Devices and methods for navigating between user interfaces

• US 10,346,030 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2015
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wells, Nicole M., Cato, Andrew B., Gamble, Matthew H., Federighi, Craig M., Westerman, Wayne C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Tuyetlien T
• Application Number:
  US14/866,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20160357305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,381 Days
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A method is performed at an electronic device with a display, a touch-sensitive surface, and one or more sensors to detect intensity of contacts. The method includes displaying, on the display, a user interface for an application; detecting an edge input that includes detecting a change in a characteristic intensity of a contact proximate to an edge of the touch-sensitive surface; and, in response to detecting the edge input: in accordance with a determination that the edge input meets system-gesture criteria, performing an operation that is independent of the application, wherein: the system-gesture criteria include intensity criteria; the system-gesture criteria include a location criterion that is met when the intensity criteria for the contact are met while the contact is within a first region relative to the touch-sensitive surface; and the first region relative to the touch-sensitive surface is determined based on one or more characteristics of the contact.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more processors, a touch-sensitive display, and one or more sensors to detect intensities of contacts with the touch-sensitive display;

displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, a user interface for an application;

detecting, with the one or more processors, the touch-sensitive display and the one or more sensors, an edge input that includes detecting a change in a characteristic intensity of a contact at or adjacent to an edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

,

in response to detecting the edge input;

in accordance with a determination that the edge input meets system-gesture criteria, performing an operation that is independent of the application, wherein;

the system-gesture criteria include intensity criteria;

the system-gesture criteria include a location criterion that is met when the intensity criteria for the contact are met while the contact is within a first region on the touch-sensitive display; and

the size and location of the first region on the touch-sensitive display is dynamically adjusted based on one or more characteristics of the contact, wherein the one or more characteristics of the contact include a size of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

,

in accordance with a determination that the edge input meets application-gesture criteria and does not meet the system-gesture criteria, performing an operation in the application instead of performing the operation that is independent of the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is detected at a location that corresponds to a respective operation in the application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the intensity criteria are met when:

the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is above a first intensity threshold; and

the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is below a second intensity threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first region on the touch-sensitive surface has first boundaries when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface has first spatial properties and second boundaries, different from the first boundaries when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface has second spatial properties.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein, a difference in the first boundaries of the first region and the second boundaries of the first region is greater near a central portion of the edge of the touch-sensitive surface and is smaller near a distal portion of the edge of the touch-sensitive surface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the size of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is based on one or more of:

a measure of a capacitance of the contact, a shape of the contact, and an area of the contact.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first region on the touch-sensitive surface has a first or second size when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is moving at a speed above a first speed threshold and a third size when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is moving at a speed below the first speed threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the system-gesture criteria further include direction criteria specifying a predetermined direction of motion on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the direction criteria are met when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display moves in the predetermined direction on the touch-sensitive display.

9. The method of claim 8, including:

after initiating performance of the operation that is independent of the application;

detecting movement, on the touch-sensitive display, of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting the movement of the contact;

in accordance with a determination that the movement of the contact is in the predetermined direction, continuing performance of the operation that is independent of the application; and

in accordance with a determination that the movement of the contact is in a direction other than the predetermined direction, terminating performance of the operation that is independent of the application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the system-gesture criteria further include a failure condition that prevents the system-gesture criteria from being met when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display moves outside of a second region on the touch-sensitive display before the system-gesture criteria are met.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the system-gesture criteria include a requirement that the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display increases from an intensity below an intensity threshold to an intensity at or above the intensity threshold while the contact is within the first region on the touch-sensitive display.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the intensity criteria vary based on time.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation that is independent of the application is an operation for navigation between applications of the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation in the application is a key press operation.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation in the application is a page switching operation.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation in the application is for navigation within a hierarchy associated with the application.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation in the application is a preview operation.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation in the application is a menu display operation.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more sensors to detect intensities of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface;

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;

displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, a user interface for an application;

detecting, with the one or more processors, the touch-sensitive display and the one or more sensors, an edge input that includes detecting a change in a characteristic intensity of a contact at or adjacent to an edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

,

in response to detecting the edge input;

in accordance with a determination that the edge input meets system-gesture criteria, performing an operation that is independent of the application, wherein;

the system-gesture criteria include intensity criteria;

the system-gesture criteria include a location criterion that is met when the intensity criteria for the contact are met while the contact is within a first region on the touch-sensitive display; and

the size and location of the first region on the touch-sensitive display is dynamically adjusted based on one or more characteristics of the contact, wherein the one or more characteristics of the contact include a size of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

,

in accordance with a determination that the edge input meets application-gesture criteria and does not meet the system-gesture criteria, performing an operation in the application instead of performing the operation that is independent of the application.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the change in the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is detected at a location that corresponds to a respective operation in the application.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the intensity criteria are met when:

the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is above a first intensity threshold; and

the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is below a second intensity threshold.

22. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the first region on the touch-sensitive surface has first boundaries when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface has first spatial properties and second boundaries, different from the first boundaries when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface has second spatial properties.

