Focal-control user interface

• US 8,631,354 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2009
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Edge, Darren K., Wang, Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUONG, HIEN LUONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US12/399,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20100229130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863
• US Class Current: 715/863
• 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

A user interface and techniques for manipulating a graphical representation via indirect manipulation of focal controls are described. Generally, the user interface includes a graphical representation (e.g., an image, video, application, browser, map, etc.), one or more visible or transparent focal controls, and gesture detection functionality to detect inputs from a user. The user may provide this input via a peripheral device (e.g., a mouse, keyboard, etc.), a touch-screen display, or in another suitable manner. In each instance, the user provides an input relative to the focal control and, in response to detecting the input, the gesture detection functionality manipulates the underlying graphical representation.

Claims

1. A user interface comprising:

a display;

a representation area to display a graphical representation;

a focal control disposed within the representation area and fixed at a predetermined position within the representation area;

a gesture detection functionality to;

detect a location of an input from a user relative to the focal control, wherein the focal control is visible prior to the detection of the input from the user and after the detection of the input from the user;

detect an input of the user that is into the focal control, and in response to detecting the input of the user that is into the focal control, manipulate the graphical representation in a first manner; and

detect an input of the user that is out of the focal control, and in response to detecting the input of the user that is out of the focal control, manipulate the graphical representation in a second manner that is different from the first manner; and

a manipulation functionality to, responsive to detecting the location of the input from the user, manipulate the graphical representation based, at least in part, on the location of the input from the user relative to the focal control, wherein;

the graphical representation comprises multiple regions that each display respective content of a hierarchy;

the input of the user into the focal control originates from a first region of the multiple regions; and

the manipulation of the graphical representation in the first manner comprises causing display of one or more children in the hierarchy of the content in the first region, the one or more children being displayed in respective regions of the multiple regions.

2. The user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the focal control comprises a circular, oval, or polygonal ring that is displayed over the graphical representation.

3. The user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the focal control is approximately centrally located in the representation area.

4. The user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the gesture detection functionality is further to:

detect an input of the user that is about the focal control without contact thereto, and in response to detecting the input of the user that is about the focal control, manipulate the graphical representation in a third manner; and

detect an input of the user that is towards or away from the focal control, and in response to detecting the input of the user that is towards or away from the focal control, manipulate the graphical representation in a fourth manner that is different from the third manner.

5. The user interface as recited in claim 4, wherein:

the manipulation of the graphical representation in the third manner comprises zooming in or out on the graphical representation; and

the manipulation of the graphical representation in the fourth manner comprises panning the graphical representation.

6. The user interface as recited in claim 4, wherein the graphical representation comprises a series of concentric circles defining respective concentric regions between the concentric circles, and wherein:

the manipulation of the graphical representation in the third manner comprises expanding or contracting a concentric region within which the input of the user is received; and

the manipulation of the graphical representation in the fourth manner comprises scrolling the respective concentric regions towards an innermost concentric region or towards an outermost concentric region.

7. The user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein:

a second region of the multiple regions displaying a parent in the hierarchy before the input of the user out of the focal control; and

the manipulation of the graphical representation in the fourth manner comprises causing display of;

(i) the parent in the hierarchy of the content in the second region, and (ii) one or more siblings of the parent in the hierarchy, the parent and the one or more siblings being displayed in corresponding regions of the multiple regions other than the second region.

8. The user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the gesture detection functionality is further to:

detect an input of the user that is in a first predefined direction relative to the focal control, and in response to detecting the input of the user that is in the first predefined direction, manipulate the graphical representation in a third manner; and

detect an input of the user that is in a second predefined direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first predefined direction, and in response to detecting the input of the user that is in the second predefined direction, manipulate the graphical representation in a fourth manner that is different from the third manner.

9. The user interface as recited in claim 8, wherein:

the graphical representation comprises content arranged in a carousel;

the manipulation of the graphical representation in the third manner comprises rotating the carousel in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction; and

the manipulation of the graphical representation in the fourth manner comprises tilting the carousel about an axis that passes through the carousel.

