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

• US 9,128,614 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Koch, Jonathan, Forstall, Scott, Cranfill, Elizabeth Caroline Furches
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Kumar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US14/083,349
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345173-184, 178 1801- 1809
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 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

An electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface concurrently displays on the display an application content area and an unsplit keyboard, the unsplit keyboard being located at a bottom of the display. The device detects a first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface. In response to detecting the first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, the device converts the unsplit keyboard into a split keyboard and moves the split keyboard away from the bottom of the display over the application content area in accordance with the first gesture.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

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

concurrently displaying on the display

an application content area, and

an unsplit keyboard, the unsplit keyboard being located at a bottom of the display;

detecting a first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, the first gesture occurs at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the unsplit keyboard at the bottom of the display; and

,

in response to detecting the first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

converting the unsplit keyboard into a split keyboard, and

moving the split keyboard away from the bottom of the display over the application content area in accordance with the first gesture.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

in response to detecting the first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

prior to converting the unsplit keyboard into the split keyboard, moving the unsplit keyboard away from the bottom of the display over the application content area in accordance with the first gesture.

3. The method of claim 1, including:

in response to detecting the first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

displaying an animation of the unsplit keyboard converting into the split keyboard while moving the keyboard away from the bottom of the display.

4. The method of claim 1, including:

while concurrently displaying on the display

the application content area, and

the split keyboard, the split keyboard being located away from the bottom of the display;

detecting a second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

in response to detecting the second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

converting the split keyboard into the unsplit keyboard, and

moving the unsplit keyboard to the bottom of the display in accordance with the second gesture.

5. The method of claim 4, including:

in response to detecting the second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

prior to converting the split keyboard into the unsplit keyboard, moving the unsplit keyboard towards the bottom of the display over the application content area in accordance with the second gesture.

6. The method of claim 4, including:

in response to detecting the second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

displaying an animation of the split keyboard converting into the unsplit keyboard while moving the keyboard towards the bottom of the display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture is a drag gesture or a flick gesture.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture includes an upward movement away from the bottom of the display.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first gesture starts at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of a predefined key on the unsplit keyboard.

10. 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 on the display

an application content area, and

an unsplit keyboard, the unsplit keyboard being located at a bottom of the display;

detecting a first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the first gesture occurs at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the unsplit keyboard at the bottom of the display; and

,

in response to detecting the first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

converting the unsplit keyboard into a split keyboard, and

moving the split keyboard away from the bottom of the display over the application content area in accordance with the first gesture.

11. The device of claim 10, including instructions for:

in response to detecting the first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

prior to converting the unsplit keyboard into the split keyboard, moving the unsplit keyboard away from the bottom of the display over the application content area in accordance with the first gesture.

12. The device of claim 10, including instructions for:

in response to detecting the first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

displaying an animation of the unsplit keyboard converting into the split keyboard while moving the keyboard away from the bottom of the display.

13. The device of claim 10, including instructions for:

while concurrently displaying on the display

the application content area, and

the split keyboard, the split keyboard being located away from the bottom of the display;

detecting a second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

in response to detecting the second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

converting the split keyboard into the unsplit keyboard, and

moving the unsplit keyboard to the bottom of the display in accordance with the second gesture.

14. The device of claim 13, including instructions for:

in response to detecting the second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

prior to converting the split keyboard into the unsplit keyboard, moving the unsplit keyboard towards the bottom of the display over the application content area in accordance with the second gesture.

15. The device of claim 13, including instructions for:

in response to detecting the second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

displaying an animation of the split keyboard converting into the unsplit keyboard while moving the keyboard towards the bottom of the display.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the first gesture is a drag gesture or a flick gesture.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the first gesture includes an upward movement away from the bottom of the display.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the first gesture starts at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of a predefined key on the unsplit keyboard.

19. 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 on the display

an application content area, and

an unsplit keyboard, the unsplit keyboard being located at a bottom of the display;

detect a first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the first gesture occurs at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the unsplit keyboard at the bottom of the display; and

,

in response to detecting the first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

convert the unsplit keyboard into a split keyboard, and

move the split keyboard away from the bottom of the display over the application content area in accordance with the first gesture.

20. The storage medium of claim 19, including instructions that cause the device to:

in response to detecting the first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

prior to converting the unsplit keyboard into the split keyboard, move the unsplit keyboard away from the bottom of the display over the application content area in accordance with the first gesture.

21. The storage medium of claim 19, including instructions that cause the device to:

in response to detecting the first gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

display an animation of the unsplit keyboard converting into the split keyboard while moving the keyboard away from the bottom of the display.

22. The storage medium of claim 19, including instructions that cause the device to:

while concurrently displaying on the display

the application content area, and

the split keyboard, the split keyboard being located away from the bottom of the display;

detect a second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

in response to detecting the second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

convert the split keyboard into the unsplit keyboard, and

move the unsplit keyboard to the bottom of the display in accordance with the second gesture.

23. The storage medium of claim 22, including instructions that cause the device to:

in response to detecting the second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

prior to converting the split keyboard into the unsplit keyboard, move the unsplit keyboard towards the bottom of the display over the application content area in accordance with the second gesture.

24. The storage medium of claim 22, including instructions that cause the device to:

in response to detecting the second gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

display an animation of the split keyboard converting into the unsplit keyboard while moving the keyboard towards the bottom of the display.

25. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the first gesture is a drag gesture or a flick gesture.

26. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the first gesture includes an upward movement away from the bottom of the display.

27. The storage medium of claim 19, wherein the first gesture starts at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of a predefined key on the unsplit keyboard.