Electronic device including touch-sensitive display and method of controlling same

• US 9,098,127 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Rana, Md Mohiuddin, Danzinger, Wilfried Richard Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiberou, Mahelet
• Application Number:
  US13/653,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/033 Pointing devices displaced or positioned by the user , e.g. mice, trackballs, pens or joysticks; Accessories therefor digitisers characterised by the transducing means G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A method includes displaying a plurality of display elements on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device; displaying a selection tool on the touch-sensitive display; in response to detecting a first gesture, selecting a first portion of the plurality of display elements, the first portion comprising at least one display element; and in response to detecting a second gesture, moving the selection tool without selecting the display elements; and in response to detecting a third gesture, selecting a second portion of the plurality of the plurality of display elements, the second portion being non-contiguous with the first portion.

Claims

1. A method of selecting portions of text, the method comprising:

displaying a text on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device;

displaying a selection tool on the touch-sensitive display;

in response to detecting a first gesture applied to a first portion of the selection tool, selecting a first portion of text, the first portion of display elements comprising at least one text element; and

in response to detecting a second gesture applied to a second portion of the selection tool, moving the selection tool without selecting additional text; and

in response to detecting the first gesture applied to the first portion of the selection tool, selecting a second portion of text together with the first portion of text, the second portion of text being non-contiguous with the first portion of text.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

copying the selected portions of text; and

in response to a fourth gesture, pasting the selected portions of text.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected portions of text are pasted in an order of appearance.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected portions of text are pasted in an order of selection.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to a fifth gesture, cancelling a most recently selected portion of text.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection tool comprises a geometric shape.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture comprises touching and dragging a first portion of the selection tool.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second gesture comprises touching and dragging a second portion of the selection tool.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second portion of the selection tool comprises a first vertex of the selection tool.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable code executable by a processor of an electronic device to perform the method of claim 1.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture comprises tapping the first portion of the selection tool, and wherein the second gesture comprises tapping the second portion of the selection tool.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a touch-sensitive display; and

at least one processor coupled to the touch-sensitive display and configured to;

display a text on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device;

display a selection tool on the touch-sensitive display;

in response to detecting a first gesture applied to a first portion of the selection tool, select a first portion of text, the first portion of display elements comprising at least one text element; and

in response to detecting a second gesture applied to a second portion of the selection tool, move the selection tool without selecting the text; and

in response to detecting the first gesture applied to the first portion of the selection tool, select a second portion of text together with the first portion of text, the second portion of text being non-contiguous with the first portion of text.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

copy the selected portions of text; and

in response to a fourth gesture, paste the selected portions of text.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the selected portions of text are pasted in an order of appearance.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the selected portions of text are pasted in an order of selection.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to in response to a fifth gesture, cancel a most recently selected portion of text.

17. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the selection tool comprises a geometric shape.

18. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the first gesture comprises touching and dragging a first portion of the selection tool.

19. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the second gesture comprises touching and dragging a second portion of the selection tool.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the second portion of the selection tool comprises a first vertex of the selection tool.