10. The user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the input of the user is received via a peripheral device or via a touch-screen display.

11. The user interface as recited in claim 1, wherein the input of the user comprises a touch input that is received via a touch-screen display, and

wherein the gesture detection functionality is further to:

detect a touch input having a single point of contact, and in response to detecting the touch input having the single point of contact, manipulate the graphical representation in a third manner; and

detect a touch input having multiple points of contact, and in response to detecting the touch input having the multiple points of contact, manipulate the graphical representation in a fourth manner that is different from the third manner.

12. The user interface as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the manipulation of the graphical representation in one of the third manner or the fourth manner comprises zooming in or out on the graphical representation; and

the manipulation of the graphical representation in the other of the third manner or the fourth manner comprises panning the graphical representation.

13. A method comprising:

presenting a user interface with a representation area to display a graphical representation and a focal control having a constant size within the representation area, the focal control comprising a ring, wherein the ring serves as a reference point to translate a meaning of one or more gestures occurring within the representation area;

presenting the focal control in the representation area prior to and after receiving the one or more gestures; and

receiving a manipulation from a user to manipulate the graphical representation by indirectly manipulating the focal control, the indirect manipulation comprising input from the user that is towards or away from the focal control, about the focal control, into or out of the focal control or in a predefined direction relative to the focal control, wherein;

the graphical representation comprises multiple regions that each display respective content of a hierarchy; and

in response to receiving an input of the user into the focal control that originates from a first region of the multiple regions, the manipulation of the graphical representation comprises causing display of one or more children in the hierarchy of the content in the first region, the one or more children being displayed in respective regions of the multiple regions.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein:

the graphical representation comprises multiple concentric rings defining multiple concentric regions there between;

the indirect manipulation comprises input from the user that towards, away from, or about the focal control; and

the manipulation of the graphical representation comprises;

scrolling through the multiple concentric regions in response to receiving an input that is towards or away from the focal control; and

expanding or contracting a respective concentric region in response to receiving an input that is about the focal control.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein:

the indirect manipulation comprises input from the user that is towards or about the focal control; and

the manipulation of the graphical representation comprises panning the graphical representation in response to receiving an input that is towards the focal control and zooming in or out on the graphical representation in response to receiving an input that is about the focal control.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein:

the indirect manipulation comprises input from the user that is into or out of the focal control; and

the manipulation of the graphical representation comprises navigating downwards through a hierarchical tree in response to receiving an input into the focal control and navigating upwards through the hierarchical tree in response to receiving an input out of the focal control.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein:

the graphical representation comprises content arranged in a carousel;

the indirect manipulation comprises input from the user that is in a predefined direction relative to the focal control; and

the manipulation of the graphical representation comprises;

rotating the carousel about the focal control in response to receiving an input that is in a first predefined direction relative to the focal control; and

tilting the carousel about an axis that passes through the carousel in response to receiving an input that is in a second predefined direction relative to the focal control, the second predefined direction being substantially perpendicular to the first predefined direction.

18. One or more memory devices storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, instruct one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

presenting a user interface with a representation area to display a graphical representation and a focal control having a constant size within the representation area, the focal control comprising a ring, wherein the ring serves as a reference point to translate a meaning of one or more gestures occurring within the representation area;

presenting the focal control in the representation area prior to and after receiving the one or more gestures; and

receiving a manipulation from a user to manipulate the graphical representation by indirectly manipulating the focal control, the indirect manipulation comprising input from the user that is towards or away from the focal control, about the focal control, into or out of the focal control or in a predefined direction relative to the focal control, wherein;

the graphical representation comprises multiple regions that each display respective content of a hierarchy; and

in response to receiving an input of the user into the focal control that originates from a first region of the multiple regions, the manipulation of the graphical representation comprises causing display of one or more children in the hierarchy of the content in the first region, the one or more children being displayed in respective regions of the multiple regions.