User input

• US 10,198,173 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Wei, Wang, Kongqiao, Xie, Xiaohui, Liu, Yingfei, Wang, Xia, Liu, Huanglingzi, Wang, Bin, Liu, Zhen, Tang, Yuezhong
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US14/966,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20160179329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 345156-184, 715765, 715769, 702 44, 370352
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

An apparatus, method and computer program product are caused at least to perform: controlling a touch sensitive display to display a first graphical item at a first position and a second graphical item at a second position, the second graphical item being separated from the first graphical item by a first distance; detecting a first user digit at the first position and a second user digit at the second position; reducing the first distance by moving at least one of the first and second graphical items across the touch sensitive display, in response to detecting movement, across the touch sensitive display, of at least one of the first and second user digits; and controlling the touch sensitive display to display a third graphical item, after determining the first distance has been reduced such that the first graphical item is proximate the second graphical item.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer program instructions configured, working with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to;

cause a touch sensitive display to display a first graphical item and a second graphical item, wherein the first graphical item is at a first position, the second graphical item is at a second position and the second graphical item is separated from the first graphical item by a first distance that is greater than a threshold value, and wherein first touch input at the first position causes a first software application to be opened, second touch input at the first position causes the first graphical item to be identified for movement, third touch input at the second position causes a second software application to be opened, and fourth touch input causes the second graphical item to be identified for movement;

respond to the second touch input, at the first position, by identifying the first graphical item for movement;

cause the touch sensitive display to indicate visually that the first graphical item has been identified for movement;

create a hierarchical structure, after determining that the first distance has been reduced such that the first graphical item is within a distance of the second graphical item that is less than the threshold value, in which the first and second graphical items are grouped together and represented by a third graphical item on the touch sensitive display; and

respond to selection of the third graphical item by providing access to the first graphical item, which is selectable to open the first software application, and the second graphical item, which is selectable to open the second software application.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first touch input is touch input for less than a threshold period of time and the second touch input is touch input for greater than a threshold period of time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the third touch input is touch input for less than a threshold period of time and the fourth touch input is touch input for greater than a threshold period of time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer program instructions are configured, working with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

enable the user to ungroup the first graphical item and the second graphical item by moving the first graphical item from the second graphical item by a distance that is greater than the threshold value.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first distance is reduced by moving the first graphical item towards the second graphical item in response to user input at the touch sensitive display.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first distance is reduced by moving the first graphical item concurrently with a user digit across the touch sensitive display, without the user digit being removed from the touch sensitive display after the second touch input at the first position is provided using the user digit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second graphical item is stationary while the first graphical item moves concurrently with the user digit across the touch sensitive display.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the computer program instructions are configured, working with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

cause a coalescence of the first and second graphical items to be displayed on the touch sensitive display after determining that the first distance has been reduced such that the first graphical item is within a distance of the second graphical item that is less than the threshold value.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second graphical items are removed from display after displaying the third graphical item on the touch sensitive display.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the touch sensitive display.

11. A method, comprising:

causing a touch sensitive display to display a first graphical item and a second graphical item, wherein the first graphical item is at a first position, the second graphical item is at a second position and the second graphical item is separated from the first graphical item by a first distance that is greater than a threshold value, and wherein first touch input at the first position causes a first software application to be opened, second touch input at the first position causes the first graphical item to be identified for movement, third touch input at the second position causes a second software application to be opened, and fourth touch input causes the second graphical item to be identified for movement;

responding to the second touch input, at the first position, by identifying the first graphical item for movement;

causing the touch sensitive display to indicate visually that the first graphical item has been identified for movement;

creating a hierarchical structure, after determining that the first distance has been reduced such that the first graphical item is within a distance of the second graphical item that is less than the threshold value, in which the first and second graphical items are grouped together and represented by a third graphical item on the touch sensitive display; and

responding to selection of the third graphical item by providing access to the first graphical item, which is selectable to open the first software application, and the second graphical item, which is selectable to open the second software application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first touch input is touch input for less than a threshold period of time and the second touch input is touch input for greater than a threshold period of time.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the third touch input is touch input for less than a threshold period of time and the fourth touch input is touch input for greater than a threshold period of time.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

enabling the user to ungroup the first graphical item and the second graphical item by moving the first graphical item away from the second graphical item by a distance that is greater than the threshold value.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first distance is reduced by moving the first graphical item towards the second graphical item in response to user input at the touch sensitive display.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first distance is reduced by moving the first graphical item concurrently with a user digit across the touch sensitive display, without the user digit being removed from the touch sensitive display after the second touch input at the first position is provided using the user digit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second graphical item is stationary while the first graphical item moves concurrently with the user digit across the touch sensitive display.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer program instructions configured, working with at least one processor, to cause at least the method as claimed in claim 11 to be performed.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer program instructions configured, working with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to;

cause a touch sensitive display to display a menu comprising a first graphical item, selectable to open a first software application, and a second graphical item, selectable to open a second software application, wherein the first graphical item is at a first position, the second graphical item at a second position and the second graphical item is separated from the first graphical item by a first distance that is greater than a threshold value;

detect a first user digit at the first position;

reduce the first distance by moving the first graphical item across the touch sensitive display in response to detecting movement, across the touch sensitive display, of the first user digit;

create a hierarchical structure in the menu, after determining that the first distance has been reduced such that the first graphical item is within a distance of the second graphical item that is less than the threshold value, the hierarchical structure comprising the first graphical item, the second graphical item and a third graphical item representing a grouping of the first and second graphical items, wherein the third graphical item is in a first level in the hierarchical structure and the first and second graphical items are in a second level of the hierarchical structure, different from the first level in the hierarchical structure; and

respond to selection of the third graphical item in the first level of the hierarchical structure by providing access to the second level in the hierarchical structure, in which the first graphical item is selectable to open the first software application and the second graphical item is selectable to open the second software application.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the computer program instructions are configured, working with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:

detect user input, provided prior to moving the first graphical item across the touch sensitive display, which identifies the first graphical item for movement, wherein the user input that identifies the first graphical item for movement is different from the user input that is provided to select the first graphical item.