Off-Screen Gestures to Create On-Screen Input

• US 20110205163A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Hinckley, Kenneth P., Yatani, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 9,274,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0339 Touch strips, e.g. orthogonal touch strips to control cursor movement or scrolling; single touch strip to adjust parameter or to implement a row of soft keys
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Bezel gestures for touch displays are described. In at least some embodiments, the bezel of a device is used to extend functionality that is accessible through the use of so-called bezel gestures. In at least some embodiments, off-screen motion can be used, by virtue of the bezel, to create screen input through a bezel gesture. Bezel gestures can include single-finger bezel gestures, multiple-finger/same-hand bezel gestures, and/or multiple-finger, different-hand bezel gestures.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a bezel gesture on a bezel of a computing device; and

responsive, at least in part to said receiving, accessing functionality that is available through a presentable bezel menu.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the bezel gesture starts on the bezel and moves onto a display device associated with the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving comprises receiving the bezel gesture relative to a visual affordance that is useable to access the bezel menu.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising prior to accessing the functionality and responsive to receiving the bezel gesture relative to the visual affordance, presenting the bezel menu.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the bezel menu comprises a drop down menu.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the bezel menu comprises multiple slots, individual slots being associated with a respective functionality.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the bezel menu is configured to enable access to commands, tools, and objects.

8. One or more computer-readable storage media embodying computer-readable instructions comprising:

instructions to implement a bezel-accessible menu on a computing device; and

instructions to access functionality, at least some of which being associated with the bezel-accessible menu, through bezel gesture input.

9. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the bezel gesture input comprises at least one of:

input that starts or ends on the bezel, input that crosses or re-crosses the bezel, input that crosses the bezel at different locations, input that occurs on one or more bezels associated with multiple screens, input comprising a single-contact drag, input comprising a two-contact drag, or input comprising a hand-contact drag.

10. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the bezel menu comprises multiple slots, individual slots being associated with a respective functionality.

11. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the bezel menu comprises multiple slots, individual slots being associated with a respective functionality, wherein at least one slot has a width that is reduced relative to other slots.

12. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the bezel menu comprises multiple slots, individual slots being associated with a respective functionality, wherein at least one slot has a width that is reduced relative to other slots, wherein said at least one slot comprises a corner slot.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8 further comprising instructions to enable access to functionality associated with the bezel-accessible menu through different gestural modes.

14. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8 further comprising instructions to enable access to functionality associated with the bezel-accessible menu through different gestural modes, wherein a first gestural mode comprises a novice mode in which the bezel-accessible menu is revealed, and a second gestural mode comprises an expert mode in which the bezel-accessible menu is not revealed.

15. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8 further comprising instructions to display a visual affordance associated with the bezel-accessible menu that is configured to be used to access functionality associated with the bezel-accessible menu.

16. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 8 further comprising instructions to display a visual affordance associated with the bezel-accessible menu that is configured to be used to display the bezel-accessible menu.

17. One or more computer-readable storage media embodying computer-readable instructions which, when executed, implement a method comprising:

displaying, on a computing device, a visual affordance associated with a bezel-accessible menu;

receiving a bezel gesture input relative to the visual affordance; and

responsive to said receiving, presenting a bezel menu.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 wherein said bezel gesture input comprises a single finger input.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 wherein said bezel gesture input comprises multiple-finger input.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17 wherein the bezel menu comprises multiple slots, individual slots being associated with a respective functionality.