# US 9,519,422 B2 · Graphical user interface > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,422 B2 - Document ID: US9519422B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/217,609 - Filed: 2016-07-22 - Published: 2016-11-10 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2010-12-08 - Assignees: Wendell D. Brown - Applicants: Wendell D. Brown; Daniel E. Vaughan - Inventors: Wendell D. Brown; Daniel E. Vaughan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519422B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures - G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance - G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus - G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) - G06F 3/04845: for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour - G06F 3/0485: Scrolling or panning - G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text - G06F 3/04886: by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus - G06F 40/137: Hierarchical processing, e.g. outlines - G06F 3/017: {Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883)} - H04W 88/02: Terminal devices - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A graphical user interface is provided for navigating and/or manipulating content simply via touch of a touch-sensitive surface. The content may include discrete content items (e.g., songs, video clips, documents, web pages) and/or actions (e.g., place a call, read a message, play a game), and may or may not be hierarchical in nature. The interface may be presented on a touch-screen display, such that a user may navigate to a content item or action via a single touch on the display (e.g., with a finger or other tool), followed by gliding through any number of levels or clusters of nodes (representing content items, content compilations/categories and/or actions). The desired content item or action may be initiated automatically (e.g., opened, performed) simply by touching it, by lifting the gliding finger or by performing some other input (e.g., tapping a node, speaking a command, touching with a second finger). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of facilitating a user's navigation of electronic content via a touch-screen display, the method comprising: displaying a first cluster of nodes corresponding to content available for presentation to the user on the touch-screen display; presenting a control on the touch-screen display that, when actuated, toggles display of one or more of: commit points for one or more nodes displayed on the touch-screen display, including a first commit point associated with a first node in the first cluster of nodes; and for each commit point, a corresponding path that traverses the commit point, between a current node displayed on the touch-screen display and the node associated with the commit point; after selection of the first node, by the user, displaying a second cluster of nodes corresponding to content available for presentation to the user on the touch-screen display; tracking the user's navigation of the display through multiple clusters of nodes, including the first cluster of nodes and the second cluster of nodes; during said tracking, receiving multiple simultaneous inputs that affect the navigation; and opening content corresponding to a final node selected by the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to receiving the multiple inputs: scrolling the display in a direction of movement of a first tool touching the touch-screen display; wherein the multiple inputs are provided by the first tool and a second tool simultaneously touching the touch-screen display; and wherein the second tool remains stationary during the movement of the first tool. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: pausing the navigation of the display during said scrolling; and resuming the navigation of the display when the first tool is no longer touching the touch-screen display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to receiving the multiple inputs: initiating an action corresponding to a second node displayed on the touch-screen display, regarding an entity corresponding to a third node displayed on the touch-screen display; wherein the second node is identified by one of the multiple inputs; and wherein the third node is identified by another of the multiple inputs. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein: the action corresponding to the second node is transmission of a communication; and the entity corresponding to the third node is a person known to the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein selection of the first node comprises touch-selecting the first commit point. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: relocating the first node toward the location of the commit point when the user touch-selects the commit point. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: in response to touch-selection by the user of the first commit point, without touching the first node: removing from the display all nodes in the first cluster of nodes except the first node; and displaying the second cluster of nodes separate from the first cluster of nodes. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the device to perform a method of facilitating a user's navigation of electronic content via a touch-screen display of the device, the method comprising: displaying a first cluster of nodes corresponding to content available for presentation to the user on the touch-screen display; presenting a control on the touch-screen display that, when actuated, toggles display of one or more of: commit points for one or more nodes displayed on the touch-screen display, including a first commit point associated with a first node in the first cluster of nodes; and for each commit point, a corresponding path that traverses the commit point, between a current node displayed on the touch-screen display and the node associated with the commit point; after selection of the first node, by the user, displaying a second cluster of nodes corresponding to content available for presentation to the user on the touch-screen display; tracking the user's navigation of the display through multiple clusters of nodes, including the first cluster of nodes and the second cluster of nodes; during said tracking, receiving multiple simultaneous inputs that affect the navigation; and opening content corresponding to a final node selected by the user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises, in response to receiving the multiple inputs: scrolling the display in a direction of movement of a first tool touching the touch-screen display; wherein the multiple inputs are provided by the first tool and a second tool simultaneously touching the touch-screen display; and wherein the second tool remains stationary during the movement of the first tool. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises: pausing the navigation of the display during said scrolling; and resuming the navigation of the display when the first tool is no longer touching the touch-screen display. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises, in response to receiving the multiple inputs: initiating an action corresponding to a second node displayed on the touch-screen display, regarding an entity corresponding to a third node displayed on the touch-screen display; wherein the second node is identified by one of the multiple inputs; and wherein the third node is identified by another of the multiple inputs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein: the action corresponding to the second node is transmission of a communication; and the entity corresponding to the third node is a person known to the user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises: in response to touch-selection by the user of the first commit point, without touching the first node: removing from the display all nodes in the first cluster of nodes except the first node; and displaying the second cluster of nodes separate from the first cluster of nodes. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein selection of the first node comprises touch-selecting the first commit point. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises: relocating the first node toward the location of the commit point when the user touch-selects the commit point. ### Claim 17 An apparatus for facilitating a user's navigation of electronic content via a touch-screen display, the apparatus comprising: the touch-screen display; at least one processor; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: display a first cluster of nodes corresponding to content available for presentation to the user on the touch-screen display; present a control on the touch-screen display that, when actuated, toggles display of one or more of: commit points for one or more nodes displayed on the touch-screen display, including a first commit point associated with a first node in the first cluster of nodes; and for each commit point, a corresponding path that traverses the commit point, between a current node displayed on the touch-screen display and the node associated with the commit point; after selection of the first node, by the user, display a second cluster of nodes corresponding to content available for presentation to the user on the touch-screen display; track the user's navigation of the display through multiple clusters of nodes, including the first cluster of nodes and the second cluster of nodes; during said tracking, receive multiple simultaneous inputs that affect the navigation; and open content corresponding to a final node selected by the user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to, in response to receiving the multiple inputs: scroll the display in a direction of movement of a first tool touching the touch-screen display; wherein the multiple inputs are provided by the first tool and a second tool simultaneously touching the touch-screen display; and wherein the second tool remains stationary during the movement of the first tool. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: pause the navigation of the display during said scrolling; and resume the navigation of the display when the first tool is no longer touching the touch-screen display. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to, in response to receiving the multiple inputs: initiate an action corresponding to a second node displayed on the touch-screen display, regarding an entity corresponding to a third node displayed on the touch-screen display; wherein the second node is identified by one of the multiple inputs; and wherein the third node is identified by another of the multiple inputs. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein: the action corresponding to the second node is transmission of a communication; and the entity corresponding to the third node is a person known to the user. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein selection of the first node comprises touch-selecting the first commit point. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: relocate the first node toward the location of the commit point when the user touch-selects the commit point. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: in response to touch-selection by the user of first commit point, without touching the first node: remove from the display all nodes in the first cluster of nodes except the first node; and display the second cluster of nodes separate from the first cluster of nodes.