SWIPE-BASED CONFIRMATION FOR TOUCH SENSITIVE DEVICES

• US 20170205963A1
• Filed: 04/03/2017
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mesguich Havilio, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 10,503,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for providing a swipe-based delete confirmation mode in electronic touch sensitive devices. The user can engage the delete confirmation mode by performing a delete command, which causes the device to display a delete confirmation swipe gesture prompt. The delete confirmation prompt may be included within a delete confirmation graphic or a delete confirmation pop-up window. By performing the delete confirmation swipe gesture on the touch sensitive surface, the user may confirm the delete command. By not properly performing the delete confirmation gesture, closing a delete confirmation pop-up window, tapping an area of the screen not associated with the delete confirmation prompt, or otherwise not performing the delete confirmation swipe gesture, the device may cause the delete function to be abandoned.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a processor;

a touch screen display for displaying digital content and allowing user input; and

a user interface executable on the processor and including a swipe-based confirmation mode that is activated in response to an initial command to perform a function,

wherein the swipe-based confirmation mode is configured to

graphically display a swipe path that includes a directional prompt for allowing a user to subsequently confirm performance of the command, and to cause the function to be performed in response to a confirmation swipe gesture performed along the swipe path, wherein at least some digital content currently displayed on the touch screen display transitions to an initial diminished appearance in response to the swipe-based confirmation mode being activated, and the initial diminished appearance further increasingly fades away so as to become further diminished as the swipe gesture progresses along the swipe path in a direction indicated by the directional prompt, and wherein the further diminished appearance visually transitions back toward the initial diminished appearance so as to increasingly reappear if the swipe gesture progresses back along the swipe path in a direction opposite the direction indicated by the directional prompt, and

abandon the command if an input is received via the touch screen display outside the swipe path prior to completion of the swipe gesture.

2. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the command is a command to delete previously selected digital content.

3. The computing device of claim 2 wherein the at least some digital content currently displayed on the touch screen display that transitions to an initial diminished appearance in response to the swipe-based confirmation mode being activated includes the previously selected digital content.

4. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the command is a command to power down the computing device.

5. The computing device of claim 4 wherein the command to power down the computing device is invokable by engagement of a physical power button, and is used in conjunction with a touch-based UI control feature that allows the user to confirm a given power transition action request, wherein the confirmation swipe gesture comprises dragging the touch-based UI control feature along the swipe path.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the command is initiated by engagement of a physical power button, which in turn causes display of the swipe path that includes the directional prompt, the directional prompt including the word slide or swipe.

7. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the command is invoked by a first action and the confirmation swipe gesture is separate and distinct from the first action, and the directional prompt includes the word slide or swipe thereby indicating the direction is along the swipe path.

8. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the swipe-based confirmation mode is further configured to abandon the command if the confirmation swipe gesture is not performed within an established time period.

9. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the computing device is a tablet computer or a smartphone.

10. A computer program product comprising a plurality of instructions encoded on one or more non-transitory machine readable mediums that when executed by one or more processors cause a swipe-based confirmation process to be carried out on a computing system having a touch screen display, the process comprising:

activate a swipe-based confirmation mode in response to an initial command to perform a function;

in response to the swipe-based confirmation mode being activated, transition at least some digital content currently displayed on the touch screen display to an initial diminished appearance, and cause graphical display of a swipe path that includes a directional prompt for allowing a user to subsequently confirm performance of the command;

cause the function to be performed in response to a confirmation swipe gesture performed along the swipe path; and

abandon the command if an input is received via the touch screen display outside the swipe path prior to completion of the swipe gesture;

wherein the initial diminished appearance further increasingly fades away so as to become further diminished as the swipe gesture progresses along the swipe path in a direction indicated by the directional prompt; and

wherein the further diminished appearance visually transitions back toward the initial diminished appearance so as to increasingly reappear if the swipe gesture progresses back along the swipe path in a direction opposite the direction indicated by the directional prompt.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the command is a command to delete previously selected digital content.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the at least some digital content currently displayed on the touch screen display that transitions to an initial diminished appearance in response to the swipe-based confirmation mode being activated includes the previously selected digital content.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the command is a command to power down the computing system.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the command to power down the computing system is invokable by engagement of a physical power button, and is used in conjunction with a touch-based UI control feature that allows the user to confirm a given power transition action request, wherein the confirmation swipe gesture comprises dragging the touch-based UI control feature along the swipe path.

15. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the command is initiated by engagement of a physical power button, which in turn causes display of the swipe path that includes the directional prompt, the directional prompt including the word slide or swipe.

16. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the command is invoked by a first action and the confirmation swipe gesture is separate and distinct from the first action, and the directional prompt includes the word slide or swipe thereby indicating the direction is along the swipe path.

17. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the swipe-based confirmation mode is further configured to abandon the command if the confirmation swipe gesture is not performed within an established time period.

18. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the computing system is a tablet computer or a smartphone, and the computer program product is part of the tablet computer or smartphone.

19. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a processor;

a touch screen display for displaying digital content and allowing user input; and

a user interface executable on the processor and including a swipe-based confirmation mode that is activated in response to an initial command to perform a function,

wherein the swipe-based confirmation mode is configured to

graphically display a swipe path that includes a directional prompt for allowing a user to subsequently confirm performance of the command, and to cause the function to be performed in response to a confirmation swipe gesture performed along the swipe path, wherein at least some digital content currently displayed on the touch screen display transitions to an initial diminished appearance in response to the swipe-based confirmation mode being activated, and the initial diminished appearance further increasingly fades away so as to become further diminished as the swipe gesture progresses along the swipe path in a direction indicated by the directional prompt, and wherein the further diminished appearance visually transitions back toward the initial diminished appearance so as to increasingly reappear if the swipe gesture progresses back along the swipe path in a direction opposite the direction indicated by the directional prompt,

abandon the command if an input is received via the touch screen display outside the swipe path prior to completion of the swipe gesture, and

abandon the command if the confirmation swipe gesture is not performed within an established time period; and

wherein the command is invoked by a first action and the confirmation swipe gesture is separate and distinct from the first action, and the directional prompt includes the word slide or swipe thereby indicating the direction is along the swipe path.

20. The mobile computing device of claim 19 wherein the mobile computing device is a tablet computer or a smartphone.