Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface with Concurrent Virtual Keyboards

• US 20110242138A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tribble, Guy L.
• Application Number:
  US12/752,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20110242138A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/663
• 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 multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display concurrently displays a first virtual keyboard at a first location on the touch-sensitive display and a second virtual keyboard at a second location, distinct from the first location, on the touch-sensitive display. In response to detecting a first finger gesture on a first key in the first virtual keyboard, an action corresponding to the first key in the first virtual keyboard is performed. In response to detecting a second finger gesture on a second key in the second virtual keyboard, an action corresponding to the second key in the second virtual keyboard is performed.

Claims

1. A multifunction device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

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 concurrently a first virtual keyboard at a first location on the touch-sensitive display and a second virtual keyboard at a second location, distinct from the first location, on the touch-sensitive display;

detecting a first finger gesture on a first key in the first virtual keyboard;

in response to detecting the first finger gesture on the first key in the first virtual keyboard, performing an action corresponding to the first key in the first virtual keyboard;

detecting a second finger gesture on a second key in the second virtual keyboard; and

,

in response to detecting the second finger gesture on the second key in the second virtual keyboard, performing an action corresponding to the second key in the second virtual keyboard.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the second virtual keyboard is a duplicate of the first virtual keyboard.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first location is located at a first corner area on the touch-sensitive display; and

the second location is located at a second corner area on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second corner area is opposite the first corner area.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first location is located at a first edge area adjacent to a first edge of the touch-sensitive display; and

the second location is located at a second edge area adjacent to a second edge of the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second edge is opposite the first edge.

5. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

in response to detecting a predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive display, displaying concurrently the first virtual keyboard at the first location on the touch-sensitive display and the second virtual keyboard at the second location, distinct from the first location, on the touch-sensitive display.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first finger gesture and the second finger gesture are detected in a sequence, the device including instructions for:

in response to detecting the first finger gesture on the first key and detecting the second finger gesture on the second key, performing the action corresponding to the first key in the first virtual keyboard and performing the action corresponding to the second key in the second virtual keyboard in accordance with the sequence.

7. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

detecting an input to change the first virtual keyboard to a third virtual keyboard; and

in response to detecting the input to change the first virtual keyboard to the third virtual keyboard, displaying the third virtual keyboard in place of the first virtual keyboard and concurrently maintaining display of the second virtual keyboard.

8. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

detecting an input to change the first virtual keyboard to a third virtual keyboard; and

in response to detecting the input to change the first virtual keyboard to the third virtual keyboard, displaying the third virtual keyboard in place of the first virtual keyboard and concurrently displaying a duplicate of the third virtual keyboard in place of the second virtual keyboard.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the touch-sensitive display is oriented in a first orientation, the device including instructions for:

displaying the first virtual keyboard and the second virtual keyboard at respective sizes in accordance with the first orientation.

10. The device of claim 9, including instructions for:

in response to detecting a change in the orientation of the touch-sensitive display from the first orientation to a second orientation, displaying concurrently the first virtual keyboard and the second virtual keyboard at respective sizes in accordance with the second orientation.

11. The device of claim 9, including instructions for:

in response to detecting a change in the orientation of the touch-sensitive display from the first orientation to a second orientation, displaying concurrently the first virtual keyboard and the second virtual keyboard at respective sizes in accordance with the first orientation.

12. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

detecting that the multifunction device is resting on a surface; and

in response to detecting that the multifunction device is resting on the surface;

ceasing to display the first and second virtual keyboards; and

displaying a third virtual keyboard, wherein the third virtual keyboard is larger than the first virtual keyboard or the second virtual keyboard.

13. The device of claim 12, including instructions for:

while displaying the third virtual keyboard, detecting that the multifunction device is being held by hand; and

in response to detecting that the multifunction device is being held by hand;

ceasing to display the third virtual keyboard;

displaying concurrently the first virtual keyboard at the first location on the touch-sensitive display and the second virtual keyboard at the second location on the touch-sensitive display.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first finger gesture is made by a first thumb on a first hand and the second finger gesture is made by a second thumb, distinct from the first thumb, on a second hand;

when the first hand is supporting the device proximate to the first virtual keyboard, all keys in the first virtual keyboard are reachable by the first thumb of the first hand; and

,

when the second hand is supporting the device proximate to the second virtual keyboard, all keys in the second virtual keyboard are reachable by the second thumb of the second hand.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first finger gesture is made by a first thumb on a first hand and the second finger gesture is made by a second thumb, distinct from the first thumb, on a second hand; and

,

when the first hand and the second hand are concurrently supporting the device, all keys in the first virtual keyboard are reachable by the first thumb of the first hand and all keys in the second virtual keyboard are reachable by the second thumb of the second hand.

16. A method, including:

at a multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display;

displaying concurrently a first virtual keyboard at a first location on the touch-sensitive display and a second virtual keyboard at a second location, distinct from the first location, on the touch-sensitive display;

detecting a first finger gesture on a first key in the first virtual keyboard;

in response to detecting the first finger gesture on the first key in the first virtual keyboard, performing an action corresponding to the first key in the first virtual keyboard;

detecting a second finger gesture on a second key in the second virtual keyboard; and

,

in response to detecting the second finger gesture on the second key in the second virtual keyboard, performing an action corresponding to the second key in the second virtual keyboard.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second virtual keyboard is a duplicate of the first virtual keyboard.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the first location is located at a first corner area on the touch-sensitive display; and

the second location is located at a second corner area on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the second corner area is opposite the first corner area.

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

a first virtual keyboard at a first location on the touch-sensitive display; and

a second virtual keyboard at a second location, distinct from the first location, on the touch-sensitive display;

wherein;

in response to detecting a first finger gesture on a first key in the first virtual keyboard, an action corresponding to the first key in the first virtual keyboard is performed; and

in response to detecting a second finger gesture on a second key in the second virtual keyboard, an action corresponding to the second key in the second virtual keyboard is performed.

20. 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 touch-sensitive display, cause the device to:

display concurrently a first virtual keyboard at a first location on the touch-sensitive display and a second virtual keyboard at a second location, distinct from the first location, on the touch-sensitive display;

detect a first finger gesture on a first key in the first virtual keyboard;

in response to detecting the first finger gesture on the first key in the first virtual keyboard, perform an action corresponding to the first key in the first virtual keyboard;

detect a second finger gesture on a second key in the second virtual keyboard; and

,

in response to detecting the second finger gesture on the second key in the second virtual keyboard, perform an action corresponding to the second key in the second virtual keyboard.