Device, method, and graphical user interface for manipulating soft keyboards

• US 8,593,422 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Koch, Jonathan, Victor, B. Michael, Cieplinski, Avi E., Missig, Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US13/076,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-183, 178 1801- 1805, 178 1901- 1904
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 method includes, at an electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface: concurrently displaying a first text entry area and an unsplit keyboard on the display; detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and, in response to detecting the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, replacing the unsplit keyboard with an integrated input area. The integrated input area includes a left portion with a left side of a split keyboard, a right portion with a right side of the split keyboard, and a center portion in between the left portion and the right portion.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a 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;

concurrently displaying a first text entry area and an integrated input area on the display, the integrated input area including;

a left portion with a left side of a split keyboard;

a right portion with a right side of the split keyboard; and

a center portion in between the left portion and the right portion;

detecting a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the center portion of the integrated input area;

detecting movement of the first contact along the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the movement of the first contact along the touch-sensitive surface, translating the integrated input area, including the left portion, the right portion, and the center portion, in accordance with the movement of the first contact when the movement of the first contact exceeds a first movement threshold;

detecting a second contact, distinct from the first contact, on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the split keyboard;

detecting movement of the second contact along the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

in response to detecting the movement of the second contact along the touch-sensitive surface, translating the integrated input area, including the left portion, the right portion, and the center portion, in accordance with the movement of the second contact when the movement of the second contact exceeds a second movement threshold, the second movement threshold being greater than the first movement threshold.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a respective movement threshold is a function of a horizontal distance of a respective contact from a vertical centerline of the integrated input area.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the integrated input area is constrained to vertical translation on the display and the integrated input area translates in accordance with a vertical component of movement of a respective contact when a movement threshold for the respective contact is exceeded.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the left side of the split keyboard and the right side of the split keyboard maintain fixed positions relative to each other within the integrated input area during translation of the integrated input area.

5. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface;

concurrently displaying a first text entry area and an integrated input area on the display, the integrated input area including;

a left portion with a left side of a split keyboard;

a right portion with a right side of the split keyboard; and

a center portion in between the left portion and the right portion;

detecting a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the center portion of the integrated input area;

detecting movement of the first contact along the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the movement of the first contact along the touch-sensitive surface, translating the integrated input area, including the left portion, the right portion, and the center portion, in accordance with the movement of the first contact when the movement of the first contact exceeds a first movement threshold;

detecting a second contact, distinct from the first contact, on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the split keyboard;

detecting movement of the second contact along the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

in response to detecting the movement of the second contact along the touch-sensitive surface, translating the integrated input area, including the left portion, the right portion, and the center portion, in accordance with the movement of the second contact when the movement of the second contact exceeds a second movement threshold, the second movement threshold being greater than the first movement threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a respective movement threshold is a function of a horizontal distance of a respective contact from a vertical centerline of the integrated input area.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the integrated input area is constrained to vertical translation on the display and the integrated input area translates in accordance with a vertical component of movement of a respective contact when a movement threshold for the respective contact is exceeded.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the left side of the split keyboard and the right side of the split keyboard maintain fixed positions relative to each other within the integrated input area during translation of the integrated input area.

9. A graphical user interface on an electronic device with a display, a touch-sensitive surface, a memory, and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, the graphical user interface comprising:

concurrently displayed;

a first text entry area and an integrated input area, the integrated input area including;

a left portion with a left side of a split keyboard;

a right portion with a right side of the split keyboard; and

a center portion in between the left portion and the right portion;

wherein;

a first contact is detected on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the center portion of the integrated input area;

movement of the first contact is detected along the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting movement of the first contact along the touch-sensitive surface, the integrated input area, including the left portion, the right portion, and the center portion, is translated in accordance with the movement of the first contact when the movement of the first contact exceeds a first movement threshold;

a second contact, distinct from the first contact, is detected on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the split keyboard;

movement of the second contact is detected along the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

in response to detecting movement of the second contact along the touch-sensitive surface, the integrated input area, including the left portion, the right portion, and the center portion, is translated in accordance with the movement of the second contact when the movement of the second contact exceeds a second movement threshold, the second movement threshold being greater than the first movement threshold.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 9, wherein a respective movement threshold is a function of a horizontal distance of a respective contact from a vertical centerline of the integrated input area.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 9, wherein the integrated input area is constrained to vertical translation on the display and the integrated input area translates in accordance with a vertical component of movement of a respective contact when a movement threshold for the respective contact is exceeded.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 9, wherein the left side of the split keyboard and the right side of the split keyboard maintain fixed positions relative to each other within the integrated input area during translation of the integrated input area.

13. A non-transitory 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 and a touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

concurrently display a first text entry area and an integrated input area on the display, the integrated input area including;

a left portion with a left side of a split keyboard;

a right portion with a right side of the split keyboard; and

a center portion in between the left portion and the right portion;

detect a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the center portion of the integrated input area;

detect movement of the first contact along the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting movement of the first contact along the touch-sensitive surface, translate the integrated input area, including the left portion, the right portion, and the center portion, in accordance with the movement of the first contact when the movement of the first contact exceeds a first movement threshold;

detect a second contact, distinct from the first contact, on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the split keyboard;

detect movement of the second contact along the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

in response to detecting movement of the second contact along the touch-sensitive surface, translate the integrated input area, including the left portion, the right portion, and the center portion, in accordance with the movement of the second contact when the movement of the second contact exceeds a second movement threshold, the second movement threshold being greater than the first movement threshold.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein a respective movement threshold is a function of a horizontal distance of a respective contact from a vertical centerline of the integrated input area.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the integrated input area is constrained to vertical translation on the display and the integrated input area translates in accordance with a vertical component of movement of a respective contact when a movement threshold for the respective contact is exceeded.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the left side of the split keyboard and the right side of the split keyboard maintain fixed positions relative to each other within the integrated input area during translation of the integrated input area.