User interface for a computing device

• US 9,930,160 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canonical Group Limited
• Original Assignee: Canonical Group Limited
• Inventors: Shuttleworth, Mark, Weevers, Ivo, Meskanen, Mika, Horev, Oren, Pringle, Calum, Lea, John, Greenslade, Otto, Haslam, Marcus, Majic, Ivanka, Zhu, Xi
• Primary Examiner(s): Belousov, Andrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Silverman, Seth A
• Application Number:
  US14/138,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20140189578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/04817 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

There is disclosed a smartphone, tablet or other computing device in which a swipe in from an edge causes the device to behave (e.g. display a UI graphic, open an app, open a control pane, invoke a function), in a way that depends on the specific edge swiped-in from (e.g. left, right, top or bottom).

Claims

1. A smartphone, tablet or other computing device comprising:

a touch screen with a perimeter defined by a plurality of edges; and

one or more computer programs stored in memory configured to be executed by at least one processor and including instructions for detecting a straight line swipe in from an edge of the screen;

wherein the swipe leads to two or more different outcomes or functions being triggered or invoked, depending on the extent of the straight line swipe in a fluid gesture and depending on a displayed screen or the device lock state;

wherein when the straight line swipe comprises a first portion of a swipe from the left edge a launcher is revealed,

wherein when the straight line swipe further comprises a second portion of the swipe in the fluid gesture from the left edge and the displayed screen is a welcome screen, a home screen is displayed;

wherein when the straight line swipe comprises a swipe from the right edge and the displayed screen is a welcome screen, a most recently used app is revealed;

wherein the welcome screen is a lock screen comprising a circular arrangement of thirty small dots, each dot representing an activity or state, the activity or state being indicated by the size of a semi-translucent circle adjacent to each dot;

wherein when the straight line swipe comprises a swipe from the right edge and the device is unlocked, all previously used apps in the order in which the apps were last used are revealed.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the straight line swipe from an edge causes a first outcome, and if the user continues to swipe in from that edge, that leads to a different outcome.

3. The device of claim 1 in which if the gestural input continues to a predefined region on the screen to select that region, then a specific outcome results.

4. The device of claim 1 in which a swipe from one edge causes a different outcome compared with a swipe from a different edge.

5. The device of claim 1 in which the straight line swipe comprises a first portion of a swipe from the top right edge causing a pane relating to one system information function to be displayed while the app is running, and continuing a second portion of the swipe down expands the pane to include user-selectable parameters for that function while the app is running.

6. The device of claim 1 in which the straight line swipe comprises a first portion of a swipe up from the bottom edge when an app is open causing functions relating to that app to be displayed while the app is running, and continuing a second portion of the straight line swipe up to select a defined target region causes a search function to be invoked while the app is running.

7. The device of claim 1 in which the straight line swipe comprises a first portion of a swipe from the right edge causing a rectangular region to be displayed and continuing a second portion of the straight line swipe causes a previously opened app to be displayed.

8. The device of claim 1 in which a release up from the touch screen is a commit gesture.

9. The device of claim 1 in which the straight line swipe involves the user'"'"'s fingers continuously contacting the touch screen, moving across the screen in one or more directions.