Portable multifunction device, method, and graphical user interface for interpreting a finger gesture

• US 20090058830A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Matas, Michael, Herz, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,665,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04855 Interaction with scrollbars
• 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 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

A portable device with a touch screen display detects a finger-in-contact event at a first position on the touch screen display and identifies a user interface object associated with the first position. The portable device determines whether the identified user interface object is moveable across the touch screen display. For an identified object that is determined to be moveable across the touch screen display, the portable device detects a sequence of one or more first finger-dragging, a first finger-out-of-contact, one or more second finger-dragging, and a first finger-out-of-range events and performs a first operation associated with the identified moveable user interface object at least in part in accordance with the first and second finger-dragging events. For an identified not moveable object, the portable device detects a second finger-out-of-contact event and performs a second operation, different from the first operation in response to a second finger-out-of-contact event.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display with a plurality of user interface objects;

detecting a finger-in-contact event at a first position on the touch screen display;

identifying a user interface object associated with the first position;

detecting a finger-dragging event on or near the touch screen display, the finger-dragging event having an associated position on the touch screen display;

moving the user interface object from its current position to a transit position determined at least in part by the finger-dragging event'"'"'s associated position on the touch screen display; and

repeating said operations of detecting the finger-dragging event and moving the user interface object until a finger-out-of-range event is detected at a second position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface object comprises a slide object that is moveable along a slide bar, wherein said step of moving the user interface object further comprises:

moving the slide object along the slide bar from its current position to a transit position determined at least in part by a projection of the finger-dragging event'"'"'s associated position on the touch screen display onto the slide bar.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second position is on the slide bar and the slide object is ultimately moved to the second position.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the slide object is moved along the slide bar by no more than a distance between the transit position and the current position.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the associated position is off the slide bar and the slide object is moved along the slide bar to the transit position that is at least in part determined by a projection of the associated position onto the slide bar.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface object is moved by a predefined distance in a predefined direction on the touch screen display in accordance with the distance between the transit position and the current position and the direction from the current position to the transit position, respectively.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined direction is substantially the same as the direction from the current position to the transit position.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transit position is exclusively determined by the finger-dragging event'"'"'s associated position on the touch screen display.

9. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display with a plurality of user interface objects;

detecting a finger-in-contact event at a first position on the touch screen display;

identifying a user interface object associated with the first position, the user interface object comprising a slide object that is moveable along a slide bar;

detecting a finger-dragging event on or near the touch screen display, the finger-dragging event having an associated position on the touch screen display;

moving the slide object along the slide bar from its current position to a transit position determined at least in part by the finger-dragging event'"'"'s associated position on the touch screen display; and

repeating said operations of detecting the finger-dragging event and moving the slide object until a finger-out-of-range event is detected at a second position on the touch screen display.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second position is on the slide bar and the slide object is ultimately moved to the second position.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of moving the slide object along the slide bar further comprises:

moving the slide object along the slide bar from its current position to a transit position determined at least in part by a projection of the finger-dragging event'"'"'s associated position onto the slide bar.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the slide object is moved along the slide bar by no more than a distance between the transit position and the current position.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the associated position is off the slide bar and the slide object is moved along the slide bar to the transit position that is at least in part determined by a projection of the associated position onto the slide bar.

14. A graphical user interface on a portable electronic device with a touch screen display, comprising:

a plurality of user interface objects;

wherein;

a finger-in-contact event at a first position on the touch screen display is detected;

a user interface object associated with the first position is identified;

a finger-dragging event on or near the touch screen display is detected, the finger-dragging event having an associated position on the touch screen display; and

the user interface object is moved from its current position to a transit position determined at least in part by the finger-dragging event'"'"'s associated position on the touch screen display, wherein the user interface object is moved repeatedly in response to detecting subsequent finger-dragging events until a finger-out-of-range event is detected at a second position.

15. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen display with a plurality of user interface objects;

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;

detecting a finger-in-contact event at a first position on the touch screen display;

identifying a user interface object associated with the first position;

detecting a finger-dragging event on or near the touch screen display, the finger-dragging event having an associated position on the touch screen display;

moving the user interface object from its current position to a transit position determined at least in part by the finger-dragging event'"'"'s associated position on the touch screen display; and

repeating said operations of detecting the finger-dragging event and moving the user interface object until a finger-out-of-range event is detected at a second position.

16. A computer readable storage medium that stores one or more programs, the one or more programs including instructions that, when executed by a portable electronic device with a touch screen display, cause the device to:

detect a finger-in-contact event at a first position on the touch screen display;

identify a user interface object associated with the first position;

detect a finger-dragging event on or near the touch screen display, the finger-dragging event having an associated position on the touch screen display;

move the user interface object from its current position to a transit position determined at least in part by the finger-dragging event'"'"'s associated position on the touch screen display; and

repeat said operations of detecting the finger-dragging event and moving the user interface object until a finger-out-of-range event is detected at a second position.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display with a plurality of user interface objects;

detecting a finger-in-contact event at a first position on the touch screen display;

identifying among the plurality of user interface objects a user interface object associated with the first position;

determining whether the identified user interface object is moveable across the touch screen display;

for an identified user interface object that is determined to be moveable across the touch screen display;