23. The electronic device of claim 22, wherein, a difference in the first boundaries of the first region and the second boundaries of the first region is greater near a central portion of the edge of the touch-sensitive surface and is smaller near a distal portion of the edge of the touch-sensitive surface.

24. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the size of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is based on one or more of:

a measure of a capacitance of the contact, a shape of the contact, and an area of the contact.

25. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the first region on the touch-sensitive surface has a first or second size when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is moving at a speed above a first speed threshold and a third size when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is moving at a speed below the first speed threshold.

26. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the system-gesture criteria further include direction criteria specifying a predetermined direction of motion on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the direction criteria are met when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display moves in the predetermined direction on the touch-sensitive display.

27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

after initiating performance of the operation that is independent of the application;

detecting movement, on the touch-sensitive display, of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting the movement of the contact;

in accordance with a determination that the movement of the contact is in the predetermined direction, continuing performance of the operation that is independent of the application; and

in accordance with a determination that the movement of the contact is in a direction other than the predetermined direction, terminating performance of the operation that is independent of the application.

28. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the system-gesture criteria further include a failure condition that prevents the system-gesture criteria from being met when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display moves outside of a second region on the touch-sensitive display before the system-gesture criteria are met.

29. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the system-gesture criteria include a requirement that the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display increases from an intensity below an intensity threshold to an intensity at or above the intensity threshold while the contact is within the first region on the touch-sensitive display.

30. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the intensity criteria vary based on time.

31. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the operation that is independent of the application is an operation for navigation between applications of the electronic device.

32. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the operation in the application is a key press operation.

33. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the operation in the application is a page switching operation.

34. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the operation in the application is for navigation within a hierarchy associated with the application.

35. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the operation in the application is a preview operation.

36. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the operation in the application is a menu display operation.

37. 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 with one or more processors, a touch-sensitive display and one or more sensors to detect intensities of contacts with the touch-sensitive display, cause the electronic device to:

display, on the touch-sensitive display, a user interface for an application;

detect, with the one or more processors, the touch-sensitive display and the one or more sensors, an edge input that includes detecting a change in a characteristic intensity of a contact at or adjacent to an edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

,

in response to detecting the edge input;

in accordance with a determination that the edge input meets system-gesture criteria, perform an operation that is independent of the application, wherein;

the system-gesture criteria include intensity criteria;

the system-gesture criteria include a location criterion that is met when the intensity criteria for the contact are met while the contact is within a first region on the touch-sensitive display; and

the size and location of the first region on the touch-sensitive display is dynamically adjusted based on one or more characteristics of the contact, wherein the one or more characteristics of the contact include a size of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

,

in accordance with a determination that the edge input meets application-gesture criteria and does not meet the system-gesture criteria, perform an operation in the application instead of performing the operation that is independent of the application.

38. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the change in the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is detected at a location that corresponds to a respective operation in the application.

39. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the intensity criteria are met when:

the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is above a first intensity threshold; and

the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is below a second intensity threshold.

40. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the first region on the touch-sensitive surface has first boundaries when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface has first spatial properties and second boundaries, different from the first boundaries when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface has second spatial properties.

41. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 40, wherein, a difference in the first boundaries of the first region and the second boundaries of the first region is greater near a central portion of the edge of the touch-sensitive surface and is smaller near a distal portion of the edge of the touch-sensitive surface.

42. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the size of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is based on one or more of:

a measure of a capacitance of the contact, a shape of the contact, and an area of the contact.

43. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the first region on the touch-sensitive surface has a first or second size when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is moving at a speed above a first speed threshold and a third size when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive surface is moving at a speed below the first speed threshold.

44. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the system-gesture criteria further include direction criteria specifying a predetermined direction of motion on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the direction criteria are met when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display moves in the predetermined direction on the touch-sensitive display.

45. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 44, the one or more programs comprise instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

after initiating performance of the operation that is independent of the application;

detect movement, on the touch-sensitive display, of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting the movement of the contact;

in accordance with a determination that the movement of the contact is in the predetermined direction, continue performance of the operation that is independent of the application; and

in accordance with a determination that the movement of the contact is in a direction other than the predetermined direction, terminate performance of the operation that is independent of the application.

46. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the system-gesture criteria further include a failure condition that prevents the system-gesture criteria from being met when the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display moves outside of a second region on the touch-sensitive display before the system-gesture criteria are met.

47. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the system-gesture criteria include a requirement that the characteristic intensity of the contact at or adjacent to the edge of the touch-sensitive display increases from an intensity below an intensity threshold to an intensity at or above the intensity threshold while the contact is within the first region on the touch-sensitive display.

48. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the intensity criteria vary based on time.

49. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the operation that is independent of the application is an operation for navigation between applications of the electronic device.

50. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the operation in the application is a key press operation.

51. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the operation in the application is a page switching operation.

52. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the operation in the application is for navigation within a hierarchy associated with the application.

53. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the operation in the application is a preview operation.

54. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, wherein the operation in the application is a menu display operation.