Systems and methods for displaying visual information on a device

• US 8,773,470 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2010
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ingrassia, Michael Ignazio Jr., Rottler, Benjamin Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Ma, Tize
• Application Number:
  US12/776,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20110273479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/666
• 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

Systems, methods, and devices for displaying visual information on an electronic display are provided. For example, rather than requiring a user to manually pan and zoom across visual information displayed on an electronic display, an electronic device may automatically display certain details of the visual information that are of interest to the user. One such method may include defining objects in visual information and detecting certain specific touch input gestures entered on the electronic display while the electronic display is displaying the visual information. When the touch input gestures are detected, the electronic device may automatically display a sequence of the objects of the visual information on the electronic display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

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

displaying a user interface that includes a plurality of identified objects;

while the user interface is displayed on the display, detecting a gesture that includes movement of a contact across the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a path in the user interface;

identifying a first object and a second object in the plurality of identified objects that are within a predefined distance of the path; and

after the contact has moved away from a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of the first object and a location of the second object on the display, sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects in the plurality of identified objects that includes an enlarged representation of the first object and an enlarged representation of the second object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the user interface includes an image; and

the first object and the second object correspond to predetermined points of interest in the image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the user interface includes an image of a plurality of people; and

the first object and the second object correspond to faces in the image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the gesture that includes movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface is a single contact gesture.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the path has a respective direction that corresponds to a direction of movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface; and

the sequentially displayed enlarged representations of objects are displayed in an order that corresponds to the respective direction of the path.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first object and the second object are intersected by the path.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequentially displayed enlarged representations of objects are displayed without displaying enlarged representations of one or more of the identified objects in the user interface that are not within the predefined distance of the path.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes panning and zooming the user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes:

ceasing to display the second object while displaying the enlarged representation of the first object; and

ceasing to display the first object while displaying the enlarged representation of the second object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes automatically cycling through a sequence of enlarged representations of objects; and

the method includes;

while cycling through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects, detecting a predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and

in response to detecting the predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, ceasing to cycle through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first object is in a first cluster of objects that includes the first object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects;

the second object is in a second cluster of objects, different from the first cluster of objects, that includes the second object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects; and

sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes, in order;

displaying an enlarged representation of the first cluster of objects;

displaying an enlarged representation of the first object;

displaying an enlarged representation of the second cluster of objects; and

displaying an enlarged representation of the second object.

12. The method of claim 1, including detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface.

13. The method of claim 1, including detecting an end of movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting an end of the movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface.

14. 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;

displaying a user interface that includes a plurality of identified objects;

while the user interface is displayed on the display, detecting a gesture that includes movement of a contact across the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a path in the user interface;

identifying a first object and a second object in the plurality of identified objects that are within a predefined distance of the path; and

after the contact has moved away from a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of the first object and a location of the second object on the display, sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects in the plurality of identified objects that includes an enlarged representation of the first object and an enlarged representation of the second object.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the sequentially displayed enlarged representations of objects are displayed without displaying enlarged representations of one or more of the identified objects in the user interface that are not within the predefined distance of the path.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes panning and zooming the user interface.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes:

ceasing to display the second object while displaying the enlarged representation of the first object; and

ceasing to display the first object while displaying the enlarged representation of the second object.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein:

sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes automatically cycling through a sequence of enlarged representations of objects; and

the one or more programs include instructions for;

while cycling through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects, detecting a predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and

in response to detecting the predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, ceasing to cycle through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein:

the first object is in a first cluster of objects that includes the first object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects;

the second object is in a second cluster of objects, different from the first cluster of objects, that includes the second object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects; and

sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes, in order;

displaying an enlarged representation of the first cluster of objects;

displaying an enlarged representation of the first object;

displaying an enlarged representation of the second cluster of objects; and

displaying an enlarged representation of the second object.

20. The device of claim 14, including instructions for detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface.

21. The device of claim 14, including instructions for detecting an end of movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting an end of the movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface.

22. 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:

display a user interface that includes a plurality of identified objects;

while the user interface is displayed on the display, detect a gesture that includes movement of a contact across the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a path in the user interface;

identify a first object and a second object in the plurality of identified objects that are within a predefined distance of the path; and

after the contact has moved away from a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of the first object and a location of the second object on the display, sequentially display enlarged representations of objects in the plurality of identified objects that includes an enlarged representation of the first object and an enlarged representation of the second object.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the sequentially displayed enlarged representations of objects are displayed without displaying enlarged representations of one or more of the identified objects in the user interface that are not within the predefined distance of the path.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes panning and zooming the user interface.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes:

ceasing to display the second object while displaying the enlarged representation of the first object; and

ceasing to display the first object while displaying the enlarged representation of the second object.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein:

sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes automatically cycling through a sequence of enlarged representations of objects; and

the one or more programs include instructions which, when executed, cause the device to;

while cycling through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects, detect a predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and

in response to detecting the predefined gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, cease to cycle through the sequence of enlarged representations of objects.

27. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein:

the first object is in a first cluster of objects that includes the first object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects;

the second object is in a second cluster of objects, different from the first cluster of objects, that includes the second object and one or more other objects in the plurality of objects; and

sequentially displaying the enlarged representations of objects includes, in order;

displaying an enlarged representation of the first cluster of objects;

displaying an enlarged representation of the first object;

displaying an enlarged representation of the second cluster of objects; and

displaying an enlarged representation of the second object.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the one or more programs include instructions which, when executed, cause the device to detect liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive surface.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the one or more programs include instructions which, when executed, cause the device to detect an end of movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the sequentially displaying enlarged representations of objects occurs after detecting an end of the movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface.