User interface directional navigation using focus maps

A method, comprising:

• reading stored instructions for displaying a graphical user interface on a display associated with a computing device, the stored instructions including code for a plurality of focusable GUI elements, each focusable GUI element having an associated identifier;
• storing a precomputed focus map including a focus map entry for each focusable GUI element indicating, for that focusable GUI element, for one or more of a plurality of predetermined navigation directions, a target identifier of a target focusable GUI element for that predetermined navigation direction, and a precomputed scroll flag indicating whether the display will be scrolled when the focus module moves focus to a focusable GUI element of that focus map entry, the precomputed scroll flags being computed via visibility calculations and layout passes of the graphical user interface at run-time, build time, or compile time;
• receiving a user input of a predetermined navigation direction via a user input device associated with the computing device after the precomputed focus map has been computed and stored;
• querying the precomputed focus map with an identifier of a currently focused GUI element and the predetermined navigation direction for retrieving a target identifier of a target focusable GUI element;
• moving focus to the target focusable GUI element without scrolling the display if a focus map entry for the target focusable GUI element includes a precomputed scroll flag computed and stored for that focus map entry prior to receiving the user input that indicates that the display will not be scrolled;
• and
• mapping user input to the target focusable GUI element.

A computing device, comprising:

• a processor configured to execute instructions for a computer program stored on a non-volatile or volatile memory device, the computer program including:
• a rendering module configured to read stored instructions to display a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display associated with the computing device, the stored instructions including code for a plurality of focusable GUI elements, each focusable GUI element having an associated identifier;
• a focus map module configured to compute and store a focus map including a focus map entry for each focusable GUI element indicating, for that focusable GUI element, for one or more of a plurality of predetermined navigation directions, a target identifier of a target focusable GUI element for that predetermined navigation direction, and a precomputed scroll flag indicating whether the display will be scrolled when the focus module moves focus to a focusable GUI element of that focus map entry, the precomputed scroll flags being computed via visibility calculations and layout passes of the graphical user interface at run-time, build time, or compile time;
• a user input module configured to receive a user input of a predetermined navigation direction via a user input device associated with the computing device after the computed focus map has been computed and stored;
• and
• a focus module configured to query the focus map with an identifier of a currently focused GUI element and the predetermined navigation direction to retrieve a target identifier of a target focusable GUI element and move focus to the target focusable GUI element without scrolling the display if a focus map entry for the target focusable GUI element includes a precomputed scroll flag computed and stored for that focus map entry prior to receiving the user input that indicates that the display will not be scrolled;
• wherein the user input module is further configured to map user input to the target focusable GUI element.