Cursor driven interface for layer control

• US 9,360,942 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Door Number 3, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Door Number 3
• Inventors: Bauermeister, Benjamin P., Flagg, Neil A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Amini, Javid A
• Application Number:
  US13/898,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20130321457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 345/629
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1462 with means for detecting differences between the image stored in the host and the images displayed on the remote displays
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/022 Centralised management of display operation, e.g. in a server instead of locally
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/377 for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence

Abstract

An approach for manipulating objects within a document whereby one or more objects are transposed between other objects in a display order. A first element of the plurality of elements is selected as the active element and a display interface is associated with the first element, and based on input received with respect to the interface element, the display order of the first element is changed in relation to the plurality of elements.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for layer control, comprising:

under control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions;

causing a visual display of a plurality of elements stacked in a display order, the display order having a frontmost element and a rearmost element of the plurality of elements;

receiving an indication of a selection of a first element of the plurality of elements;

displaying, in response to receiving the indication, an interface element associated with the first element, the interface element visually contacting at least a portion of the first element;

determining a first relative position in the display order of the first element to each of the plurality of elements and a second relative position in the display order of the first element to the frontmost element and the rearmost element;

receiving input associated with the interface element, the input comprising a dragging motion in a first direction;

determining, in response to receiving the input, a new display order of the first element in the plurality of elements, the new display order of the first element in relation to the plurality of elements being determined based at least in part on the first direction;

modifying the visual display of the plurality of elements to reflect the new display order, the first element visually moving at a first speed through the plurality of elements toward the rearmost element or the frontmost element based on the first direction, the first speed being based on the first relative position and the second relative position;

determining, based on the new display order, a new first relative position in the display order of the first element to the plurality of elements and a new second relative position of the first element to the frontmost element and the rearmost element;

determining that the input associated with the interface element is still being received;

determining, in response to determining that the input associated with the interface element is still being received, a modified new display order of the first element in the plurality of elements;

modifying the visual display of the plurality of elements to reflect the modified new display order, the first element visually moving at a second speed through the plurality of elements toward the rearmost element or the frontmost element based on the first direction, the second speed being different from the first speed and being based on the first new relative position and the new second relative position.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a speed at which the interface element is being dragged; and

adjusting the modifying the visual display of the plurality of elements based on the speed at which the interface element is being dragged.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a speed at which the visual display of the plurality of elements is modified is based upon a proximity of the first element to either a bottom or top of the display order.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a speed at which the visual display of the plurality of elements is modified slows down as the first element approaches either the bottom or top of the display order.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the speed at which the visual display of the plurality of elements is modified based upon a proximity of the first element to its original place in the display order.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first element comprises multiple elements.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface element comprises an existing handle.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

cause a visual display of a plurality of elements stacked in a display order, the display order having a frontmost element and a rearmost element of the plurality of elements;

receive an indication of a selection of a first element of the plurality of elements;

cause, in response to receiving the indication, a display of an interface element associated with the first element, the interface element visually contacting at least a portion of the first element;

determine a first relative position in the display order of the first element to each of the plurality of elements and a second relative position in the display order of the first element to the frontmost element and the rearmost element;

receive input associated with the interface element, the input comprising a dragging motion in a first direction;

determine, in response to receiving the input, a new display order of the first element in the plurality of elements, the new display order of the first element in relation to the plurality of elements being determined based at least in part on the first direction;

modify the visual display of the plurality of elements to reflect the new display order, the first element visually moving at a first speed through the plurality of elements toward the rearmost element or the frontmost element based on the first direction, the first speed being based on the first relative position and the second relative position;

determine, based on the new display order, a new first relative position in the display order of the first element to the plurality of elements and a new second relative position of the first element to the frontmost element and the rearmost element;

determine that the input associated with the interface element is still being received;

determine, in response to determining that the input associated with the interface element is still being received, a modified new display order of the first element in the plurality of elements;

modify the visual display of the plurality of elements to reflect the modified new display order, the first element visually moving at a second speed through the plurality of elements toward the rearmost element or the frontmost element based on the first direction, the second speed being different from the first speed and being based on the first new relative position and the new second relative position.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine a speed at which the interface element is being adjusted; and

adjust the modifying the visual display of the plurality of elements based on the speed at which the interface element is being dragged.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein a speed at which the visual display of the plurality of elements is modified is based upon a proximity of the first element to either a bottom or top of the display order.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein a speed at which the visual display of the plurality of elements is modified slows down as the first element approaches either the bottom or top of the display order.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the speed at which the visual display of the plurality of elements is modified based upon a proximity of the first element to its original place in the display order.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the first element comprises multiple elements.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the interface element comprises an existing handle.

15. A computing system for layer control, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing system to;

cause a visual display of a plurality of elements stacked in a display order, the display order having a frontmost element and a rearmost element of the plurality of elements;

receive an indication of a selection of a first element of the plurality of elements;

cause, in response to receiving the indication, a display of an interface element associated with the first element, the interface element visually contacting at least a portion of the first element;

determine a first relative position in the display order of the first element to each of the plurality of elements and a second relative position in the display order of the first element to the frontmost element and the rearmost element;

receive input associated with the interface element, the input comprising a dragging motion in a first direction;

determine, in response to receiving the input, a new the display order of the first element in the plurality of elements, the new display order of the first element in relation to the plurality of elements being determined based at least in part on the first direction;

modify the visual display of the plurality of elements to reflect the new display order, the first element visually moving at a first speed through the plurality of elements toward the rearmost element or the frontmost element based on the first direction, the first speed being based on the first relative position and the second relative position;

determine, based on the new display order, a new first relative position in the display order of the first element to the plurality of elements and a new second relative position of the first element to the frontmost element and the rearmost element;

determine that the input associated with the interface element is still being received;

determine, in response to determining that the input associated with the interface element is still being received, a modified new display order of the first element in the plurality of elements;

modify the visual display of the plurality of elements to reflect the modified new display order, the first element visually moving at a second speed through the plurality of elements toward the rearmost element or the frontmost element based on the first direction, the second speed being different from the first speed and being based on the first new relative position and the new second relative position.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

determine a speed at which the interface element is being adjusted; and

adjust the modifying the visual display of the plurality of elements based on the speed at which the interface element is being dragged.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein a speed at which the visual display of the plurality of elements is modified is based upon a proximity of the first element to either a bottom or top of the display order.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein a speed at which the visual display of the plurality of elements slows down as the first element approaches either the bottom or top of the display order.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the speed at which the visual display of the plurality of elements is modified based upon a proximity of the first element to its original place in the display order.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the first element comprises multiple elements.