TOUCH ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS

• US 20160357281A1
• Filed: 09/23/2015
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: KASEMSET, Clare, KANNAMANGALAM SUNDARA RAMAN, Nandini, FLEIZACH, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,961,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/155 Control of the image-sensor operation, e.g. image processing within the image-sensor

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to methods and devices for providing touch accommodations to users with tremors or other fine motor impairments to improve the accuracy of such users'"'"' touch inputs on touch-sensitive surfaces. Such methods and devices include various approaches for compensating for brief, inadvertent touch inputs; touch inputs with inadvertent motion across the touch-sensitive surface; and/or touch inputs with inadvertent recoil contacts. In some embodiments, the touch accommodations are implemented in a software layer separate from the application layer, such as the operating system.

Claims

1. 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 display and a touch-sensitive surface, cause the electronic device to:

display, on the display, a user interface associated with an application;

detect, on the touch-sensitive surface, a first touch input on the touch-sensitive surface including a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the first touch input, generate data representing at least a portion of the first touch input;

in accordance with a determination that a hold duration setting is enabled;

determine whether a set of one or more hold duration criteria have been met for the first touch input, wherein the hold duration criteria are based on a hold duration time period that corresponds to the hold duration setting;

in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more hold duration criteria have been met for the first touch input, wherein the hold duration criteria include a hold duration criterion that is met when a duration of the first contact exceeds the hold duration time period, provide the data representing at least a portion of the first touch input to the application; and

in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more hold duration criteria have not been met, forgo providing the data representing at least a portion of the first touch input to the application.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein detecting the first touch input includes detecting a touchdown of the first contact.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein detecting the first touch input includes detecting a movement of the first contact across the touch-sensitive surface.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the first touch input is detected when the touchdown of the first contact is detected.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the data is provided to the application when the hold duration criteria are first met.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the data is provided to the application in response to detecting a liftoff of the first contact.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the data provided to the application includes an indication of a location, on the touch-sensitive surface, of the touchdown of the first contact.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 2, wherein the data provided to the application includes an indication of a final location, on the touch-sensitive surface, of the first contact.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the final location is associated with the location, on the touch-sensitive surface, where a liftoff of the first contact is detected.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the final location is associated with a location of the first contact, on the touch-sensitive surface, when the hold duration criteria are met.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3, wherein the data provided to the application does not include an indication of the movement of the first contact.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

further in response to detecting the first touch input and in accordance with a determination that the hold duration setting is enabled;

while the first contact continues to be detected on the touch-sensitive surface, display a first user interface element, on the display, at a location on the display that is associated with the location of the first contact on the touch-sensitive surface, without providing any data representing the first touch input to the application, wherein the first user interface element is not associated with the application.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the first user interface element is displayed in response to detecting the touchdown, on the touch-sensitive surface, of the first contact.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

in accordance with a determination that the hold duration criteria have been met, cease to display the first user interface element.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 3, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

in response to detecting the movement of the first contact, and in accordance with a determination that the hold duration criteria have been met, scroll the user interface of the application in accordance with the movement.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

in response to detecting the movement of the first contact, and in accordance with a determination that the hold duration criteria have not been met, change the displayed location of the first user interface element, on the display, in accordance with the movement of the first contact without scrolling the user interface of the application based on the movement.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the first user interface element is a circle.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 12, wherein the first user interface element includes a dynamic indication of a time remaining until the duration of the contact exceeds the hold duration time period.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

while the first contact continues to be detected on the touch-sensitive surface and before the hold duration criteria is met for the first touch input, detect, on the touch-sensitive surface, a second touch input including a second contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the second touch input, generate data representing at least a portion of the second touch input;

in accordance with a determination that the hold duration setting is enabled;

determine whether a second set of one or more hold duration criteria have been met for the second touch input, wherein the hold duration criteria are based on the hold duration time period;

in accordance with a determination that the second set of one or more hold duration criteria have been met for the second touch input, wherein the hold duration criteria include a hold duration criterion that is met when a duration of the second contact exceeds the hold duration time period, provide the data representing at least a portion of the second contact to the application; and

in accordance with a determination that the second set of one or more hold duration criteria have not been met, forgo providing the data representing at least a portion of the second touch input to the application.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the duration of the contact is measured by a timer that is initiated in response to detecting the first touch input, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

in response to detecting the second touch input, change a characteristic of the timer.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein changing the characteristic of the timer includes stopping the timer.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

further in response to detecting the second touch input and before the hold duration criteria is met for the second touch input;

while the second contact continues to be detected, display a second user interface element, on the display, at a location on the display that is associated with the location of the second contact on the touch-sensitive surface, without providing any data representing the second touch input to the application, wherein the second user interface element is not associated with the application.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

further in response to detecting the second touch input, cease to display the first user interface element.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the hold duration setting is enabled in response to detecting a user request.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the hold duration time period is configured by a user.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 24, wherein enabling the hold duration setting causes an option for disabling the hold duration setting to be automatically added as an item in a settings menu.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 26, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

while the hold duration setting is enabled, detect a user input;

in response to detecting the user input, determine whether the settings menu includes at least two items, including the option for disabling the hold duration setting;

in accordance with a determination that the settings menu does not include at least two items, disable the hold duration setting; and

in accordance with a determination that the settings menu includes at least two items, display a user interface including a hold-duration affordance associated with the hold duration setting.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 27, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

detect a selection of the hold-duration affordance; and

in response to detecting the selection of the hold-duration affordance, disable the hold-duration setting.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein the application is an active application.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

