Mode-based graphical user interfaces for touch sensitive input devices

• US 8,239,784 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hotelling, Steve, Huppi, Brian Q., Strickon, Joshua A., Kerr, Duncan Robert, Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Ive, Jonathan P., Ording, Bas
• Primary Examiner(s): Pesin, Boris
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEFFINGTON, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US11/038,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,758 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702, 715/864, 715/863, 715/773, 715/783, 715/784, 715/786, 715/808, 715/830, 345/173, 345/174, 345/176, 345/177, 345/178
• US Class Current: 715/830
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• 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 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment
• 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 3/0488 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 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

A user interface method is disclosed. The method includes detecting a touch and then determining a user interface mode when a touch is detected. The method further includes activating one or more GUI elements based on the user interface mode and in response to the detected touch.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a touch screen; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the touch screen, the processor configured for

displaying a series of items on the touch screen,

causing a virtual scroll wheel to appear in response to an initial touch detected on the touch screen over the series of items, the virtual scroll wheel being manipulable using swirling motion touch events over the virtual scroll wheel,

converting swirling motion touch events detected over the virtual scroll wheel subsequent to the initial touch into serial movement through the displayed series of items;

detecting a second touch, the second touch at least partially contemporaneous with the initial touch; and

activating a GUI element in response to the second touch,

wherein the virtual scroll wheel and a virtual control interface of the GUI element are manipulable simultaneously; and

wherein the virtual scroll wheel is a relative input device configured for moving through the series of items based on movement of the swirling motion touch event with respect to a location of the initial touch independent of any particular initial touch location on the virtual scroll wheel.

2. The computer system as recited in claim 1, the processor further configured for minimizing or shifting the series of items to maintain their visibility when the virtual scroll wheel appears.

3. The computer system as recited in claim 1, the processor further configured for causing the virtual scroll wheel to appear having a virtual button at its center.

4. The computer system as recited in claim 3, the processor further configured for selecting a particular item from the series of items upon detection of a touch event at the virtual button.

5. The computer system as recited in claim 1, the processor further configured for displaying the series of items as an array of photos.

6. The computer system as recited in claim 5, the processor further configured for converting the swirling motion touch events detected over the virtual scroll wheel into movement through the displayed array of photos by moving a highlighter through the displayed array of photos.

7. The computer system as recited in claim 1, wherein the virtual scroll wheel is semitransparent so that the previously displayed series of items disposed underneath the virtual scroll wheel can be seen through the virtual scroll wheel.

8. The computer system as recited in claim 1 wherein the virtual scroll wheel is presented in the vicinity of the detected touch.

9. The computer system as recited in claim 1 wherein the virtual scroll wheel is presented at a predetermined location.

10. The computer system as recited in claim 1 wherein causing the virtual scroll wheel to appear includes implementing a transition effect that transitions the virtual scroll wheel from a first state to a second state.

11. The computer system as recited in claim 10 wherein the transitioning effect is selected from popping, growing, or fading in and out.

12. The computer system as recited in claim 10 wherein the speed of the transition effect is based on the pressure of the touch.

13. The computer system as recited in claim 1, the processor further configured for:

determining whether or not to deactivate the virtual scroll wheel, deactivation including disabling the functionality of the virtual scroll wheel and removing the virtual scroll wheel from display.

14. The computer system as recited in claim 13, the processor further configured for deactivating the virtual scroll wheel when a touch is no longer detected.

15. The computer system as recited in claim 13 wherein the virtual scroll wheel is deactivated when a touch has not been detected for a preset amount of time.

16. The computer system as recited in claim 13 wherein the virtual scroll wheel is deactivated after being activated for a preset amount of time.

17. The computer system as recited in claim 13 wherein the virtual scroll wheel is deactivated via a user selection.

18. The computer system as recited in claim 13 wherein causing the virtual scroll wheel to appear includes implementing a transition effect that transitions the virtual scroll wheel from a first state to a second state, and wherein deactivating the displayed virtual scroll wheel includes implementing a reverse transition effect that transitions the virtual scroll wheel from the second state to the first state.

32. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the detected initial touch and touch events are touch images representing a profile of an object causing the touch.

