Pointer tool with touch-enabled precise placement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9292161-B2
Application number	US-73106110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2010
Priority date	Mar 24, 2010
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A pointer tool in a touch-screen display is disclosed. The method includes activating a pointer tool in a touch screen display in response to contact with an area of the touch screen and persisting the displaying of the pointer tool in the touch screen display after the contact with the touch screen is removed. Once editing data is received, the pointer tool is removed from the touch screen display.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
activating a pointer tool in a touch screen display in response to a contact with an area of the touch screen display to display the pointer tool, the pointer tool displayed independent of a location of text in a floating mode such that the pointer tool can be positioned in locations in which a cursor cannot be located, the pointer tool being independent of a location of the cursor and a position of the pointer tool is independent of the text, wherein, in the floating mode, the pointer tool moves in relation to the text without duplication or magnification of the text;
when the pointer tool enters an area that is a predetermined distance relative to a possible cursor position in the text, automatically relocating the pointer tool to notch to the possible cursor position in the text, so as to transition from the floating mode to a notched mode wherein the pointer tool is dependent upon the text;
persisting the displaying of the pointer tool in the touch screen display after the contact with the touch screen display is removed; and
removing the pointer tool from the touch screen display in response to receiving editing data.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
relocating the pointer tool in the touch screen display to an insertion point at character level precision.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 ,
wherein, in the floating mode, the pointer tool moves in a floating fashion respective to the area of contact with the touch screen display.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 ,
wherein locating the pointer tool in the touch screen display upon activation is independent of the location of the cursor and both the cursor and the pointer tool are displayed simultaneously.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:
re-grabbing the pointer tool without reactivating the pointer tool by detecting a contact with the touch screen display in a hit target area of the pointer tool after the contact with the touch screen display has been removed.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the pointer tool is visually weighted towards a lower end thereof to indicate an area of the touch screen where the pointer tool is able to be grabbed so that a manipulated text is not obscured.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the pointer tool comprises one selected from a list comprising: an I-beam, a triangle, an arrow, or an I-beam and triangle.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising: scrolling the text into view by detecting the pointer tool located in an area relative to an edge of an input data field to scroll through the input data field.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising: selecting text using the pointer tool.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the contact with the touch screen display is made with one selected from a list comprising: a stylus, or a finger.

11. A computer-readable storage medium, which is non-volatile, storing computer-executable instructions that cause a computing device coupled to a touch screen to perform a method, the method comprising:
activating a pointer tool in a touch screen display to display the pointer tool in response to a contact with the touch screen display, a location of the pointer tool upon activation being independent of a cursor location and a location of text, the pointer tool movable in a floating mode to locations in the touch screen display in which the cursor cannot be located and locations where the cursor can be located and, in the floating mode, the pointer tool moves in relation to the text without duplication or magnification of the text;
when the pointer tool enters an area that is a predetermined distance relative to an insertion point in the text, automatically relocating the pointer tool in the touch screen display to be notched at the insertion point at character level precision, at least by displaying the pointer tool relative to a contact movement indicating the insertion point, wherein the pointer tool at the insertion point is displayed such that the text in the touch screen display is not overlapped;
persisting the displaying of the pointer tool in the touch screen display after the contact with the touch screen display is removed; and
removing the pointer tool from the touch screen display in response to receiving editing data.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising: wherein, in the floating mode, the pointer tool moves in a floating fashion respective to the area of contact with the touch screen display.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising: re-grabbing the pointer tool by detecting a different contact with the touch screen display; and wherein the pointer tool is visually weighted towards the lower end to indicate an area of the touch screen display where the pointer tool is able to be grabbed so that a manipulated text is not obscured.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising:
wherein the pointer tool comprises an I-beam and a triangle.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising: wherein the pointer tool moves in a notched fashion respective to an area of contact with the touch screen display, wherein moving in the notched fashion comprises locating the pointer tool in possible cursor locations such that the pointer tool does not overlap the text.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising:
wherein the pointer tool moves in a floating fashion respective to an area of contact with the touch screen display until the pointer tool enters the area relative to the insertion point; and
moving the pointer tool in a notched fashion when the pointer tool enters the area relative to the insertion point, wherein moving in the notched fashion comprises locating the pointer tool in possible cursor locations such that the pointer tool does not overlap the text.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising: re-grabbing the pointer tool without reactivating the pointer tool by detecting a different contact with the touch screen display in an area respective of the pointer tool after the contact with the touch screen has been removed.

18. A computer-implemented method comprising:
activating a pointer tool on a touch screen display in response to a contact with an area of the touch screen display that coincides at least in part with a single line edit field, wherein the activating comprises:
detecting a press and hold gesture on a selection of text;
responsive to the detecting of the press and hold gesture on the selection of the text, dismissing the selection of the text; and
responsive to the detecting of the press and hold gesture on the selection of the text, displaying the pointer tool that is independent of a cursor, the pointer tool displayed such that part of the pointer tool is not visible while overlapping a boundary of the touch screen display above the area of a contact with the touch screen display;
moving the pointer tool, in response to a user input, in a free floating mode to a location that the cursor cannot be positioned, the pointer tool movement in the free floating mode being independent of a cursor placement;
when the pointer tool enters an area that is a predetermined distance relative to a first cursor position in an editable text field, automatically relocati

Assignees

• Carter Benjamin F
• Singhal Priyanka
• Davis Shawna Julie
• Sengupta Tirthankar
• Fong Jeffrey Cheng-Yao
• Bickel Ryan Terry
• Davis Peter Gregory
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Carter Benjamin F
• Singhal Priyanka
• Davis Shawna Julie
• Sengupta Tirthankar
• Fong Jeffrey Cheng-Yao
• Bickel Ryan Terry
• Davis Peter Gregory

Classifications

• G06F3/04883

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

• G06F3/04812 Primary

  Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects · CPC title