Touch Input Cursor Manipulation

• US 20170235483A1
• Filed: 04/27/2017
• Published: 08/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Alonso Ruiz, Marcos, Lemay, Stephen O., King, Nicholas V., Chaudhri, Imran A., Coffman, Patrick L., Fettes, Alastair K., Jong, Nicholas K., Jon, Tiffany S., Winer, Morgan H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,222,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

The method for manipulating a cursor is performed at a portable multifunction device with one or more processors, memory, and a touch screen display. Initially, content of an electronic document is displayed on the display, where a cursor is displayed within the electronic document. Two substantially simultaneous touch inputs are then detected on the touch screen display, and preferably anywhere on the touch screen display. In response to detecting the two substantially simultaneous touch inputs, a portion of the content in the document closest to the cursor is selected, and the portion of the content is displayed as selected content.

Claims

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

concurrently display an onscreen keyboard and a content presentation region on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the content presentation region displays text input received from the onscreen keyboard;

detect a touch input on the onscreen keyboard displayed on the touch-sensitive display;

in response to detecting the touch input on the onscreen keyboard displayed on the touch-sensitive display, determine whether the touch input satisfies one or more criteria for entering a text selection mode; and

in accordance with a determination that the touch input satisfies the one or more criteria for entering the text selection mode;

concurrently display, in the content presentation region, a first cursor at a first location and a second cursor at a second location that is different from the first location.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria for entering the text selection mode include the touch input including a two-finger drag gesture over the onscreen keyboard.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the device has one or more sensors to detect intensity of contacts with the touch-sensitive display;

the touch input on the touch-sensitive display includes an input by a contact on the onscreen keyboard, and

the one or more criteria for entering the text selection mode include the contact on the onscreen keyboard having an intensity that exceeds a predetermined deep press intensity threshold.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in accordance with the determination that the touch input satisfies the one or more criteria for entering the text selection mode;

visually obscure keys on the onscreen keyboard.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein visually obscuring the keys on the onscreen keyboard includes applying a blurring effect to the onscreen keyboard.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein visually obscuring the keys on the onscreen keyboard includes transforming the onscreen keyboard into an onscreen touchpad.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein visually obscuring the keys on the onscreen keyboard includes making the onscreen keyboard semitransparent to partially reveal content lying underneath the onscreen keyboard.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the second location is based on a location of an initial contact in the touch input; and

the first location is a permitted insertion position in the content presentation region that is based on the second location.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein:

the first location is an insertion position at which the first cursor is located when the touch input is determined to satisfy the one or more criteria for entering the text selection mode; and

the second location is displaced from the first location by a predetermined offset.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second cursors is already displayed in the content presentation region before both of the first and second cursors are concurrently displayed in the content presentation region.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

detect movement of one or more contacts of the touch input; and

move the second cursor within the content presentation region in accordance with the movement of the one or more contacts of the touch input.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

move the first cursor based on the movement of the second cursor, wherein movement of the first cursor includes discrete movements between permitted insertion positions in the content presentation region.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 12, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

detect a lift-off of the touch input after detecting the movement of the one or more contacts of the touch input; and

in response to detecting the lift-off of the touch input;

cease to display the second cursor.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in response to detecting the lift-off of the touch input, maintain display of the first cursor at a respective permitted insertion position reached by the first cursor after the discrete movements of the first cursor.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in response to detecting the lift-off of the touch input, cease to display the first cursor.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the onscreen keyboard is obscured in accordance with the determination that the touch input satisfies the one or more criteria for entering the text selection mode, and the computer readable storage medium includes instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in response to detecting the lift-off of the touch input, restore display of the onscreen keyboard.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the device has one or more sensors to detect intensities of contacts with the touch-sensitive display, and the computer readable storage medium includes instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in the text selection mode, detect that an intensity of a contact in the touch input exceeds a predetermined intensity threshold;

after detecting that the intensity of the contact in the touch input exceeds the predetermined intensity threshold, detect movement of the contact in the touch input;

in response to detecting the movement of the contact in the touch input, after detecting that the intensity of the contact in the touch input exceeds the predetermined intensity threshold;

select a portion of the text input in accordance with the movement of the contact in the touch input.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the selected portion of the text input begins at a position of the first cursor when the detected intensity of the contact in the touch input exceeded the predetermined intensity threshold.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

detect lift-off of the contact in the touch input after selecting the portion of the text input in accordance with the movement of the contact in the touch input; and

