Quick data entry lanes for touch screen mobile devices

• US 8,527,904 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Liu, Xiaohan, Chen, Chun-Yi, Uysal, Aylin, White, Brent-Kaan William, Peesapati, Sivaroop Tejaswi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RABURN, GREG A
• Application Number:
  US13/364,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20130083076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 579 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Systems and method for interpreting a data selection on a touch screen may include providing an interface on the touch screen with a plurality of lanes, each lane associated with an attribute, and each attribute associated with a plurality of values. Icons may fill each lane, with each icon configured to display one of the values of the attribute of the lane. The interface may also have a first lane where a first icon is not displayed. It may be determined that a finger gesture input from the touch screen with a direction is associated with the first lane, and in response, the icons in the first lane may be moved in that direction to display the first icon. A finger tap input from the touch screen corresponding to the first icon may enlarge a size of the first icon on the touch screen to substantially fill the first lane.

Claims

1. A method of interpreting a data selection according to an input received on a touch screen, the method comprising:

providing an interface on the touch screen comprising;

a plurality of lanes, wherein each lane is associated with an attribute, wherein each attribute is associated with a plurality of values;

a plurality of icons in each lane, wherein each icon is configured to display one of the plurality of values of the attribute associated with each lane;

wherein at least a portion of the plurality of icons in each lane is displayed on the touch screen; and

a first lane in the plurality of lanes wherein a first icon is not displayed;

determining, using a processor, that a finger gesture input from the touch screen has a direction and is associated with the first lane in the plurality of lanes;

in response to the finger gesture input, moving the plurality of icons in the first lane in the direction of the finger gesture input such that the first icon is displayed on the touch screen;

determining, using the processor, that a finger tap input from the touch screen corresponds to the first icon;

in response to the finger tap input, enlarging a size of the first icon on the touch screen to substantially fill the first lane;

receiving subsequent finger tap inputs from the touch screen, each of which selects one of the icons in each lane;

enlarging each selected icon to substantially fill each lane;

presenting a view of all of the enlarged selected icons together in their respective lanes as a summary data selection;

receiving a second finger tap input indicating that the summary data selection is approved for submission; and

submitting the values corresponding to each selected icon.

2. The method of interpreting a data selection according to claim 1, wherein each lane extends from a first edge of the touch screen to an opposite edge of the touch screen.

3. The method of interpreting a data selection according to claim 1, wherein each lane is a horizontal row.

4. The method of interpreting a data selection according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of icons in each lane are linearly arranged within each lane.

5. The method of interpreting a data selection according to claim 1, wherein the interface further comprises displaying in each lane a name of the attribute associated with the lane.

6. The method of interpreting a data selection according to claim 1, wherein each attribute relates to recording time spent on a project.

7. The method of interpreting a data selection according to claim 1, wherein each attribute relates to recording time absent from an occupation.

8. The method of interpreting a data selection according to claim 1, further comprising:

after enlarging the size of the first icon, determining that a second finger tap input from the touch screen corresponds to the first icon;

in response to the second finger tap input, reducing the size of the first icon on the touch screen to an original size.

9. The method of interpreting a data selection according to claim 1, further comprising adding a second lane with an associated attribute to the plurality of lanes, wherein the attribute associated with the second lane is determined at least in part by the finger tap input.

10. A system for storing a data selection, the system comprising:

a touch screen;

one or more processors;

a memory operatively coupled to the one or more processors, the memory having sets of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

provide an interface on the touch screen comprising;

a plurality of lanes, wherein each lane is associated with an attribute, wherein each attribute is associated with a plurality of values; and

a plurality of icons in each lane, wherein each icon is configured to display one of the plurality of values of the attribute associated with each lane;

wherein at least a portion of the plurality of icons in each lane is displayed on the touch screen;

receive a plurality of finger tap inputs from the touch screen, wherein each finger tap input corresponds to one of the icons in each lane;

in response to each finger tap input, enlarge a size of the corresponding icon within each lane;

present a view of all of the enlarged selected icons together in their respective lanes as a summary data selection;

receive a subsequent finger tap input indicating that the data selection is complete; and

in response to the subsequent finger tap input, store, in the memory, the values that each icon corresponding to the finger tap inputs is configured to display.

11. The system for storing a data selection according to claim 10, wherein enlarging the size of the icon within each lane comprises enlarging the icon such that it fills at least 50% of a display area of its respective lane.

12. The system for storing a data selection according to claim 10, wherein enlarging the size of the icon within each lane comprises enlarging the icon such that it fills at least 60% of a display area of its respective lane.

13. The system for storing a data selection according to claim 10, wherein enlarging the size of the icon within each lane comprises enlarging the icon such that it fills at least 75% of a display area of its respective lane.

14. The system for storing a data selection according to claim 10, wherein the interface on the touch screen further comprises a data lane associated with a project attribute, and each icon associated with a specific project in the data lane is configured to display an amount of time billed to that project.

15. The system for storing a data selection according to claim 10, wherein the interface on the touch screen further comprises an add icon in at least one data lane, wherein the add icon is configured to receive an input, and wherein in response to receiving the input, the interface is configured to add additional icons associated with additional values to the data lane.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing a data selection, the computer-readable medium having sets of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

provide an interface on a touch screen comprising;

a plurality of lanes arranged in horizontal rows, wherein each row extends from a first vertical edge of the touch screen to an opposite vertical edge of the touch screen, wherein each lane is associated with an attribute having a name, and wherein each attribute is associated with a plurality of values;

a title display in each lane configured to display a graphical representation of the name of the attribute associated with each lane; and

a plurality of icons arranged linearly within each lane, wherein each icon is configured to graphically represent one of the plurality of values of each attribute associated with each lane;

receive a selection of an icon for each lane;

enlarge the selected icon for each lane to substantially fill each lane;

present a view of all of the enlarged selected icons together in their respective lanes as a summary data selection;

receive a second finger tap input indicating that the summary data selection is approved for submission; and

submit the values corresponding to each selected icon.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing a data selection according to claim 16, wherein enlarging the selected icon for lane to substantially fill each lane comprises an animated expansion to a larger size.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing a data selection according to claim 16, wherein the sets of instructions further cause the computer to remove any unselected icons from each lane in response to receiving the selection of an icon in each lane.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing a data selection according to claim 16, wherein the sets of instructions further cause the computer to:

horizontally scroll the plurality of icons in each lane according to a finger gesture input with a horizontal motion component; and

disable the horizontal scrolling in each lane in response to receiving the selection of an icon for each lane.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing a data selection according to claim 16, wherein:

each icon in the plurality of icons has a size, the size depending upon an amount of information represented by each icon'"'"'s value; and

each lane displays a subset of the plurality of icons for each lane, a number of icons in the subset determined by the size of the icons.