Link gestures

• US 9,519,356 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Hinckley, Kenneth P., Yatani, Koji, Allen, Andrew S., Harris, Jonathan R., Petschnigg, Georg F.
• Primary Examiner(s): SONG, DAEHO D
• Application Number:
  US12/700,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,504 Days
• Field of Search: 715/863, 715/702, 715/711
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]

Abstract

Techniques involving gestures and other functionality are described. In one or more implementations, the techniques describe gestures that are usable to provide inputs to a computing device. A variety of different gestures are contemplated, including bimodal gestures (e.g., using more than one type of input) and single modal gestures. Additionally, the gesture techniques may be configured to leverage these different input types to increase the amount of gestures that are made available to initiate operations of a computing device.

Claims

1. A method performed on a computing device, the method comprising:

recognizing, by the computing device via a touch screen, a first user input as selecting and holding a first user interface object displayed at a first location on the touch screen by a display device;

recognizing, by the computing device via the touch screen, a second user input as drawing a line from a second user interface object displayed at a second location on a touch screen by the display device to the first user interface object while the first user interface object is selected and held, where the second location on the touch screen is separate and distinct from the first location on the touch screen;

detecting, by the computing device, a link gesture from the recognized first and second user inputs, the link gesture effective to create a navigable link between the first and second user interface objects, where the navigable link is configured to enable at least one hyperlink to be displayed for navigating between the first and second user interface objects; and

storing, by the computing device, the navigable link, the storing enabling later navigation between the first and second user interface objects.

2. The method of claim 1 where the navigable link is selectable to navigate from the second user interface object to the first user interface object.

3. The method of claim 1 where the link gesture is effective to cause the navigable link to be stored with the first user interface object.

4. The method of claim 1 where the link gesture is effective to cause the first user interface object to be displayed in a manner that indicates existence of the navigable link.

5. The method of claim 1 where the link gesture is effective to configure the first user interface object to be selectable to display the navigable link without navigating to the second user interface object.

6. The method of claim 1 where the link gesture is effective to configure the first user interface object to be selectable to display the navigable link as included on a back of the first user interface object, the back of the first user interface object being accessible via a gesture.

7. The method of claim 1 where the first user input is recognized as selecting two points of the first user interface object.

8. The method of claim 1 where the drawn line circumscribes a third user interface object displayed at a third location on a touch screen by the display device, the link gesture further effective to create the navigable link between the first, second, and third user interface objects.

9. The method of claim 1 where:

the first user input is one of a touch input or a stylus input; and

the second user input is the other of the touch input or the stylus input.

10. A method performed on a computing device, the method comprising:

recognizing, by the computing device via a touch screen, a first user input as selecting and holding a first user interface object displayed at a first location on the touch screen by a display device;

recognizing, by the computing device via the touch screen, a second user input as drawing a line from a second user interface object displayed at a second location on a touch screen by the display device to the first user interface object, the line recognized as drawn while the first user interface object is selected and held, where the second location on the touch screen is separate and distinct from the first location on the touch screen;

detecting, by the computing device, a link gesture from the recognized first and second user inputs, the link gesture effective to associate metadata represented by the second user interface object with the first user interface object and to enable at least one hyperlink with the associated metadata to be displayed for navigating between the first and second user interface objects; and

storing, by the computing device, the at least one hyperlink with the associated metadata, the storing enabling later navigation between the first and second user interface objects.

11. The method of claim 10 where the first user input is recognized as a touch input and the second user input is recognized as a stylus input.

12. The method of claim 10 where:

the first user input is one of a touch input or a stylus input; and

the second user input is the other of the touch input or the stylus input.

13. A method performed on a computing device, the method comprising:

detecting, by the computing device, a link gesture that is effective to create navigable links between first, second, and third user interface objects displayed on a touch screen by a display device, the link gesture configured to link the first, second and third user interface objects together into a common set, a first user input recognized as selecting and holding the first user interface object and a second user input recognized as drawing a line from the second user interface object, through the third user interface object, to the first user interface object while the first object is selected and held; and

causing the first user interface object to be displayed on the touch screen by the display device as indicating existence of the navigable links to the second user interface object and the third user interface object, the navigable links selectable to cause display of the second user interface object and third user interface object respectively, the navigable links being stored with the first user interface object, the storing enabling later navigation from the first user interface object to the second user interface object and third user interface object by activating the navigable links corresponding to the second and third user interface objects respectively.

14. The method of claim 13 where the link gesture is effective to configure the first user interface object to be selectable to display the navigable links without navigating to the second user interface object or the third user interface object.

15. The method of claim 13 where the link gesture is effective to configure the first user interface object to be selectable to display the navigable links as included on a back of the first user interface object, the back of the first user interface object being accessible via a gesture.

16. A method as described in claim 13 where the first user input is recognized as selecting two points of the first user interface object.

17. A method as described in claim 16 where the first user input is recognized as a touch input and the second user input is recognized as a stylus input.

18. A method as described in claim 13 where:

the first user input is one of a touch input or a stylus input; and

the second user input is the other of the touch input or the stylus input.

19. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining that the third user interface object is to be linked in the common set based on dynamics of the link gesture.