detecting, in sequence, one or more first finger-dragging events, a first finger-out-of-contact event, one or more second finger-dragging events, and a first finger-out-of-range event; and

in response to detecting the one or more first and second finger-dragging events on or near the touch screen display after determining the identified user interface object is moveable, performing a first operation associated with the identified moveable user interface object at least in part in accordance with the one or more first and second finger-dragging events until the first finger-out-of-range event is detected at a second position on the touch screen display; and

for an identified user interface object that is determined to be not moveable across the touch screen display;

detecting a second finger-out-of-contact event; and

in response to detecting the second finger-out-of-contact event after determining the identified user interface object is not moveable, performing a second operation, different from the first operation.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the identified moveable user interface object includes a slide object that is moveable along a slide bar, wherein said step of performing the first operation further comprises:

moving the slide object along the slide bar from its current position to a transit position determined at least in part by a projection of each of the one or more first and second finger-dragging events'"'"' associated positions on the touch screen display onto the slide bar.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein at least one of the associated positions is off the slide bar and the slide object is moved along the slide bar to the transit position that is at least in part determined by a projection of the associated position onto the slide bar.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the identified moveable user interface object includes a list of information items, wherein said step of performing the first operation further comprises:

scrolling the list of information items vertically from the first position to the second position such that at least one information item in the list disappears from the touch screen display.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the identified moveable user interface object includes a digital image, wherein said step of performing the first operation further comprises:

translating the digital image in a diagonal direction defined at least in part by the direction determined by the first position and the second position.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

for the identified user interface object that is determined to be not moveable across the touch screen display;

detecting a second finger-out-of-range event after the second finger-out-of-contact event is detected; and

performing the second operation in response to detecting the second finger-out-of-contact event without regard to the detection of the second finger-out-of-range event.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the identified not-moveable user interface object includes an alphanumeric key icon, wherein said step of performing the second operation further comprises:

entering a character corresponding to the alphanumeric key icon at a predefined location on the touch screen display.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the identified not-moveable user interface object includes a virtual pushbutton for sending a composed message, wherein said step of performing the second operation further comprises:

sending the composed message to a user-specified recipient address.

25. A graphical user interface on a portable electronic device with a touch screen display, comprising:

a plurality of user interface objects;

wherein;

a finger-in-contact event at a first position on the touch screen display is detected;

a user interface object associated with the first position is identified;

a determination is made whether the identified user interface object is moveable across the touch screen display;

for an identified user interface object that is determined to be moveable across the touch screen display;

a sequence of finger-related events, including one or more first finger-dragging events, a first finger-out-of-contact event, one or more second finger-dragging events, and a first finger-out-of-range event, are detected; and

in response to detecting the one or more first and second finger-dragging events on or near the touch screen display after determining the identified user interface object is moveable, a first operation associated with the identified moveable user interface object is performed at least in part in accordance with the one or more first and second finger-dragging events until the first finger-out-of-range event is detected at a second position on the touch screen display; and

for an identified user interface object that is determined to be not moveable across the touch screen display;

a second finger-out-of-contact event is detected; and

in response to detecting the second finger-out-of-contact event after determining the identified user interface object is not moveable, a second operation, different from the first operation, is performed.

26. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen display with a plurality of user interface objects;

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;

detecting a finger-in-contact event at a first position on the touch screen display;

identifying among the plurality of user interface objects a user interface object associated with the first position;

determining whether the identified user interface object is moveable across the touch screen display;

for an identified user interface object that is determined to be moveable across the touch screen display;

detecting, in sequence, one or more first finger-dragging events, a first finger-out-of-contact event, one or more second finger-dragging events, and a first finger-out-of-range event; and

performing a first operation associated with the identified moveable user interface object at least in part in accordance with the one or more first and second finger-dragging events until the first finger-out-of-range event is detected at a second position on the touch screen display in response to detecting the one or more first and second finger-dragging events on or near the touch screen display after determining the identified user interface object is moveable; and

for an identified user interface object that is determined to be not moveable across the touch screen display;

detecting a second finger-out-of-contact event; and

performing a second operation, different from the first operation in response to detecting the second finger-out-of-contact event after determining the identified user interface object is not moveable.

27. A computer readable storage medium that stores one or more programs, the one or more programs including instructions that, when executed by a portable electronic device having a touch screen display, cause the device to:

detect a finger-in-contact event at a first position on the touch screen display;

identify among the plurality of user interface objects a user interface object associated with the first position;

determine whether the identified user interface object is moveable across the touch screen display;

for an identified user interface object that is determined to be moveable across the touch screen display;

detect, in sequence, one or more first finger-dragging events, a first finger-out-of-contact event, one or more second finger-dragging events, and a first finger-out-of-range event; and

in response to detecting the one or more first and second finger-dragging events on or near the touch screen display after determining the identified user interface object is moveable, perform a first operation associated with the identified moveable user interface object at least in part in accordance with the one or more first and second finger-dragging events until the first finger-out-of-range event is detected at a second position on the touch screen display; and

for an identified user interface object that is determined to be not moveable across the touch screen display;

detect a second finger-out-of-contact event; and

in response to detecting the second finger-out-of-contact event after determining the identified user interface object is not moveable, perform a second operation, different from the first operation.