Programming Interface for Semantic Zoom

• US 20130067390A1
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kwiatkowski, Paul J., Pittappilly, Theresa B., Myhres, Justin S.
• Application Number:
  US13/228,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20130067390A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/784
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Semantic zoom techniques are described. In one or more implementations, techniques are described that may be utilized by a user to navigate to content of interest. These techniques may also include a variety of different features, such as to support semantic swaps and zooming “in” and “out.” These techniques may also include a variety of different input features, such as to support gestures, cursor-control device, and keyboard inputs. A variety of other features are also supported as further described in the detailed description and figures.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

exposing a programming interface having one or more methods that are definable to enable use of a control as one of a plurality of views in a semantic zoom; and

configuring the view for use in the semantic zoom that includes a semantic swap operation to switch between the plurality of views in response to a user input.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of views includes scrollable representations of items.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of the methods is configured to determine one or more axes along which the control is to pan.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of the methods is configured to notify the control when a zoom is in progress.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein at least one of the methods is configured to align the plurality of views, one to another, as part of replacing one said view with another said view.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the programming interface is configured for use in a dynamically-typed language.

7. A method as described in claim 6, wherein the configuration for use in a dynamically-typed language includes a public property that is to evaluate to an object to which the one or more methods are attached.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the one or more methods are direct members of an interface in a statically-typed language.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the semantic swap is configured to be initiated by a keyboard command, cursor control device, or gesture.

10. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the gesture is a pinch or reverse pinch gesture.

11. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the semantic swap causes different arrangements of the representations of content through display of different said views.

12. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of views relates to items in a file system of the computing device.

13. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the semantic swap operation is configured to change which metadata is displayed in a user interface.

14. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the semantic swap is configured to replace a first said view having representations of single items of content with a second said view having representations of groups of the items.

15. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

exposing a programming interface to enable use of a control as one of a plurality of views in a semantic zoom, the programming interface including;

a method that returns an indication of a horizontal or vertical axis that is configured for panning by the control;

a method that returns information to be used in implementation of zooming behavior;

a method that involves coordinates identifying which of a plurality of items in a respective said view is to be a subject of a zoom;

a method that describes an abstract description of an item in a view and a bounding rectangle to be used for display of the item;

or

a method usable to align items in respective said views; and

configuring the control using one or more of the method for inclusion as a view for use in the semantic zoom that includes a semantic swap operation to switch between a plurality of said views in response to a user input.

16. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the programming interface includes a method to indicate initiation of a visual zoom transition.

17. A method as described in claim 15, wherein the method that returns information to be used in implementation of zooming behavior includes:

information that describes whether the view corresponding to the control is a zoomed out or zoomed in view;

information that describes whether the view corresponding to the control is visible initially;

a callback function that is callable by the control to switch to another view;

or

information that describes how much off-screen content is to be presented during a zoom.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media comprising computer executable instructions that, responsive to execution by a computing device, causes the computing device to implement an interface as a single property that evaluates to an object that has methods that are callable by a control for implementation as one of a plurality of views of a semantic zoom that is configured to switch between the plurality of views in response to a user input.

19. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 18, wherein the interface is configured for use as part of a dynamically-typed language.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media as described in claim 18, wherein the user input is configured as a keyboard, cursor control device, or gesture input.