1. Field
This disclosure generally relates to computing devices. More particularly, the disclosure relates to ordering of objects displayed by a touch enabled device.
2. General Background
Some current touch-enabled devices display objects according to various layers. For example, a user may drag an object so that object, or a portion of that object, is displayed in front of layers of other objects. However, current touch-enabled configurations provide little maneuverability amongst such objects to a user. For example, a user may view a stack of objects and wish to reorder the stack such that the last object is the second to last object. Current configurations do not provide such functionality. Current configurations only allow a user to drag and object from the stack, which results in the object being moved to the top of the stack. Further, a drag has to be performed as a tap gesture does not result in any movement of objects within the stack.
In one aspect of the disclosure, a touch enabled device is provided. The touch enabled device includes a touch enabled graphical user interface that displays a plurality of objects according to an ordering along an axis with respect to the touch enabled graphical user interface. Further, the touch enabled device includes an input module that receives a first touch input directed toward a first object in the plurality of objects and a second touch input directed toward a second object in the plurality of objects. In addition, the touch enabled device includes a processor that repositions the first object in proximity to the second object along the axis.
In another aspect of the disclosure, a computer program product is provided. The computer program product includes a computer useable medium having a computer readable program. The computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to display a plurality of objects according to an ordering along an axis with respect to the touch enabled graphical user interface. Further, the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to receive a first touch input directed toward a first object in the plurality of objects and a second touch input directed toward a second object in the plurality of objects. In addition, the computer readable program when executed on the computer causes the computer to reposition the first object in proximity to the second object along the axis. The computer readable program when executed on the computer also causes the computer to provide a visual feedback during the repositioning.
In yet another aspect of the disclosure, a process is provided. The process displays, with a touch enabled graphical user interface, a plurality of objects according to an ordering along an axis with respect to the touch enabled graphical user interface, the axis being perpendicular to the touch enabled graphical user interface. Further, the process concurrently receives, with an input module, a first touch input directed toward a first object in the plurality of objects and a second touch input directed toward a second object in the plurality of objects. In addition, the process repositions, with a processor, the first object in proximity to the second object along the axis. The process also provides, with the processor, a visual feedback during the repositioning.
The above-mentioned features of the present disclosure will become more apparent with reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals denote like elements and in which:
As an alternative to the visual feedback of
Accordingly,
A reordering configuration for a plurality of objects is provided. The reordering configuration may be utilized to reorder objects at arbitrary positions in a stack. Further, in one embodiment, a visual feedback is provided to depict what is happening to objects as objects are repositioned. The reordering configuration may be utilized to manipulate a display to clearly indicate the intention of the user with respect to reordering objects in a stack of objects. In contrast with a configuration that simply moves an object to the top of the stack, the reordering configuration allows a user to indicate particular position in the stack to which an object is moved. A reference object in the stack is designated so that the user may move an object with respect to that reference object. Further, the visual feedback displays the effect on the other objects during the process of repositioning an object. The visual feedback may provide the appearance of a natural reordering of objects. Accordingly, the user may have more a natural interactivity with a computing device than a configuration that simply moves an object to the top of the stack.
The computing device may be a touch enabled device or a non-touch enabled device. The touch enabled device may be any computing device such as a tablet device, smart phone, personal computer (“PC”), laptop, or the like that allows a user to perform operations in the touch enabled device GUI by touching the GUI with one or more fingers, a stylus, or the like. The object may be a media object, a text object, a video object, an audio object, a graphics object, an interactive object, or the like. Further, the non-touch enabled device may be any computing device such as a tablet device, smart phone, PC, laptop, or the like that receives any type of non-touch input.
The configurations provided for herein allow a user to have full control over the positioning of objects within a stack. As an example, with respect to a touch enabled device, a user may utilize various touch inputs concurrently to provide precise inputs to move objects within the stack. The user may utilize multiple hands, multiple fingers, multiple styluses, a combination of hand and a stylus, a combination of a finger and a stylus, or the like to provide touch inputs to indicate the reordering of objects within a stack.
In one embodiment, the order of the objects is measured according to an axis of the touch enabled device GUI 102. A coordinate system 150 is illustrated for reference. The coordinate system 150 may include axes such as an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis. For example, the order may be measured along the z-axis. As another example, the order may be measured along an axis perpendicular to the touch enabled device GUI 102. The coordinate system 150 may or may not be illustrated in the touch enabled device GUI 102 for reference by the user.
