LIST WITH TARGETS FOR TOUCH SCREENS

• US 20140282152A1
• Filed: 02/11/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SAS Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Gong, Qing, Wang, Huifang
• Application Number:
  US14/177,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282152A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Various embodiments are generally directed to techniques for increasing the accuracy with which list items may be selected on a touch screen. A machine-readable storage medium includes instructions that when executed cause a computing device to present a list of multiple list items on a touch screen, each associated with a touch area and including a presentation area and a visible target marking a location of the touch area, wherein the targets and coinciding touch areas of adjacent first and second list items are positioned at different first and second widthwise positions of the presentation areas of the first and second list items, respectively, and wherein the touch areas of each the first and second list items coincide with a portion of the presentation area of the other of the first and second list items. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting a list comprising multiple list items on a touch screen, each list item of the multiple list items associated with a touch area, and each list item comprising a presentation area and a visible target marking a location of the associated touch area wherein;

the target of a first list item of the multiple list items is positioned at a first widthwise position of the presentation area of the first list item;

the target of a second list item of the multiple list items is positioned at a second widthwise position of the presentation area of the second list item;

the second list item is adjacent the first list item in the list; and

the second widthwise position differs from the first widthwise position along a widthwise dimension of the list;

defining the touch area of the first list item to coincide with the target of the first list item and with a portion of the presentation area of the second item; and

defining the touch area of the second list item to coincide with the target of the second list item and with a portion of the presentation area of the first list item.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising determining multiple alternating widthwise positions at which to position the target of each list item at least partly within the presentation area of each list item based on the widthwise dimension of the list, the multiple alternating widthwise positions comprising the first and second widthwise positions, and the widthwise dimension based on at least one of a length of an item text of a list item of the multiple list items, a dimension of an item graphic of a list item of the multiple list items, or a size of a viewable area of the touch screen.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, comprising determining a quantity of the multiple alternating widthwise positions based on the widthwise dimension.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, comprising:

positioning one of the multiple alternating widthwise positions at an end of an elongate shape of each presentation area; and

positioning another of the multiple alternating widthwise positions inset from the end of the elongate shape.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising positioning the first and second widthwise positions at opposing ends of an elongate shape of each of the presentation areas.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising presenting at least one of an item text or an item graphic within the presentation area of each list item, each presentation area having an elongate shape that extends across a width of the list.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, comprising positioning the target of each list item at least partly within the presentation area of each list item to coincide with a corresponding one of an item text or an item graphic of each list item.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

monitoring the touch areas associated with each of the multiple list items to detect an instance of a touch of a touch area associated with a selected list item of the multiple list items to select the selected list item; and

altering an aspect of visual presentation of the selected list item, the aspect comprising at least one of color, shade of a color, darkness, line thickness or font.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, the touch area associated with each list item to coincide with a portion of the presentation area of the list item beyond the target of the list item.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a processor component;

a presentation component for execution by the processor component to present a list comprising multiple list items on a touch screen, to position a first target of a first list item of the multiple list items at a first widthwise position of a first presentation area of the first list item, and to position a second target of a second list item of the multiple list items at a second widthwise position of a second presentation area of the second list item, the second list item adjacent the first list item in the list, and the second widthwise position differing from the first widthwise position along a widthwise dimension of the list; and

