System and method for summoning user interface objects

• US 9,134,880 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jason M. Johnson, William J. Johnson
• Original Assignee: Jason M. Johnson, William J. Johnson
• Inventors: Johnson, William J., Johnson, Jason M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, DAEHO D
• Application Number:
  US13/875,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 715/862, 715/774, 715/968
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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

Provided is a system and method for summoning user interface object(s) of a display to a gesture position of a user. In a pressure sensitive display embodiment, a user maintains a convenient touch position to the display, performs a summon gesture, and user interface object(s) are automatically moved to the user'"'"'s touch position as requested. When a summon gesture is recognized, a user interface object, or point or interest thereof, automatically transitions to a desired position where the gesture was recognized. Objects can transition in a variety of manners. Also, a magnetic mode can be activated for virtually magnetizing objects of interest to a user'"'"'s position, for example as the user touches various places on the display. A user'"'"'s configurations can be stored into a cloud system for convenient access and use at a plurality of different data processing system user interfaces.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for a user to summon a user interface object of a user interface of the data processing system, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of user interface objects within the user interface;

recognizing a user search request by the user for a particular user interface object of the plurality of user interface objects as a summon of the particular user interface object toward a user touched cursor position of the user interface, the user search request specifying search criteria for the particular user interface object;

searching content associated with all active user interface objects of the data processing system based on the user search request specifying search criteria and identifying the particular user interface object as a result of the searching;

recognizing the user touched cursor position of the user interface that is a subject of the summon by the user to bring the particular user interface object of the plurality of user interface objects toward the user touched cursor position of the user interface, the user touched cursor position of the user interface being a summoned location identified by a particular point in the user interface specified by the user touched cursor position detected within the user interface;

automatically gravitating the particular user interface object a configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the user interface from a first location of the user interface in response to detecting the user touched cursor position detected within the user interface, the configured path percentage of movement completeness being relative to completely moving the particular user interface object from the first location of the user interface to the summoned location of the user interface; and

enabling the user to perform at least one of;

moving the particular user interface object back to the first location in response to not detecting the user touched cursor position, or

presenting information for the particular user interface object at the summoned location of the user interface in response to a confirmation request.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user search request is specified with a written gesture.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the written gesture includes a textual content search specification.

4. The method of claim 1 further including downloading the user search request from a remote service wherein a user previously uploaded the user search request to the remote service.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the gravitating the particular user interface object the configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the user interface from the first location of the user interface comprises transitioning the particular user interface object using visual or audio animation.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the user search request specifies search criteria used for searching data which was historically associated with the particular user interface object actively displayed to the user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying the particular user interface object as a result of the searching comprises identifying the particular user interface object as being associated with at least one processing condition of the data processing system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifying the particular user interface object as a result of the searching comprises identifying the particular user interface object as having at least one specified presentation characteristic.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the information comprises a group wherein each entry of the group comprises a search result user interface object, and wherein at least one entry of the group represents the particular user interface object.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the gravitating the particular user interface object the configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the user interface from the first location of the user interface comprises transitioning the particular user interface object by scaling a size of the particular user interface object.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is an exploded view of information associated to the particular user interface object.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the information is a point of interest associated with the particular user interface object.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the configured path percentage of movement completeness comprises a path less than a complete movement path between the first location of the user interface and the summoned location of the user interface.

14. A data processing system for a user to summon a user interface object, comprising:

one or more processors;

a user interface; and

memory coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the memory includes executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, results in the system;

displaying a plurality of user interface objects within the user interface;

recognizing a user search request by the user for a particular user interface object of the plurality of user interface objects as a summon of the particular user interface object toward a user touched cursor position of the user interface, the user search request specifying search criteria for the particular user interface object;

searching content associated with all active user interface objects of the data processing system based on the user search request specifying search criteria and identifying the particular user interface object as a result of the searching;

recognizing the user touched cursor position of the user interface that is a subject of the summon by the user to bring the particular user interface object of the plurality of user interface objects toward the user touched cursor position of the user interface, the user touched cursor position of the user interface being a summoned location identified by a particular point in the user interface specified by the user touched cursor position detected within the user interface;

automatically gravitating the particular user interface object a configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the user interface from a first location of the user interface in response to detecting the user touched cursor position detected within the user interface, the configured path percentage of movement completeness being relative to completely moving the particular user interface object from the first location of the user interface to the summoned location of the user interface; and

enabling the user to perform at least one of;

moving the particular user interface object back to the first location in response to not detecting the user touched cursor position, or

presenting information for the particular user interface object at the summoned location of the user interface in response to a confirmation request.

15. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein the user search request is specified with a written gesture.

16. The data processing system of claim 15 wherein the written gesture includes a textual content search specification.

17. The data processing system of claim 14 further including processing for downloading the user search request from a remote service wherein a user previously uploaded the user search request to the remote service.

18. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein the gravitating the particular user interface object the configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the user interface from the first location of the user interface comprises transitioning the particular user interface object using visual or audio animation.

19. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein the user search request specifies search criteria used for searching data which was historically associated to the particular user interface object actively displayed to the user interface.

20. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein the identifying the particular user interface object as the result of the searching comprises identifying the particular user interface object as being associated with at least one processing condition of the data processing system.

21. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein the identifying the particular user interface object as the result of the searching comprises identifying the particular user interface object as having at least one specified presentation characteristic.

22. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein the information comprises a group wherein each entry of the group comprises a search result user interface object, and wherein at least one entry of the group represents the particular user interface object.

23. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein the gravitating the particular user interface object the configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the user interface from the first location of the user interface comprises transitioning the particular user interface object by scaling a size of the particular user interface object.

24. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein the information is an exploded view of information associated with the particular user interface object.

25. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein the information is a point of interest associated with the particular user interface object.

