Detecting gestures on multi-event sensitive devices

• US 20080165140A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Christie, Greg, Westerman, Wayne Carl
• Granted Patent: US 7,924,271 B2
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A user interface method is disclosed. The method can include detecting gestures on or above a multi-event sensor panel and performing an action associated with detected gestures. Such action can include activating or changing a state of one or more GUI objects and emulate functions performed by a mouse or trackball input device.

Claims

1. A user interface method, comprising:

detecting a hover event above a multi-event sensor display; and

enlarging a GUI object displayed in the multi-event sensitive display if the hover event is within a predefined proximity to the GUI object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a selection input and performing at least one operation associated with the selection input.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selection input is a predetermined gesture.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the selection input is a tap event detected within a second predefined proximity of the GUI object.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the selection input is a single tap on a surface of the multi-event sensor display.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the selection input comprises a plurality of taps on a surface of the multi-event sensor display within a preset amount of time.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the selection input is gesture comprising two fingers being pinched together.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising enabling the GUI object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the enlarging of the GUI object is terminated when a hover event is no longer detected within the predefined proximity of the GUI object.

11. A computing system capable of implementing the method of claim 1.

12. A mobile telephone capable of implementing the method of claim 1.

13. A digital media player capable of implementing the method of claim 1.

9. The method of claim 9, wherein enabling the GUI object includes opening an application associated with the GUI object.

14. A method performed on a computing device having a display and a multi-event sensing input device, the method comprising:

displaying a GUI object having a first size;

determining if an event is detected;

displaying the GUI object having a second larger size when an event is detected within a predefined proximity of the GUI object; and

terminating the displaying of the GUI object having the second larger size when one of the following occurs;

(a) the event is no longer detected within the predefined proximity of the GUI object,

(b) the event is no longer detected for a preset amount of time,

(c) a certain amount of time has gone by since the step of enlarging, or

(d) a user selection.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user selection comprises maintaining an event over the GUI object for a preset amount of time.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the event is a hover event.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the event is a touch event.

18. A computing system, comprising:

a display device configured to display a graphical user interface;

a multi-event sensor panel integrated with the display device, the multi-event sensitive device configured to detect multiple events occurring simultaneously over the display device;

a processor operatively connected to the display device and the multi-event sensor panel, the processor capable of instructing the display device to initially display at least one GUI object having a first size and to display the GUI object having a second larger size in response to the multi-event sensor panel detecting a hover event within a predefined proximity to the displayed GUI object.

19. The computing system of claim 18, wherein the processor is capable of performing at least one operation in response to an event indicative of a selection of the GUI object.

20. A mobile telephone, comprising:

a display device configured to display a graphical user interface;

a multi-event sensor panel positioned over the display device, the multi-event sensitive device configured to detect multiple events occurring simultaneously over the display device;

a processor operatively connected to the display device and the multi-event sensor panel, the processor capable of instructing the display device to initially display at least one GUI object having a first size and to display the GUI object having a second larger size in response to the multi-event sensor panel detecting a hover event within a predefined proximity to the displayed GUI object.

21. A digital media player, comprising:

a display device configured to display a graphical user interface;

a multi-event sensor panel positioned over the display device, the multi-event sensitive device configured to detect multiple events occurring simultaneously over the display device;

a processor operatively connected to the display device and the multi-event sensor panel, the processor capable of instructing the display device to initially display at least one GUI object having a first size and to display the GUI object having a second larger size in response to the multi-event sensor panel detecting a hover event within a predefined proximity to the displayed GUI object.

22. A program embodied in a computer-readable medium, said program containing executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:

displaying a GUI object having a first size;

displaying the GUI object having a second larger size when an event is detected within a predefined proximity of the GUI object; and

terminating the displaying of the GUI object having the second larger size when one of the following occurs;

(a) the event is no longer detected within the predefined proximity of the GUI object,

(b) the event is no longer detected for a preset amount of time,

(c) a predetermined amount of time has gone by since the step of enlarging,

(d) detecting a user selection of the GUI object.

23. The program of claim 22, wherein detecting the user selection comprises detecting the event over the GUI object for a preset amount of time.

24. The program of claim 22, wherein the event is a hover event.

25. The program of claim 22, wherein the event is a touch event.

26. A computer implemented method for processing event inputs using an event sensitive display device, said method comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of GUI objects;

detecting an event input;

identifying a control state associated with the event input; and

controlling at least one or more of the GUI objects in accordance with the identified control state.

27. The computer implemented method of claim 26, wherein the control state comprises one of a first control state, and second control state or a third control state, the first control state providing control of a first level GUI object, the second control state providing control of a second level GUI object, and the third control state providing control of a plurality of GUI objects.

28. The computer implemented method of claim 27, wherein the first control state is identified by the event input indicating one finger touching the event sensitive display device, the second control state is identified by the event input indicating two fingers touching the event sensitive display device, and the third control state is identified by event input indicating three fingers touching the event sensitive display device.

29. The computer implemented method of claim 27, wherein the first level GUI object is a selectable file icon, the second level GUI object is an open file window, and the plurality of GUI objects is all open file windows.

30. A computing system, comprising:

displaying means for displaying a graphical user interface;

detecting means for detecting an absence or an occurrence of an event on or near the means for displaying; and

processing means for instructing the display means to initially display at least one GUI object having a first size and to display the GUI object having a second larger size in response to the detecting means detecting a hover event within a predefined proximity of the displayed GUI object.