Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for moving on-screen objects without using a cursor

• US 8,284,170 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bernstein, Jeffrey Traer
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia, Prabodh M
• Application Number:
  US12/242,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20100079405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,470 Days
• Field of Search: 345/76, 345/156, 345/163, 345/169, 345172-179, 345/211, 345/212, 345/589, 345/630, 345/684, 345/848, 348/563, 348/569, 348/734, 715/763, 715/702, 715/711, 715/863, 715/849, 715/850, 463/16, 463/30, 463/31, 463/36, 463/43, 455/414.1, 455/456.3, 455/466, 178/18.03, 340/932.2, 340/435
• US Class Current: 345/174
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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 3/0486 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

Abstract

An electronic device with a touch screen display: detects a single finger contact on the touch screen display; creates a touch area that corresponds to the single finger contact; determines a representative point within the touch area; determines if the touch area overlaps an object displayed on the touch screen display, which includes determining if one or more portions of the touch area other than the representative point overlap the object; connects the object with the touch area if the touch area overlaps the object, where connecting maintains the overlap of the object and the touch area; after connecting the object with the touch area, detects movement of the single finger contact; determines movement of the touch area that corresponds to movement of the single finger contact; and moves the object connected with the touch area in accordance with the determined movement of the touch area.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a computing device with a touch screen display;

detecting a single finger contact on the touch screen display;

creating a single touch area that corresponds to the single finger contact on the touch screen display;

determining if the single touch area concurrently overlaps with a plurality of objects displayed on the touch screen display;

connecting the plurality of objects with the single touch area if each object in the plurality of objects is determined to concurrently overlap the single touch area, wherein connecting the plurality of objects with the single touch area maintains the overlap between the single touch area and each object in the plurality of objects when the single touch area is moved in accordance with detected movement of the single finger contact;

after connecting the plurality of objects with the single touch area, detecting movement of the single finger contact on the touch screen display;

determining movement of the single touch area that corresponds to movement of the single finger contact on the touch screen display; and

moving the connected plurality of objects that concurrently overlap the single touch area in accordance with the determined movement of the single touch area.

2. The method of claim 1, including determining a representative point within the single touch area;

wherein determining if the single touch area overlaps with the plurality of objects includes determining if one or more portions of the single touch area other than the representative point overlap the plurality of objects.

3. The method of claim 1, including

while detecting movement of the single finger contact on the touch screen display, detecting intersection of the single touch area and/or the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area with an unconnected object on the touch screen display;

and

in response to detecting intersection of the single touch area and/or the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area with the unconnected object, moving the unconnected object such that the unconnected object ceases to intersect the single touch area and/or the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area.

4. The method of claim 1, including

determining that the single touch area ceases to overlap with an object in the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area;

and

in response to determining that the single touch area ceases to overlap with the object, disconnecting the single touch area from the object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of objects are moved in accordance with the determined movement of the single touch area without using a cursor.

6. A computing device, comprising:

a touch screen 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;

detecting a single finger contact on the touch screen display;

creating a single touch area that corresponds to the single finger contact on the touch screen display;

determining if the single touch area concurrently overlaps with a plurality of objects displayed on the touch screen display;

connecting the plurality of objects with the single touch area if each object in the plurality of objects is determined to concurrently overlap the single touch area, wherein connecting the plurality of objects with the single touch area maintains the overlap between the single touch area and each object in the plurality of objects when the single touch area is moved in accordance with detected movement of the single finger contact;

after connecting the plurality of objects with the single touch area, detecting movement of the single finger contact on the touch screen display;

determining movement of the single touch area that corresponds to movement of the single finger contact on the touch screen display; and

moving the connected plurality of objects that concurrently overlap the single touch area in accordance with the determined movement of the single touch area.

7. The device of claim 6, including instructions for determining a representative point within the single touch area;

wherein determining if the single touch area overlaps with the plurality of objects includes determining if one or more portions of the single touch area other than the representative point overlap the plurality of objects.

8. The device of claim 6, including instructions for:

while detecting movement of the single finger contact on the touch screen display, detecting intersection of the single touch area and/or the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area with an unconnected object on the touch screen display; and

in response to detecting intersection of the single touch area and/or the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area with the unconnected object, moving the unconnected object such that the unconnected object ceases to intersect the single touch area and/or the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area.

9. The device of claim 6, including instructions for:

determining that the single touch area ceases to overlap with an object in the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area; and

in response to determining that the single touch area ceases to overlap with the object, disconnecting the single touch area from the object.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the plurality of objects are moved in accordance with the determined movement of the single touch area without using a cursor.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which when executed by a computing device with a touch screen display, cause the device to:

detect a single finger contact on the touch screen display;

create a single touch area that corresponds to the single finger contact on the touch screen display;

determine if the single touch area concurrently overlaps with a plurality of objects displayed on the touch screen display;

connect the plurality of objects with the single touch area if each object in the plurality of objects is determined to concurrently overlap the single touch area, wherein connecting the plurality of objects with the single touch area maintains the overlap between the single touch area and each object in the plurality of objects when the single touch area is moved in accordance with detected movement of the single finger contact;

after connecting the plurality of objects with the single touch area, detect movement of the single finger contact on the touch screen display;

determine movement of the single touch area that corresponds to movement of the single finger contact on the touch screen display; and

move the connected plurality of objects that concurrently overlap the single touch area in accordance with the determined movement of the single touch area.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, including instructions which cause the device to determine a representative point within the single touch area;

wherein determining if the single touch area overlaps with the plurality of objects includes determining if one or more portions of the single touch area other than the representative point overlap the plurality of objects.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, including instructions which cause the device to:

while detecting movement of the single finger contact on the touch screen display, detect intersection of the single touch area and/or the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area with an unconnected object on the touch screen display; and

in response to detecting intersection of the single touch area and/or the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area with the unconnected object, move the unconnected object such that the unconnected object ceases to intersect the single touch area and/or the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, including instructions which cause the device to:

determine that the single touch area ceases to overlap with an object in the plurality of objects connected with the single touch area; and

in response to determining that the single touch area ceases to overlap with the object, disconnect the single touch area from the object.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of objects are moved in accordance with the determined movement of the single touch area without using a cursor.

16. A graphical user interface on a computing device with a touch screen display, comprising:

a plurality of objects;

wherein;

a single finger contact is detected on the touch screen display;

a single touch area is created that corresponds to the single finger contact on the touch screen display;

whether the single touch area concurrently overlaps with a plurality of objects displayed on the touch screen display is determined;

the plurality of objects are connected with the single touch area if each object in the plurality of objects is determined to concurrently overlap the single touch area, wherein connecting the plurality of objects with the single touch area maintains the overlap between the single touch area and each object in the plurality of objects when the single touch area is moved in accordance with detected movement of the single finger contact;

after connecting the plurality of objects with the single touch area, movement of the single finger contact is detected on the touch screen display;

movement of the single touch area that corresponds to movement of the single finger contact on the touch screen display is determined; and

the connected plurality of objects that concurrently overlap the single touch area are moved in accordance with the determined movement of the single touch area.