Touchscreen precise pointing gesture

• US 10,073,617 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PTC Inc.
• Original Assignee: Onshape, Inc. (PTC Inc.)
• Inventors: Morton, Michael, Morris, Andrew John, Vangapalli, Rammohan
• Primary Examiner(s): Edun, Muhammad N
• Application Number:
  US15/599,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20170336966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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

Abstract

The precise touchscreen control allows a user to rapidly choose a point on a touchscreen, confirm that they'"'"'ve touched the point they intended, then perform a pan gesture to a new location, all without their fingertip obscuring any fine details on the screen.

Claims

1. A method of precise positioning comprising:

displaying an interface with selectable and movable elements on a touchscreen display of a computer device;

detecting an initial touch of a finger or stylus at a location within the interface on the touchscreen display;

tracking an activation point at the location of the initial touch;

selecting a movable element within the interface at the activation point;

receiving user indication for precise positioning;

displaying a border region around the activation point;

identifying an exit point on an edge of the border region when the finger or stylus slides through and out of the border region;

determining an offset vector of distance and direction from the exit point to the activation point;

moving the selected movable element with further slide movement of the finger or stylus, keeping the selected element positioned the offset vector away from a current touch position of the finger or stylus; and

ending precise position when the finger or stylus is lifted from the touchscreen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user indication comprises a user touch of a dedicated spot on the touchscreen display before or after the initial touch.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user indication comprises a multi-finger touch or specific finger gesture movement after the initial touch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user indication comprises the user holding the initial touch without movement for a preconfigured duration.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user indication comprises a non-touch command of moving the touchscreen display or giving a voice command.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving user indication is automatically triggered by a specific operating application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the border region further comprises displaying an arrow pointing to the activation point from the current touch position.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the border region further comprises displaying a cross-hair centered on the activation point.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the border region further comprises displaying an empty shape centered on the activation point.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the border region further comprises displaying a shape around the activation point having different sizes in different directions.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying visual indication of touch movement within the border regions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein visual indication is a gradient fill of the border region such that gradient fill is reduced around the activation point when the current touch position moves towards the edge of the border region, and gradient fill is increased around the activation point when the current touch position moves towards the activation point.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein visual indication is a fade to transparent of the border region as the current touch point approaches the edge of the border region.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the offset vector between the current touch point and activation point.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising lifting the finger or stylus within the border region, detecting a second touch by the finger or stylus within a preconfigured time period of lifting, resetting the activation point at the location of the second touch, and treating the second touch as user indication for precise positioning.