Correcting scrolling gesture

• US 9,483,168 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2012
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tabone, Ryan, de los Reyes, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): CERULLO, LILIANA P
• Application Number:
  US13/592,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20150227220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium may comprise instructions stored thereon. When executed by at least one processor, instructions may be configured to cause a computing system to at least receive, on a tactile input device of the computing system, a first contact and a second contact, the first and second contacts being maintained on the tactile input device, at least one of the first and second contacts changing location on the tactile input device, determine a direction of movement by the first and second contacts based on the at least one of the first and second contacts changing locations on the tactile input device, assign the determined direction of movement to one of a plurality of directional zones, and modify the determined direction based on the assigned directional zone.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, are configured to cause a computing system to at least:

receive, on a tactile input device of the computing system, a first contact and a second contact, the first and second contacts being maintained on the tactile input device, at least one of the first and second contacts changing location on the tactile input device;

determine a distance and direction of movement by the first contact on the tactile input device;

determine a distance and direction of movement by the second contact on the tactile input device;

determine that both the first contact and the second contact moved at least a threshold distance, the threshold distance being greater than zero;

based on determining that both the first contact and the second contact moved at least the threshold distance, determine a common direction of movement based on either the first contact or the second contact that has a greater distance of movement;

assign the common direction of movement to one of a plurality of directional zones; and

modify the common direction of movement based on the directional zone to which the common direction of movement was assigned.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the determining the common direction of movement includes determining a common distance and direction of movement based on a distance and direction of movement of either the first contact or second contact that has the greater distance of movement.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the assigning includes assigning the common direction of movement to one of eight directional zones.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the assigning includes assigning the common direction of movement to one of twelve directional zones.

5. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the modifying the common direction of movement comprises reducing either a horizontal component or a vertical component of the common direction of movement based on the directional zone to which the common direction of movement was assigned.

6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the modifying the common direction of movement comprises reducing the smaller of a horizontal component and a vertical component of the common direction of movement.

7. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the modifying the common direction of movement comprises reducing to zero either a horizontal component or a vertical component of the common direction of movement based on the assigned directional zone.

8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to recognize the common direction of movement as either a vertical scroll gesture or a horizontal scroll gesture based on the modification of the common direction of movement.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to move an image on a display associated with the tactile input device either vertically or horizontally based on the common direction of movement.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the determining the distance and direction of movement of the first contact and the determining the distance and direction of movement of the second contact are performed based on a determination that the first contact is within a maximal threshold distance of the second contact.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the determining the distance and direction of movement of the first contact and the determining the distance and direction of movement of the second contact are performed based on a determination that the first contact is at least a minimal threshold distance from the second contact, the minimal threshold distance being non-zero.

12. A computing system comprising:

a display;

a tactile input device comprising at least one sensor;

at least one processor configured to execute instructions, receive input signals from the at least one sensor of the tactile input device, and send output signals to the display; and

at least one memory device comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, are configured to cause the computing system to at least;

receive, on the tactile input device, a first contact and a second contact, the first and second contacts being maintained on the tactile input device, both of the first and second contacts changing location on the tactile input device;

determine a distance and direction of movement by the first and second contacts based on both of the first and second contacts changing locations on the tactile input device;

determine a common direction of movement based on either the first contact or the second contact that has a greater distance of movement;

assign the common direction of movement to one of a plurality of directional zones; and

modify the common direction of movement based on the directional zone to which the common direction of movement was assigned.

13. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the determining the common direction of movement includes:

determining that both the first contact and the second contact moved at least a threshold distance, the threshold distance being greater than zero; and

determining the common direction of movement based on a longest movement of the first and second contacts.

14. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the assigning includes assigning the common direction of movement to one of eight directional zones.

15. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the assigning includes assigning the common direction of movement to one of twelve directional zones.

16. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the modifying the common direction of movement comprises reducing either a horizontal component or a vertical component of the common direction of movement based on the directional zone to which the common direction of movement was assigned.

17. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the modifying the common direction of movement comprises reducing the smaller of a horizontal component and a vertical component of the common direction of movement.

18. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the modifying the common direction of movement comprises reducing to zero either a horizontal component or a vertical component of the common direction of movement based on the assigned directional zone.

19. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to recognize the common direction of movement as either a vertical scroll gesture or a horizontal scroll gesture based on the modification of the common direction of movement.

20. The computing system of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computing system to move an image on the display either vertically or horizontally based on the modified common direction of movement.

21. A method comprising:

receiving, on a tactile input device, a first contact and a second contact, the first and second contacts being maintained on the tactile input device, at least one of the first and second contacts changing location on the tactile input device;

determining a direction of movement by the first and second contacts based on;

determining a distance and direction of movement of the first contact

determining a distance and direction of movement of the second contact

both of the first and second contacts changing locations on the tactile input device; and

a longest distance of movement of the first and second contacts;

assigning the determined direction of movement, of either the first contact or the second contact that has a greater distance of movement, to one of a plurality of directional zones; and

modifying the determined direction based on the assigned directional zone.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the assigning includes assigning the determined direction of movement to one of eight directional zones.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the assigning includes assigning the determined direction of movement to one of twelve directional zones.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the modifying the determined direction comprises reducing either a horizontal component or a vertical component of the determined direction of movement based on the assigned directional zone.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the modifying the determined direction comprises reducing the smaller of a horizontal component and a vertical component of the determined direction of movement.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining that the first contact is at least a minimal threshold distance from the second contact, the minimal threshold distance being non-zero,

wherein the determining the direction of movement is performed based on both of the first and second contacts changing locations on the tactile input device, the first contact being at least the minimal threshold distance from the second contact, and based on a longest movement of the first and second contacts.

27. A computing system comprising:

a display;

a tactile input device comprising at least one sensor;

at least one processor configured to execute instructions, receive input signals from the at least one sensor of the tactile input device, and send output signals to the display; and

at least one memory device comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, are configured to cause the computing system to at least;

receive, on the tactile input device, a first contact and a second contact, the first and second contacts being maintained on the tactile input device, at least one of the first and second contacts changing location on the tactile input device;

determine a direction of movement by the first and second contacts based on;

determining a distance and direction of movement of the first contact

determining a distance and direction of movement of the second contact

both of the first and second contacts changing locations on the tactile input device; and

averaging directions of movement of the first and second contacts;

assign the determined direction of movement to one of a plurality of directional zones based on the averaged directions of movement; and

modify the determined direction based on the assigned directional zone.