No-touch cursor for item selection

摘要

A tilt-based interface controls the position of a cursor on a graphical user interface (GUI) for mobile devices based on changes in the orientation of the device. Cursor positioning and user interface element selection may be accomplished without touching the screen or clicking a button to indicate the user's selection. The underlying coordinate system to which cursor movement is mapped is transformed to alter the speed and behavior of the cursor when the cursor reaches a user-selectable interface elements.

主权项

1. A method of navigating a graphical user interface (GUI) by changing an orientation of a device, comprising:
displaying the GUI, the GUI comprising a first coordinate system, a cursor and a user-selectable icon, the cursor located at a first position in the first coordinate system, wherein the first coordinate system is an unaltered coordinate system of the GUI; receiving an indication from a user to activate a cursor control interface, where cursor motion is at least partially based on changes in orientation of the device; detecting a first change in an orientation of the device; converting the first change in the orientation of the device into a second change in coordinates of a second coordinate system to be mapped to the first coordinate system, wherein the second coordinate system is a transformed cursor-control coordinate system to adjust the position of the cursor based on the second change, the second change to be mapped in the first coordinate system; mapping the second change from the second coordinate system to the first coordinate system to move the cursor based on the second change, wherein:
in response to the cursor not being over the user-selectable icon, the mapping comprises translating the second change in coordinates in the second coordinate system into a first cursor motion in the first coordinate system that is proportional to the first change in the orientation of the device while the first cursor motion is not over the user-selectable icon, andin response to the cursor being over the user-selectable icon, the mapping comprises applying a mathematical transform to translate the second change in coordinates in the second coordinate system into second cursor motion in the first coordinate system that is not proportional to the first change in the orientation of the device while the cursor is over the user-selectable icon, wherein the mathematical transform alters the movement of the cursor in the second coordinate system such that the cursor appears to be pulled to the center of the user-selectable icon in the first coordinate system and the cursor remains at the center in response to a small change in device orientation; and selecting the user-selectable icon in response to the cursor remaining on the user-selectable icon for a specified duration of time.