26. The data processing system of claim 14 wherein the configured path percentage of movement completeness comprises a path less than a complete movement path between the first location of the user interface and the summoned location of the user interface.

27. A method in a data processing system for a user of a window user interface of the data processing system to summon a user interface object, the method comprising:

accepting, from the user of the window user interface, a user search request having user specified search criteria for searching object data of user interface objects presently displayed within the window user interface, the user specified search criteria specified independently of any of the user interface objects presently displayed within the window user interface;

searching the object data of all of the user interface objects presently displayed within the window user interface according to the user specified search criteria and identifying a particular user interface object having the object data matching the user specified search criteria specified independently of any of the user interface objects presently displayed within the window user interface;

detecting a user touch by the user to the window user interface, the user touch correlated to a user touched cursor position for determining a user interface coordinate system point made equivalent to a summoned location of the window user interface without consideration of any of the user interface objects presently displayed within the window user interface;

upon determining the user interface coordinate system point made equivalent to the summoned location, automatically gravitating the particular user interface object a configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the window user interface from a first location of the window user interface wherein the first location is an originally displayed position of the particular user interface object in the window user interface; and

performing at least one of;

returning the particular user interface object back to the originally displayed position in response to no longer detecting the user touch wherein detecting another user touch to the window user interface subsequent to the no longer detecting the user touch results in another processing of the automatically gravitating, or

presenting information for the particular user interface object at the summoned location of the window user interface in response to a confirmation request.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the user search request is specified with a written gesture.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the written gesture includes a textual content search specification.

30. The method of claim 27 further including downloading the user search request from a remote service wherein a user previously uploaded the user search request to the remote service.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the gravitating the particular user interface object the configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the window user interface from the first location of the window user interface comprises transitioning the particular user interface object using visual or audio animation.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein the user search request specifies search criteria used for searching data which was historically associated with the particular user interface object actively displayed to the window user interface.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the identifying the particular user interface object comprises identifying the particular user interface object as being associated with at least one processing condition of the data processing system.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein the identifying the particular user interface object comprises identifying the particular user interface object as having at least one specified presentation characteristic.

35. The method of claim 27 wherein the information comprises a group wherein each entry of the group comprises a search result user interface object, and wherein at least one entry of the group represents the particular user interface object.

36. The method of claim 27 wherein the gravitating the particular user interface object the configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the window user interface from the first location of the window user interface comprises transitioning the particular user interface object by scaling a size of the particular user interface object.

37. The method of claim 27 wherein the information is an exploded view of information associated with the particular user interface object.

38. The method of claim 27 wherein the information is a point of interest associated with the particular user interface object.

39. The method of claim 27 wherein the configured path percentage of movement completeness comprises a path less than a complete movement path between the first location of the window user interface and the summoned location of the window user interface.

40. A data processing system for a user to summon a user interface object, comprising:

one or more processors;

a user interface; and

memory coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the memory includes executable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, results in the system;

accepting, from the user of the window user interface, a user search request having user specified search criteria for searching object data of user interface objects presently displayed within the window user interface, the user specified search criteria specified independently of any of the user interface objects presently displayed within the window user interface;

searching the object data of all of the user interface objects presently displayed within the window user interface according to the user specified search criteria and identifying a particular user interface object having the object data matching the user specified search criteria specified independently of any of the user interface objects presently displayed within the window user interface;

detecting a user touch by the user to the window user interface, the user touch correlated to a user touched cursor position for determining a user interface coordinate system point made equivalent to a summoned location of the window user interface without consideration of any of the user interface objects presently displayed within the window user interface;

upon determining the user interface coordinate system point made equivalent to the summoned location, automatically gravitating the particular user interface object a configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the window user interface from a first location of the window user interface wherein the first location is an originally displayed position of the particular user interface object in the window user interface; and

performing at least one of;

returning the particular user interface object back to the originally displayed position in response to no longer detecting the user touch wherein detecting another user touch to the window user interface subsequent to the no longer detecting the user touch results in another processing of the automatically gravitating, or

presenting information for the particular user interface object at the summoned location of the window user interface in response to a confirmation request.

41. The data processing system of claim 40 wherein the user search request is specified with a written gesture.

42. The data processing system of claim 41 wherein the written gesture includes a textual content search specification.

43. The data processing system of claim 40 further including processing for downloading the user search request from a remote service wherein a user previously uploaded the user search request to the remote service.

44. The data processing system of claim 40 wherein the gravitating the particular user interface object the configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the window user interface from the first location of the window user interface comprises transitioning the particular user interface object using visual or audio animation.

45. The data processing system of claim 40 wherein the user search request specifies search criteria used for searching data which was historically associated with the particular user interface object actively displayed to the window user interface.

46. The data processing system of claim 40 wherein the identifying the particular user interface object comprises identifying the particular user interface object as being associated with at least one processing condition of the data processing system.

47. The data processing system of claim 40 wherein the identifying the particular user interface object comprises identifying the particular user interface object as having at least one specified presentation characteristic.

48. The data processing system of claim 40 wherein the information comprises a group wherein each entry of the group comprises a search result user interface object, and wherein at least one entry of the group represents the particular user interface object.

49. The data processing system of claim 40 wherein the gravitating the particular user interface object the configured path percentage of movement completeness toward the summoned location of the window user interface from the first location of the window user interface comprises transitioning the particular user interface object by scaling a size of the particular user interface object.

50. data processing system of claim 40 wherein the information is an exploded view of information associated with the particular user interface object.

51. The data processing system of claim 40 wherein the information is a point of interest associated with the particular user interface object.

52. The data processing system of claim 40 wherein the configured path percentage of movement completeness comprises a path less than a complete movement path between the first location of the window user interface and the summoned location of the window user interface.