Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for customizing display of content category icons

• US 9,335,924 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2013
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jobs, Steven P., Forstall, Scott, Christie, Greg, Lemay, Stephen O., Herz, Scott, van Os, Marcel, Ording, Bas, Novick, Gregory, Westerman, Wayne C., Chaudhri, Imran, Coffman, Patrick Lee, Kocienda, Kenneth, Ganatra, Nitin K., Anzures, Freddy Allen, Wyld, Jeremy A., Bush, Jeffrey, Matas, Michael, Marcos, Paul D., Pisula, Charles J., King, Virgil S., Blumenberg, Chris, Tolmasky, Francisco Ryan, Williamson, Richard, Boule, Andre M. J., Lamiraux, Henri C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cerullo, Liliana
• Application Number:
  US14/056,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20140327629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 715863-866
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with a computing device with a touch screen display comprises: detecting one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display, applying one or more heuristics to the one or more finger contacts to determine a command for the device, and processing the command. The one or more heuristics comprise: a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command, a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a two-dimensional screen translation command, and a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a respective item in a set of items to displaying a next item in the set of items.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

one or more processors operative coupled with the touch screen display;

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 when executed by the one or more processors cause the device to perform;

while a first application user interface is displayed on the touch screen display;

detecting one or more first finger contacts on the first application user interface;

applying a first set of heuristics to the one or more first finger contacts to determine a first command in the first application, wherein the first set of heuristics comprises;

a vertical screen scrolling heuristic for determining that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command rather than a two-dimensional screen translation command based on an angle of movement of a finger contact with respect to the touch screen display; and

a two-dimension screen translation heuristic for determining that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a two-dimensional screen translation command rather than the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command based on the angle of the movement of the first finger contact with respect to the touch screen display; and

processing the first command; and

while a second application user interface is displayed on the touch screen display;

detecting one or more second finger contacts on the second application user interface;

applying a second set of heuristics to the one or more second finger contacts to determine a second command in the second application, wherein;

the second set of heuristics is different from the first set of heuristics, and

the second set of heuristics comprises a next-item heuristic for determining that the one or more second finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a first element in a collection of elements to displaying a next element in the collection; and

processing the second command.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first application is a web browser application and the second application is a photo album application.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein for the first set of heuristics:

the vertical screen scrolling heuristic determines that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command rather than a two-dimensional screen translation command based on a determination that the angle of the movement of the finger contact with respect to the touch screen display is within a predetermined angle; and

the two-dimension screen translation heuristic determines that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a two-dimensional screen translation command rather than the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command based on a determination that the angle of the movement of the first finger contact with respect to the touch screen display is not within the predetermined angle.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first set of heuristics and the second set of heuristics further comprise a zoom-in heuristic for determining that the respective finger contacts correspond to a command to zoom in by a predetermined amount.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first set of heuristics and the second set of heuristics further comprise a zoom-in heuristic for determining that the respective finger contacts correspond to a command to zoom in by a user-specified amount, and the user-specified is determined based on an amount of movement of the respective finger contacts.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more first finger contacts on the first application user interface is one first finger contact on the first application user interface.

6. 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:

while a first application user interface is displayed on the touch screen display;

detecting one or more first finger contacts on the first application user interface;

applying a first set of heuristics to the one or more first finger contacts to determine a first command in the first application, wherein the first set of heuristics comprises;

a vertical screen scrolling heuristic for determining that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command rather than a two-dimensional screen translation command based on an angle of movement of a finger contact with respect to the touch screen display; and

a two-dimension screen translation heuristic for determining that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a two-dimensional screen translation command rather than the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command based on the angle of the movement of the first finger contact with respect to the touch screen display; and

processing the first command; and

while a second application user interface is displayed on the touch screen display;

detecting one or more second finger contacts on the second application user interface;

applying a second set of heuristics to the one or more second finger contacts to determine a second command in the second application, wherein;

the second set of heuristics is different from the first set of heuristics, and

the second set of heuristics comprises a next-item heuristic for determining that the one or more second finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a first element in a collection of elements to displaying a next element in the collection; and

processing the second command.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the first application is a web browser application and the second application is a photo album application.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein for the first set of heuristics:

the vertical screen scrolling heuristic determines that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command rather than a two-dimensional screen translation command based on a determination that the angle of the movement of the finger contact with respect to the touch screen display is within a predetermined angle; and

the two-dimension screen translation heuristic determines that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a two-dimensional screen translation command rather than the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command based on a determination that the angle of the movement of the first finger contact with respect to the touch screen display is not within the predetermined angle.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first set of heuristics and the second set of heuristics further comprise a zoom-in heuristic for determining that the respective finger contacts correspond to a command to zoom in by a predetermined amount.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first set of heuristics and the second set of heuristics further comprise a zoom-in heuristic for determining that the respective finger contacts correspond to a command to zoom in by a user-specified amount, and the user-specified is determined based on an amount of movement of the respective finger contacts.

11. A method, comprising:

at a computing device with a touch screen display;

while a first application user interface is displayed on the touch screen display;

detecting one or more first finger contacts on the first application user interface;

applying a first set of heuristics to the one or more first finger contacts to determine a first command in the first application, wherein the first set of heuristics comprises;

a vertical screen scrolling heuristic for determining that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command rather than a two-dimensional screen translation command based on an angle of movement of a finger contact with respect to the touch screen display; and

a two-dimension screen translation heuristic for determining that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a two-dimensional screen translation command rather than the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command based on the angle of the movement of the first finger contact with respect to the touch screen display; and

processing the first command; and

while a second application user interface is displayed on the touch screen display;

detecting one or more second finger contacts on the second application user interface;

applying a second set of heuristics to the one or more second finger contacts to determine a second command in the second application, wherein;

the second set of heuristics is different from the first set of heuristics, and

the second set of heuristics comprises a next-item heuristic for determining that the one or more second finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a first element in a collection of elements to displaying a next element in the collection; and

processing the second command.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first application is a web browser application and the second application is a photo album application.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein for the first set of heuristics:

the vertical screen scrolling heuristic determines that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command rather than a two-dimensional screen translation command based on a determination that the angle of the movement of the finger contact with respect to the touch screen display is within a predetermined angle; and

the two-dimension screen translation heuristic determines that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a two-dimensional screen translation command rather than the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command based on a determination that the angle of the movement of the first finger contact with respect to the touch screen display is not within the predetermined angle.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first set of heuristics and the second set of heuristics further comprise a zoom-in heuristic for determining that the respective finger contacts correspond to a command to zoom in by a predetermined amount.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first set of heuristics and the second set of heuristics further comprise a zoom-in heuristic for determining that the respective finger contacts correspond to a command to zoom in by a user-specified amount, and the user-specified is determined based on an amount of movement of the respective finger contacts.