Touch Inputs Interacting With User Interface Items

• US 20110197153A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bilbrey, Brett, King, Nicholas V., Benjamin, Todd
• Granted Patent: US 8,769,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/769
• 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

Techniques for managing user interactions with items on a user interface are disclosed. In one aspect, a representation of an opening is presented in response to touch input. A display object is moved over the opening, and the display object is processed in response to the moving. In another aspect, touch input pinching two opposite corners of a display object followed by touch input flicking the display object is received and the display object is deleted in response to the inputs. In another aspect, touch input centered over a display object is received and the display object is deleted in response to the input. In another aspect, touch input corresponding to swiping gestures are received and a display object is securely deleted in response to the gestures.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting a display object on a user interface of a first device, the display object corresponding to a system object;

receiving first touch input from a user at a first location on the user interface;

presenting a graphical representation of an opening at the first location on the user interface in response to the first touch input;

receiving second input from a user, the second input moving the display object over the opening;

processing the display object in response to the second input.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second input is touch input dragging and dropping the display object over the opening.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first touch input corresponds to a digging gesture and the opening is a hole or tunnel.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a plurality of first touch inputs corresponding to digging gestures at the first location, wherein a size of the graphical representation of the opening is determined by a number of digging gestures that are received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first touch input corresponds to input drawing a pattern on the user interface, and wherein the opening is a portal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the display object comprises securing the system object corresponding to the display object.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein securing the system object comprises encrypting the display object.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the display object comprises causing a copy of the system object corresponding to the display object to be sent to a second device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the display object comprises moving the system object corresponding to the display object to a directory.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the display object comprises creating a backup of the system object corresponding to the display object.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an appropriate action for processing the first file according to a position of the first device relative to a second device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving third touch input from a user, and in response to the third touch input, closing the opening.

13. A device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a computer readable storage medium storing instructions operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

presenting a display object on a user interface of the device;

receiving first touch input, the first touch input tracing a pattern at a first location on the user interface;

presenting a first graphical representation corresponding to the pattern at the first location in response to the first touch input;

receiving second touch input at the first location;

presenting a graphical representation of an opening at the first location in response to the second touch input;

receiving third input moving the display object over the opening;

processing the display object in response to the third input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the graphical representation of the pattern is a portal.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining whether the graphical representation should be a graphical representation of a window or a door according to an orientation of the device.

16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting a display object on a user interface of a device;

receiving a first touch input pinching two opposite corners of the display object followed by a second touch input flicking the display object;

deleting the display object in response to the first and second touch inputs.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising placing the device in a deletion state in response to user input.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second touch input follows the first touch input with no intervening inputs and within a threshold amount of time.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising presenting an animation of the display object moving off the screen in response to the first and second touch inputs.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising presenting an animation of the display object shrinking in response to the first touch input.

21. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting a display object at a first location on a user interface of a device;

receiving a first input, and in response to the first input, activating a deletion state of the device;

receiving a second touch input centered at a second location on the user interface of the device;

determining that the first location overlaps with the second location; and

deleting the display object presented at the first location response to the determination.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second touch input corresponds to an X centered at the second location on the user interface of the device.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein deleting the display object comprises:

prompting a user to specify either a secure deletion or a regular deletion of the display object;

receiving third input from the user specifying either a secure deletion or a regular deletion of the display object; and

performing either a secure deletion of a system object corresponding to the display object or a regular deletion of the system object corresponding to the display object, according to the third input.

24. A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program comprising instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

presenting a representation of a display object at a first location on a user interface of a device;

receiving first touch input at a second location from a user, the first touch input corresponding to a swiping gestures made with two or more fingers of a single hand made substantially simultaneously;

determining that the first location overlaps with the second location; and

performing a secure deletion of the display object in response to the determination.

25. The computer storage medium of claim 24, the instructions further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising receiving second input, and in response to the second input, causing the data processing apparatus to enter a shredding state.