SELECTIVE ENABLING OF MULTI-INPUT CONTROLS

• US 20130227451A1
• Filed: 04/16/2013
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mazeev, Maxim, Anderson, Scot Daniel, Weiss, John Guido Atkins, Levy, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 9,552,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A control system is disclosed that is configurable (e.g., by a programmer) so as to enable input from multiple sources to capture to multiple controls. Also or alternatively, the system is configurable so as to enable input from multiple sources to capture to a single control. The system also provides a consistent and extendable scheme for filtering out conflicting events for individual controls. In one embodiment, this means that the system is configurable (e.g., based on the programmer'"'"'s asserted preferences) so as to enable a selective determination as to whether additional inputs can be captured for a given control.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing inputs, the method comprising:

receiving an input from a first input mechanism, wherein the input is directed to a user interface control;

causing the first user interface mechanism to become captured to the user interface control;

receiving an input from a second input mechanism, wherein the input is directed to the user interface control; and

causing the second user interface mechanism to become captured to the user interface control, wherein the first and second user interface mechanisms are simultaneously captured by the user interface control.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an input from a first input mechanism comprises receiving an input through a touch screen interface, and wherein receiving an input from a second input mechanism comprises receiving an input through the same touch screen interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the first and second input mechanisms to become captured comprises directing subsequent events from the respective mechanisms to be directed to the user interface control.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the first input mechanism to become captured comprises directing subsequent events from the first mechanism to be directed to the user interface control until the first input mechanism is released.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inputs received by the first and second input mechanisms are separate interactions with same device upon which the first and second input mechanisms are implemented.

6. An input system, comprising:

a user interface that includes a control;

a first input mechanism and a second input mechanism;

a user interface framework that is configured to enable a capturing of the first and/or second input mechanisms to the control; and

application program interfaces configured to be asserted by a developer of the user interface so as to dictate circumstances under which one or both of the first and second input mechanisms can be captured to the control.

7. The input system of claim 6, wherein the application program interfaces include a multi-capture interface that enables both of the first and second input mechanisms to be simultaneously captured to the control.

8. The input system of claim 6, wherein the application program interfaces are an extension of the user interface framework.

9. The input system of claim 6, wherein the application program interfaces include a capture gate interface that enables the developer to restrict the control from capturing more than one input mechanism at a time.

10. The input system of claim 6, wherein the application program interfaces include a capture gate interface that enables the developer to restrict a group of controls, including the control, from capturing more than one input mechanism at a time.

11. The input system of claim 6, wherein the application program interfaces include a capture gate class with related acquire and release routines.

12. The input system of claim 6, wherein the first and second input mechanisms are separate inputs to a single touch screen input device.

13. The input system of claim 6, wherein the first and second input mechanisms are separate inputs from separate input devices.

14. A computing device, comprising:

an input management component that receives an separate inputs from each of a plurality of separate input mechanisms, the separate inputs being directed to a user interface control;

a computer processor utilized by the input management component to cause the plurality of separate input mechanisms to be simultaneously captured to the user interface control.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the separate input mechanisms are implemented on the same device such that the separate input are all received from the device.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the separate input mechanisms are input components implemented as part of a single touch screen interface.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the computer processor is further utilized by the input management component to cause the separate input mechanisms to direct subsequent events from the separate input mechanisms to the user interface control.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the computer processor is further utilized by the input management component to cause the separate input mechanisms to direct subsequent inputs to the separate input mechanisms to the user interface control as a result of being simultaneously captured.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the computer processor is further utilized by the input management component to restrict the direction of subsequent inputs to the separate input mechanisms as a result of being simultaneously captured.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the separate inputs received by the separate input mechanisms are separate interactions with the same device.