METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A USER INTERFACE ON A DEVICE THAT INDICATES CONTENT OPERATORS

• US 20160103570A1
• Filed: 12/16/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: THORSANDER, Simon Martin, JOHANSSON, Per ke Daniel, ANDERSSON REIMER, Nils Roger, ARBSJ, Jonas Ove, BOMAN, Charles Anton Nilsson, ELDESSOUKI, Ahmed ElSaeed Mohamed Gad, DRN, Andreas Pal, LESSING, Robert Simon
• Granted Patent: US 10,698,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of operating an electronic device having a display and means for receiving user input, the method comprises: displaying on the display a menu adjacent an edge of the display, the menu containing one or more icons, each icon representing a function and being selectable by the user; and in response to detection of a user input in relation to an icon, causing the device to display a description of the function of the icon, wherein the description is displayed to project from the menu.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A computer-implemented method of operating an electronic device having a touch-sensitive display for receiving touch input, the method comprising:

display a list of items in a graphical user interface on the touch-sensitive display;

determine that a time duration of a user input representing a selection of an item from the list exceeds a predetermined period of time;

in response to the determination that the time duration exceeds the predetermined period of time, displaying on the touch-sensitive display a menu adjacent an edge of the display, the menu containing one or more icons, each icon representing a function operable in relation to the selected item and being selectable by the user; and

in response to continued detection of the user input representing the user selection of the item and detection of a second, concurrent touch in relation to one of the one or more icons, displaying a description of the function of the icon, wherein the description is displayed projecting from the menu.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising, in response to ceasing detection of the touch in relation to the icon of the one or more icons, ceasing display of the description of the function of the icon.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein ceasing display of the description of the function of the icon comprises retracting the description.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the description projecting from the menu comprises the description being displayed as an animation moving out from the menu, and retracting the description comprises the description being displayed as an animation moving in to the menu until the description ceases to be displayed.

30. The method of claim 27, the method further comprising detecting a touch in relation to a second icon of the one or more icons and displaying a description of the function of the second icon.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein a selection of the icon of the one or more icons causes the function of the icon to be performed on the selected item.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the selection of the icon comprises a release of a press on the icon, on the description of the function of the icon, or both.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein after the selection of the icon of the one or more icons in the menu, all of the one or more icons of the menu are dismissed, the dismissal being animated.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the animated dismissal of the selected icon, the description of the selected icon, or both is different from the animated dismissal of the other of the one or more icons of the menu.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the animated dismissal of the selected icon, the description of the selected icon, or both is delayed relative to the animated dismissal of the other of the one or more icons of the menu.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein a speed dismissal of the selected icon, the description of the selected icon, or both is different relative to a speed of dismissal of the other of the one or more icons of the menu.

37. The method of claim 26, further comprising displaying the menu on the display while maintaining at least a portion of the graphical user interface on the display.

38. The method of claim 26, wherein the menu is provided as an overlay on the graphical user interface.

39. The method of claim 26, wherein the menu is provided in a sidebar.

40. The method of claim 26, wherein the description of the function of the icon is displayed projecting away from an edge of the display.

41. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors; and

memory comprising instructions which when executed by one or more of the processors cause the electronic device to;

display a list of items in a graphical user interface on the touch-sensitive display;

determine that a time duration of a user input representing a selection of an item from the list exceeds a predetermined period of time;

in response to the determination that the time duration exceeds the predetermined period of time, display on the touch-sensitive display a menu adjacent an edge of the display, the menu containing one or more icons, each icon representing a function operable in relation to the selected item and being selectable by the user; and

in response to continued detection of the user input representing the user selection of the item and detection of a second, concurrent touch in relation to one of the one or more icons, displaying a description of the function of the icon, wherein the description is displayed projecting from the menu.

42. The electronic device of claim 41, wherein the memory comprises further instructions to, in response to ceasing detection of the touch in relation to the icon of the one or more icons, cease display of the description of the function of the icon.

43. The electronic device of claim 41, wherein a selection of the icon of the one or more icons causes the function of the icon to be performed on the selected item, and the selection of the icon comprises a release of a press on the icon, on the description of the function of the icon, or both.

44. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which when executed by one or more of the processors of an electronic device having a touch-sensitive display cause the electronic device to:

display a list of items in a graphical user interface on the touch-sensitive display;

determine that a time duration of a user input representing a selection of an item from the list exceeds a predetermined period of time;

in response to the determination that the time duration exceeds the predetermined period of time, display on the touch-sensitive display a menu adjacent an edge of the display, the menu containing one or more icons, each icon representing a function operable in relation to the selected item and being selectable by the user; and

in response to continued detection of the user input representing the selection of the item and detection of a second, concurrent touch input in relation to one of the one or more icons, display cause the device to display a description of the function of the icon, wherein the description is displayed projecting from the menu.

45. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 44, wherein the instructions further cause the electronic device to, in response to ceasing detection of the touch in relation to the icon of the one or more icons, cease display of the description of the function of the icon.