19. A method for scrolling through a series of items, the method comprising:

displaying a series of items on a touch screen;

detecting an initial touch on the touch screen over at least one of the series of items that are displayed;

causing a virtual scroll wheel to appear in response to the initial touch detected over the displayed series of items, the virtual scroll wheel being graphically manipulable by swirling motion touch events detected over the virtual scroll wheel subsequent to the initial touch;

determining if a swirling motion touch event is performed relative to a touch region of the virtual scroll wheel;

scrolling through the series of items when the swirling motion touch event is performed;

detecting a second touch, the second touch at least partially contemporaneous with the initial touch; and

activating a GUI element in response to the second touch,

wherein the virtual scroll wheel and a virtual control interface of the GUI element are manipulable simultaneously; and

wherein the virtual scroll wheel is a relative input device configured for moving through the series of items based on movement of the swirling motion touch event with respect to a location of the initial touch independent of any particular initial touch location on the virtual scroll wheel.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein causing the virtual scroll wheel to appear includes displaying and enabling the functionality of the virtual scroll wheel, the virtual scroll wheel providing a touch region where the swirling motion touch event can be performed in order to traverse through the series of items.

21. The method as recited in claim 20 further comprising:

deactivating the virtual scroll wheel when a touch event is not performed, the deactivation of the virtual scroll wheel including disabling the functionality of the virtual scroll wheel and removing the virtual scroll wheel from display.

22. The method as recited in claim 21 wherein the display and the removal of the virtual scroll wheel from display are performed with a transition effect that transitions the virtual scroll wheel from a first state to a second state when displayed, and that transitions the virtual scroll wheel from the second state to the first state when removed.

23. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein the virtual scroll wheel is displayed with a transition effect that transitions the virtual scroll wheel from a first state to a second state.

24. The method as recited in claim 23 wherein the transition effect causes the virtual scroll wheel to grow, a small virtual scroll wheel being initially displayed, and thereafter the virtual scroll wheel continuously enlarging until the virtual scroll wheel reaches a final size.

25. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein the virtual scroll wheel is displayed over the series of items, and wherein the virtual scroll wheel is semitransparent so that the series of items disposed underneath the virtual scroll wheel can be seen through the virtual scroll wheel.

26. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein the virtual scroll wheel provides one or more virtual buttons, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining if a selection touch event is performed relative to the one or more virtual buttons of the virtual scroll wheel; and

implementing an action associated with a particular button when the selection touch event is performed on the particular button.

27. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein the one or more virtual buttons include at least a center button that is surrounded by the touch region.

28. The method as recited in claim 27 wherein the virtual scroll wheel is circular.

29. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein determining if a touch event is performed relative to the touch region of the virtual scroll wheel comprises:

detecting the presence of at least one finger over the touch region;

setting an initial position of the finger; and

monitoring finger movement relative to the initial position.

30. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein the series of items are a list of songs.

33. The method of claim 19, wherein the detected initial touch and touch events are touch images representing a profile of an object causing the touch.

31. A computing system, comprising:

a display device configured to display a graphical user interface;

a touch sensing device positioned over the display device, the touch sensing device being configured to detect touches that occur over the display device; and

a processor operatively coupled to the display device and the touch sensing device, the processor configured for

displaying a series of items on the display device,

detecting an initial touch over the series of items,

instructing the display device to cause a virtual scroll wheel to appear in response to the initial touch, the virtual scroll wheel being graphically manipulable by rotational motion touch events subsequent to the initial touch,

converting touch events representing rotational movement around the virtual scroll wheel into serial movement through the displayed series of items;

detecting a second touch, the second touch at least partially contemporaneous with the initial touch; and

activating a GUI element in response to the second touch,

wherein the virtual scroll wheel and z virtual control interface of the GUI element are manipulable simultaneously; and

wherein the virtual scroll wheel is a relative input device configured for moving through the series of items based on movement of the swirling motion touch event with respect to a location of the initial touch independent of any particular initial touch location on the virtual scroll wheel.

34. The computing system of claim 31, wherein the detected initial touch and touch events are touch images representing profiles of objects in contact with the touch screen.