Expanding touch zones of graphical user interface widgets displayed on a screen of a device without programming changes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9632614-B2
Application number	US-201414242482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2014
Priority date	Apr 1, 2014
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for expanding the touch zones of graphical user interface (GUI) widgets. The coordinates of the screen location of the device (e.g., mobile device) where a GUI widget is displayed on the screen is captured in response to detecting the GUI widget being displayed on the screen. A list of objects, including GUI widgets, that are currently being displayed on the screen and corresponding screen location coordinates are obtained. A GUI widget is then identified from the list of objects by matching its screen location coordinates with the captured location coordinates. An algorithm to expand the touch zone (e.g., in a right-to-left alternation) of the GUI widget is then identified based on the type of widget (e.g., list) is the identified GUI widget. In this manner, the user is able to expand the touch zones of GUI widgets in an easy manner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer program product for expanding touch zones of graphical user interface widgets, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code comprising the programming instructions for:
capturing coordinates of a location on a screen of a device where a graphical user interface widget is displayed on said screen;
obtaining a list of objects displayed on said screen of said device and corresponding screen location coordinates where said objects are displayed on said screen of said device, wherein said list of objects comprises one or more graphical user interface objects;
identifying one of said one or more graphical user interface widgets in said list of objects with a screen location coordinate matching said captured location coordinate;
identifying an algorithm out of a plurality of algorithms for expanding touch zones for different types of graphical user widgets to expand a touch zone for said identified graphical user interface widget;
applying said algorithm to said identified graphical user interface widget to obtain new coordinates of said identified graphical user interface widget; and
displaying said identified graphical user interface widget on said screen of said device with said new coordinates.

2. The computer program product as recited in claim 1 , wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:
receiving user preferences for expanding a touch zone for different types of graphical user interface widgets;
generating algorithms to expand touch zones for designated graphical user interface widgets based on said received user preferences; and
storing said generated algorithms and identifications of corresponding types of graphical user interface widgets whose touch zones will be expanded by said generated algorithms in a data structure.

3. The computer program product as recited in claim 2 , wherein the program code further comprises the programming instructions for:
performing a look-up in said data structure to identify said algorithm to expand said touch zone for said identified graphical user interface widget based on a type of widget is said identified graphical user interface widget.

4. The computer program product as recited in claim 1 , wherein said identified graphical user interface widget comprises one of the following: a list and a menu.

5. The computer program product as recited in claim 1 , wherein said algorithm expands said touch zone for said identified graphical user interface widget by one of the following manners: right-to-left alternation, left-to-right alternation, staggered and side-by-side alternation.

6. The computer program product as recited in claim 1 , wherein said list of objects displayed on said screen of said device and corresponding screen location coordinates are obtained from a native application or browser application.

7. The computer program product as recited in claim 1 , wherein said coordinates of said location on said screen of said device where said graphical user interface widget is displayed on said screen are captured from an event mechanism in response to said event mechanism detecting said graphical user interface widget being displayed on said screen.

8. A device, comprising:
a memory unit for storing a computer program for expanding touch zones of graphical user interface widgets; and
a processor coupled to the memory unit, wherein the processor is configured to execute the program instructions of the computer program comprising:
capturing coordinates of a location on a screen of a device where a graphical user interface widget is displayed on said screen;
obtaining a list of objects displayed on said screen of said device and corresponding screen location coordinates where said objects are displayed on said screen of said device, wherein said list of objects comprises one or more graphical user interface objects;
identifying one of said one or more graphical user interface widgets in said list of objects with a screen location coordinate matching said captured location coordinate;
identifying an algorithm out of a plurality of algorithms for expanding touch zones for different types of graphical user widgets to expand a touch zone for said identified graphical user interface widget;
applying said algorithm to said identified graphical user interface widget to obtain new coordinates of said identified graphical user interface widget; and
displaying said identified graphical user interface widget on said screen of said device with said new coordinates.

9. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the program instructions of the computer program further comprises:
receiving user preferences for expanding a touch zone for different types of graphical user interface widgets;
generating algorithms to expand touch zones for designated graphical user interface widgets based on said received user preferences; and
storing said generated algorithms and identifications of corresponding types of graphical user interface widgets whose touch zones will be expanded by said generated algorithms in a data structure.

10. The device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the program instructions of the computer program further comprises:
performing a look-up in said data structure to identify said algorithm to expand said touch zone for said identified graphical user interface widget based on a type of widget is said identified graphical user interface widget.

11. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein said identified graphical user interface widget comprises one of the following: a list and a menu.

12. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein said algorithm expands said touch zone for said identified graphical user interface widget by one of the following manners: right-to-left alternation, left-to-right alternation, staggered and side-by-side alternation.

13. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein said list of objects displayed on said screen of said device and corresponding screen location coordinates are obtained from a native application or browser application.

14. The device as recited in claim 8 , wherein said coordinates of said location on said screen of said device where said graphical user interface widget is displayed on said screen are captured from an event mechanism in response to said event mechanism detecting said graphical user interface widget being displayed on said screen.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Howard Curtiss J
• Kenna Stephen J
• Price Dana L

Classifications

• G06F3/04817 Primary

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• G06F3/0418

  for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title