Devices and Methods for Navigating Between User Interfaces

• US 20160357390A1
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jurewitz, Michael T., Federighi, Craig M., Alonso Ruiz, Marcos, Cato, Andrew B., Dascola, Jonathan R., Foss, Christopher P., Gutknecht, Olivier D.R., Hagedorn, Joseph A., Karunamuni, Chanaka G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,891,811 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/0481 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 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method includes: displaying a first view of a first application; detecting a first portion of a first input; if the first portion of the first input meets application-switching criteria, concurrently displaying portions of the first application view and a second application view; while concurrently displaying the portions of the application views, detecting a second portion of the first input; if the second portion of the first input meets first-view display criteria (liftoff of contact detected in a first region), ceasing to display the portion of the second application view and displaying the first application view; and if the second portion of the first input meets multi-view display criteria (liftoff of contact detected in a second region), maintaining concurrent display of a portion of the first application view and a portion of the second application view on the display after detecting the liftoff of the contact.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display, a touch-sensitive surface, and one or more sensors for detecting intensity of contacts on the touch-sensitive surface;

displaying, on the display, a first view of a first application;

while displaying the first view, detecting a first portion of a first input that includes detecting a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the first portion of the first input, in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the first input meets application-switching criteria, concurrently displaying, on the display, portions of a plurality of application views including the first application view and a second application view;

while concurrently displaying the portions of the plurality of application views, detecting a second portion of the first input that includes liftoff of the first contact; and

in response to detecting the second portion of the first input that includes liftoff of the first contact;

in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the first input meets first-view display criteria, wherein the first-view display criteria include a criterion that is met when the liftoff of the first contact is detected in a first region of the touch-sensitive surface, ceasing to display the portion of the second application view and displaying the first application view on the display; and

in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the first input meets multi-view display criteria, wherein the multi-view display criteria includes a criterion that is met when the liftoff of the first contact is detected in a second region of the touch-sensitive surface that is different from the first region of the touch-sensitive surface, maintaining concurrent display of at least a portion of the first application view and at least a portion of the second application view on the display after detecting the liftoff of the first contact.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

in response to detecting the second portion of the first input that includes liftoff of the first contact;

in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the first input meets second-view display criteria, wherein the second-view display criteria includes a criterion that is met when the liftoff of the first contact is detected in a third region of the touch-sensitive surface that is different from the first region of the touch-sensitive surface and the second region of the touch-sensitive surface, ceasing to display the first application view and displaying the second application view on the display.

3. The method of claim 1, including:

after detecting the first portion of the first input that includes detecting the first contact on the touch-sensitive surface, and before detecting the second portion of the first input that includes liftoff of the first contact;

detecting movement of the first contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

in response to detecting the movement of the first contact, in accordance with a determination that the first contact moves into the second region of the touch-sensitive surface, decreasing respective sizes of the plurality of application views including the first application view and the second application view.

4. The method of claim 3, including:

while decreasing respective sizes of the plurality of application views including the first application view and the second application view;

detecting continued movement of the first contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

in response to detecting the continued movement of the first contact, in accordance with a determination that the first contact moves into the third region of the touch-sensitive surface, increasing respective sizes of the plurality of application views including the first application view and the second application view.

5. The method of claim 1, including:

after detecting the first portion of the first input that includes detecting a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface, and before detecting the second portion of the first input that includes liftoff of the first contact;

detecting movement of the first contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

in response to detecting the movement of the first contact, in accordance with a determination that the first contact crosses a boundary between two respective regions on the touch-sensitive surface, providing a tactile output.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein display of respective portions of the plurality of application views are partially overlapping, including that the displayed portion of the first application view partially overlaps the displayed portion of the second application view.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application view and the second application view are views of the same application.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first application view is a view of a first application and the second application view is a view of a second application that is different from the first application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the first input meets multi-view display criteria, wherein the multi-view display criteria include a criterion that is met when the liftoff of the first contact is detected in a second region of the touch-sensitive surface that is different from the first region of the touch-sensitive surface, maintaining concurrent display of at least a portion of the first application view and at least a portion of the second application view on the display includes;

entering a user interface selection mode; and

displaying a plurality of user interface representations in a stack on the display, including the at least a portion of the first application view and at least a portion of the second application view, wherein;

at least a first user interface representation, corresponding to the at least a portion of the second application view, and at least a second user interface representation, corresponding to the at least a portion of the first application view and disposed above the first user interface representation in the stack, are visible on the display,

the second user interface representation is offset from the first user interface representation in a first direction, and

the second user interface representation partially exposes the first user interface representation.

10. The method of claim 9, including:

while in the user interface selection mode;

detecting a second input including a drag gesture by a second contact at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of the first user interface representation on the display, the second contact moving across the touch-sensitive surface in a direction that corresponds to the first direction on the display; and

,

while the second contact is at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the location of the first user interface representation on the display and moving across the touch-sensitive surface in a direction that corresponds to the first direction on the display;

moving the first user interface representation in the first direction on the display at a first speed in accordance with a speed of the second contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

moving the second user interface representation, disposed above the first user interface representation, in the first direction at a second speed greater than the first speed.