after detecting a liftoff of the contact, detect a third touch input on the touch-sensitive surface, including a third contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the third touch input, generate third data representing at least a portion of the third touch input;

in accordance with a determination that an ignore-repeat duration setting is enabled;

determine whether the third touch input meets a set of one or more ignore-repeat criteria based on an ignore-repeat duration time period that corresponds to the ignore-repeat duration setting;

in accordance with a determination that the third touch input meets the set of one or more ignore-repeat criteria, which include a criterion that is met when an amount of time between the first touch input and the third touch input is less than the ignore-repeat duration time period, forgo providing the third data to the application, and

in accordance with a determination that the third touch input does not meet the set of one or more ignore-repeat criteria;

determine whether a third set of one or more hold duration criteria have been met for the third touch input, wherein the hold duration criteria are based on a hold duration time period that corresponds to the hold duration setting;

in accordance with a determination that the third set of one or more hold duration criteria have been met for the third touch input, wherein the hold duration criteria include a hold duration criterion that is met when a duration of the third contact exceeds the hold duration time period, providing the third data to the application, and

in accordance with a determination that the third set of one or more hold duration criteria have not been met, forgo providing the third data to the application.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 30, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

further in accordance with a determination that the third touch input does not meet the set of one or more ignore-repeat criteria, and in response to detecting the third touch input, display, on the display, a third user interface element, wherein the third user interface element is not associated with the application.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 30, wherein the amount of time between the first touch input and the third touch input is measured from the time at which the contact first meets the hold duration criteria to the time at which a touchdown of the third contact, on the touch-sensitive surface, is detected.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 30, wherein the amount of time between the first touch input and the third touch input is measured from the time at which the liftoff of the contact, from the touch-sensitive surface, is detected to the time at which a touchdown of the third contact, on the touch-sensitive surface, is detected.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 30, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

in accordance with a determination that the hold-duration setting is enabled and the ignore-repeat setting is enabled, display, on the display, an indication that touch accommodation settings are on and instructions for disabling touch accommodation settings.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 34, wherein the indication is displayed in response to detecting the third touch input and in accordance with a determination that the third touch input meets the set of one or more ignore-repeat criteria.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 1, wherein detecting the first touch input includes detecting a touchdown of the contact at a first location on the touch-sensitive surface, movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface, and liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface at a second location on the touch-sensitive surface that is different from the first location on the touch-sensitive surface, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

following a determination that the set of one or more hold duration criteria have been met for the first contact;

in accordance with a determination that a set of one or more tap-assistance criteria have been met, provide, to the application, data representing a touch input at a single location on the touch-sensitive surface, and

in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more tap-assistance criteria have not been met, provide, to the application, data representing the first touch input including the movement of the contact.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 36, wherein the tap-assistance criteria include a criterion that a tap-assistance mode is enabled.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 37, wherein the tap-assistance criteria include a tap-timeout duration criterion that is met when the duration of the contact does not exceed a tap-timeout duration time period.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 36, wherein the data representing the first touch input is associated with the location, on the touch-sensitive surface, of the touchdown of the contact.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 36, wherein the data representing the first touch input is associated with the location, on the touch-sensitive surface, of a final location of the first contact.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 36, further comprising instructions to cause the electronic device to:

after detecting liftoff of the first contact;

detect, on the touch-sensitive surface, a fourth touch input on the touch-sensitive surface including a fourth contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the fourth touch input, generate fourth data representing at least a portion of the fourth touch input;

in accordance with a determination that an ignore-repeat duration setting is enabled;

determine whether the fourth touch input meets a set of one or more ignore-repeat criteria based on an ignore-repeat duration time period that corresponds to the ignore-repeat duration setting;

in accordance with a determination that the fourth touch input meets the set of one or more ignore-repeat criteria, which include a criterion that is met when an amount of time between the first touch input and the fourth touch input is less than the ignore-repeat duration time period, forgo providing the fourth data to the application, and

in accordance with a determination that the fourth touch input does not meet the set of one or more ignore-repeat criteria, provide the fourth data to the application.

42. A method, comprising:

at a device with a touch-sensitive surface and a display;

displaying, on the display, a user interface associated with an application;

detecting, on the touch-sensitive surface, a first touch input on the touch-sensitive surface including a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the first touch input, generating data representing at least a portion of the first touch input;

in accordance with a determination that a hold duration setting is enabled;

determining whether a set of one or more hold duration criteria have been met for the first touch input, wherein the hold duration criteria are based on a hold duration time period that corresponds to the hold duration setting;

in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more hold duration criteria have been met for the first touch input, wherein the hold duration criteria include a hold duration criterion that is met when a duration of the first contact exceeds the hold duration time period, providing the data representing at least a portion of the first touch input to the application; and

in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more hold duration criteria have not been met, forgoing providing the data representing at least a portion of the first touch input to the application.

43. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a touch-sensitive surface;

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;

displaying, on the display, a user interface associated with an application;

detecting, on the touch-sensitive surface, a first touch input on the touch-sensitive surface including a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the first touch input, generating data representing at least a portion of the first touch input;

in accordance with a determination that a hold duration setting is enabled;

determining whether a set of one or more hold duration criteria have been met for the first touch input, wherein the hold duration criteria are based on a hold duration time period that corresponds to the hold duration setting;

in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more hold duration criteria have been met for the first touch input, wherein the hold duration criteria include a hold duration criterion that is met when a duration of the first contact exceeds the hold duration time period, providing the data representing at least a portion of the first touch input to the application; and

in accordance with a determination that the set of one or more hold duration criteria have not been met, forgoing providing the data representing at least a portion of the first touch input to the application.