a touch component for execution by the processor component to define a first touch area associated with the first list item to coincide with the first target and with a portion of the second presentation area, and to define a second touch area associated with the second list item to coincide with the second target and with a portion of the first presentation area.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, comprising a positioning component for execution by the processor component to determine multiple alternating widthwise positions at which to position a target of each list item of the multiple list items based on a widthwise dimension of the list, the multiple alternating widthwise positions comprising the first and second widthwise positions, and the widthwise dimension based on at least one of a length of an item text of a list item of the multiple list items, a dimension of an item graphic of a list item of the multiple list items, or a size of a viewable area of the touch screen.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, the positioning component to determine a quantity of the multiple alternating widthwise positions based on the widthwise dimension.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, the positioning component to position one of the multiple alternating widthwise positions at an end of an elongate shape of a presentation area of each of the list items, and to position another of the multiple alternating widthwise positions inset from the end of the elongate shape.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, the positioning component to position the first and second widthwise positions at opposing ends of an elongate shape of a presentation area of each of the list items.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, the presentation component to select a shape for a target of each of the list items to indicate a characteristic of each of the list items, the characteristic comprising one of an action performed in response to selection of a list item of the multiple list items or a requirement of a security credential arising from selection of a list item.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, the presentation component to present boundary markers to indicate at least a portion of an elongate shape of a presentation area of at least one of the multiple list items.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, the presentation component to present at least one of an item text or an item graphic within a presentation area of each list item, the presentation area having an elongate shape that extends across a width of the list.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, the presentation component to position a target of each list item within a corresponding presentation area to coincide with a corresponding one of an item text or an item graphic.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, the touch component to monitor touch areas associated with each of the multiple list items to detect an instance of a touch of a touch area associated with a selected list item of the multiple list items to select the selected list item, and the presentation component to alter an aspect of visual presentation of the selected list item, the aspect comprising at least one of color, shade of a color, darkness, line thickness or font.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, the touch area associated with each list item to coincide with a portion of the presentation area of the list item beyond the target of the list item.

21. The apparatus of claim 10, The apparatus of claim 10, the touch screen comprising a display element on which the list is presented and a touch element co-located with the display element, the touch element comprising a touch-sensitive surface on which multiple touch areas associated with the multiple list items are defined.

22. At least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

present a list comprising multiple list items on a touch screen, each list item of the multiple list items associated with a touch area, and each list item comprising a presentation area and a visible target marking a location of the associated touch area wherein;

the target of a first list item of the multiple list items is positioned at a first widthwise position of the presentation area of the first list item;

the target of a second list item of the multiple list items is positioned at a second widthwise position of the presentation area of the second list item;

the second list item is adjacent the first list item in the list, and

the second widthwise position differs from the first widthwise position along a widthwise dimension of the list;

define the touch area of the first list item to coincide with the target of the first list item and with a portion of the presentation area of the second list item; and

define the touch area of the second list item to coincide with the target of the second list item and with a portion of the presentation area of the first list item.

23. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 22, the computing device caused to determine multiple alternating widthwise positions at which to position the target of each list item at least partly within the presentation area of each list item based on a widthwise dimension of the list, the multiple alternating widthwise positions comprising the first and second widthwise positions, and the widthwise dimension based on at least one of a length of an item text of a list item of the multiple list items, a dimension of an item graphic of a list item of the multiple list items, or a size of a viewable area of the touch screen.

24. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, the computing device caused to determine a quantity of the multiple alternating widthwise positions based on the widthwise dimension.

25. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, the computing device caused to:

position one of the multiple alternating widthwise positions at an end of an elongate shape of each presentation area; and

position another of the multiple alternating widthwise positions inset from the end of the elongate shape.

26. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 22, the computing device caused to position the first and second widthwise positions at opposing ends of an elongate shape of each of the presentation areas.

27. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 22, the computing device caused to present at least one of an item text or an item graphic within the presentation area of each list item, each presentation area having an elongate shape that extends across a width of the list.

28. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 27, the computing device caused to position the target of each list item at least partly within the presentation area of each list item to coincide with a corresponding one of an item text or an item graphic of each list item.

29. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 22, the computing device caused to:

monitor the touch areas associated with each of the multiple list items to detect an instance of a touch of a touch area associated with a selected list item of the multiple list items to select the selected list item; and

alter an aspect of visual presentation of the selected list item, the aspect comprising at least one of color, shade of a color, darkness, line thickness or font.

30. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 22, the touch area associated with each list item to coincide with a portion of the presentation area of the list item beyond the target of the list item.