Methods and systems for providing an electronic form

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11775741-B2
Application number	US-202217701464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2022
Priority date	Jun 26, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A method and system for providing an electronic form are described. The method and system include identifying a visible portion of the electronic form. The electronic form can include a control component at a component location of the electronic form that is operable to receive an input from a user. The method and system can then determine an accessibility state of the control component based on the component location and at least one of a display property of the display and the visible portion. The accessibility state can be a convenient state when the component location is suitable for the display but is in an inconvenient state when the component location is not suitable for the display. When it is determined that the accessibility state is the inconvenient state, the method and system involves displaying a transient control component, or a version of the control component, on the display.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of providing an electronic form for a display, the method comprising:
providing the electronic form comprising a visible portion and a control component at a component location of the electronic form, the control component being operable to receive an input from a user;
determining whether to provide a transient control component within the visible portion, the transient control component being a version of the control component and the determining whether to provide the transient control component including:
assessing whether the control component is visible and the transient control component is usable based on at least one of a display property of the display and the component location; and
selectively displaying only one of the transient control component and the control component within the visible portion of the electronic form as the visible portion changes.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein assessing whether the transient control component is usable based on at least one of the display property of the display and the component location comprises:
determining a component distance between the component location and an edge of the visible portion;
determining if the component distance is less than a transient threshold, the transient threshold being a minimum distance between the visible portion and the component location before the transient control component is usable; and
indicating the transient control component is usable when the component distance is greater than the transient threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the display property comprises a device type of the display; and
the method comprises:
determining the device type is a mobile display type, the mobile display type indicating the display is provided on a mobile device; and
indicating the transient control component is unusable when the device type is the mobile display type.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the display property comprises a viewing size of the display; and
the method comprises:
determining if the viewing size is less than a size threshold, the size threshold being a minimum view area required for the transient control component to be usable; and
indicating the transient control component is usable when the viewing size corresponds to at least the size threshold.

5. A system for providing an electronic form for a display, the system comprising a processor configured to:
provide the electronic form comprising a visible portion and a control component at a component location of the electronic form and the control component being operable to receive an input from a user;
determine whether to provide a transient control component within the visible portion, the transient control component being a version of the control component including:
assessing whether the control component is visible and the transient control component is usable based on at least one of a display property of the display and the component location; and
selectively display only one of the transient control component and the control component within the visible portion of the electronic form as the visible portion changes.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to:
determine a component distance between the component location and an edge of the visible portion;
determine if the component distance is less than a transient threshold, the transient threshold being a minimum distance between the visible portion and the component location before the transient control component is usable; and
indicate the transient control component is usable when the component distance is greater than the transient threshold.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
the display property comprises a device type of the display; and
the processor is configured to:
determine the device type is a mobile display type, the mobile display type indicating the display is provided on a mobile device; and
indicate the transient control component is unusable when the device type is the mobile display type.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
the display property comprises a viewing size of the display; and
the processor is configured to:
determine if the viewing size is less than a size threshold, the size threshold being a minimum view area required for the transient control component to be usable; and
indicate the transient control component is usable when the viewing size corresponds to at least the size threshold.

9. A method of providing an electronic form for a display, the method comprising:
providing the electronic form comprising a visible portion and a control component at a component location of the electronic form, the control being operable to receive an input from a user;
determining an accessibility state of the control component based on the component location and at least one of a display property of the display and the visible portion, the accessibility state being a convenient state when the component location is suitable for the display and the accessibility state being an inconvenient state when the component location is not suitable for the display; and
in response to determining that the accessibility state is the inconvenient state, selectively displaying only one of the transient control component and the control component within the visible portion of the electronic form as the visible portion changes, the transient control component being a version of the control component.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:
the display property comprises a viewing size of the display, the viewing size indicating an area available for displaying the electronic form; and
identifying the visible portion of the electronic form comprises:
receiving a top display position of the electronic form, the top display position being a first location of the electronic form and the first location corresponding to a top edge of the display;
determining, based on the top display position and the viewing size, a bottom display position of the electronic form, the bottom display position being a second location of the electronic form, the second location correspond to a bottom edge of the display and the bottom edge being opposite from the top edge; and
defining the visible portion according to the top display position and the bottom display position.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the accessibility state of the control component comprises:
determining if the component location is within the visible portion; and
in response to determining the component location is within the visible portion, setting the accessibility state as the convenient state and otherwise, setting the accessibility state as the inconvenient state.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining the accessibility state of the control component comprises:
determining whether the transient control component is usable based on at least one of the component location, the display property and the visible portion; and
setting the accessibility state as the convenient state when the transient control component is unusable.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprises:
determining if the component location is within the visible portion;
in response to determining the component location is outside the visible portion, determining a component distance between the component location and an edge of the visible portion;
determining if the component distance is less than a transient threshold, the transient threshold being a minimum distance between the visible portion and the component location before the transient control component is usable

Assignees

• D2L Corp

Inventors

• Lockhart David
• Geurts Jeff
• Schoger Steve
• Avis Jeffrey

Classifications

• G06F40/174 Primary

  Form filling; Merging · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  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

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• G06F16/9577 Primary

  Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents · CPC title

• G06F40/106

  Display of layout of documents; Previewing · CPC title