ELECTRONIC TOUCH COMMUNICATION

• US 20160062541A1
• Filed: 08/29/2015
• Published: 03/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: ANZURES, Freddy Allen, CHAUDHRI, Imran, DYE, Alan C., IVE, Jonathan P., KERR, Duncan Robert, KING, Nicholas V., LYNCH, Kevin, NOVICK, Gregory, PRESTON, Daniel Trent, JENKINS, Monica, YANG, Lawrence Y.
• Granted Patent: US 9,489,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/00 Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles heads thereof F16M11/02 ; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20 ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 ; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22; Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025
• 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 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/20 Drawing from basic elements, e.g. lines or circles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging

Abstract

Touch inputs such as single-finger contacts and multiple-finger contacts are detected at an electronic device and translated into electronic touch communications for playback at an external electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, the electronic device configured to communicate with an external device associated with a contact;

receiving user selection of a displayed affordance representing the contact;

after receiving the selection, detecting user input on the touch-sensitive display;

determining whether the touch input is a single-finger touch input or a multiple-finger touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that the touch is a single-finger touch input, sending data to the external device, the data representing the single-finger touch input.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the data triggers the external device to provide an output corresponding to the single-finger touch input.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the data triggers the external device to display:

a notification of receiving the data, and

an affordance which, when selected, causes the external device to display a visual representation of the single-finger touch input.

4. The method according to claim 1,

wherein detecting user input on the touch-sensitive display of the electronic device comprises detecting the single-finger touch input at a position on the touch-sensitive display, and

wherein the visual representation of the single-finger touch input, when displayed, is displayed on a screen of the external device at a location corresponding to the position where the single-finger touch input was detected.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the visual indication comprises one or more circles, ellipses, and/or ovals.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the visual indication comprises two or more concentric circles, ellipses, and/or ovals.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the visual indication on the external device fades out after being displayed for a predetermined amount of time.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the single-finger touch input is a single-finger tap.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

in accordance with a determination that the detected user input represents a multiple-finger touch input, sending data to the external device, wherein sending the data triggers the external device to display a visual indicator for the duration of the multiple-finger touch input.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the output comprises:

a notification of the receiving of the data, and

an affordance which, when selected, causes the external device to display a visual indicator for the duration of the multiple-finger touch input.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the visual indicator is an image.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the visual indicator is an animated image.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the visual indicator is an animated image of a pulsing heart.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device further comprises a biometric sensor configured to detect the rate of a heartbeat, wherein a rate of pulsing of the pulsing heart is based on the detected rate of heartbeat.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the electronic device further comprises a biometric sensor configured to detect the rate of a heartbeat, wherein sending the data triggers the external device to provide a haptic output corresponding to the detected rate of heartbeat.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the data triggers the external device to provide a haptic output.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a rotatable input mechanism, wherein receiving user selection of the contact comprises:

at the electronic device;

displaying a plurality of affordances representing contacts;

detecting user input representing movement of the rotatable input mechanism; and

in response to detecting the user input;

zooming the display of the plurality of user-designated contacts, wherein zooming the display comprises changing the size of contacts being displayed.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein zooming the display comprises changing the number of contacts being displayed.

19. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

while displaying the plurality of affordances representing contacts, detecting a touch input on a displayed affordance; and

in response to detecting the touch input, sending data to the external device associated with the contact, wherein sending the data triggers the external device to provide haptic output.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting the touch input on the displayed affordance comprises detecting a first touch and release on the displayed affordance followed by a second touch and release on the displayed affordance within a predetermined duration of time.

21. An electronic device configured to communicate with an external device associated with a contact, comprising:

a display;

means for receiving user selection of a displayed affordance representing the contact;

means for, after receiving the selection, detecting user input on a touch-sensitive display of the electronic device;

means for determining whether the touch input is a single-finger touch input or a multiple-finger touch input; and

means for in accordance with a determination that the touch is a single-finger touch input, sending data to the external device, the data representing the single-finger touch input.

22. An electronic device configured to communicate with an external device associated with a contact, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors;

a 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;

receiving user selection of a displayed affordance representing the contact;

after receiving the selection, detecting user input on the touch-sensitive display;

determining whether the touch input is a single-finger touch input or a multiple-finger touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that the touch is a single-finger touch input, sending data to the external device, the data representing the single-finger touch input.

23. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display and configured to communicate with an external device associated with a contact, cause the electronic device to:

receive user selection of a displayed affordance representing the contact;

after receiving the selection, detect user input on the touch-sensitive display;

determine whether the touch input is a single-finger touch input or a multiple-finger touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that the touch is a single-finger touch input, send data to the external device, the data representing the single-finger touch input.