Contextually changing omni-directional navigation mechanism

• US 9,910,563 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visual Supply Company
• Original Assignee: Visual Supply Company
• Inventors: Wu, Wayne Kong, Heinlein, Grant Thomas, Gruber, Charles Fredrik, Shim, Hae Jin, Daniels, Isaac Joel, Jansson, Joakim Carl Tobias, Kim, Joyce
• Primary Examiner(s): Levy, Amy M
• Application Number:
  US15/010,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• 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 3/04886 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

Systems and methods for menuless application navigation are provided. In example embodiments, a first user input received via an interface of the device is detected. It is determined that the first user input is within an input region on the interface of the device. In response to determining that the first user input is within the input region, the first user input is translated into a navigation action. A second user input received via the interface of the device is detected, and it is determined that the second user input is outside the input region on the interface of the device. In response to determining that the second user input is outside the input region, the user input is translated into a second action, which is different from the navigation action.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a touchscreen display; and

a memory device holding a content database, a graphics database, and an instruction set executable on the processor to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising;

displaying a content page and a navigation icon;

defining a first input region as an area of the displayed navigation icon and a second input region as an area outside of the displayed navigation icon;

receiving a first pre-defined user touch gesture beginning in the first input region or the second input region;

in response to determining that the received gesture began in the first input region;

accessing the content database to identify context change data that corresponds with a first operation defining navigation to a specific content page and to further access the graphics database to identify a respective navigation icon assigned for display in the specific content page,

triggering the first operation to navigate to the specific content page, and

replacing display of the displayed navigation icon with the respective navigation icon; and

in response to determining that the received gesture began in the second input region;

accessing the content database to identify context change data that corresponds with a second operation defining modification of content of the currently displayed content page, and

triggering the second operation to modify the content of the currently displayed content page;

wherein the context database contains context change data that associates respective pre-defined user touch gestures with corresponding operations, the graphics database being interrelated with the context database with respect to the context change data, the graphics database containing a plurality of different navigation icons, including the displayed navigation icon, exactly one icon being assigned for display on each different, respective content pages.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first operation can be defined for one of the following:

a content page, a search page and a user profile page.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the second operation can be defined as one of the following:

an image manipulation, a scroll action, a volume control and a zoom manipulation.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first pre-defined user touch gesture comprises a user double-tapping physical gesture.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein sensing the respective instances of the first pre-defined user touch gesture occurs while the currently displayed content page is displayed independently from the displayed navigation icon, the currently displayed content page different than the specific content page.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the first pre-defined user touch gesture comprises a user finger swiping physical gesture.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein a display position of the navigation icon is modifiable.

8. A method performed by a computing device comprising a processor, a memory device storing a context database and a graphics database, and a touch screen, the method comprising:

displaying a content page and a navigation icon;

defining a first input region as an area of the displayed navigation icon and a second input region as an area outside of the displayed navigation icon;

receiving a first pre-defined user touch gesture beginning in the first input region or the second input region;

in response to determining that the received gesture began in the first input region;

accessing the content database to identify context change data that corresponds with a first operation defining navigation to a specific content page and to further access the graphics database to identify a respective navigation icon assigned for display in the specific content page,

triggering the first operation to navigate to the specific content page, and

replacing display of the displayed navigation icon with the respective navigation icon; and

in response to determining that the received gesture began in the second input region;

accessing the content database to identify context change data that corresponds with a second operation defining modification of content of the currently displayed content page, and

triggering the second operation to modify the content of the currently displayed content page;

wherein context database contains context change data that associates respective pre-defined user touch gestures with corresponding operations, the graphics database being interrelated with the context database with respect to the context change data, the graphics database containing a plurality of different navigation icons, including the displayed navigation icon, exactly one icon being assigned for display on each different, respective content pages.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first operation can be defined for one of the following:

a content page, a search page and a user profile page.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second operation can be defined as one of the following:

an image manipulation, a scroll action, a volume control and a zoom manipulation.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first pre-defined user touch gesture comprises a user double-tapping physical gesture.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein sensing the respective instances of the first pre-defined user touch gesture occurs while the currently displayed content page is displayed independently from the displayed navigation icon, the currently displayed content page different than the specific content page.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first pre-defined user touch gesture comprises a user finger swiping physical gesture.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein a display position of the navigation icon is modifiable.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a context database, a graphics database, and executable instructions, the executable instruction, when executed by a processor of a device with a touch screen, causing the device to perform operations comprising:

displaying a content page and a navigation icon;

defining a first input region as an area of the displayed navigation icon and a second input region as an area outside of the displayed navigation icon;

receiving a first pre-defined user touch gesture beginning in the first input region or the second input region;

in response to determining that the received gesture began in the first input region;

accessing the content database to identify context change data that corresponds with a first operation defining navigation to a specific content page and to further access the graphics database to identify a respective navigation icon assigned for display in the specific content page,

triggering the first operation to navigate to the specific content page, and

replacing display of the displayed navigation icon with the respective navigation icon; and

in response to determining that the received gesture began in the second input region;

accessing the content database to identify context change data that corresponds with a second operation defining modification of content of the currently displayed content page, and

triggering the second operation to modify the content of the currently displayed content page;

wherein the context database contains context change data that associates respective pre-defined user touch gestures with corresponding operations, the graphics database being interrelated with the context database with respect to the context change data, the graphics database containing a plurality of different navigation icons, including the displayed navigation icon, exactly one icon being assigned for display on each different, respective content pages.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first operation can be defined for one of the following:

a content page, a search page and a user profile page.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second operation can be defined as one of the following:

an image manipulation, a scroll action, a volume control and a zoom manipulation.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first pre-defined user touch gesture comprises a user double-tapping physical gesture.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein sensing the respective instances of the first pre-defined user touch gesture occurs while the currently displayed content page is displayed independently from the displayed navigation icon, the currently displayed content page different than the specific content page.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first pre-defined user touch gesture comprises a user finger swiping physical gesture.