Content-based snap point

• US 9,423,951 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2010
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Deutsch, Rebecca, Lau, Bonny P., Kuehnle, Holger, Waggoner, Nicholas R., Luengen, Ross N., Nelte, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Molina, Hugo
• Application Number:
  US12/983,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20120174005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 715/764
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

This document describes content-based snap points and techniques that use these snap points. In some embodiments, multiple content-based snap points are used to stop at points in content that are convenient, prevent overshooting of important parts in the content, and/or aid user'"'"'s in manipulating and consuming the content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, during presentation of content, a content-manipulation input having a projected stopping point in the content, the projected stopping point is based on a velocity or an inertia and a friction of the content-manipulation input;

responsive to receiving the content-manipulation input, altering a threshold range of a primary snap point based at least in part on a factor of the content-manipulation input, the factor of the content-manipulation input including one or more of the velocity or the inertia and affecting movement through the content, the threshold range of the primary snap point having a first distance before or after the primary snap point, and the primary snap point having a primary hierarchy value;

determining, after altering the threshold range of the primary snap point, whether the projected stopping point in the content is within both the threshold range of the primary snap point and a threshold range of a secondary snap point, the secondary snap point having a secondary hierarchy value; and

responsive to determining that the projected stopping point in the content is within both the threshold range of the primary snap point and the threshold range of the secondary snap point, causing the content to be presented at the primary snap point based on the primary snap point having the primary hierarchy value, and altering one or more of the velocity, the inertia, or the friction of the content manipulation input.

2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the factor of the content-manipulation input includes a variable velocity or a variable inertia on which the projected stopping point is based.

3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising visually indicating that additional content is or is not available following the primary snap point.

4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 3, wherein visually indicating indicates that additional content is available by temporally presenting a portion of the additional content prior to causing the content to be presented at the primary snap point.

5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising receiving, prior to receiving the content-manipulation input, the primary snap point from a provider of the content.

6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising determining, prior to receiving the content-manipulation input, the primary snap point.

7. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 6, wherein determining the primary snap point is based on a logical break or divider in the content, an organization of the content, or an expected use of the content.

8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein causing the content to be presented at the primary snap point zooms in or out of the content.

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein causing the content to be presented at the primary snap point rotates the content.

10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein the primary snap point acts as a hard stop, the threshold range of the primary snap point extending to an end of the content effective to cause the content-manipulation input to be within the threshold range.

11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

scanning past the secondary snap point prior to causing the content to be presented at the primary snap point or causing the content to be presented at the projected stopping point; and

altering a velocity associated with the scanning while passing the adjacent secondary snap point.

12. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising determining, prior to receiving the content-manipulation input, the secondary snap point.

13. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising receiving, prior to receiving the content-manipulation input, the secondary snap point from a provider of the content.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting, in an application-launching interface, selectable labels associated with applications, the presented selectable labels a subset of a full set of selectable labels available through the application-launching interface;

determining, based on the organization of information contained in the selectable labels associated with applications, one or more snap points being positioned based on the organization of information contained in the selectable labels;

determining a threshold range of a primary snap point of the one or more snap points based on a distance between the primary snap point and an adjacent secondary snap point, the primary snap point having a primary hierarchy value and the second snap point having a secondary hierarchy value, the primary snap point based on a grouping within the full set of selectable labels and being changeable responsive to the grouping changing size, the grouping selected through prior user interaction with the application-launching interface;

receiving, through the application-launching interface, a content-manipulation input to present additional selectable labels of the full set of selectable labels and having a projected stopping point within the full set of selectable labels;

responsive to receiving the content-manipulation input, altering the threshold range of the primary snap point based at least in part on a velocity of the content-manipulation input; and

responsive to determining that the projected stopping point in the full set of selectable labels is within both the threshold range of the primary snap point and a threshold range of the secondary snap point, presenting, in the application-launching interface, additional selectable labels of the full set of selectable labels associated with and at the primary snap point based on the primary snap point having a primary hierarchy value.

15. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 14, wherein the velocity of the content-manipulation input includes a magnitude of a velocity and causing the content to be presented at the primary snap point alters the velocity associated with the content-manipulation input.

16. A computing device comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more computer processors, perform operations comprising;

receiving content;

determining, based on the organization of information contained in the content, one or more content-based snap points positioned based on the organization of information contained in the content;

determining a threshold range of a content-based snap point of the one or more content-based snap points based on both a distance between the content-based snap point and an adjacent snap point and on a size of information contained in the content associated with the content-based snap point;

receiving, during presentation of the content, a content-manipulation input having a projected stopping point in the content determined based on a velocity or an inertia and a friction of the content-manipulation input;

responsive to receiving the content-manipulation input, altering the threshold range of the content-based snap point based at least in part on a factor of the content-manipulation input, the factor of the content-manipulation input including one or more of the velocity or the inertia and affecting movement through the content;

determining, after altering the threshold range, whether the projected stopping point in the content is within the threshold range of the content-based snap point; and

responsive to determining that the projected stopping point in the content is within the threshold range of the content-based snap point, causing the content to be presented at the content-based snap point and altering one or more of the velocity, the inertia, or the friction of the content-manipulation input;

or

responsive to determining that the projected stopping point in the content is not within the threshold range of the content-based snap point, causing the content to be presented at the projected stopping point.

17. A computing device as described in claim 16, wherein the threshold range includes a distance before or after the content-based snap point.

18. A computing device as described in claim 16, wherein the projected stopping point is within the threshold range of the content-based snap point, and wherein the operations further comprise visually indicating whether additional content is or is not available following the content-based snap point.

19. A computing device as described in claim 16, further comprising determining, prior to receiving the content-manipulation input, the content-based snap point.

20. A computing device as described in claim 16, further comprising receiving, prior to receiving the content-manipulation input, the content-based snap point from a provider of the content.