Edge-based hooking gestures for invoking user interfaces
First Claim
1. A method of assisting a user in launching an application within a graphical user environment of a device having a processor, a display, and a pointing device associated with a pointer, the method comprising:
- executing, on the processor, instructions that cause the device to;
responsive to detecting a positioning of the pointer at a first location within a first threshold distance of an edge of the display, wherein the edge is not visually associated with a user interface element, and absent a detection of a pointer click event during the positioning at the first location, enter a user interface suggestion mode by presenting, at a second location within a second threshold distance of the edge of the display, an application menu comprising a visual indicator of an application; and
responsive to detecting, while in the user interface suggestion mode, a movement of the pointer into the application menu and toward the second location and absent a detection of a pointer click event, invoke the application that is associated with the visual indicator.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Presented herein are techniques for invoking user interfaces in graphical computing environments involving “hooking” gestures applicable to an edge of a display. These gestures involve positioning a pointer near an edge of the display depicting the environment, and then moving the cursor to a second location that is distanced from but near the first location (e.g., moving the pointer into a corner of the display, and then toward the center of the display, or to a midpoint of an adjacent edge of the display), resulting in the presentation of the user interface under the pointer at the second location. Variations include presenting a preview of the user interface (e.g., a subset of a user interface menu) at the second location while the pointer is in the first location, and refraining from presenting the user interface upon failing to complete the gesture or receiving extraneous input before completing the gesture.
45 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of assisting a user in launching an application within a graphical user environment of a device having a processor, a display, and a pointing device associated with a pointer, the method comprising:
executing, on the processor, instructions that cause the device to; responsive to detecting a positioning of the pointer at a first location within a first threshold distance of an edge of the display, wherein the edge is not visually associated with a user interface element, and absent a detection of a pointer click event during the positioning at the first location, enter a user interface suggestion mode by presenting, at a second location within a second threshold distance of the edge of the display, an application menu comprising a visual indicator of an application; and responsive to detecting, while in the user interface suggestion mode, a movement of the pointer into the application menu and toward the second location and absent a detection of a pointer click event, invoke the application that is associated with the visual indicator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A device that presents a graphical user environment and assists a user in launching an application within the graphical user environment, the device comprising:
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a processor; a pointing device that receives pointer input from the user; a display that presents a pointer within the graphical user environment, wherein the pointer is responsive to the pointer input received from the user; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to; responsive to detecting a positioning of the pointer at a first location within a first threshold distance of an edge of the display, wherein the edge is not visually associated with a user interface element, and absent a detection of a pointer click event during the positioning at the first location, enter a user interface suggestion mode by presenting, at a second location within a second threshold distance of the edge of the display, an application menu comprising a visual indicator of an application; and responsive to detecting, while in the user interface suggestion mode, a movement of the pointer into the application menu and toward the second location and absent a detection of a pointer click event, invoke the application that is associated with the visual indicator.
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18. A device that presents a graphical user environment and assists a user in launching an application within the graphical user environment, the device comprising:
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a processor; a pointing device that receives pointer input from the user; a display that presents a pointer within the graphical user environment, wherein the pointer is responsive to the pointer input received from the user; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the device to; detect a hook gesture of the pointer, wherein the hook gesture comprises; a first positioning of the pointer at a first location within a first threshold distance of an edge of the display that is not visually associated with a user interface element, and following the first positioning of the pointer, a movement of the pointer toward a second location that is within a second threshold distance of the edge of the display; during the first positioning and absent a detection of a pointer click during the first positioning; enter a user interface suggestion mode, and present, at the second location, an application menu comprising a visual indicator of an application; and responsive to the movement of the pointer toward the second location during the user interface suggestion mode, invoke the application that is associated with the visual indicator of the application. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification