Touch sensitive device with stylus-based grab and paste functionality

• US 9,367,161 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Inventors: Havilio, Amir Mesguich
• Primary Examiner(s): ABDULSELAM, ABBAS I
• Application Number:
  US13/793,499
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253470A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for grabbing and pasting content using a stylus in communication with an electronic device. The grab function can be used to copy/cut content from the device to stylus memory. The paste function can be used to delete content from the stylus memory, or paste that content to the same or different device. The user can grab content to the stylus with a stylus action, which may include manipulating a stylus control feature or performing a particular stylus gesture. The content may then be deleted from the stylus memory or pasted to a device by performing another stylus action, which may be the same or distinct from the grab stylus action. Pasting the content from the stylus memory to an electronic device may also include removing the content from the stylus memory. An animation can be displayed as content is sucked into stylus, or pasted to new locations.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an electronic device having a display for displaying content to a user and a touch sensitive surface for allowing user input; and

a user interface executable on the device and comprising a grab mode that can be activated in response to a stylus action, wherein the grab mode is configured to save selected content from the device to a stylus memory, and to at least one of delete the selected content from the stylus memory and/or save the selected content from the stylus memory to a memory external to the stylus;

wherein in response to accelerating the stylus away from the device, the grab mode is further is configured to delete the selected content from the stylus memory.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the display is a touch screen display that includes the touch sensitive surface which is further capable of detecting stylus-based input.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein saving content from the device to the stylus memory further includes removing the selected content from the device.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising the stylus and stylus memory, wherein the stylus is configured to communicate with the electronic device via either direct or proximate contact with the touch sensitive surface.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the stylus includes at least one of a button, a rotating knob, a switch, and/or a sliding switch.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the touch sensitive surface is configured to detect the stylus action, and the stylus action includes at least one of manipulating one or more stylus control features and/or a stylus flick gesture that includes the stylus accelerating directly at the touch sensitive surface.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the touch sensitive surface detects a stylus gesture by detecting a change in resonant frequency of the stylus and/or tracking the location of a resonant circuit within the stylus.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein in response to accelerating the stylus toward the device, the grab mode is further configured to paste the selected content to the device.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the stylus action is user-configurable.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the touch sensitive surface comprises at least one set of antenna coils configured to detect changes in a resonant circuit within the stylus.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the touch sensitive surface further comprises a second set of antenna coils configured to detect at least one of location, speed of stylus movement, angle of stylus inclination and/or a change in resonant frequency of the resonant circuit within the stylus.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the stylus action includes a content selection followed by at least one stylus control feature action.

13. A system, comprising:

an electronic device having a processor and a touch screen display for displaying content to a user and allowing user input; and

a user interface executable on the device comprising a grab mode that can be activated in response to a stylus action, wherein the grab mode is configured to cause selected content to be sent to a stylus memory;

wherein an animation is displayed on the touch screen display as content is sent to the stylus, the animation simulating content being sucked from the display to the stylus.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a stylus for providing the stylus action and including the stylus memory and at least one control feature, wherein the stylus is configured to communicate with the electronic device via the touch screen display to provide a first communication path, and wherein the device is configured to communicate with the stylus over a wireless communication link to provide a second communication path.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the device is an eReader device or a tablet computer or a smartphone.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the stylus action includes:

a stylus flick gesture that includes the stylus accelerating toward the touch screen display;

or manipulating at least one of a button, a rotating knob, a switch, and/or a sliding control bar included on the stylus.

17. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a plurality of instructions encoded thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause a process to be carried out, the process comprising:

in response to a stylus action, save selected content from an electronic computing device to memory on the stylus; and

in response to a subsequent stylus action, at least one of delete the selected content from the memory on the stylus and/or save the selected content from the memory of the stylus to a memory external to the stylus;

wherein in response to accelerating the stylus away from the device, the grab mode is further is configured to delete the selected content from the stylus memory.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein saving selected content from the electronic device to the memory on the stylus includes at least one of copying content from the electronic device, and/or cutting content from the electronic device.

19. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the stylus action includes performing a stylus flick gesture or manipulating at least one of a button, a rotating knob, a switch, and/or a sliding control bar included on the stylus.

20. A non-transitory computer program product comprising a plurality of instructions encoded thereon that when executed by one or more processors cause a process to be carried out for saving content from an electronic computing device to a stylus, the process comprising:

in response to a stylus action, save selected content from the electronic computing device to memory on the stylus; and

display an animation on a display of the electronic computing device as content is sent to the stylus, the animation simulating content being sucked from the display to the stylus.

21. The program product of claim 20, the process further comprising:

in response to a further stylus action, paste selected content from the stylus memory to a memory of the electronic computing device; and

display an animation on a display of the electronic computing device as content is sent to the electronic computing device memory, the animation simulating content being ejected from the stylus to the display.

22. The program product of claim 20, the process further comprising:

in response to a further stylus action, purge selected content from the stylus memory; and

present a sound from a speaker of the electronic computing device as content is purged.