,

in response to detecting the lift-off of the contact in the touch input, confirm selection of the portion of the text input.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

after selecting the portion of the text input, while the portion of the text input is selected, detect an intensity of the contact in the touch input that exceeds the predetermined threshold; and

,

in response to detecting the intensity of the contact in the touch input that exceeds the predetermined threshold while the portion of the text input is selected, clear selection of the portion of the text input.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

after selecting the portion of the text input, while the portion of the text input is selected, detect an intensity of the contact in the touch input that exceeds the predetermined threshold and that is followed by lift-off of the contact without further movement of the contact; and

,

in response to detecting the intensity of the contact in the touch input that exceeds the predetermined threshold and that is followed by lift-off of the contact without further movement of the contact, confirm selection of the portion of the text input.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

after selecting the portion of the text input, while the portion of the text input is selected, detect an intensity of the contact in the touch input that exceeds the predetermined threshold and that is followed by further movement of the contact; and

,

in response to detecting the intensity of the contact in the touch input that exceeds the predetermined threshold and that is followed by the further movement of the contact;

clear selection of the portion of the text input.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in response to detecting the intensity of the contact in the touch input that exceeds the predetermined threshold and that is followed by the further movement of the contact;

start selection of a new portion of the text input in accordance with the further movement of the contact.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in response to detecting the intensity of the contact in the touch input that exceeds the predetermined threshold and that is followed by the further movement of the contact;

further move the second cursor and the first cursor within the content presentation region in accordance with the further movement of the contact.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the device has one or more sensors to detect intensities of contacts with the touch-sensitive display, and the computer readable storage medium includes instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

in the text selection mode, detect a first local intensity peak in the touch input followed by a second local intensity peak in the touch input that both exceed a predetermined intensity threshold; and

,

in response to detecting the first local intensity peak followed by the second local intensity peak that both exceed the predetermined intensity threshold, select a first predetermined unit of the text input according to a current location of the first cursor.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, including instructions which, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

after detecting the first local intensity peak followed by the second local intensity peak, detect a third consecutive local intensity peak in the touch input that exceeds the predetermined intensity threshold; and

in response to detecting the three consecutive local intensity peaks in the touch input that all exceed the predetermined deep press intensity threshold, select a second predetermined unit of the text input that is larger than and includes the first predetermined unit of the text input.

27. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

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;

concurrently displaying an onscreen keyboard and a content presentation region on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the content presentation region displays text input received from the onscreen keyboard;

detecting a touch input on the onscreen keyboard displayed on the touch-sensitive display;

in response to detecting the touch input on the onscreen keyboard displayed on the touch-sensitive display, determining whether the touch input satisfies one or more criteria for entering a text selection mode; and

in accordance with a determination that the touch input satisfies the one or more criteria for entering the text selection mode;

concurrently displaying, in the content presentation region, a first cursor at a first location and a second cursor at a second location that is different from the first location.

28. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device having one or more processors, memory, and a touch-sensitive display;

concurrently displaying an onscreen keyboard and a content presentation region on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the content presentation region displays text input received from the onscreen keyboard;

detecting a touch input on the onscreen keyboard displayed on the touch-sensitive display;

in response to detect the touch input on the onscreen keyboard displayed on the touch-sensitive display, determining whether the touch input satisfies one or more criteria for entering a text selection mode; and

in accordance with a determination that the touch input satisfies the one or more criteria for entering the text selection mode;

concurrently displaying, in the content presentation region, a first cursor at a first location and a second cursor at a second location that is different from the first location.