. If a distance of the drag-movement at the touchscreen display is greater than a threshold distance in a particular radial direction from the actuation location, the user-initiated input is considered a drag-operation. Typically, a set of trigger boundaries are constructed based on system metrics to assist in disambiguating the drag-operation from a tap-type operation. If a drag-operation is identified, the presentation action is invoked; otherwise, a principle action associated with the top-level control button (e.g., manipulating content of an application) may be invoked.

Claims

1. A method for initiating an action upon detecting a drag-operation on a graphical user interface (GUI) rendered at a touchscreen display, comprising:

detecting a user-initiated input directed to a text entry tool;

determining whether the user-initiated input is a drag-operation or a tap-type operation, wherein a drag-operation is determined when the user-initiated input meets a threshold distance in a predefined direction;

upon recognizing the user-initiated input as the tap-type operation directed to the text entry tool, invoking a first action comprising an editing command to modify text within the text entry tool;

upon recognizing the user-initiated input as the drag-operation directed to the text entry tool, the drag operation being applied in the predefined direction and crossing a trigger boundary that is established below the text entry tool, invoking a second action comprising surfacing a drop-down menu of selectable text entries; and

rendering an indication of the first or second action at the GUI.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting a user-initiated input directed to the text entry tool comprises identifying an actuation location of the user-initiated input within a command region associated with the text entry tool, wherein the command region overlays at least a portion of the text entry tool.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first trigger boundary is established at a first distance from the actuation location.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first trigger boundary is established at a first distance from the text entry tool.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first trigger boundary is established at a first distance from the command region.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user-initiated input is a drag-operation or a tap-type operation comprises disambiguating the drag-operation from the tap-type operation based on a distance of an uninterrupted drag-movement from a location of actuation of the user-initiated input at the touchscreen display.

7. One or more hardware computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for initiating an action upon detecting a drag-operation applied to an address bar rendered at a touchscreen display, the method comprising:

detecting a user-initiated input applied to the address bar;

determining whether the user-initiated input is a drag-operation or a tap-type operation by disambiguating the drag-operation from the tap-type operation based on, in part, a distance of an uninterrupted drag-movement from a location of actuation of the user-initiated input at the touchscreen display in a predefined direction;

upon recognizing the user-initiated input as the drag-operation being applied to the address bar in the predefined direction, invoking a first action via a process comprising;

A) identifying the drag-operation crossing a first trigger boundary that is established below the address bar and is hidden from view of the user; and

B) surfacing a menu that includes representations of one or more addresses;

upon recognizing the user-initiated input as the tap-type operation being applied to the address bar, invoking a second action that is distinct from the first action; and

causing an indication of the first or second action to be presented on the touchscreen display.

8. The one or more hardware computer-storage media of claim 7, wherein surfacing the menu further comprises revealing a list of selectable options associated with the one or more addresses, respectively.

9. The one or more hardware computer-storage media of claim 7, wherein the address bar includes a text portion and a split portion for indicating a direction of the drag-operation to surface the menu.

10. The one or more hardware computer-storage media of claim 9, wherein the second action comprises initiating an editing command that allows the user to modify text within the text portion of the address bar.

11. The one or more hardware computer-storage media of claim 7,

wherein detecting the user-initiated input directed to the address bar comprises identifying an actuation location of the user-initiated input within a command region associated with the address bar, and

wherein the command region overlays at least a portion of the address bar.

12. The one or more hardware computer-storage media of claim 11, wherein the first trigger boundary is established at a first distance from

A) the actuation location,

B) the address bar, or

C) the command region.

13. A system comprising:

a presentation component configured to present a graphical user interface (GUI) including a text entry tool associated with an application; and

a processing component configured to;

A) receive indications of user-initiated input applied to the text entry tool invoking an action mapped to the text entry tool, wherein the indications are received from an input device including a directional component,

B) determine whether the user-initiated input is a drag-operation or a tap-type operation, wherein a drag-operation is determined when the user-initiated input meets a threshold distance in a predefined direction,

C) when the user-initiated input is determined to be the tap-type operation, then invoke an action comprising initiating an editing command that allows the user to modify text within the text entry tool, and

D) when the user-initiated input is determined to be the drag-operation, and when the drag-operation crosses a trigger boundary that is established below the text entry tool, then invoke an action comprising surfacing a drop-down menu.

14. The system claim 13, wherein the drop-down menu presents a list of selectable text entries associated with the text entry tool.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the text entry tool includes a text portion and a split portion for indicating a direction of the drag-operation to surface the drop-down menu.

16. The system of claim 13, the processing component further configured to:

identify an actuation location of the user-initiated input within a command region associated with the text entry tool, wherein the command region overlays at least a portion of the text entry tool.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the trigger boundary is established at a first distance from the actuation location.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the trigger boundary is established at a first distance from the text entry tool.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first trigger boundary is established at a first distance from the command region.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein determine whether the user-initiated input is a drag-operation or a tap-type operation comprises disambiguate the drag-operation from the tap-type operation based on a distance of an uninterrupted drag-movement from a location of actuation of the user-initiated input.