Soft control user interface with touchpad input device
View Patent ↗In one embodiment, a user of a mobile device adjusts a controllable parameter of an application hosted by the mobile device by using touch inputs to the mobile device's side-mounted touchpad.
1. A method comprising:
by a computing device, displaying on a display of the computing device a graphical parameter-control element in a graphical user interface indicating a linear range and a position value of a controllable parameter of an application of the computing device;
by the computing device, detecting a touch event on a touchpad of the computing device;
by the computing device, if the touch event is a scrolling event, then scrolling the position value along the range based on a direction of the scrolling event, wherein the position value is adjusted by a relative amount within the linear range mapping to a relative distance of the scrolling event along the touchpad; and
by the computing device, if the touch event is a tap event, then changing the position value within the linear range to a relative position value mapping to a relative location of the touch event on the touchpad.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relative distance of the scrolling event comprises a ratio between:
a distance between start and end locations of the scrolling event; and
a total length of the touchpad.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the application of the computing device is a camera application;
the controllable parameter is a zoom level of the camera application;
the graphical parameter-control element is a zoom bar;
the range is a zoom range of the camera application; and
the position value corresponds to a zoom-level value of the camera application.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relative location of the touch event on the touchpad comprises a ratio between:
a distance from an edge of the touchpad to a location of the touch event; and
a total length of the touchpad.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the application of the computing device is a media-player application;
the controllable parameter is progress of playback of media by the media-player application;
the graphical parameter-control element is a playback-progress bar,
the range is a playback time of the media; and
the position value corresponds to a point in the playback time of the media.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display of the graphic parameter-control element in the graphical user interface is based on an orientation of the computing device.
7. A device comprising:
a display;
a side-mounted touchpad;
one or more processors; and
a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to:
display on the display a graphical parameter-control element in a graphical user interface indicating a linear range and a position value of a controllable parameter of an application of the device;
detect a touch event on the side-mounted touchpad;
if the touch event is a scrolling event, then scroll the position value along the range based on a direction of the scrolling event, wherein the position value is adjusted by a relative amount within the linear range mapping to a relative distance of the scrolling event along the touchpad; and
if the touch event is a tap event, then change the position value within the linear range to a relative position value mapping to a relative location of the touch event on the touchpad.
8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the relative distance of the scrolling event comprises a ratio between:
a distance between start and end locations of the scrolling event; and
a total length of the touchpad.
9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the display of the graphical parameter-control element in the graphical user interface is based on an orientation of the device.
10. The device of claim 7 wherein:
the application of the device is a camera application;
the controllable parameter is a zoom level of the camera application;
the graphical parameter-control element is a zoom bar;
the range is a zoom range of the camera application; and
the position value corresponds to a zoom-level value of the camera application.
11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the relative location of the touch event on the touchpad comprises a ratio between:
a distance from an edge of the touchpad to a location of the touch event; and
a total length of the touchpad.
12. The device of claim 7 , wherein:
the application of the device is a media-player application;
the controllable parameter is progress of playback of media by the media-player application;
the graphical parameter-control element is a playback-progress bar;
the range is a playback time of the media; and
the position value corresponds to a point in the playback time of the media.
13. One or more computer readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executing on a computing device to:
display on a display of the computing device a graphical parameter-control element in a graphical user interface indicating a linear range and a position value of a controllable parameter of an application of the computing device;
by the computing device, detect a touch event on a touchpad of the computing device;
by the computing device, if the touch event is a scrolling event, then scroll the position value along the range based on a direction of the scrolling event, wherein the position value is adjusted by a relative amount within the linear range mapping to a relative distance of the scrolling event along the touchpad; and
by the computing device, if the touch event is a tap event, then change the position value within the linear range to a relative position value mapping to a relative location of the touch event on the touchpad.
14. The media of claim 13 , wherein the relative distance of the scrolling event comprises a ratio between:
a distance between start and end locations of the scrolling event; and
a total length of the touchpad.
15. The media of claim 13 , wherein the display of the graphic parameter-control element in the graphical user interface is based on an orientation of the computing device.
16. The media of claim 13 , wherein:
the application of the computing device is a camera application;
the controllable parameter is a zoom level of the camera application;
the graphical parameter-control element is a zoom bar;
the range is a zoom range of the camera application; and
the position value corresponds to a zoom-level value of the camera application.
17. The media of claim 13 , wherein the relative location of the touch event on the touchpad comprises a ratio between:
a distance from an edge of the touchpad to a location of the touch event; and
a total length of the touchpad.
18. The media of claim 13 , wherein:
the application of the computing device is a media-player application;
the controllable parameter is progress of playback of media by the media-player application;
the graphical parameter-control element is a playback-progress bar;
the range is a playback time of the media; and
the position value corresponds to a point in the playback time of the media.