Selective enabling of multi-input controls

• US 9,552,126 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2013
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mazeev, Maxim, Anderson, Scot Daniel, Weiss, John Guido Atkins, Levy, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US13/863,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A control system is disclosed that is configurable (e.g., by a programmer) so as to enable input from multiple sources to capture to multiple controls. Also or alternatively, the system is configurable so as to enable input from multiple sources to capture to a single control. The system also provides a consistent and extendable scheme for filtering out conflicting events for individual controls. In one embodiment, this means that the system is configurable (e.g., based on the programmer'"'"'s asserted preferences) so as to enable a selective determination as to whether additional inputs can be captured for a given control.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing inputs, the method comprising:

receiving a first input from a first input mechanism, wherein the first input is directed to a single user interface control, the single user interface control having a corresponding display element rendered on a user interface display;

receiving an additional input from a second input mechanism, wherein the additional input is directed to the single user interface control;

identifying a capture status that is associated with the single user interface control, wherein the capture status defines a first condition upon which multiple input mechanisms are simultaneously captured to the single user interface control and a second condition upon which the single user interface control is restricted from capturing more than one input mechanism at a time; and

based on the identified capture status, selectively determining whether the first and second input mechanisms are simultaneously captured to the singe user interface control such that a set of subsequent inputs received from the first and second user input mechanisms is directed to the single user interface control.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a first input from a first input mechanism comprises receiving an input through a touch screen interface, and wherein receiving a second input from a second input mechanism comprises receiving an input through the same touch screen interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively determining comprises simultaneously capturing the first and second input mechanisms to the single user interface control such that subsequent events from both the first and second input mechanisms are directed to the single user interface control until the first and second input mechanisms are released.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second inputs received by the first and second input mechanisms are separate interactions with a same device upon which the first and second input mechanisms are implemented.

5. An electronic input system, comprising:

a user interface that includes a user interface control; and

a user interface framework comprising one or more application program interfaces that include a capture gate interface configured to enable a capturing of first and second input mechanisms to the user interface control, wherein the user interface framework is configured to receive a configuration input that configures the capture gate interface to restrict the user interface control from capturing more than one input mechanism at a time, wherein the configuration input defines a first circumstance in which only one of the first or second input mechanism is captured to the user interface control and a second circumstance in which both of the first and second input mechanism are simultaneously captured to the user interface control.

6. The input system of claim 5, wherein the one or more application program interfaces comprises:

a multi-capture interface that enables both of the first and second input mechanisms to be simultaneously captured to the control.

7. The input system of claim 5, wherein the capture gate interface enables a developer to restrict a group of controls, including the user interface control, from capturing more than one input mechanism at a time.

8. The input system of claim 5, wherein the one or more application program interfaces comprises a capture gate class with related acquire and release routines.

9. The input system of claim 5, wherein the first and second input mechanisms are separate inputs to a single touch screen input device.

10. The input system of claim 5, wherein the first and second input mechanisms are separate inputs from separate input devices.

11. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions executable by the at least one processor, wherein the instructions configure the computing system to;

receive a first input from a first input mechanism and a second input from a second input mechanism, the first and second inputs being separate inputs received substantially simultaneously and directed to a single user interface control, the single user interface control having a corresponding display element rendered on a user interface display;

identify a capture status that is associated with the single user interface control, the capture status defining a first condition upon which multiple input mechanisms are simultaneously captured to the single user interface control and a second condition upon which the single user interface control is restricted from capturing more than one input mechanism at a time;

based on the identified capture status, selectively determine whether the first and second input mechanisms are simultaneously captured to the single user interface control to the user interface control;

if the first and second input mechanism are simultaneously captured to the single user interface control, direct the first and second inputs to the single user interface control, the first and second inputs defining events to be processed by an application; and

if the first and second input mechanism are not simultaneously captured to the single user interface control, direct only one of the first and second inputs to the single user interface control.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the first and second input mechanisms are implemented on a same input device such that the first and second inputs are both received from the same input device.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the first and second input mechanisms are separate input components implemented as part of a single touch screen interface.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the instructions configure the computing system to cause the first and second input mechanisms to direct subsequent events from the first and second input mechanisms to the user interface control.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the instructions configure the computing system to direct subsequent inputs to the first and second input mechanisms to the user interface control as a result of being simultaneously captured.

16. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the instructions configure the computing system to restrict the direction of subsequent inputs to the first and second input mechanisms as a result of being simultaneously captured.

17. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the first and second inputs received by the first and second input mechanisms are separate interactions with a same input device.