SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GESTURE-BASED FORMATTING

• US 20170039167A1
• Filed: 01/15/2016
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WeTransfer B.V.
• Original Assignee: FiftyThree, Inc. (WeTransfer B.V.)
• Inventors: Curry, Ian, Walker, Julian
• Granted Patent: US 10,521,493 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191

Abstract

The present disclosure provides systems and methods displaying and formatting text on an electronic display. A gesture input may be received via a gesture input device associated with the electronic display. For instance, a touchscreen may receive a touch gesture input. Each of a plurality of gesture inputs may be associated with a formatting rule and/or a text-component for selecting a portion of displayed text. Selected text may be formatted according to the formatting rule associated with the received gesture input. The formatted text may be displayed on the electronic display. A data store may associate each of the plurality of gesture inputs with a formatting rule that can be applied to selected text. Alternatively, a data store may associate each of the plurality of gesture inputs with a formatting rule and a text-component that defines to which component of text the formatting rule should be applied.

Claims

1. An electronic input and display device, comprising:

an electronic display for displaying text;

a gesture input device for receiving at least one type of gesture input;

a processor in communication with the electronic display and the gesture input device; and

a computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations for formatting text displayed on the electronic display, the operations comprising;

associating each of a plurality of formatting rules along a continuum;

displaying text via the electronic display with a first formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules applied to the text;

receiving a first gesture input via the gesture input device associated with the electronic display;

associating the first gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the first direction; and

applying a second formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

2. The input and display device of claim 1, wherein the text comprises one of a phrase, a clause, a sentence, a paragraph, a bulleted list item, a numbered list item, and an ordered list item.

3. The input and display device of claim 1, wherein the electronic display comprises a touchscreen display, and

wherein the gesture input device comprises a touchscreen digitizer associated with the touchscreen display.

4. The input and display device of claim 3, wherein the at least one type of gesture input includes one of a two-finger pinch/spread gesture input, a two-finger tap gesture input, a two-finger twist gesture input, a single-finger diagonal swipe gesture input, a multi-finger diagonal swipe gesture input, a single-finger horizontal swipe gesture input, a multi-finger horizontal swipe gesture input, and a press and hold gesture input.

6. The input and display device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of formatting rules along the continuum comprise one or more of a bold formatting rule, a quotation formatting rule, an italics formatting rule, a strikethrough formatting rule, a bulleted list formatting rule, a numbered list formatting rule, a checkbox formatting rule, a bullet point formatting rule, and a justification formatting rule.

14. The input and display device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second gesture input in the first direction via the gesture input device;

associating the second gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the first direction; and

applying a third formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

15. The input and display device of claim 1, wherein the continuum of formatting rules is horizontally aligned, such that navigation of the horizontal continuum of formatting rules is accomplished via horizontal swiping gesture inputs.

16. The input and display device of claim 1, wherein the continuum of formatting rules is vertically aligned, such that navigation of the vertical continuum of formatting rules is accomplished via vertical swiping gesture inputs.

17. The input and display device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second gesture input in the first direction via the gesture input device;

identifying the second gesture input as a long swipe gesture input;

associating the second, long swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the first direction by two formatting rule positions; and

applying a third formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text, wherein there is a fourth formatting rule in the continuum of formatting rules between the second formatting rule and the third formatting rule.

5. (canceled)

7-13. -13. (canceled)

18-46. -46. (canceled)

47. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for formatting text, the operations comprising:

associating each of a plurality of formatting rules along a continuum;

displaying text via an electronic display with a first formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules applied to the text;

receiving a first swipe gesture input in a first direction via a gesture input device associated with the electronic display;

associating the first swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the first direction; and

applying a second formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second swipe gesture input in the first direction via the gesture input device;

associating the second swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the first direction; and

applying a third formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a third swipe gesture input in the first direction via the gesture input device;

associating the third swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the first direction; and

applying a fourth formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a third swipe gesture input in a second direction opposite the first direction, via the gesture input device;

associating the third swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the second direction; and

reverting to the second formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a fourth swipe gesture input in the second direction via the gesture input device;

associating the fourth swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the second direction; and

reverting to the first formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 51, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a fifth swipe gesture input in the second direction via the gesture input device;

associating the fifth swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the second direction; and

applying a fourth formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 48, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a third swipe gesture input in a second direction opposite the first direction, via the gesture input device;

associating the third swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the second direction;

reverting to the second formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text;

receiving a fourth swipe gesture input in the second direction via the gesture input device;

associating the fourth swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the second direction; and

reverting to the first formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein applying the second formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules includes un-applying the first formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the continuum of formatting rules is horizontally aligned, such that navigation of the horizontal continuum of formatting rules is accomplished via horizontal swiping gesture inputs.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the continuum of formatting rules is vertically aligned, such that navigation of the vertical continuum of formatting rules is accomplished via vertical swiping gesture inputs.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the continuum of formatting rules is diagonally aligned, such that navigation of the diagonal continuum of formatting rules is accomplished via diagonal swiping gesture inputs.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second swipe gesture input in the first direction via the gesture input device;

identifying the second swipe gesture input as a long swipe gesture input;

associating the second, long swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the first direction by two formatting rule positions; and

applying a third formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text, wherein there is a fourth formatting rule in the continuum of formatting rules between the second formatting rule and the third formatting rule.

59-64. -64. (canceled)

65. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for formatting text, the operations comprising:

associating each of a plurality of formatting rules along a continuum;

displaying text via an electronic display with a first formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules applied to the text;

receiving an expanding pinch gesture input via a gesture input device associated with the electronic display;

associating the expanding pinch gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in a first direction;

receiving a collapsing pinch gesture input via the gesture input device associated with the electronic display; and

associating the collapsing pinch gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in a second direction.

108. The computer-readable medium of claim 65, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second swipe gesture input in the first direction via the gesture input device;

associating the second swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the first direction; and

applying a third formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

109. The computer-readable medium of claim 108, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a third swipe gesture input in the first direction via the gesture input device;

associating the third swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the first direction; and

applying a fourth formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

110. The computer-readable medium of claim 108, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a third swipe gesture input in a second direction opposite the first direction, via the gesture input device;

associating the third swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the second direction; and

reverting to the second formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

111. The computer-readable medium of claim 110, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a fourth swipe gesture input in the second direction via the gesture input device;

associating the fourth swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the second direction; and

reverting to the first formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

112. The computer-readable medium of claim 111, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a fifth swipe gesture input in the second direction via the gesture input device;

associating the fifth swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the second direction; and

applying a fourth formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

113. The computer-readable medium of claim 108, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a third swipe gesture input in a second direction opposite the first direction, via the gesture input device;

associating the third swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the second direction;

reverting to the second formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text;

receiving a fourth swipe gesture input in the second direction via the gesture input device;

associating the fourth swipe gesture input with navigation along the continuum of formatting rules in the second direction; and

reverting to the first formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules to the text.

114. The computer-readable medium of claim 65, wherein applying the second formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules includes un-applying the first formatting rule from the continuum of formatting rules.

115. The computer-readable medium of claim 65, wherein the continuum of formatting rules is horizontally aligned, such that navigation of the horizontal continuum of formatting rules is accomplished via horizontal swiping gesture inputs.

66-107. -107. (canceled)