Virtual input device placement on a touch screen user interface

• US 20060033724A1
• Filed: 09/16/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas
• Application Number:
  US11/228,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20060033724A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A display is generated on a touch screen of a computer. The display includes an application display, associated with an application executing on the computer, and a virtual input device display for a user to provide input to the application executing on the computer via the touch screen. In response to a virtual input device initiation event, initial characteristics of the virtual input device display are determined. Based on characteristics of the application display and the characteristics of the virtual input device display, initial characteristics of a composite display image are determined including the application display and the virtual input device display. The composite image is caused to be displayed on the touch screen.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of generating a display on a touch screen of a computer, the display including an application display, associated with an application executing on the computer, and a virtual input device display for a user to provide input to the application executing on the computer via the touch screen, the method comprising:

in response to a virtual input device initiation event, determining initial characteristics of the virtual input device display;

based on characteristics of the application display and the characteristics of the virtual input device display, determining initial characteristics of a composite display image including the application display and the virtual input device display; and

causing the composite display to be displayed on the touch screen.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the virtual input device initiation event, displaying the application display on the touch screen without the virtual input device display.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the initial characteristics of the composite display includes determining particular ones of a plurality of portions of the application display to overlay with the virtual input device display.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

determining the particular ones of the plurality of portions include processing an indication of significance of the plurality of portions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

determining the initial characteristics of the composite display includes determining a modification to the application display to accommodate the virtual input device display on the composite display.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

determining a modification to the application display includes determining a modification to the spatial aspect of the application display.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

determining a modification to the spatial aspect of the application display includes determining a portion of the application display to compress.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determine a portion of the application display to compress includes determining a portion of the application display to compress that includes an active input field and determining not to compress the portion of the application that includes the active input field.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual input device initiation event is caused by a user gesture with respect to the touch screen.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user gesture with respect to the touch screen comprises a user touching multiple points of the touch screen in a position having predetermined characteristics.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein a position having predetermined characteristics includes a position having characteristics predetermined to be characteristic of fingers on a input device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the user gesture with respect to the touch screen includes a user gesture with respect to an input field of an application display on the touch screen.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the user gesture with respect to the touch screen includes a user gesture with respect to a particular user interface item displayed on the touch screen.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the particular user interface item is associated with the application display.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user interface item associated with the application display is an input field associated with the application display.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user gesture includes at least one tap on a portion of the touch screen associated with the input field.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the particular user interface item is associated with a desktop portion of the touch screen associated with an operating system of the computer.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a virtual input device deactivation event, causing display of the composite image, including the virtual input device display, to be discontinued.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the virtual input device deactivation event is triggered by a particular gesture of the user with respect to the virtual input device display.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the virtual input device deactivation event is triggered by a particular gesture of the user with respect to the composite display, that is inconsistent with input via the virtual input device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the virtual input device deactivation event is triggered by passing of a particular amount of time since a last input via the virtual input device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the composite display includes a visual indicator visually associating the virtual input device display with an input field of the application display.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the visual indicator is an arrow from a portion of the virtual input device display to the input field of the application display.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the portion of the virtual input device display is an input display of the virtual input device.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the visual indicator is a differentiated display of the input field of the application display.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual input device display includes an input buffer display.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transferring input from the input buffer display of the virtual input device display to an input field of the application display.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the virtual input device initiation event is caused by a user gesture with respect to the touch screen.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the user gesture with respect to the touch screen comprises a user touching multiple points of the touch screen in a position having predetermined characteristics.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein a position having predetermined characteristics includes a position having characteristics predetermined to be characteristic of fingers on a input device.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the user gesture with respect to the touch screen includes a user gesture with respect to an input field of an application display on the touch screen.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the user gesture with respect to the touch screen includes a user gesture with respect to a particular user interface item displayed on the touch screen.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the particular user interface item is associated with the application display.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 41, wherein the user interface item associated with the application display is an input field associated with the application display.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 42, wherein the user gesture includes at least one tap on a portion of the touch screen associated with the input field.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the particular user interface item is associated with a desktop portion of the touch screen associated with an operating system of the computer.

28. A computer-readable medium having a computer program tangibly embodied thereon, the computer program including steps for generating a display on a touch screen of a computer, the display including an application display, associated with an application executing on the computer, and a virtual input device display for a user to provide input to the application executing on the computer via the touch screen, the steps of the computer program comprising:

in response to a virtual input device initiation event, determining initial characteristics of the virtual input device display;

based on characteristics of the application display and the characteristics of the virtual input device display, determining initial characteristics of a composite display image including the application display and the virtual input device display; and

causing the composite display to be displayed on the touch screen.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, the steps of the computer program further comprising:

prior to the virtual input device initiation event, displaying the application display on the touch screen without the virtual input device display.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein:

determining the initial characteristics of the composite display includes determining particular ones of a plurality of portions of the application display to overlay with the virtual input device display.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein:

determining the particular ones of the plurality of portions include processing an indication of significance of the plurality of portions.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein:

determining the initial characteristics of the composite display includes determining a modification to the application display to accommodate the virtual input device display on the composite display.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein:

determining a modification to the application display includes determining a modification to the spatial aspect of the application display.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 33, wherein:

determining a modification to the spatial aspect of the application display includes determining a portion of the application display to compress.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein determining a portion of the application display to compress includes determining a portion of the application display to compress that includes an active input field and determining not to compress the portion of the application that includes the active input field.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, the computer program further comprising:

in response to a virtual input device deactivation event, causing display of the composite image, including the virtual input device display, to be discontinued.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the virtual input device deactivation event is triggered by a particular gesture of the user with respect to the virtual input device display.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the virtual input device deactivation event is triggered by a particular gesture of the user with respect to the composite display, that is inconsistent with input via the virtual input device.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the virtual input device deactivation event is triggered by passing of a particular amount of time since a last input via the virtual input device.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein:

the composite display includes a visual indicator visually associating the virtual input device display with an input field of the application display.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the visual indicator is an arrow from a portion of the virtual input device display to the input field of the application display.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, wherein the portion of the virtual input device display is an input display of the virtual input device.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the visual indicator is a differentiated display of the input field of the application display.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the virtual input device display includes an input buffer display.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 53, the computer program further comprising:

transferring input from the input buffer display of the virtual input device display to an input field of the application display.