Moving A Virtual Object Based on Tapping

• US 20140195987A1
• Filed: 01/04/2013
• Published: 07/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tsudik, Maxim
• Granted Patent: US 9,354,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/863
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1636 Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser

Abstract

A mobile device enables refined selections of displayed virtual objects by responding to a user'"'"'s tapping actions on the sides of the device. The device can move the object by a small increment in a direction opposite the tapped surface, as though the tapping were gently nudging the object away from that surface. For example, if the user taps on the right side of the device, then the device can responsively move a currently selected object leftward by one pixel. Conversely, if the user taps on the left side of the device, then the device can responsively move the currently selected object rightward by one pixel. Similar movements of similar magnitude and in expected directions can be achieved by tapping the top or bottom of the device. Thus, a currently selected object can be moved in a more refined and precise manner than might be possible using a touchscreen alone.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a tap input applied to a non-display portion of a mobile device;

determining a magnitude and a direction of the tap input; and

moving, based on the magnitude and direction of the tap input, an object that is displayed by the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the object that is displayed by the mobile device comprises moving the object in a direction away from the non-display portion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the object that is displayed by the mobile device comprises moving the object a quantity of pixels that is based on the magnitude.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the object comprises moving the object by an extent that is less than an extent to which the object is capable of being moved through user interaction with a display portion of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the object comprises modifying a boundary of an object that indicates a scope of currently selected data.

6. A computer-readable memory comprising particular instructions that are executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the particular instructions comprising:

instructions to cause an accelerometer of a mobile device to detect that the mobile device has been impacted on a particular side of the mobile device; and

instructions to cause the one or more processors to move a displayed item in response to the accelerometer detecting that the device has been impacted on the particular side of the mobile device.

7. The computer-readable memory of claim 6, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to move the displayed item comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to move the displayed item away from a source of the impact.

8. The computer-readable memory of claim 6, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to move the displayed item comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to move the displayed item by a single pixel.

9. The computer-readable memory of claim 6, wherein the displayed item is a currently selected item among a plurality of displayed items, and wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to move the displayed item comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to move the selected item without moving any other displayed items of the plurality of displayed items.

10. The computer-readable memory of claim 6, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to move the displayed item comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to move the displayed item by a quantity of pixels that is based on a force of the impact.

11. A computer-readable memory comprising particular instructions that are executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the particular instructions comprising:

instructions to cause detection of contact against a non-display surface of a mobile device comprising a plurality of non-display surfaces; and

instructions to cause the mobile device to produce output that is based on which particular non-display surface of the plurality of non-display surfaces was contacted.

12. The computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to produce output that is based on which particular non-display surface of the plurality of non-display surfaces was contacted comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to modify a visual presentation based on which particular non-display surface of the plurality of non-display surfaces was contacted.

13. The computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to produce output that is based on which particular non-display surface of the plurality of non-display surfaces was contacted comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to produce output that is indicative of which of the particular non-display surfaces was contacted.

14. The computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to produce output that is based on which particular non-display surface of the plurality of non-display surfaces was contacted comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to produce output that is indicative of a magnitude of a force with which the particular non-display surface was contacted.

15. The computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to produce output that is based on which particular non-display surface of the plurality of non-display surfaces was contacted comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to move an item in a direction opposing the particular non-display surface.

16. A computer-readable memory comprising particular instructions that are executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the particular instructions comprising:

instructions to cause a computing device to detect contact against a surface that lacks a visual output device; and

instructions to cause the one or more processor to detect a duration of the contact; and

instructions to cause the one or more processors to modify, in a manner that is based on the duration of the contact, output that is produced by the visual output device.

17. The computer-readable memory of claim 16, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to modify, in a manner that is based on the duration of the contact, output that is produced by the visual output device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to determine whether the duration is less than a specified threshold, and to modify the output in response to a determination that the duration is less than the specified threshold.

18. The computer-readable memory of claim 16, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to modify, in a manner that is based on the duration of the contact, output that is produced by the visual output device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to determine whether the duration is less than a specified threshold, and to move a displayed item on the visual output device in response to a determination that the duration is less than the specified threshold.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 16, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to modify, in a manner that is based on the duration of the contact, output that is produced by the visual output device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to determine whether the duration is less than a specified threshold, and to move an item away from the surface in response to a determination that the duration is less than the specified threshold.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 16, wherein the surface is a first surface, and wherein the particular instructions further comprise:

instructions to cause a computing device to detect contact against a second surface other than the first surface; and

instructions to cause the one or more processors to move, in response to the detection of contact against the second surface, a displayed item in a direction that differs from a direction in which the displayed item was moved in response to the detection of contact against the first surface.

21. A mobile device comprising:

means for detecting a user tap against a part of the mobile device other than a touchscreen of the mobile device;

means for detecting a direction in which the user tap was administered; and

means for modifying output presented by the touchscreen based on the direction.

22. The mobile device of claim 21, further comprising:

means for detecting a magnitude of a force of the user tap; and

means for modifying output presented by the touchscreen based on the magnitude.

23. The mobile device of claim 21, further comprising:

means for moving an item displayed by the touchscreen by a specified quantity of pixels in the direction.

24. The mobile device of claim 21, further comprising:

means for detecting a magnitude of a force of the user tap; and

means for moving an item displayed by the touchscreen by a quantity of pixels that is based on the magnitude.

25. The mobile device of claim 21, wherein the user tap is a first user tap, wherein the part is a first part, wherein the direction is a first direction, and further comprising:

means for detecting a second user tap against a second part of the mobile device other than the touchscreen and the first part;

means for detecting a second direction in which the second user tap was administered; and

means for moving an item presented on the touchscreen in the second direction;

wherein the second direction differs from the first direction.