Enhanced graphical display for hand-held devices

• US 9,785,342 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Muller, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yongjia
• Application Number:
  US12/651,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,840 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for a flexible grid user interface for a handheld device. In an embodiment of the invention, a flexible grid display management method can be provided. The method can include generating a grid of different cells in a user interface in a handheld device, each cell linking to an application or content for an application. The method also can include displaying the grid in the user interface in the handheld device and receiving an event directing a zooming operation on the grid. Finally, the method can include performing the zooming operation on the grid responsive to the event directing a zooming operation. Optionally, the method also can include receiving an event directing a panning operation on the grid performing the panning operation on the grid responsive to the event directing a panning operation.

Claims

1. A flexible grid display management method comprising:

generating a grid of multiple different cells in a user interface in a handheld device by loading a template of a grid formed of multiple different cells in a specified shape of one or more letters of the alphabet and generating the grid of the multiple different cells to conform to the template, each of the cells comprising a link to an application or content for an application;

displaying the grid in the user interface in the handheld device;

receiving an event directed to the grid of the multiple different cells that directs a zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells; and

,

performing the zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells responsive to the event directing the zooming.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an event directing a panning operation on the grid of the multiple different cells; and

,

performing the panning operation on the grid of the multiple different cells responsive to the event directing a panning operation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the event directed to the grid of the multiple different cells that directs the zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells, comprises receiving a finger trace of a letter corresponding to a grid of multiple different cells shaped like the finger traced letter and interpreting the finger trace of the letter as an event directing a zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells corresponding to the grid of the multiple different cells shaped like the finger traced letter.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the event directed to the grid of the multiple different cells that directs the zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells, comprises receiving an event directing a zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells at a specific zoom level.

5. A handheld device comprising:

at least one processor, memory and a display;

an operating system executing by the at least one processor in the memory;

a graphical user interface generated by the operating system in the display;

a flexible grid disposed in the graphical user interface and,

a flexible grid display management module coupled to the flexible grid and the graphical user interface, the module comprising program code enabled to generate a grid of multiple different cells in the graphical user interface by loading a template of a grid formed of multiple different cells in a specified shape of one or more letters of the alphabet and generating the grid of the multiple different cells to conform to the template, each of the cells comprising a link to an application or content for an application, to direct the display of the grid in the graphical user interface, to receive an event directed to the grid of the multiple different cells that directs a zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells, and to perform the zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells responsive to the event directing zooming.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the program code is further enabled to receive an event directing a panning operation on the grid of the multiple different cells, and to perform the panning operation on the grid of the multiple different cells responsive to the event directing a panning operation.

7. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium storing computer readable program code for flexible grid display management, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code for generating a grid of multiple different cells in a user interface in a handheld device by loading a template of a grid formed of multiple different cells in a specified shape of one or more letters of the alphabet and generating the grid of the multiple different cells to conform to the template, each of the cells comprising a link to an application or content for an application;

computer readable program code for displaying the grid in the user interface in the handheld device;

computer readable program code for receiving an event directed to the grid of the multiple different cells that directs a zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells; and

,

computer readable program code for performing the zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells responsive to the event directing the zooming.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving an event directing a panning operation on the grid of the multiple different cells; and

,

computer usable program code for performing the panning operation on the grid of the multiple different cells responsive to the event directing a panning operation.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer usable program code for receiving the event directed to the grid of the multiple different cells that directs the zooming operation on the grid, comprises computer usable program code for receiving a finger trace of a letter corresponding to a grid of multiple different cells shaped like the finger traced letter and interpreting the finger trace of the letter as an event directing a zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells corresponding to the grid of the multiple different cells shaped like the finger traced letter.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer usable program code for receiving the event directed to the grid of the multiple different cells that directs the zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells, comprises computer usable program code for receiving an event directing a zooming operation on the grid of the multiple different cells at a specific zoom level.