Devices, Methods, and Graphical User Interfaces for Accessibility via a Touch-Sensitive Surface

• US 20110302519A1
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fleizach, Christopher Brian, Hudson, Reginald
• Granted Patent: US 8,707,195 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• 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

An accessible electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface: displays a first plurality of user-selectable objects; detects a finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface; detects movement of the finger contact across the touch sensitive surface to an activation region that corresponds to a first user-selectable object; while detecting the finger contact at the activation region, initiates output of audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object; detects termination of the finger contact while the finger contact is at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object; and, in response: performs a predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object if the device has output at least a predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object when the termination of the finger contact is detected; and forgoes performing the predefined operation otherwise.

Claims

1. An accessible electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive surface;

a 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 a first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

detecting a first finger contact at a first location on the touch-sensitive surface;

detecting movement of the first finger contact across the touch sensitive surface from the first location to an activation region that corresponds to a first user-selectable object in the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

while detecting the first finger contact at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object, initiating output of audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object;

detecting termination of the first finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface while the first finger contact is at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object; and

,

in response to detecting the termination of the first finger contact;

performing a predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object if the device has output at least a predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object when the termination of the first finger contact is detected; and

forgoing performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object if the device has not output at least the predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object when termination of the first finger contact is detected.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the display is a touch screen display and the touch-sensitive surface is on the display.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of user-selectable objects are character keys in a virtual keyboard.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein detecting movement of the first finger contact across the touch sensitive surface from the first location to the activation region that corresponds to a first user-selectable object includes detecting movement of the first finger contact at activation regions that correspond to a series of user-selectable objects prior to detecting the first finger contact at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object, the method including:

while detecting the first finger contact at a respective activation region that corresponds to a respective user-selectable object in the series of user-selectable objects, initiating output of audible accessibility information associated with the respective user-selectable object.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein initiating output of audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object is performed in response to detecting the first finger contact at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object.

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

concurrently displaying a second plurality of user-selectable objects with the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

while detecting the first finger contact at an activation region that corresponds to a second user-selectable object in the second plurality of user-selectable objects, detecting a predefined user input; and

in response to detecting the predefined user input, performing a respective predefined operation associated with the second user-selectable object in the second plurality of user-selectable objects independent of whether the device has output audible accessibility information associated with the respective user-selectable object.

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

concurrently displaying a second plurality of user-selectable objects with the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

while detecting the first finger contact at an activation region that corresponds to a second user-selectable object in the second plurality of user-selectable objects, detecting a predefined user input; and

in response to detecting the predefined user input, performing a respective predefined operation associated with the second user-selectable object if the device has output at least a predefined portion of audible accessibility information associated with the second user-selectable object.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object has a first size when a representative point for the first finger contact is located outside the activation region; and

the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object has a second size, larger than the first size, when the representative point for the first finger contact is located within the activation region.

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

within a predefined time period after performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object, detecting a second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object in the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

detecting termination of the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface while the second finger contact is at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object; and

,

in response to detecting the termination of the second finger contact, performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object regardless of whether the device has output at least the predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object in response to detecting the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object.

10. The device of claim 1, including:

within a predefined time period after performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object;

detecting a second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object in the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display, and

detecting termination of the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface while the second finger contact is at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object; and

,

in response to detecting the termination of the second finger contact, performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object regardless of whether the device has output at least the predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object in response to detecting the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object.

11. A method, comprising:

at an accessible electronic device with a touch-sensitive surface and a display;

displaying a first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

detecting a first finger contact at a first location on the touch-sensitive surface;

detecting movement of the first finger contact across the touch sensitive surface from the first location to an activation region that corresponds to a first user-selectable object in the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

while detecting the first finger contact at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object, initiating output of audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object;

detecting termination of the first finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface while the first finger contact is at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object; and

,

in response to detecting the termination of the first finger contact;

performing a predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object if the device has output at least a predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object when the termination of the first finger contact is detected; and

forgoing performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object if the device has not output at least the predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object when termination of the first finger contact is detected.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein initiating output of audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object is performed in response to detecting the first finger contact at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object has a first size when a representative point for the first finger contact is located outside the activation region; and

the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object has a second size, larger than the first size, when the representative point for the first finger contact is located within the activation region.

14. The method of claim 11, including:

within a predefined time period after performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object, detecting a second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object in the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

detecting termination of the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface while the second finger contact is at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object; and

,

in response to detecting the termination of the second finger contact, performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object regardless of whether the device has output at least the predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object in response to detecting the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object.

15. The method of claim 11, including:

within a predefined time period after performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object;

detecting a second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object in the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display, and

detecting termination of the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface while the second finger contact is at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object; and

,

in response to detecting the termination of the second finger contact, performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object regardless of whether the device has output at least the predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object in response to detecting the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object.

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

a first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

wherein;

a first finger contact is detected at a first location on the touch-sensitive surface;

movement of the first finger contact is detected across the touch sensitive surface from the first location to an activation region that corresponds to a first user-selectable object in the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

while the first finger contact at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object is detected, output of audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object is initiated;

termination of the first finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface is detected while the first finger contact is at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object; and

in response to detecting the termination of the first finger contact;

a predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object is performed if the device has output at least a predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object when the termination of the first finger contact is detected; and

performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object is forgone if the device has not output at least the predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object when termination of the first finger contact is detected.

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

display a first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

detect a first finger contact at a first location on the touch-sensitive surface;

detect movement of the first finger contact across the touch sensitive surface from the first location to an activation region that corresponds to a first user-selectable object in the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

while detecting the first finger contact at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object, initiate output of audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object;

detect termination of the first finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface while the first finger contact is at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object; and

,

in response to detecting the termination of the first finger contact;

perform a predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object if the device has output at least a predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object when the termination of the first finger contact is detected; and

forgo performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object if the device has not output at least the predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object when termination of the first finger contact is detected.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein initiating output of audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object is performed in response to detecting the first finger contact at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein:

the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object has a first size when a representative point for the first finger contact is located outside the activation region; and

the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object has a second size, larger than the first size, when the representative point for the first finger contact is located within the activation region.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, including instructions which cause the device to:

within a predefined time period after performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object, detect a second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object in the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display;

detect termination of the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface while the second finger contact is at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object; and

,

in response to detecting the termination of the second finger contact, perform the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object regardless of whether the device has output at least the predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object in response to detecting the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, including instructions which cause the device to:

within a predefined time period after performing the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object;

detect a second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object in the first plurality of user-selectable objects on the display, and

detect termination of the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface while the second finger contact is at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object; and

,

in response to detecting the termination of the second finger contact, perform the predefined operation associated with the first user-selectable object regardless of whether the device has output at least the predefined portion of the audible accessibility information associated with the first user-selectable object in response to detecting the second finger contact with the touch-sensitive surface at the activation region that corresponds to the first user-selectable object.