Magnifier panning interface for natural input devices

• US 9,372,590 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2008
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zaman, Nazia, Reid, Paul J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pillai, Namitha
• Application Number:
  US12/238,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,825 Days
• Field of Search: 715/769, 715/800, 715/831, 345/157, 345/163
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• 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 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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

A magnifier movement system is described herein that provides a more user-friendly experience for users of natural input devices when moving the magnifier and interacting with magnified user interface elements. The system receives an indication that a user has touched the screen with a natural input device at a particular location. The system displays a drag control for moving the magnifier, but does not move the magnifier unless the user selects the drag control and moves the natural input device. If the drag control is unselected and the system receives additional natural input, then the system passes the input on to the magnified application. Thus, the magnifier movement system provides a more satisfying user experience for users of natural input-based computer systems and screen magnifiers.

Claims

1. A computer system for selecting a displayed area to magnify, the system comprising:

a display device configured to present a graphical display and a magnified view of a portion of the graphical display;

a memory; and

a processing unit, wherein the memory and the processing unit are respectively configured to store and execute instructions that, in response to being executed;

receive a user input representing a position on the graphical display;

determine a type of an input source via which the user input was received, the determination indicating whether the user input was a pen input, a stylus input, and/or a touch input, or whether the user input was a mouse input;

in response to a determination that the received user input was the pen input, the stylus input, and/or the touch input;

present the magnified view with an associated drag control;

receive an indication of an actuation of the presented drag control; and

move the magnified view such that the magnified view magnifies another portion of the graphical display in response to the indication of the actuation of the presented drag control; and

in response to a determination that the received user input was the mouse input, present the magnified view without the associated drag control.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the instructions also determine the type of the input source via an invocation of an operating system application-programming interface (API).

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein in response to the determination that the received user input was the mouse input the instructions also:

receive another user input representing another position on the graphical display;

determine that the other received user input is the mouse input; and

in response to the determination that the other received user input is the mouse input, enable movement of the magnified view without presentation of the drag control.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the instructions also:

determine that the position on the graphical display matches coordinates of a user interface element as presented in the magnified view; and

actuate the user interface element.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the instructions also:

pass additional received inputs to one or more applications presented in the magnified view in response to determinations that the additional received inputs are not actuations of the drag control.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the instructions also:

convert coordinates representing the position on the graphical display from coordinates associated with the magnified view to coordinates associated with an underlying portion of the graphical display that is represented in the magnified view; and

pass the converted coordinates to the one or more applications as indications of the additional received input.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the instructions also:

receive configuration information via a user configuration interface; and

modify responses to the user input based on the configuration information.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the user input and the indication of the actuation are received via a touch screen.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein:

the instructions also determine a varying panning rate that decelerates as the magnified view approaches the other portion; and

the instructions that move the magnified view move the magnified view to the other portion based on the determined varying panning rate.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the display device is also configured to present the magnified view as a window that appears in a desktop environment of an operating system.

11. A method of magnifying portions of a graphical display, the method comprising:

presenting, on a display device, a graphical display and a magnified view of at least a portion of the graphical display;

receiving a first user input representing a position on the graphical display;

determining a type of an input source via which the first user input was received, the determination being whether the first user input was at least one of a pen input, a stylus input, or a touch input, or whether the first user input was a mouse input;

in response to a determination that the first user input was at least one of the pen input, the stylus input, or the touch input, presenting a visible drag control element, wherein the visible drag control element enables;

the magnified view to be changed to magnify another portion of the graphical display in response to receipt of a second user input indicative of a movement of the visible drag control element; and

a third user input directed to actuation of a user interface element presented in the graphical display to be distinguished from the second user input that is indicative of the movement of the visible drag control element; and

in response to another user input, enabling another magnified view to be changed without presentation of the visible drag control element, wherein the other user input was the mouse input.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the other user input, wherein the other user input represents another position on the graphical display; and

determining that a type of the input source of the other user input was the mouse input.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

passing the third user input to an application displayed in the magnified view.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein passing the third user input to the application includes:

converting coordinates associated with the third user input to coordinates associated with an underlying portion of the graphical display represented in the magnified view; and

passing the converted coordinates to the application as an indication of the third user input.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the visible drag control element is presented outside of and adjacent to the magnified view.

16. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored therein for performing operations that control magnification of a portion of a graphical display, the operations comprising:

presenting, on a display device, the graphical display and a magnified view of the portion of the graphical display;

receiving a first user input representing a position on the graphical display;

determining a type of an input source via which the first user input was received, the determination indicating whether the first user input was at least one of a pen input, a stylus input, or a touch input;

in response to a determination that the first user input was at least one of the pen input, the stylus input, or the touch input, presenting a visible drag control element, the visible drag control element facilitating a change to the portion of the graphical display depicted in the magnified view in response to receipt of a second user input indicative of a movement of the visible drag control element; and

in response to another user input, enabling a portion of another graphical display depicted in another magnified view to be changed without presentation of the visible drag control element, wherein the other user input was the mouse input.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the other user input, wherein the other user input represents another position on the graphical display; and

determining that a type of the input source of the other user input was the mouse input.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a third user input representing another position on the graphical display, the other position not being associated with the visible drag control element; and

passing the third user input to an application depicted in the graphical display.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein passing the third user input to the application includes:

converting coordinates associated with the third user input to coordinates associated with an underlying portion of the graphical display depicted in the magnified view; and

passing the converted coordinates to the application as an indication of the third user input.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein a location of the visible drag control element relative to the magnified view is dependent upon the portion of the graphical display that is magnified in the magnified view.