Systems and methods for visually scrolling through a stack of items displayed on a device

• US 8,381,102 B1
• Filed: 02/01/2012
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Scholler, Jerome F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo, Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUONG, TRUC T
• Application Number:
  US13/364,272
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/785, 715/863, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/701
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• 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 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods for visually scrolling through a stack of items displayed on a device by tilting the device are provided. In one aspect, a method includes determining a neutral reference point for a device, and receiving input indicating a tilting motion from the neutral reference point encountered by the device. The method also includes determining an angular displacement value of the device and a bias factor based on the tilting motion. The angular displacement value is indicative of an angular displacement of the device based on the tilting motion. The method also includes visually scrolling through the stack of items based on the angular displacement value and the bias factor. Systems and machine-readable media are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for visually scrolling through a stack of items displayed on a device by tilting the device, the method comprising:

determining a neutral reference point for a device;

receiving input indicating a tilting motion from the neutral reference point encountered by the device;

determining an angular displacement value of the device and a bias factor based on the tilting motion, the angular displacement value being indicative of an angular displacement of the device based on the tilting motion; and

visually scrolling through the stack of items based on the angular displacement value and the bias factor,

wherein the bias factor comprises a noise factor representing a speed of undesired motions.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1,

wherein determining the bias factor further comprises determining at least one of a speed factor and a direction factor, and

wherein the method further comprises:

reducing the angular displacement value based on the speed factor when a speed of the tilting motion is outside of a predetermined scrolling speed range; and

reducing the angular displacement value based on the direction factor when a direction of the tilting motion is inconsistent with a predetermined scrolling direction.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the angular displacement value is reduced to zero based on the speed factor when the speed of the tilting motion is outside of the predetermined scrolling speed range, and wherein the scrolling does not occur when the angular displacement value is zero.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the angular displacement value is reduced to zero based on the direction factor when the direction of the tilting motion is inconsistent with the predetermined scrolling direction, and wherein the scrolling does not occur when the angular displacement value is zero.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the speed factor is based on a previously determined speed factor, the angular displacement, and the noise factor.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the angular displacement is along an X-axis, and wherein the noise factor is based on a magnitude of an angle velocity along a Y-axis and a Z-axis.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising reducing the noise factor when a magnitude of angle velocity along the X-axis is substantially greater than a magnitude of the angle velocity along at least one of the Y-axis and the Z-axis.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising increasing the noise factor when a magnitude of angle velocity along the X-axis is substantially equal to a magnitude of the angle velocity along at least one of the Y-axis and the Z-axis.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the angular displacement is along a single axis.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising fading the angular displacement value over a predetermined time duration.

11. A system for visually scrolling through a stack of items displayed on a device by tilting the device, the system comprising:

a memory comprising instructions;

a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

determine a neutral reference point for a device;

receive input indicating a tilting motion from the neutral reference point encountered by the device;

determine an angular displacement value of the device, a speed factor, and a direction factor based on the tilting motion, the angular displacement value being indicative of an angular displacement of the device based on the tilting motion;

reduce the angular displacement value based on the speed factor when a speed of the tilting motion is outside of a predetermined scrolling speed range;

reduce the angular displacement value based on the direction factor when a direction of the tilting motion is inconsistent with a predetermined scrolling direction; and

visually scroll through the stack of items based on the angular displacement value, the speed factor, and the direction factor,

wherein the speed factor comprises a noise factor representing a speed of undesired motions.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the angular displacement value is reduced to zero based on the speed factor when the speed of the tilting motion is outside of the predetermined scrolling speed range, and wherein the scrolling does not occur when the angular displacement value is zero.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the angular displacement value is reduced to zero based on the direction factor when the direction of the motion is inconsistent with the predetermined scrolling direction, and wherein the scrolling does not occur when the angular displacement value is zero.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the angular displacement is along a single axis.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the speed factor is based on a previously determined speed factor, the angular displacement, and the noise factor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the angular displacement is along an X-axis, and wherein the noise factor is based on a magnitude of an angle velocity along a Y-axis and a Z-axis.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to reduce the noise factor when a magnitude of angle velocity along the X-axis is substantially greater than a magnitude of the angle velocity along at least one of the Y-axis and the Z-axis.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to increase the noise factor when a magnitude of angle velocity along the X-axis is substantially equal to a magnitude of the angle velocity along at least one of the Y-axis and the Z-axis.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to fade the angular displacement value over a predetermined time duration.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising machine-readable instructions for causing a processor to execute a method for visually scrolling through a stack of items displayed on a device by tilting the device, the method comprising:

determining a neutral reference point for a device;

receiving input indicating a tilting motion from the neutral reference point encountered by the device;

determining an angular displacement value of the device, a speed factor, and a direction factor based on the tilting motion, the angular displacement value being indicative of an angular displacement of the device based on the tilting motion;

reducing the angular displacement value to zero based on the speed factor when a speed of the tilting motion is outside of a predetermined scrolling speed range;

reducing the angular displacement value to zero based on the direction factor when a direction of the tilting motion is inconsistent with a predetermined scrolling direction; and

visually scrolling through the stack of items based on the angular displacement value, the speed factor, and the direction factor,

wherein the speed factor comprises a noise factor representing a speed of undesired motions, and

wherein the scrolling does not occur when the angular displacement value is zero.