Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Touch-Based Gestural Input on an Electronic Canvas

• US 20110074828A1
• Filed: 09/25/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Leffert, Akiva Dov, Weeldreyer, Christopher Douglas, Rapp, Peter William, Capela, Jay Christopher, Marr, Jason Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• 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 3/0481 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Methods for touch-based gestural command input on a device with a touch-sensitive surface and a display are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes displaying an electronic canvas including an object at a first magnification level; simultaneously detecting a first and a second contact on the touch-sensitive surface, wherein at least one of the first contact and the second contact on the touch-sensitive surface is at a location that corresponds to a location on the display that is away from the object; detecting a gesture made with the first and second contacts; when a velocity of the gesture is less than a predefined gesture velocity threshold, scaling the electronic canvas in accordance with the gesture; and, when the velocity of the gesture is greater than the predefined gesture velocity threshold transitioning the electronic canvas from the first magnification level to a second, predefined magnification level in response to the gesture.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a multifunction device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface;

displaying an electronic canvas on the display at a first magnification level, wherein the displayed electronic canvas includes at least one displayed object;

simultaneously detecting a first contact at a first location and a second contact at a second location on the touch-sensitive surface, wherein at least one of the first contact location and the second contact location on the touch-sensitive surface is at a location that corresponds to a location on the display that is away from the at least one displayed object;

detecting a first gesture made with the first and second contacts on the touch-sensitive surface;

when a velocity of the first gesture is less than a predefined gesture velocity threshold, scaling the displayed electronic canvas in accordance with the first gesture; and

when the velocity of the first gesture is greater than the predefined gesture velocity threshold, transitioning the displayed electronic canvas from the first magnification level to a second, predefined magnification level in response to the first gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first contact location and the second contact location on the touch-sensitive surface is at a location that corresponds to a location on the display that is on the at least one displayed object, further comprising:

in response to detecting the first contact and the second contact by the user on the touch-sensitive surface, calculating an initial angle between an axis between the first contact and the second contact and an axis corresponding to the touch-sensitive surface;

while detecting the first gesture, calculating a rotation angle between the initial angle and a current angle formed between the axis between the first contact and the second contact and the axis corresponding to the touch-sensitive surface;

when the rotation angle is less than a first predefined angular rotation value maintaining the displayed object at an orientation corresponding to the initial angle; and

when the rotation angle is between the first predefined angular rotation value and a second predefined angular rotation value rotating the displayed object by the calculated rotation angle on the electronic canvas; and

when the rotation angle is greater than the second predefined angular rotation value, rotating the displayed object in predefined rotational increments in accordance with the first gesture.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein once the calculated rotation angle has exceeded the second predefined angular rotation value, the displayed object is rotated in predefined rotational increments in accordance with the first gesture even if the calculated rotation angle falls below the second predefined angular rotation value.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein when the current angle exceeds the first predefined angular rotation value, returning the electronic canvas to the first magnification level.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

when the electronic canvas has been scaled in accordance with the first gesture to exceed a threshold scaling amount, maintaining the displayed object at an orientation corresponding to the initial angle independent of the calculated rotation angle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture is a gesture selected from the group consisting of a pinch gesture and a depinch gesture.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting liftoff of the second contact from the touch-sensitive surface, and detecting that the first contact touches a location on the touch-sensitive surface corresponding to the at least one displayed object on the electronic canvas.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising selecting the at least one displayed object when the first contact continues to touch the at least one displayed object for at least a first predefined time interval.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

after detecting liftoff of the second contact from the touch-sensitive surface, detecting a second gesture made with the first contact on the touch sensitive surface; and

panning the electronic canvas on the display in accordance with the second gesture when the first contact moves on the touch sensitive surface more than a predefined distance.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying a context menu on the electronic canvas in response to detecting that the first contact touches a location on the touch-sensitive surface corresponding to the at least one displayed object for at least a second predefined time interval, wherein the second predefined time interval is greater than the first predefined time interval.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising scrolling the electronic canvas on the display in accordance with the second gesture when a velocity of the second gesture is greater than a second predefined gesture velocity threshold.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a third gesture made with the first contact on the touch sensitive surface; and

moving the at least one displayed object on the electronic canvas in accordance with the third gesture when the third gesture moves on the touch sensitive surface more than a predefined distance.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting a fourth gesture made with the first contact on the touch sensitive surface that moves on the touch sensitive surface more than a predefined distance;

in response to detecting that the fourth gesture;

ceasing to display the context menu; and

,

moving the at least one displayed object on the electronic canvas in accordance with the fourth gesture.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic canvas displays a map.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second magnification level is a hierarchical map zoom level selected from a group consisting of block, street, neighborhood, city, county, state, country, and continent.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic canvas displays objects configured to be manipulated in a drawing program.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second predefined magnification level is a predefined magnification level within the drawing program.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first magnification level is a first predefined magnification level.

