Detecting gestures on multi-event sensitive devices

• US 7,924,271 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Christie, Greg, Westerman, Wayne Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Liang; Regina
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sheng; Tom V
• Application Number:
  US11/818,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20080165140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-177, 463/37
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A user interface method is disclosed. The method can include detecting gestures on or above a multi-event sensor panel and performing an action associated with detected gestures. Such action can include activating or changing a state of one or more GUI objects and emulate functions performed by a mouse or trackball input device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for processing event inputs using a touch sensing device, said method comprising:

displaying a plurality of GUI (graphical user interface) objects on a display;

detecting an event input of a number of fingers touching the touch sensing device;

identifying a control state associated with the event input, wherein the control state comprises one of a first control state, a second control state and a third control state, the first control state providing control of a first level GUI object, the second control state providing control of a second level GUI object, and the third control state providing control of a third level GUI object, wherein the first control state is identified by the event input indicating a first number of fingers touching the touch sensing device, the second control state is identified by the event input indicating a second number of fingers touching the touch sensing device, and the third control state is identified by the event input indicating a third number of fingers touching the touch sensing device; and

controlling one or more of the GUI objects in accordance with the identified control state.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first level GUI object is a selectable file icon, the second level GUI object is an open file window, and the third level GUI object is all open file windows.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the third level GUI object includes a plurality of GUI objects.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first number of fingers is one finger, the second number of fingers is two fingers, and the third number of fingers is three fingers.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein controlling the one or more GUI objects includes one of a move operation, a view operation, a select operation, a scroll operation, and an open operation.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first level GUI object includes an object within an application window, the second level GUI object includes the application window, and the third level GUI object includes a plurality of application windows.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the third level GUI object includes all open application windows.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 6, wherein the object within the application window includes a selectable icon.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a display that displays a plurality of GUI (graphical user interface) objects;

a touch sensing device that detects an event input of a number of fingers touching the touch sensing device; and

a controller that controls a first level GUI object when the event input indicates a first number of fingers touching the touch sensing device, controls a second level GUI object when the event input indicates a second number of fingers touching the touch sensing device, and controls a third level GUI object when the event input indicates a third number of fingers touching the touch sensing device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first level GUI object is a selectable file icon, the second level GUI object is an open file window, and the third level GUI object is all open file windows.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the third level GUI object includes a plurality of GUI objects.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller controls one of the first, second, and third level GUI objects to perform one of a move operation, a view operation, a select operation, a scroll operation, and an open operation.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first level GUI object includes an object within an application window, the second level GUI object includes the application window, and the third level GUI object includes a plurality of application windows.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of application windows includes all open application windows.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the object within the application window includes a selectable icon.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable program instructions executable to perform a method for processing event inputs using a touch sensing device, the method comprising:

displaying a plurality of GUI (graphical user interface) objects on a display;

detecting an event input of a number of fingers touching the touch sensing device;

controlling a first level GUI object when the event input indicates a first number of fingers touching the touch sensing device;

controlling a second level GUI object when the event input indicates a second number of fingers touching the touch sensing device; and

controlling a third level GUI object when the event input indicates a third number of fingers touching the touch sensing device.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first level GUI object is a selectable file icon, the second level GUI object is an open file window, and the third level GUI object is all open file windows.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the third level GUI object includes a plurality of GUI objects.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein controlling one of the first, second, and third level GUI objects includes performing one of a move operation, a view operation, a select operation, a scroll operation, and an open operation.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first level GUI object includes an object within an application window, the second level GUI object includes the application window, and the third level GUI object includes a plurality of application windows.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the plurality of application windows includes all open application windows.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the object within the application window includes a selectable icon.