Cross-slide gesture to select and rearrange

• US 8,687,023 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Markiewicz, Jan-Kristian, Hofmeester, Gerrit H., Soegiono, Orry W., Clapper, Jon Gabriel, Wolfe, Jennifer Marie, Leonard, Chantal M., Pittappilly, Theresa B., Kuehnle, Holger, Whytock, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, M Good
• Application Number:
  US13/196,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20130033525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 345/684, 345/173, 715/863, 715/864
• US Class Current: 345/684
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Cross slide gestures for touch displays are described. In at least some embodiments, cross slide gestures can be used on content that pans or scrolls in one direction, to enable additional actions, such as content selection, drag and drop operations, and the like. In one or more embodiments, a cross slide gesture can be performed by dragging an item or object in a direction that is different from a scrolling direction. The different-direction drag can be mapped to additional actions or functionality. In one or more embodiments, one or more thresholds can be utilized, such as a distance threshold, in combination with the different-direction drag, to map to additional actions or functionality.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a gesture slide input relative to a display device of a computing device;

determining the gestural slide input direction is different from a panning or scrolling direction;

responsive to the gestural slide input being in a direction that is different from the panning or scrolling direction, providing a speed bump effect of gestural feedback to a user that is slower than the gestural slide input, the speed bump effect being associated with a speed bump that defines a distance threshold;

determining that the gestural slide input exceeds the distance threshold;

responsive to the gestural slide input exceeding the distance threshold, removing the speed bump effect of the gestural feedback; and

performing a first object-related action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the gestural slide input direction is different from a panning or scrolling direction comprises determining that the gestural slide input occurs relative to an object displayed on a display device;

and wherein providing a speed bump effect of gestural feedback comprises movement of the object is slower than and in the same direction as the gestural slide input.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising

detecting a second gesture slide input relative to the display device of the computing device;

determining the second gestural slide input direction is different from the panning or scrolling direction;

responsive to the second gestural slide input being in the direction that is different from the panning or scrolling direction, providing the speed bump effect of gestural feedback to the user that is slower than the second gestural slide input;

determining that the second gestural slide input does not exceed the distance threshold; and

responsive to the second gestural slide input not exceeding the distance threshold,

performing a second object-related action.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second object-related action comprises an object selection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first object-related action comprises a re-arrangement action.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the first object-related action comprises performing one of a plurality of object-related actions which are accessible via the gestural slide input being in a direction that is different from the panning or scrolling direction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the direction that is different from the panning or scrolling direction comprises a direction that is generally orthogonal relative to the panning or scrolling direction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object-related action comprises a re-arrangement action.

9. One or more computer readable storage memories embodying computer readable instructions which, when executed, implement a method comprising:

detecting a drag direction associated with a drag operation, the detecting being performed by detecting a drag input in the drag direction and within a speed bump region in which drag feedback is provided to a user, the drag feedback including movement slower than drag input in the drag direction; and

responsive to the drag direction being different than a panning direction and the drag input crossing through the speed bump region, removing the drag feedback and performing an object-rearrangement action.

10. The one or more computer readable storage memories of claim 9, wherein detecting a drag direction is performed by detecting a drag direction associated with a touch gesture.

11. The one or more computer readable storage memories of claim 9, wherein the panning direction is one of generally vertical or generally horizontal along the display device, and the drag direction is generally orthogonal relative to the panning direction.

12. The one or more computer readable storage memories of claim 9, wherein the detecting a drag direction comprises detecting a drag direction that occurs within a range of angles.

13. The one or more computer readable storage memories of claim 9, wherein said performing an object re-arrangement action is performed responsive to detecting a threshold trigger associated with the speed bump region.

14. The one or more computer readable storage memories of claim 9, wherein said performing an object re-arrangement action is performed responsive to detecting a threshold trigger, the threshold trigger being associated with a distance of the drag operation.

15. The one or more computer readable storage memories of claim 9, wherein said performing an object re-arrangement action is performed responsive to detecting a threshold trigger associated with a distance, and wherein at least one other action different from the re-arrangement action and is configured to be performed based on at least one other respective threshold trigger in the drag direction, the at least one other respective threshold trigger being different from the first-mentioned threshold trigger.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable storage memories;

an application embodied on the one or more computer-readable storage memories, the application, when executed by the one or more processors, being configured to implement a method comprising;

detecting a cross-slide gesture in a direction that is different from a panning direction;

responsive to said detecting, detecting one of multiple threshold triggers associated with the cross-slide gesture, individual threshold triggers being associated with different object-related actions;

detecting whether a user action indicates that an associated object-related action is to be committed; and

responsive to the user action indicating that an object-related action is to be committed, committing a first object-related action associated with a last-triggered threshold, the first object-related action being at least one of the different object-related actions.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the multiple threshold triggers comprise distance threshold triggers.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising providing visual feedback, responsive to detecting the cross-slide gesture, to facilitate threshold discernability.

19. The system of claim 16 further comprising providing visual feedback, responsive to detecting the cross-slide gesture, to facilitate threshold discernability, the visual feedback being provided within a region in which an object that is a subject of the cross-slide gesture moves slower than a gesture executing the cross-slide gesture.

20. The system of claim 16 further comprising responsive to detecting the one of multiple threshold triggers, modifying a user experience associated with a region within which the cross-slide gesture occurs.