In one embodiment, a user command to move a first object toward a second object indicates that the first object should be positioned above the second object. As an example, a user may indicate the first object with a first tap and a second object with a second tap. The user may drag the first object after the first tap. The drag may be a tap and hold drag or a tap, release, and drag. Accordingly, the first tapped object is the object that moves and the second tapped object is the object that is the reference object. In another embodiment, a user command to move a first object toward a second object indicates that the first object should be positioned under the first object. As an example, a user may indicate the first object with a first tap and a second object with a second tap. The user may drag the first object after the first tap. The drag may be a tap and hold drag or a tap, release, and drag. Accordingly, the first tapped object is the object that moves and the second tapped object is the object that is the reference object. The configurations may be customized by the user to provide commands that are suitable for the user.
In yet another embodiment, a user command to move a second object towards a first object indicates that the first object should be positioned above the second object. As an example, a user may indicate the first object with a first tap and a second object with a second tap. Accordingly, the first tapped object is the reference object and the second tapped object is the object that moves. In another embodiment, a user command to move a second object towards a first object indicates that the first object should be positioned under the second object. As an example, a user may indicate the first object with a first tap and a second object with a second tap. Accordingly, the first tapped object is the reference object and the second tapped object is the object that moves. The configurations may be customized by the user to provide commands that are suitable for the user.
Although examples of two objects in a plurality of objects are utilized more than two objects may be manipulated. For example, a user may potentially utilize more than two fingers to move two or more objects with respect to another reference object. In one embodiment, if two are more objects are moved simultaneously, their relative ordering is not changed. For example, if the initial order of objects A, B, C, D, E, and F is ABCDEF and DEF are moved in front of B, the resulting order would be ADEFBC.
Further, although examples of touch enabled devices are illustrated, non-touch enabled devices may also be utilized. For example, a PC may be operably connected to a keyboard with a modifier key so that a user may utilize a computer mouse to point to a reference object, designate that object with the modifier key, and then move the mouse pointer to another object to be moved with respect to the reference object by utilizing a computer mouse button.
The Input/Output (“I/O”) devices 602 can be coupled directly to the system configuration 500 or through intervening input/output controllers. Further, the I/O devices 502 may include a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a microphone for capturing speech commands, a pointing device, and other user input devices that will be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art. Further, the I/O devices 602 may include output devices such as a printer, display screen, or the like. Further, the I/O devices 602 may include a receiver, transmitter, speaker, display, image capture sensor, biometric sensor, etc. In addition, the I/O devices 602 may include storage devices such as a tape drive, floppy drive, hard disk drive, compact disk (“CD”) drive, etc.
Network adapters may also be coupled to the system configuration 600 to enable the system configuration 600 to become coupled to other systems, remote printers, or storage devices through intervening private or public networks. Modems, cable modems, and Ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters. The processes described herein may be implemented in a general, multi-purpose or single purpose processor. Such a processor will execute instructions, either at the assembly, compiled or machine-level, to perform the processes. Those instructions can be written by one of ordinary skill in the art following the description of the figures corresponding to the processes and stored or transmitted on a computer readable medium. The instructions may also be created using source code or any other known computer-aided design tool. A computer readable medium may be any medium capable of carrying those instructions and include a CD-ROM, DVD, magnetic or other optical disc, tape, silicon memory (e.g., removable, non-removable, volatile or non-volatile), packetized or non-packetized data through wireline or wireless transmissions locally or remotely through a network. A computer is herein intended to include any device that has a general, multi-purpose or single purpose processor as described above.
It should be understood that the computer program products, processes, and systems described herein can take the form of entirely hardware embodiments, entirely software embodiments, or embodiments containing both hardware and software elements. If software is utilized to implement the method or system, the software can include but is not limited to firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.
It is understood that the computer program products, processes, and systems described herein may also be applied in other types of processes and systems. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various adaptations and modifications of the embodiments of the processes and systems described herein may be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the present processes, systems, and computer program products. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the present processes, systems, and computer program products may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/539,716, entitled “Ordering of Objects Displayed by a Computing Device,” filed on Sep. 27, 2011, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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