System and method to perform an undo operation using a continuous gesture

Abstract

A computing device configured to communicate with a display provides a graphical user interface (GUI) and receives gestural input interacting with the GUI from input device. The computing device produces a region on the display to undo a previously performed action. Upon receiving input at the region via the input device, a counter is initiated to count an amount of time the input is consecutively received at the region. Upon the counter reaching a predetermined threshold, an action is executed to undo the previously performed action. A progress of the counter may be indicated. The progress may be indicated by altering the display at the region or a different region. The GUI at the region may display an empty progress bar before the input and be filled in response to the progress. A message may be communicated to invoke an undo operation by another device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing device comprising a processor configured to communicate with a display to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) where the computing device has an input device to receive input interacting with the GUI and a memory coupled to the processor; and wherein the memory stores instructions, which when executed by the processor, configure the computing device to:
 communicate with a remote computing device to have the remote computing device perform an action comprising storing data;   produce a region on the display to receive input for a predetermined amount of time to undo the action previously performed by the remote computing device; and   sending a message to the remote computing device to undo the action following receiving the input at the region for the predetermined amount of time.   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises a confirmation of a completion of a non-messaging task, the remote computing device providing a task management service for the computing device and a plurality of other computing devices to track task performance of non-messaging tasks; and wherein the instructions configure the computing device to provide the GUI as a component of a task management application for the computing device to track performance of non-messaging tasks. 
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 1  configured by the instructions to indicate a progress of a counter via the GUI, the counter configured to count an amount of time the input is received at the region. 
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 3  wherein the GUI represents the counter as a progress bar. 
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the region of the GUI is associated with a control to initiate a counter for counting an amount of time the input is consecutively received. 
     
     
         6 . A computer implemented method comprising:
 communicating, by a first computing device, with a remote computing device to have the remote computing device perform an action comprising storing data;   producing a region of a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display to receive input for a predetermined amount of time to undo the action previously performed by the remote computing device; and   sending a message to the remote computing device to undo the action following receiving the input at the region for the predetermined amount of time.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the data comprises a confirmation of a completion of a non-messaging task, the remote computing device providing a task management service for the computing device and a plurality of other computing devices to track task performance of non-messaging tasks;
 and wherein the method provides the GUI as a component of a task management application to track performance of non-messaging tasks.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  comprising indicating a progress of a counter via the GUI, the counter configured to count an amount of time that the input is received at the region. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the indicating the progress comprises altering the display at the region or a different region. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein method comprises displaying an empty progress bar at the region before the input and wherein altering the display comprises filling the bar. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  comprising associating the region of the GUI with a control to initiate the counter for counting an amount of time the input is received at the region. 
     
     
         12 . A computer program product comprising a non-transient storage device storing instructions that when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, configure the computing device to:
 communicate with a remote computing device to have the remote computing device perform an action comprising storing data;   provide a graphical user interface (GUI) where the computing device has an input device to receive inputs interacting with the GUI;   produce a region on the display to receive an input, for a predetermined amount of time, to undo the action previously performed by the remote computing device; and   sending a message to the remote computing device to undo the action following receiving the input at the region for the predetermined amount of time.   
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the data comprises a confirmation of a completion of a non-messaging task, the remote computing device providing a task management service for the computing device and a plurality of other computing devices to track task performance of non-messaging tasks; and wherein the instructions configure the computing device to provide the GUI as a component of a task management application for the computing device to track performance of non-messaging tasks. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions configure the computing device to indicate a progress of a counter via the GUI, the counter configured to count an amount of time the input is received at the region. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions configure the computing device to represent the counter using a progress bar. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions configure the computing device to associate the region of the GUI with a control to initiate a counter for counting an amount of time the input is received at the region. 
     
     
         17 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the data stored comprises a sign off of a completed task. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the data stored comprises a sign off of a completed task. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the data stored comprises a sign off of a completed task. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 17 , wherein the sign off is associated with a comment and the data comprises the sign off and comment and the action to be undone stored the data to a data store remotely coupled to the computing device.