Devices, Methods, and Graphical User Interfaces for Providing Multitouch Inputs and Hardware-Based Features Using a Single Touch Input

• US 20130169549A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fleizach, Christopher B., Seymour, Eric T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,116,611 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

An electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface displays, on the display, a first visual indicator. The electronic device receives a first single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the first visual indicator; and, in response to detecting the first single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the first visual indicator, replaces display of the first visual indicator with display of a first menu. The first menu includes a virtual touches selection icon. In response to detecting selection of the virtual touches selection icon, the electronic device displays a menu of virtual multitouch contacts.

Claims

1. An electronic 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, on the display, a first visual indicator;

detecting a first single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the first visual indicator; and

,

in response to detecting the first single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface at the location that corresponds to the first visual indicator, replacing display of the first visual indicator with display of a first menu, the first menu including a virtual touches selection icon, wherein in response to detecting selection of the virtual touches selection icon, a menu of virtual multitouch contacts is displayed.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first visual indicator is configured to move in accordance with a touch gesture by a single touch on the touch-sensitive surface.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first visual indicator is located at a periphery of the display when no touch input is detected on the touch-sensitive surface.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first menu includes icons displayed radially about a center of the first menu.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a first user interface is displayed on the display immediately prior to detecting the first single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface, and the first menu is displayed over the first user interface.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

in response to detecting the first single touch input, displaying the first menu in a center region of the display.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

while displaying the first menu on the display, detecting a second single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that does not correspond to the first menu; and

,

in response to detecting the second single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface, replacing display of the first menu with display of the first visual indicator.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

while displaying the first menu on the display, waiting to detect input on the touch-sensitive surface for more than a predefined time period; and

,

in response to waiting to detect input on the touch-sensitive surface for more than the predefined time period, replacing display of the first menu with display of the first visual indicator.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

detecting selection of the virtual touches selection icon;

in response to detecting selection of the virtual touches selection icon, displaying the menu of virtual multitouch contacts, the menu of virtual multitouch contacts including a plurality of icons representing types of virtual multitouch contacts;

detecting selection of a respective virtual multitouch contacts icon in the menu of virtual multitouch contacts; and

,

in response to detecting selection of the respective virtual multitouch contacts icon in the menu of virtual multitouch contacts, displaying one or more second visual indicators that correspond to the respective virtual multitouch contacts icon.

10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the instructions for displaying the second visual indicators include instructions for displaying a number of visual indicators that correspond to the respective virtual multitouch contacts icon.

11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

in response to detecting selection of the respective virtual multitouch contacts icon in the menu of virtual multitouch contacts, ceasing to display the menu of virtual multitouch contacts and redisplaying the first visual indicator.

12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

while displaying the one or more second visual indicators, detecting a third single touch on the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

in response to detecting the third single touch on the touch-sensitive surface;

moving the one or more second visual indicators to a first display location on the display, the first display location corresponding to an initial location of the third single touch on the touch-sensitive surface;

detecting movement of the third single touch across the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the movement of the third single touch across the touch-sensitive surface, moving the one or more second visual indicators on the display in accordance with the movement of the third single touch across the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

while moving the one or more second visual indicators in accordance with the movement of the third single touch across the touch-sensitive surface, performing an operation that corresponds to the movement of the one or more second visual indicators in accordance with the movement of the third single touch across the touch-sensitive surface.

13. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

displaying a virtual gestures icon;

detecting selection of the virtual gestures icon;

in response to detecting selection of the virtual gestures icon, displaying a menu of virtual gestures, the menu of virtual gestures including a plurality of icons representing types of virtual gestures;

detecting selection of a respective virtual gesture icon in the menu of virtual gestures; and

,

in response to detecting selection of the respective virtual gesture icon in the menu of virtual gestures, performing an action that corresponds to the respective virtual gesture.

14. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

displaying a virtual gestures icon;

detecting selection of the virtual gestures icon;

in response to detecting selection of the virtual gestures icon, displaying a menu of virtual gestures, the menu of virtual gestures including a plurality of icons representing types of virtual gestures;

detecting selection of a respective virtual gesture icon in the menu of virtual gestures;

in response to detecting selection of the respective virtual gesture icon in the menu of virtual gestures, displaying a number of visual indicators that correspond to the respective virtual gesture icon;

detecting a fourth single touch input from on the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

in response to detecting the fourth single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface, performing an operation in accordance with the respective virtual gesture.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

in response to detecting the fourth single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface, moving the displayed visual indicators that correspond to the respective virtual gesture to simulate movement of multiple contacts on the touch-sensitive surface.

16. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

displaying a pinch/depinch gesture icon;

detecting selection of the virtual pinch/depinch gesture icon;

in response to detecting selection of the virtual pinch/depinch gesture icon, displaying two visual indicators that correspond to contacts in the virtual pinch/depinch gesture;

detecting a fifth single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

in response to detecting the fifth single touch input on the touch-sensitive surface, performing an operation in accordance with the virtual pinch/depinch gesture.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for performing a zooming operation in accordance with the virtual pinch/depinch gesture.

18. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

displaying a virtual device icon;

detecting selection of the virtual device icon;

in response to detecting selection of the virtual device icon, displaying a menu of virtual device operations, the menu of virtual device operations including a plurality of icons representing types of virtual device operations;

detecting selection of a respective virtual device operation icon in the menu of virtual device operations; and

,

in response to detecting selection of the respective virtual device operation icon in the menu of virtual device operations, performing an action that corresponds to the respective virtual device operation.

19. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

displaying a virtual device rotation icon;

detecting selection of the virtual device rotation icon;

in response to detecting selection of the virtual device rotation icon, displaying a menu of virtual device orientations, the menu of virtual device orientations including a plurality of icons representing types of virtual device orientations;

detecting selection of a respective virtual device orientation icon in the menu of virtual device orientations; and

,

in response to detecting selection of the respective virtual device orientation icon in the menu of virtual device orientations, orienting the display in accordance with the respective virtual device orientation.

20. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the device includes a home button, and the one or more programs include instructions for:

displaying a home button icon;

detecting selection of the home button icon; and

,

in response to detecting selection of the home button icon, performing an action that corresponds to activation of the home button.