Feedback mechanism for use with visual selection methods

• US 6,961,912 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2001
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Hurst, Amy K., Bellotti, Victoria M. E., Woodruff, Allison G., Aoki, Paul M., Burton, Richard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US09/906,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20030016253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,567 Days
• Field of Search: 345/863, 345/864, 345/853, 345/854, 345/855, 345/856, 345/858, 345859-861, 345/764, 345/767, 345/705, 345/708, 345/709, 345/179, 345/173, 345/161, 345/157, 715813-815, 715821-823, 715856-863, 715767-768
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

A feedback mechanism usable with graphical user interface systems that do not have a cursor improves the usefulness of such graphical user interfaces. Locating, identifying and/or selecting hyperlink targets or active areas within a displayed image map or within a Web page is facilitated by providing distinctions to the hyperlink targets or active areas or by providing other locational indicators for a designated time period in response to a single user gesture. The distinctions or locational indicators may be provided in combination with other distinctions or locational indicators to further aid the hyperlink target or active area location, identification and/or selection process. After a designated time period expires, the distinctions, locational indicators, or their combination, are removed from the display without any additional user gesture. This increases the efficiency and convenience of locating, identifying and/or selecting hyperlink targets or active areas in a graphical user interface system.

Claims

1. An image displaying system, comprising:

a graphical display device usable to display an image having at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area provided in the displayed image; and

a user input device usable to locate, identify or select one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area provided in the displayed image, wherein;

in response only to a user inputting a first gesture made relative to the displayed image that does not correspond to any of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area, the image display system generates at least one human-sensable output that communicates a location indication to the user of at least one of at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area, and

in response to at least a designated time period expiring, the image display system removes the at least one human-sensable output from the displayed image.

2. The image displaying device of claim 1, wherein the at least one human-sensable output is at least one of an altered visual appearance of at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area, at least one locational indicator displayed on the image display device corresponding to at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area, at least one audible output signal corresponding to at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area, at least one tactile output signal corresponding to at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area, and at least one olfactory output signal corresponding to at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

3. The image displaying system of claim 2, wherein the altered visual appearance is at least one of highlighting, outlining, color changing, appearance distorting, animating, adding drop-shadows and glyphs, the altered visual appearance usable to distinguish at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

4. The image display system of claim 2, wherein the at least one locational indicator is at least one of pop-up text windows, directional markers, and connecting line segments, the locational indicators usable to direct a user to at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

5. The image displaying system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one human-sensable output fades in gradually during an initial portion of the designated time period.

6. The image displaying system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the at least one human-sensable output, provided to the user in response to the first gesture, fades out gradually during a final portion of the designated time period.

7. The image displaying system of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the at least one human-sensable output that fades out gradually fades out such that the at least one human-sensable output reaches a fully-faded-out state synchronously with the designated time period expiring.

8. The image displaying system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one human-sensable output, provided to the user in response to the first gesture, fades out gradually during a final portion of the designated time period.

9. The image displaying system of claim 8, wherein the at least one of the at least one human-sensable output that fades out gradually fades out such that the at least one human-sensable output reaches a fully-faded-out state synchronously with the designated time period expiring.

10. The image displaying system of claim 1, wherein the designated time period is at least one of a predetermined time period, a user selectable time period and a dynamically adjustable time period.

11. The image displaying system of claim 1, wherein the first gesture does not correspond to any of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area when a location of the first gesture is not within any of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

12. The image displaying system of claim 1, wherein, in response to the first gesture, the image displaying system generates at least one human-sensable output for each of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

13. The image displaying system of claim 1, wherein in response to the first gesture, the image displaying system generates the at least one human-sensable output for each of at most n of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

14. The image displaying system of claim 13, wherein the at most n of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area are the n closest ones of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area to a location of the first gesture within the displayed image.

15. The image displaying system of claim 1, wherein, in response to the first gesture, the image displaying system generates the at least one human-sensable output for each of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area that at least extend into a designated region of the displayed image within which a location of the first gesture lies.

16. The image displaying system of claim 1, wherein, the at least one human-sensable output is applied serially to the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

17. The image displaying system of claim 16, wherein the at least one human-sensable output is applied serially beginning with a one of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area that is closest to a location of the first gesture within the displayed image.

