Portable electronic device for instant messaging

• US 10,572,142 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lemay, Stephen O., Van Os, Marcel, Herz, Scott, Christie, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax, Steven P
• Application Number:
  US15/464,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20170255359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,072 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 : methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

A portable electronic device for instant messaging is disclosed. One aspect of the invention involves a graphical user interface (GUI) on a portable electronic device with a touch screen display. The GUI has a set of messages exchanged between a user of the device and another person. The set of messages are displayed in a chronological order. In response to detecting a scrolling gesture comprising a substantially vertical movement of a user contact with the touch screen display, the display of messages are scrolled in accordance with a direction of the scrolling gesture. The detecting of the scrolling gesture is substantially independent of a horizontal position of the user contact with the touch screen display.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a display;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying, on the display, a message compose region comprising;

a text box for displaying characters of a message entered by a user;

a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys for entering characters in the text box; and

a respective selectable user interface object with a respective position in the message compose region relative to the text box and the virtual keyboard;

receiving a selection input directed to the respective position in the message compose region at which the respective selectable user interface object was displayed; and

in response to receiving the selection input directed to the respective position in the message compose region;

in accordance with a determination that there is user input that includes one or more user-typed text characters in the text box, sending a message that includes the one or more user-typed text characters; and

in accordance with a determination that there is no user input in the text box, forgoing sending a message, wherein the appearance of the respective selectable user interface object at the respective position in the message compose region has a different appearance depending on whether or not there is user input in the text box.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while displaying the message compose region, displaying a message display region including a set of messages exchanged between a user of the device and a first person, wherein sending the message that includes the one or more text characters includes updating the set of messages to include the message.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein updating the set of messages to include the message includes displaying an animation of the message moving from the text box to the message display region.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

receiving selection of a respective key of the virtual keyboard, the respective key representing a respective character; and

in response to receiving selection of the respective key of the virtual keyboard, displaying word suggestions adjacent to the text box, wherein one or more of the word suggestions are based on the respective character.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

receiving selection of a respective word suggestion; and

in response to receiving selection of the respective word suggestion, replacing the respective character in the text box with the respective word suggestion.

6. A method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device with a display;

displaying, on the display, a message compose region comprising;

a text box for displaying characters of a message entered by a user;

a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys for entering characters in the text box; and

a respective selectable user interface object with a respective position in the message compose region relative to the text box and the virtual keyboard;

receiving a selection input directed to the respective position in the message compose region at which the respective selectable user interface object was displayed; and

in response to receiving the selection input directed to the respective position in the message compose region;

in accordance with a determination that there is user input that includes one or more user-typed text characters in the text box, sending a message that includes the one or more user-typed text characters; and

in accordance with a determination that there is no user input in the text box, forgoing sending a message, wherein the appearance of the respective selectable user interface object at the respective position in the message compose region has a different appearance depending on whether or not there is user input in the text box.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

while displaying the message compose region, displaying a message display region including a set of messages exchanged between a user of the device and a first person, wherein sending the message that includes the one or more text characters includes updating the set of messages to include the message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein updating the set of messages to include the message includes displaying an animation of the message moving from the text box to the message display region.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving selection of a respective key of the virtual keyboard, the respective key representing a respective character; and

in response to receiving selection of the respective key of the virtual keyboard, displaying word suggestions adjacent to the text box, wherein one or more of the word suggestions are based on the respective character.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving selection of a respective word suggestion; and

in response to receiving selection of the respective word suggestion, replacing the respective character in the text box with the respective word suggestion.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of a portable electronic device with a display, the one or more programs including instructions for:

displaying, on the display, a message compose region comprising;

a text box for displaying characters of a message entered by a user;

a virtual keyboard having a plurality of keys for entering characters in the text box; and

a respective selectable user interface object with a respective position in the message compose region relative to the text box and the virtual keyboard;

receiving a selection input directed to the respective position in the message compose region at which the respective selectable user interface object was displayed; and

in response to receiving the selection input directed to the respective position in the message compose region;

in accordance with a determination that there is user input that includes one or more user-typed text characters in the text box, sending a message that includes the one or more user-typed text characters; and

in accordance with a determination that there is no user input in the text box, forgoing sending a message, wherein the appearance of the respective selectable user interface object at the respective position in the message compose region has a different appearance depending on whether or not there is user input in the text box.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while displaying the message compose region, displaying a message display region including a set of messages exchanged between a user of the device and a first person, wherein sending the message that includes the one or more text characters includes updating the set of messages to include the message.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein updating the set of messages to include the message includes displaying an animation of the message moving from the text box to the message display region.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 7, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

receiving selection of a respective key of the virtual keyboard, the respective key representing a respective character; and

in response to receiving selection of the respective key of the virtual keyboard, displaying word suggestions adjacent to the text box, wherein one or more of the word suggestions are based on the respective character.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

receiving selection of a respective word suggestion; and

in response to receiving selection of the respective word suggestion, replacing the respective character in the text box with the respective word suggestion.