19. A multifunction device, comprising:

a display;

a 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 an electronic canvas on the display at a first magnification level, wherein the displayed electronic canvas includes at least one displayed object;

simultaneously detecting a first contact at a first location and a second contact at a second location on the touch-sensitive surface, wherein at least one of the first contact location and the second contact location on the touch-sensitive surface is at a location that corresponds to a location on the display that is away from the at least one displayed object;

detecting a first gesture made with the first and second contacts on the touch-sensitive surface;

when a velocity of the first gesture is less than a predefined gesture velocity threshold, scaling the displayed electronic canvas in accordance with the first gesture; and

when the velocity of the first gesture is greater than the predefined gesture velocity threshold, transitioning the displayed electronic canvas from the first magnification level to a second, predefined magnification level in response to the first gesture.

20. The multifunction device of claim 19, wherein at least one of the first contact location and the second contact location on the touch-sensitive surface is at a location that corresponds to a location on the display that is on the at least one displayed object, further comprising:

in response to detecting the first contact and the second contact by the user on the touch-sensitive surface, calculating an initial angle between an axis between the first contact and the second contact and an axis corresponding to the touch-sensitive surface;

while detecting the first gesture, calculating a rotation angle between the initial angle and a current angle formed between the axis between the first contact and the second contact and the axis corresponding to the touch-sensitive surface;

when the rotation angle is less than a first predefined angular rotation value maintaining the displayed object at an orientation corresponding to the initial angle; and

when the rotation angle is between the first predefined angular rotation value and a second predefined angular rotation value rotating the displayed object by the calculated rotation angle on the electronic canvas; and

when the rotation angle is greater than the second predefined angular rotation value, rotating the displayed object in predefined rotational increments in accordance with the first gesture.

21. The multifunction device of claim 20, wherein once the calculated rotation angle has exceeded the second predefined angular rotation value, the displayed object is rotated in predefined rotational increments in accordance with the first gesture even if the calculated rotation angle falls below the second predefined angular rotation value.

22. The multifunction device of claim 20, wherein when the current angle exceeds the first predefined angular rotation value, returning the electronic canvas to the first magnification level.

23. The multifunction device of claim 19, wherein the electronic canvas displays objects configured to be manipulated in a drawing program.

24. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a multifunction device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

display an electronic canvas on the display at a first magnification level, wherein the displayed electronic canvas includes at least one displayed object;

simultaneously detect a first contact at a first location and a second contact at a second location on the touch-sensitive surface, wherein at least one of the first contact location and the second contact location on the touch-sensitive surface is at a location that corresponds to a location on the display that is away from the at least one displayed object;

detect a first gesture made with the first and second contacts on the touch-sensitive surface;

when a velocity of the first gesture is less than a predefined gesture velocity threshold, scale the displayed electronic canvas in accordance with the first gesture; and

when the velocity of the first gesture is greater than the predefined gesture velocity threshold, transition the displayed electronic canvas from the first magnification level to a second, predefined magnification level in response to the first gesture.

25. A graphical user interface on a multifunction device with a display, a touch-sensitive surface, a memory, and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, the graphical user interface comprising:

an electronic canvas on the display at a first magnification level, wherein the displayed electronic canvas includes at least one displayed object;

wherein;

a first contact at a first location and a second contact at a second location is simultaneously detected on the touch-sensitive surface, wherein at least one of the first contact location and the second contact location on the touch-sensitive surface is at a location that corresponds to a location on the display that is away from the at least one displayed object;

a first gesture made with the first and second contacts is detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

when a velocity of the first gesture is less than a predefined gesture velocity threshold, the displayed electronic canvas is scaled in accordance with the first gesture; and

when the velocity of the first gesture is greater than the predefined gesture velocity threshold, the displayed electronic canvas is transitioned from the first magnification level to a second, predefined magnification level in response to the first gesture.