Banded sliders for obtaining values from users

• US 10,739,973 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2016
• Issued: 08/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Matejka, Justin Frank, Glueck, Michael, Grossman, Tovi, Fitzmaurice, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Distefano, Gregory A
• Application Number:
  US15/277,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20180088790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials

Abstract

In one embodiment, a banded slider application obtains values from users via a banded slider. In operation, the banded slider application generates a banded slider that includes multiple sections. Notably, the interior of a section included in the banded slider is visually distinguishable from an interior of another section that is adjacent to the section. Subsequently, the banded slider application performs operation(s) to display the banded slider and, in response, receives a user selection of a location along the banded slider. The banded slider application then computes a specified value based on the location. Advantageously, empirical evidence shows that the banded slider enables precise and/or repeatable specification of values without inducing bias associated with an inherent propensity for users to select locations that are at or near the decorations (e.g., tick marks) along conventional sliders.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for obtaining values from users, the method comprising:

generating a banded slider that includes a plurality of sections, wherein a first section included in the plurality of sections is adjacent to a second section included in the plurality of sections, and a first set of one or more visual attributes that characterizes an interior of the first section is visually distinguishable from a second set of one or more visual attributes that characterizes an interior of the second section, wherein each of the first section and the second section comprises a plurality of selectable locations representing a plurality of different values, and the first section and the second section have dimensions that are the same for representing a same number of different values; and

performing one or more operations to display the banded slider on a display device;

receiving an initial input that indicates a temporary location along the banded slider;

in response to receiving the initial input, displaying a slider thumb along the banded slider on the display device, wherein the slider thumb comprises a user-adjustable slider that is moveable along the banded slider;

receiving, via the slider thumb, a user selection that includes a selected location along the banded slider; and

computing a specified value based on the selected location.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more visual attributes include at least one of a color, shape, pattern, and texture.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more visual attributes include at least one of a gradient, shadow, and reflection.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising performing one or more operations to display a minimum value and a maximum value on the display device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising prompting for the user selection.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein prompting for the user selection comprises:

performing one or more operations to display a starting shape on the display device;

receiving a first user input that includes a start location within the starting shape; and

in response to receiving the first user input, performing one or more operations to display a stimulus instead of the starting shape on the display device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising performing one or more operations to display the specified value on the display device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sections of the banded slider does not include any labels.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sections of the banded slider does not include any decorations.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the banded slider further includes a minimum value label located at a first end of the plurality of sections and a maximum value label located at a second end of the plurality of sections, and

the banded slider does not include any labels between the minimum value label and the maximum value label.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the slider thumb is not displayed along the banded slider before receiving the initial input that indicates a temporary location along the banded slider.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the slider thumb is displayed at the temporary location along the banded slider on the display device.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to obtain values from user, by performing the steps of:

generating a banded slider that includes a plurality of sections, wherein a first section included in the plurality of sections is adjacent to a second section included in the plurality of sections, and a first set of one or more visual attributes that characterizes an interior of the first section is visually distinguishable from a second set of one or more visual attributes that characterizes an interior of the second section, wherein the first section and second section each comprises a plurality of selectable locations representing a plurality of different values, and the first section and the second section have dimensions that are the same for representing a same number of different values; and

performing one or more operations to display the banded slider on a display device;

receiving an initial input that indicates a temporary location along the banded slider;

in response to receiving the initial input, displaying a slider thumb along the banded slider on the display device, wherein the slider thumb comprises a user-adjustable slider that is moveable along the banded slider;

receiving, via the slider thumb, a user selection that includes a selected location along the banded slider; and

computing a specified value based on the selected location.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the one or more visual attributes include at least one of a color, shape, pattern, and texture.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, wherein the one or more visual attributes include at least one of a gradient, shadow, and reflection.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 13, further comprising computing a temporary value based on the temporary location and performing one or more operations to display the temporary value on the display device.

17. A system, comprising:

a memory storing instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein upon executing the instructions, generates a graphical user interface for display comprising;

a banded slider comprising a plurality of sections, wherein a first section included in the plurality of sections is adjacent to a second section included in the plurality of sections, and a first set of one or more visual attributes that characterizes an interior of the first section is visually distinguishable from a second set of one or more visual attributes that characterizes an interior of the second section, wherein the first section and second section each comprises a plurality of selectable locations representing a plurality of different values, and the first section and the second section have dimensions that are the same for representing a same number of different values; and

a slider thumb, comprising a user-adjustable slider that is moveable along the banded slider, wherein the slider thumb is displayed in the graphical user interface in response to receiving an initial input indicating a temporary location along the banded slider, the slider thumb being displayed along the banded slider in the graphical user interface.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more visual attributes include at least one of a color, shape, pattern, and texture.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more visual attributes include at least one of a gradient, shadow, and reflection.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the banded slider is integrated into a mixing board.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein a third section included in the plurality of sections is not adjacent to the first section, and the first set of one or more visual attributes characterizes an interior of the third section.