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When using a web application, a user may hover a cursor over a user interface element (e.g., a hyperlink or a button) to obtain information about the user interface element. This information is typically presented in the form of a tooltip. In contrast, when using a mobile application, there is no cursor that the user can hover over a user interface element. Therefore, there are limited options for a user to obtain information about a user interface element of a mobile application without selecting the user interface element.
The present invention extends to systems, methods and computer program products for supporting micro swipes for generating custom user interface responses. A mobile application can include a micro swipe handler that is configured to detect when a user has performed a micro swipe on a user interface element. The micro swipe handler can interface with a micro swipe management service to determine if any custom user interface response to a micro swipe is associated with the user interface element. If so, the micro swipe management service can provide the custom user interface response to the micro swipe handler which in turn can update the user interface of the mobile application in accordance with the custom user interface response.
In some embodiments, the present invention may be implemented as a method for supporting micro swipes for generating custom user interface responses. A micro swipe handler of a mobile application that is executing on a mobile computing device can detect that a user has performed a swipe on a user interface of the mobile application. The micro swipe handler can determine that the swipe is a micro swipe. In response to determining that the swipe is a micro swipe, the micro swipe handler can send a micro swipe request to a micro swipe management service. The micro swipe handler can receive, from the micro swipe management service, a micro swipe response that defines a custom user interface response. The micro swipe handler can generate the custom user interface response in the user interface of the mobile application.
In some embodiments, the present invention may be implemented as computer storage media storing computer executable instructions which when executed implement a method for supporting micro swipes for generating custom user interface responses. A micro swipe handler of a mobile application that is executing on a mobile computing device can detect that a user has performed a swipe on a first user interface element of a user interface of the mobile application. The micro swipe handler can determine that the swipe is a micro swipe by calculating that a length of the swipe is less than a threshold. In response to determining that the swipe is a micro swipe, the micro swipe handler can send a micro swipe request to a micro swipe management service. The micro swipe request can include an identifier of the first user interface element. The micro swipe handler can receive, from the micro swipe management service, a micro swipe response that defines a custom user interface response. The micro swipe response can be associated with the identifier of the first user interface element. The micro swipe handler can generate the custom user interface response in association with the first user interface element in the user interface of the mobile application.
In some embodiments, the present invention may be implemented as a system that includes a management server hosting a micro swipe management service and at least one mobile computing device on which a mobile application is installed. The mobile application can include a user interface and a micro swipe handler. The micro swipe handler can be configured to implement a method for supporting micro swipes for generating custom user interface responses in the user interface while the user interface is displayed on the respective mobile computing device. The micro swipe handler can detect that a user has performed a swipe on a first user interface element in the user interface. The micro swipe handler can determine that the swipe is a micro swipe. In response to determining that the swipe is a micro swipe, the micro swipe handler can send a micro swipe request to the micro swipe management service. The micro swipe handler can receive, from the micro swipe management service, a micro swipe response that defines a custom user interface response. The micro swipe handler can cause the user interface to be updated to include the custom user interface response.
This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter.
Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
Management server 200 can represent any hardware arrangement on which a micro swipe management service 210 may be hosted and made accessible to mobile computing device 100 via network communications. For example, management server 200 could represent a standalone server computing device, a virtual machine, or a cloud. Management server 200 can also maintain or provide access to a micro swipe database 220 in which micro swipe responses may be defined and maintained.
Mobile app 110 can represent any application that is configured to run on mobile computing device 100 and that includes a user interface 111 and a micro swipe handler 112. In this description, mobile app 110 will be described as an inventory management app (e.g., MyDell Mobile) that individuals or administrators may use to manage their or an entity's computing devices and/or other hardware.
User interface 111 can represent the computer-executable instructions that define which user interface elements are included in mobile app 110's user interface and corresponding functionality. Micro swipe handler 112, which could be considered part of user interface 111, can represent one or more components that are configured to detect at least some types of user input to user interface 111. Of most relevance, micro swipe handler 112 can be configured to detect when a user is performing or has performed a swipe on or over a user interface element and to determine if the swipe constitutes a micro swipe. As one example only, if the UI platform is Flutter, micro swipe handler 112 could comprise a GestureDetector.
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In step 5b, and when micro swipe handler 112 has determined that a micro swipe has occurred, micro swipe handler 112 can send a micro swipe request to micro swipe management server 210. This micro swipe request can identify the asset ID of the user interface element on which the micro swipe occurred which is AssetID1 in this example. In some embodiments, micro swipe handler 112 may include other parameters in the micro swipe request such as a user ID, language, locale, etc. of the user logged in to mobile application 110.
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As described below, a micro swipe response could define other action and control types. Also, in some embodiments, multiple micro swipe responses could be associated with the same user interface element (e.g., with the same asset ID) and one or more other parameters (e.g., user ID, language, locale, etc.) could be used to select one of the micro swipe responses. In short, a developer, administrator, or other user could create a micro swipe response to define any suitable custom user interface response for a micro swipe.
In step 6b, micro swipe management service 210 can return the micro swipe response to micro swipe handler 112. In some embodiments, micro swipe management service 210 may return a single matching micro swipe response. In embodiments where multiple matching micro swipe responses exist, micro swipe management service 210 could provide each matching micro swipe response to micro swipe handler 112 which in turn could use additional information or logic to select one of the micro swipe responses to be used to generate the custom user interface response to the micro swipe.
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Notably, the custom user interface response that occurs in response to a micro swipe on a user interface element can be updated as desired by updating or creating the micro swipe response in micro swipe database 220 without otherwise adjusting user interface 111. This facilitates customizing and updating user interface 111 to present the most useful custom user interface response for a given user interface element.
The above-described functionality could also be performed for other types of user input. For example, rather than or in addition to retrieving a custom user interface response when a micro swipe is detected, a handler could be configured to detect a long press (i.e., a touch and hold) on a user interface element and retrieve a custom user interface response to be presented in response to the long press.
Embodiments of the present invention may comprise or utilize special purpose or general-purpose computers including computer hardware, such as, for example, one or more processors and system memory. Embodiments within the scope of the present invention also include physical and other computer-readable media for carrying or storing computer-executable instructions and/or data structures. Such computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer system.
Computer-readable media are categorized into two disjoint categories: computer storage media and transmission media. Computer storage media (devices) include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM, solid state drives (“SSDs”) (e.g., based on RAM), Flash memory, phase-change memory (“PCM”), other types of memory, other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other similar storage medium which can be used to store desired program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. Transmission media include signals and carrier waves. Because computer storage media and transmission media are disjoint categories, computer storage media does not include signals or carrier waves.
Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions and data which, when executed by a processor, cause a general-purpose computer, special purpose computer, or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions. The computer executable instructions may be, for example, binaries, intermediate format instructions such as assembly language or P-Code, or even source code.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced in network computing environments with many types of computer system configurations, including, personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, message processors, hand-held devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile telephones, PDAs, tablets, smart watches, pagers, routers, switches, and the like.
The invention may also be practiced in distributed system environments where local and remote computer systems, which are linked (either by hardwired data links, wireless data links, or by a combination of hardwired and wireless data links) through a network, both perform tasks. In a distributed system environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices. An example of a distributed system environment is a cloud of networked servers or server resources. Accordingly, the present invention can be hosted in a cloud environment.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20210097776 | Faulkner | Apr 2021 | A1 |
20210191600 | Lemay | Jun 2021 | A1 |
20220083197 | Rockel | Mar 2022 | A1 |
20220091722 | Faulkner | Mar 2022 | A1 |