11. The method of claim 9, including:

while in the user interface selection mode, including display of at least two of the plurality of user interface representations in the stack, detecting a selection input directed to one of the at least two user interface representations in the stack; and

,

in response to detecting the selection input;

ceasing to display the stack; and

displaying a user interface that corresponds to the selected one of the at least two user interface representations.

12. The method of claim 9, including:

while displaying, in the stack, at least the first user interface representation and the second user interface representation above the first user interface representation;

detecting a deletion input directed to the first user interface representation; and

,

in response to detecting the deletion input directed to the first user interface representation;

removing the first user interface representation from a first position in the stack.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein entering a user interface selection mode includes:

animating a decrease in size of the first application view when transitioning into the second user interface representation; and

animating a decrease in size of the second application view when transitioning into the first user interface representation.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the application-switching criteria include intensity criteria; and

the system-gesture criteria include a location criterion that is met when the intensity criteria for the contact are met while the contact is within a first region relative to the touch-sensitive surface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the size of the first region relative to the touch-sensitive surface is determined based on one or more characteristics of the contact.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the intensity criteria of the application-switching criteria are met when:

the characteristic intensity of the first contact is above a first intensity threshold; and

the characteristic intensity of the first contact is below a second intensity threshold.

17. The method of claim 14, including:

in response to detecting the first portion of the first input, in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the first input meets the application-switching criteria, providing tactile output.

18. The method of claim 14, including:

in response to detecting the first portion of the first input, in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the first input meets preview criteria;

moving the first view of the first application partially off of the display; and

displaying a portion of the second application view at a location of the display from which the first view of the first application was displaced.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the preview criteria includes:

a location criterion that is met while the contact is within the first region relative to the touch-sensitive surface; and

an intensity criteria that is met when the characteristic intensity of the contact is above a preview intensity threshold and below an application-switching intensity threshold.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the application-switching criteria include a criterion that is met when an intensity of the first contact increases above a first intensity threshold; and

maintaining concurrent display of at least a portion of the first application view and at least a portion of the second application view on the display after detecting the liftoff of the first contact includes displaying a multitasking user interface; and

the method includes, in response to detecting the first portion of the first input, in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the first input meets multitasking criteria that include a criterion that is met when an intensity of the first contact increases above a second intensity threshold that is greater than the first intensity threshold, displaying the multitasking user interface.

21. The method of claim 1, including:

in response to detecting the first portion of the first input, in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the first input meets multitasking criteria;

entering a user interface selection mode; and

displaying a plurality of user interface representation in a stack on the display, including the at least a portion of the first application view and at least a portion of the second application view, wherein;

at least a first user interface representation, corresponding to the at least a portion of the second application view, and at least a second user interface representation, corresponding to the at least a portion of the first application view and disposed above the first user interface representation in the stack, are visible on the display,

the second user interface representation is offset from the first user interface representation in a first direction, and

the second user interface representation partially exposes the first user interface representation.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the multitasking criteria include intensity criteria that are met when the characteristic intensity of the first contact is above the second intensity threshold.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the multitasking criteria include a location criterion that is met when the multitasking intensity criteria are met while the contact is within the first region of the touch-sensitive surface.

24. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a touch-sensitive surface;

one or more sensors to detect intensity of contacts with the 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 view of a first application;

while displaying the first view, detecting a first portion of a first input that includes detecting a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the first portion of the first input, in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the first input meets application-switching criteria, concurrently displaying, on the display, portions of a plurality of application views including the first application view and a second application view;

while concurrently displaying the portions of the plurality of application views, detecting a second portion of the first input that includes liftoff of the first contact; and

in response to detecting the second portion of the first input that includes liftoff of the first contact;

in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the first input meets first-view display criteria, wherein the first-view display criteria include a criterion that is met when the liftoff of the first contact is detected in a first region of the touch-sensitive surface, ceasing to display the portion of the second application view and displaying the first application view on the display; and

in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the first input meets multi-view display criteria, wherein the multi-view display criteria includes a criterion that is met when the liftoff of the first contact is detected in a second region of the touch-sensitive surface that is different from the first region of the touch-sensitive surface, maintaining concurrent display of at least a portion of the first application view and at least a portion of the second application view on the display after detecting the liftoff of the first contact.

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

display, on the display, of a first view of a first application;

while enabling display of the first view, detect a first portion of a first input that includes detecting a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the first portion of the first input, in accordance with a determination that the first portion of the first input meets application-switching criteria, enable concurrent display, on the display, of portions of a plurality of application views including the first application view and a second application view;

while enabling concurrent display of the portions of the plurality of application views, detect a second portion of the first input that includes liftoff of the first contact; and

in response to detecting the second portion of the first input that includes liftoff of the first contact;

in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the first input meets first-view display criteria, wherein the first-view display criteria include a criterion that is met when the liftoff of the first contact is detected in a first region of the touch-sensitive surface, cease to enable display of the portion of the second application view and enable display of the first application view on the display; and

in accordance with a determination that the second portion of the first input meets multi-view display criteria, wherein the multi-view display criteria includes a criterion that is met when the liftoff of the first contact is detected in a second region of the touch-sensitive surface that is different from the first region of the touch-sensitive surface, maintain concurrent display of at least a portion of the first application view and at least a portion of the second application view on the display after detecting the liftoff of the first contact.