Manipulating an On-Screen Object Using Zones Surrounding the Object

• US 20070101292A1
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sig Kupka
• Inventors: Kupka, Sig
• Granted Patent: US 8,286,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

A user interface for manipulating objects of various types in a consistent manner. Each on-screen object is surrounded by a control region including a number of zones for performing various control operations on the object. Multiple input modes are available for interacting with the zones, allowing object manipulation commands to be initiated in several different ways, such as via stroke input, pressing a mouse button, double-clicking, menu selection, voice input, and the like. The user interface is operable using any of several different types of input devices.

Claims

1. In a user interface including a plurality of stroke commands for a zone, a computer-implemented method for manipulating an object, comprising:

responsive to a stroke along a first axis of a zone proximate the object, changing a characteristic of the object by a first increment; and

responsive a stroke along a second axis of the zone, changing the characteristic of the object by a second increment different from the first increment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second increment is of smaller magnitude than the first increment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein one axis is vertical, and the other axis is horizontal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic of the object is one selected from the group consisting of:

a start position;

an end position;

a duration;

a size;

a length;

a date;

a time;

a numeric value;

a width;

a height;

an image cropping specification;

a thickness;

a decimal place location;

playing speed;

playing position;

a leading character;

a terminating character;

a location;

an alignment;

a rotation;

a font;

a style;

a capitalization;

a color;

an opacity;

a brightness; and

a relative volume.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to the user input comprising a menu activation command;

displaying a menu comprising commands;

accepting a second user input selecting a command from the menu; and

responsive to the menu command, changing a characteristic of the object.

7. In a user interface including a plurality of stroke commands for a zone, a computer-implemented computer program product for manipulating an object, comprising:

a computer-readable medium; and

computer program code, encoded on the medium, for;

responsive to a stroke along a first axis of a zone proximate the object, changing a characteristic of the object by a first increment; and

responsive a stroke along a second axis of the zone, changing the characteristic of the object by a second increment different from the first increment.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the characteristic of the object is one selected from the group consisting of:

a start position;

an end position;

a duration;

a size;

a length;

a date;

a time;

a numeric value;

a width;

a height;

an image cropping specification;

a thickness;

a decimal place location;

playing speed;

playing position;

a leading character;

a terminating character;

a location;

an alignment;

a rotation;

a font;

a style;

a capitalization;

a color;

an opacity;

a brightness; and

a relative volume.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising:

responsive to the user input comprising a menu activation command;

displaying a menu comprising commands;

accepting a second user input selecting a command from the menu; and

responsive to the menu command, changing a characteristic of the object.