18. The image displaying system of claim 16, wherein the at least one human-sensable output is removed serially from each of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

19. The image displaying system of claim 18, wherein the at least one human-sensable output is applied to and removed from a current one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area before the at least one human-sensable output is applied to a next one of the at least one of the at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

20. The image displaying system of claim 18, wherein the at least one human-sensable output is applied serially to a next one of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area before the at least one human-sensable output is removed serially for a current one of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

21. The image displaying system of claim 1, wherein the at least one human sensable output is removed serially from each of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

22. The image displaying system of claim 21, wherein the at least one human-sensable output is removed serially beginning with a one of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area that is closest to a location of the first gesture within the displayed image.

23. An image displaying system according to claim 1, wherein the removal of the at least one human-sensable output is in response to at least one of the designated time period expiring and the user inputting a second gesture.

24. An image displaying system according to claim 23, wherein the second gesture corresponds to any of the at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

25. A method of locating at least one of at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area in an image displayed on an image displaying device, comprising:

inputting a first gesture made relative to the displayed image;

determining whether the first input gesture does not correspond to any of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area;

generating, only if the first gesture does not correspond to any of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area, at least one human-sensable output for each of at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area; and

in response to at least a designated time period elapsing, removing the at least one human-sensable output from the displayed image.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein generating the at least one human-sensable output includes generating at least one of an altered visual appearance of at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area, at least one locational indicator displayed on the image display device corresponding to at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area, at least one audible output signal corresponding to at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area, at least one tactile output signal corresponding to at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area, and at least one olfactory output signal corresponding to at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the altered visual appearance generated as the at least one human-sensable output is at least one of highlighting, outlining, color changing, appearance distorting, animating, adding drop-shadows and glyphs, the altered visual appearance usable to distinguish the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the locational indicators are at least one of pop-up text windows, directional markers and connecting line segments, the locational indicators usable to direct a user to at least one of the at least one hyperlink target and the at least one active area.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein generating the at least one human-sensable output comprises gradually fading in the at least one human-sensable output during an initial portion of the designated time period.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein removing the at least one human-sensable output comprises gradually fading out the at least one human-sensable output during a final portion of the designated time period.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein removing the at least one human sensable output comprises gradually fading out the at least one human-sensable output during a final portion of the designated time period.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the designated time period is one of a predetermined time period, a user selectable time period, and a dynamically adjustable time period.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein determining whether the first gesture does not correspond to any of the at least one of the at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area comprises determining that a location of the first gesture is not within any of the at least one of the at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein generating the at least one human-sensable output for at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area in response to the first gesture comprises generating at least one human-sensable output for each of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area in response to the first gesture.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein generating the at least one human-sensable output for at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area in response to the first gesture comprises generating at least one human-sensable output for each of at most n of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area in response to the first gesture.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein generating the at most n of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area comprises generating at least one human sensable output for the n of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area that are closest to a location of the first gesture within the displayed image.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein generating the at least one human-sensable output for the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area in response to the first input gesture comprises generating the human-sensable output for each of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area that extends into a designated region of the displayed image within which a location of the first gesture lies.

38. The method of claim 25, wherein generating the at least one human-sensable output for each of at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area comprises serially applying the at least one human-sensable output to the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

39. The method of claim 25, wherein generating the at least one human-sensable output for each of at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area comprises serially applying the at least one human-sensable output beginning with a one of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area that is closest to a location of the first gesture within the displayed image.

40. The method of claim 25, wherein removing the at least one human-sensable output comprises serially removing the at least one human-sensable output from each of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein generating the at least one human-sensable output for each of at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area and removing the at least one human-sensable output comprises applying the at least one human-sensable output to and removing the at least one human-sensable output from a current one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area before applying the at least one human-sensable output to a next one of the at least one of the at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein generating the at least one human-sensable output for each of at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area comprises serially applying the at least one human-sensable output to a next one of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area before serially removing the at least one human-sensable output from a current one of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

43. The method of claim 25, wherein removing the at least one human-sensable output comprises serially removing the at least one human sensable output from each of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein removing the at least one human-sensable output from each of at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area comprises serially removing the at least one human-sensable output beginning with a one of the at least one of the at least one of at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area that is closest to a location of the first gesture within the displayed image.

45. The method of claim 25, wherein removing the at least one human-sensable output is in response to at least one of at least the designated time period expiring and the user inputting a second gesture.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the second gesture corresponds to any of the at least one hyperlink target and at least one active area.