Device, method, and user interface for processing intensity of touch contacts

• US 10,019,065 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ledet, Raleigh J., Dixon, Ryan S., Beck, Nils T., Wells, Nicole M.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US15/488,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20170220116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electronic device includes a touch-sensitive surface. The electronic device includes one or more sensors to detect intensity of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface. The device detects a first touch input on the touch-sensitive surface, and, in response to detecting the first touch input on the touch-sensitive surface, determines a first intensity applied by the first touch input on the touch-sensitive surface. The device identifies a first intensity model identifier from a plurality of predefined intensity model identifiers, and, in accordance with the first intensity applied by the first touch input on the touch-sensitive surface and one or more thresholds associated with the first intensity model identifier, determines a first touch characterization parameter. Subsequent to determining the first touch characterization parameter, the device sends first touch information to the first software application. The first touch information includes the first intensity model identifier and the first touch characterization parameter.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device having a display, and one or more input devices that are configured to generate tactile outputs in response to inputs, cause the electronic device to:

receive an indication of an input detected by a respective input device of the one or more input devices;

in response to receiving the indication of the input, provide information describing the input to an application running on the electronic device that enables the application to react to the input;

receive a reaction to the input from the application that indicates that a tactile output is to be generated in response to the input; and

in response to receiving the reaction to the input from the application;

compare an input time for the reaction to an output time for the reaction, wherein;

the input time for the reaction corresponds to a time at which the input was detected by the respective input device; and

the output time for the reaction corresponds to a time at which a tactile output corresponding to the reaction is configured to be generated at the respective input device;

determine whether tactile output criteria have been met, wherein the tactile output criteria include a criterion that is met when the input time is less than a predetermined amount of time before the output time;

in accordance with a determination that the tactile output criteria have been met, cause generation, at the respective input device, of a tactile output corresponding to the reaction from the application; and

in accordance with a determination that the tactile output criteria have not been met, forgo generation, at the respective input device, of the tactile output corresponding to the reaction from the application.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the input time for the reaction is stored by the electronic device in response to receiving the indication of the input from the respective input device.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the input time for the reaction is received from the application along with the reaction to the input.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the output time for the reaction is a time at which a tactile output for the reaction would be scheduled by the electronic device.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the output time for the reaction is a time at which the application requested that a tactile output be generated at the respective input device.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic device is configured to cause the generation of tactile outputs at the respective input device in response to changes in intensity of contacts on the respective input device in accordance with one or more intensity models; and

the tactile output corresponding to the reaction from the application is generated without reference to the one or more intensity models.

7. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device in communication with one or more input devices that are configured to generate tactile outputs in response to inputs;

receiving an indication of an input detected by a respective input device of the one or more input devices;

in response to receiving the indication of the input, providing information describing the input to an application running on the electronic device that enables the application to react to the input;

receiving a reaction to the input from the application that indicates that a tactile output is to be generated in response to the input; and

in response to receiving the reaction to the input from the application;

comparing an input time for the reaction to an output time for the reaction, wherein;

the input time for the reaction corresponds to a time at which the input was detected by the respective input device; and

the output time for the reaction corresponds to a time at which a tactile output corresponding to the reaction is configured to be generated at the respective input device;

determining whether tactile output criteria have been met, wherein the tactile output criteria include a criterion that is met when the input time is less than a predetermined amount of time before the output time;

in accordance with a determination that the tactile output criteria have been met, causing generation, at the respective input device, of a tactile output corresponding to the reaction from the application; and

in accordance with a determination that the tactile output criteria have not been met, forgoing generation, at the respective input device, of the tactile output corresponding to the reaction from the application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the input time for the reaction is stored by the electronic device in response to receiving the indication of the input from the respective input device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the input time for the reaction is received from the application along with the reaction to the input.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the output time for the reaction is a time at which a tactile output for the reaction would be scheduled by the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the output time for the reaction is a time at which the application requested that a tactile output be generated at the respective input device.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the electronic device is configured to cause the generation of tactile outputs at the respective input device in response to changes in intensity of contacts on the respective input device in accordance with one or more intensity models; and

the tactile output corresponding to the reaction from the application is generated without reference to the one or more intensity models.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

one or more input devices that are configured to generate tactile outputs in response to inputs;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

receiving an indication of an input detected by a respective input device of the one or more input devices;

in response to receiving the indication of the input, providing information describing the input to an application running on the electronic device that enables the application to react to the input;

receiving a reaction to the input from the application that indicates that a tactile output is to be generated in response to the input; and

in response to receiving the reaction to the input from the application;

comparing an input time for the reaction to an output time for the reaction, wherein;

the input time for the reaction corresponds to a time at which the input was detected by the respective input device; and

the output time for the reaction corresponds to a time at which a tactile output corresponding to the reaction is configured to be generated at the respective input device;

determining whether tactile output criteria have been met, wherein the tactile output criteria include a criterion that is met when the input time is less than a predetermined amount of time before the output time;

in accordance with a determination that the tactile output criteria have been met, causing generation, at the respective input device, of a tactile output corresponding to the reaction from the application; and

in accordance with a determination that the tactile output criteria have not been met, forgoing generation, at the respective input device, of the tactile output corresponding to the reaction from the application.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the input time for the reaction is stored by the electronic device in response to receiving the indication of the input from the respective input device.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the input time for the reaction is received from the application along with the reaction to the input.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the output time for the reaction is a time at which a tactile output for the reaction would be scheduled by the electronic device.

17. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the output time for the reaction is a time at which the application requested that a tactile output be generated at the respective input device.

18. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein:

the electronic device is configured to cause the generation of tactile outputs at the respective input device in response to changes in intensity of contacts on the respective input device in accordance with one or more intensity models; and

the tactile output corresponding to the reaction from the application is generated without reference to the one or more intensity models.