System and method for processing touch actions

• US 9,367,236 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Kuscher, Alexander Friedrich, Kuhne, Stefan, Jitkoff, John Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): GIESY, ADAM
• Application Number:
  US13/839,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20150205425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A system and method for processing touch actions are provided. A plurality of sequentially performed touch actions including a first touch action and a second touch action are determined on a touch interface of an electronic device. An initiation location and a completion location of each of the first and second touch actions are determined on the touch interface. A command is selected based on the determined completion location of the first touch action, the second touch action, and the determined initiation location of the second touch action. The selected command is executed on the electronic device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing touch actions, the method comprising:

detecting, on a touch interface of an electronic device, a plurality of sequentially performed touch actions comprising a first touch action and a second touch action;

determining an initiation location and a completion location on the touch interface for each of the first and second touch actions, wherein the initiation location of the first touch action and the completion location of the first touch action on the touch interface are different, and wherein the initiation location of the second touch action and the completion location of the second touch action on the touch interface are different;

comparing the completion location of the first touch action and the initiation location of the second touch action;

selecting a command based on the second touch action, and, based on whether the completion location of the first touch action is within a threshold distance from the initiation location of the second touch action; and

executing the selected command on the electronic device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting another command based on the first touch action and the initiation location of the first touch action; and

executing the selected other command on the electronic device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the selected other command is different from the command selected based on the determined completion location of the first touch action, the second touch action, and the determined initiation location of the second touch action.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the initiation location of the first touch action is within a bezel section of the touch interface, and

wherein the selected other command comprises displaying a launcher on the touch interface adjacent to the bezel section.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the command selected based on the determined completion location of the first touch action, the second touch action, and the determined initiation location of the second touch action comprises displaying an application menu on the touch interface.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising;

determining a rate of movement for each of the first touch action and the second touch action; and

comparing the determined rate of movement for the first touch action and the determined rate of movement for the second touch action,

wherein the command is selected based on the comparison of the determined rates of movement for the first touch action and the second touch action.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the command is selected based on the determined rate of movement for the first touch action being different from the determined rate of movement for the second touch action.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the initiation location of the first touch action and the initiation location of the second touch action,

wherein the command is selected based on the initiation location of the first touch action and the initiation location of the second touch action being the same location on the touch interface.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

comparing an action type of the first touch action and an action type of the second touch action,

wherein the command is selected based on the action type of the first touch action being the same as the action type of the second touch action.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the selected command for the second touch action varies based on a type of the first touch action.

11. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing executable instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

detecting, on a touch interface of an electronic device, a plurality of sequentially performed touch actions comprising a first touch action and a second touch action;

determining an initiation location and a completion location on the touch interface for each of the first and second touch actions, wherein the initiation location of the first touch action and the completion location of the first touch action on the touch interface are different, and wherein the initiation location of the second touch action and the completion location of the second touch action on the touch interface are different;

comparing the initiation location of the first touch action and the initiation location of the second touch action;

comparing an action type of the first touch action and an action type of the second touch action;

comparing the completion location of the first touch action and the initiation location of the second touch action;

selecting a command based on the second touch action, and based on whether the completion location of the first touch action is within a threshold distance from the initiation location of the second touch action; and

executing the selected command on the electronic device.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, the action types of the first and second touch actions are the same action type, and the command selected is different from another command associated with the initiation location and the action type of the first touch action alone.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions further comprise:

selecting another command based on the first touch action and the initiation location of the first touch action; and

executing the selected other command on the electronic device.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the executable instructions further comprise:

determining a rate of movement for each of the first touch action and the second touch action; and

comparing the determined rate of movement for the first touch action and the determined rate of movement for the second touch action,

wherein the command is selected based on the comparison of the determined rates of movement for the first touch action and the second touch action.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the command is selected based on the determined rate of movement for the first touch action being different from the determined rate of movement for the second touch action.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a touch interface;

a processor;

a memory containing executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

detect, on the touch interface, a plurality of sequentially performed touch actions comprising a first touch action and a second touch action;

determine an initiation location and a completion location on the touch interface for each of the first and second touch actions, wherein the initiation location of the first touch action and the completion location of the first touch action on the touch interface are different, and wherein the initiation location of the second touch action and the completion location of the second touch action on the touch interface are different;

compare the completion location of the first touch action and the initiation location of the second touch action;

select a command based on the second touch action, and based on whether the completion location of the first touch action is within a threshold distance from the initiation location of the second touch action; and

executing the selected command on the electronic device.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

compare an action type of the first touch action and an action type of the second touch action,

wherein the command is selected based on the action type of the first touch action being the same as the action type of the second touch action.