Apparatus for a user interface and associated methods

• US 9,996,213 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2012
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US14/655,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20150331548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Method and apparatus to enable selection of a user interface element based on the spatial interaction between a footprint assigned to a user input and the footprint assigned to a user interface element. The respective areas assigned to one or more of the respective footprints is based on at least one of the time period between the entered user input and the previous user input, and the distance between the entered user input and the previous user input.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

enable selection of a user interface element based on the spatial interaction between a footprint area assigned to a user input and a footprint area assigned to a user interface element, wherein one of a larger footprint area and a smaller footprint area is assigned to one or more footprints assigned to a user input and to a user interface element based on at least one of;

the time period between the entered user input and the previous user input; and

the distance between the entered user input and the previous user input.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to assign the larger footprint area to one or more of the respective user interface element and the user input when the time since the previous user input is within a predetermined threshold than when the time since the previous user input exceeds the predetermined threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to assign the smaller footprint area to one or more of the respective user interface element and the user input when the distance from the previous user input is within a predetermined threshold than when the time since the previous user input exceeds the predetermined threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to assign respective footprint areas according to a predefined relationship between the assigned area and at least one of the time period between the entered user input and the previous user input;

and the distance between the entered user input and the previous user input.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the predefined relationship is one of linear and non-linear.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to assign respective footprint areas according to a predefined relationship in which larger footprint areas are assigned to one or more of the respective user interface element and the user input in response to determining a larger distance between the entered user input and the previous user input.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the predefined relationship is one of linear and non-linear.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to assign respective footprint areas according to a predefined relationship in which smaller footprint areas are assigned to one or more of the respective user interface element and the user input in response to determining a longer time period between the entered user input and the previous user input.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the predefined relationship is one of linear and non-linear.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to enable the selection of the user interface element by assigning the smaller footprint area to one or more of the respective user interface element and the user input when the time since the previous user input is associated with exceeding a predetermined threshold.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to enable the selection of the user interface element by assigning the larger footprint area to one or more of the respective user interface element and the user input when the distance from the previous user input does is associated with exceeding a predetermined threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to determine that a user interface element has been selected when the respective footprint areas assigned to one or more of the user interface element and the user input overlap according to one or more predetermined criteria.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the footprint area assigned to at least one of the user interface element and the user input is based on the respective user input.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the footprint area assigned to at least one of the user interface element and the user input is based on the respective user interface element.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user input is provided using a stylus on a touch screen.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one user interface element is one of an icon, a virtual key, and a menu item.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises the graphical user interface configured to provide the user interface elements as display outputs.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a portable electronic device, a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a Smartphone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a digital camera, a watch, a server, a non-portable electronic device, a desktop computer, a monitor, a server, a wand, a pointing stick, a touchpad, a touch-screen, a mouse, a joystick or a module/circuitry for one or more of the same.

19. A method, the method comprising:

enabling selection of a user interface element based on the spatial interaction between a footprint area assigned to a user input and a footprint area assigned to a user interface element, wherein one of a larger footprint area and a smaller footprint area is assigned to one or more footprints assigned to a user input and to a user interface element based on at least one of;

the time period between the entered user input and the previous user input; and

the distance between the entered user input and the previous user input.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

enabling selection of a user interface element based on the spatial interaction between a footprint area assigned to a user input and a footprint area assigned to a user interface element, wherein one of a larger footprint area and a smaller footprint area is assigned to one or more footprints assigned to a user input and to a user interface element based on at least one of;

the time period between the entered user input and the previous user input; and

the distance between the entered user input and the previous user input.