Enhanced user interface using touch gestures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11099706-B1
Application number	US-202016916403-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 30, 2020
Priority date	Jun 30, 2020
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

An information handling system enhanced user interface distinguishes native operating system touch inputs from enhance touch gestures based upon context, such as the number and types of displays interfaced with the information handling system. Enhanced touch gestures include multi-finger touches with symmetrical movement that command start events, move events and end events to interact with content at plural displays through touches at one of the plural displays, such as moving windows, selecting an active window, minimizing windows, maximizing content of one window and restoring minimized content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An information handling system comprising:
a housing;
a processor disposed in the housing and operable to execute instructions that process information;
a memory disposed in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the memory operable to store the instructions and information;
a display integrated in the housing and interfaced with the processor, the display operable to present the information as visual images, the display integrating a touch detection sensor operable to detect touches at the display;
a touch controller interfaced with the touch detection surface and operable to determine a position of one or more touches detected at the touch detection sensor;
an operating system stored in the memory and having instructions that execute on the processor to support execution of plural applications by coordinating presentation of application visual images in a user interface presentation having plural windows and applying predetermined native touches as inputs to the applications; and
a user interface manager interfaced with the touch controller, the user interface manager operable to determine a context, define plural logical areas of the display and distinguish predetermined touch gestures from the native touches based upon the context and the logical area of the touches, the user interface manager applying the touch gestures to adapt the user interface presentation defined by the operating system.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:
a first context comprises first and second displays presenting the information as visual images, including at least visual images of a first application presented in a first active window at the first display at a first area;
a first touch gesture is a four finger touch, the user interface manager responding to the first touch gesture by filling the first and second displays with the first active window; and
a second touch gesture is a four finger touch, the user interface manager responding to the second touch gesture by presenting the first active window at the first area.

3. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:
the first context comprises visual images of virtual touchpad presented at the display; and
the touch gesture comprises a two finger touch on the virtual touchpad, the user interface manager responding to the two finger touch by moving the touchpad corresponding to a sliding motion of the two fingers.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising:
an accelerometer disposed in the housing and interfaced with the user interface manager, the accelerometer detecting first and second orientations;
wherein:
a first context comprises a reading application presenting content as visual images at a first display; and
the user interface manager responds to detection of the second orientation by presenting the reading application at first and second displays having a page of content on each of the first and second displays.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:
a first context comprises first and second displays presenting the information as plural windows;
a first touch gesture is a four finger swipe in a first direction, the user interface manager responding to the first gesture by minimizing all of the plural windows; and
a second touch gesture is a four finger swipe in a second direction, the user interface manager responding to the second gesture by restoring all of the plural windows from the minimizing.

6. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:
a first context comprises first and second displays presenting the information as plural windows, one of the plural windows having an active state; and
the touch gesture comprises a four finger swipe, the user interface manager responding to the four finger swipe by cycling the previous/next virtual desktop to the active state based upon the swipe direction.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein:
the context comprises first and second displays disposed in first and second rotationally coupled housing portions, the first display presenting content of a first application in an editing mode; and
the user interface manager automatically converts the first application from the editing mode to a presentation mode upon detection of the housing portions rotated to a tent orientation.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the presentation mode comprises:
a control panel at the first display presented at a first orientation; and
a presentation panel at the second display presented in an inverted orientation relative to the control panel.

9. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the context includes at least a number of plural displays interfaced with the processor, a resolution of each of the plural displays, and the number of the plural displays that integrate in the housing and that interface as peripheral displays.

10. A method for managing a user interface presented at an information handling system display, the method comprising:
detecting a context at the information handling system;
defining plural touch gestures associated with the context;
detecting touches at a touch sensor integrated in a display of the information handling system;
distinguishing the touches between native touches associated with an operating system of the information handling system and the plural touch gestures;
applying the native touches as inputs by the operating system; and
applying the touch gestures with a user interface manager to have input values based upon the context.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
detecting a context of first and second displays presenting the information as visual images, including at least visual images of a first application presented in a first active window at the first display at a first area;
detecting a first touch gesture of a four finger touch;
responding to the first touch gesture by filling the first and second displays with the first active window;
detecting a second touch gesture of a four finger touch; and
responding to the second touch gesture by presenting the first active window at the first area.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
detecting a context of visual images of virtual input device presented at the display; and
detecting a first touch gesture of a two finger touch on the virtual input device;
responding to the two finger touch by moving the virtual input device with a sliding of the two finger touch; and
responding to removal of the two finger touch by locking the virtual input device in place.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
detecting a first context of a reading application presenting content as visual images at a first display;
detecting a change in orientation of the display; and
in response to detection of the change in orientation, presenting the reading application at first and second displays having a page of content on each of the first and second displays.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
detecting a first context of first and second displays presenting the information as plural windows;
detecting a first touch gesture of a four finger swipe in a first direction;
responding to the first gesture by minimizing all of the plural windows;
detecting a second touch gesture of a four finger swipe in a second direction; and
responding to the second gesture by restoring all of the plural windows from the minimizing.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
detecting a first context of first and second display

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Iyer Hari J
• Guerrero Fernando L

Classifications

• G06F3/0481 Primary

  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 title

• G06F3/0227

  Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer (G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04808

  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 title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F1/1616

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title