Sticky functionality

• US 9,361,012 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schlegel, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAUDHURI, ANITA
• Application Number:
  US13/370,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 715/711, 715/762, 715/763, 715/764, 715/765, 715/864, 715/865, 715/866
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop

Abstract

Manipulation of elements in a graphical user interface is aided by allowing the graphical user interface to treat certain mouse button actuation and releases as holding the mouse button in an actuated state. When predetermined conditions are satisfied, the graphical user interface will treat a mouse button actuation and release as if the mouse button were held in an actuated state. A user can then manipulate elements in the graphical user interface as if the user held the mouse button in an actuated state. The types of manipulation can include the moving of a window, the resizing of a window, moving an icon, and the scrolling through the visible portion of a window.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display;

concurrently displaying, on the display, a user interface that includes a respective user interface object and a plurality of other user interface objects in a container element;

while concurrently displaying the respective user interface object and the plurality of other user interface objects in the container element, detecting a sequence of one or more inputs from an input device, wherein the sequence of one or more inputs includes movement by the input device;

in response to detecting the sequence of one or more inputs;

determining whether the device is in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation based on a duration of a respective input in the sequence of inputs that corresponds to a respective location in the user interface;

in accordance with a determination, based on the duration of the respective input in the sequence of inputs that corresponds to the respective location in the user interface, that the device is in the first mode of operation when the movement is detected, moving the respective user interface object relative to the plurality of other user interface objects in the container element; and

in accordance with a determination, based on the duration of the respective input in the sequence of inputs that corresponds to the respective location in the user interface, that the device is in the second mode of operation when the movement is detected, moving the respective user interface object and the plurality of other user interface objects while preserving a spatial relationship between the respective user interface object and the plurality of other user interface objects in the container element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination that the device is in the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation occurs before movement is detected.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the device is in the second mode of operation comprises detecting an activation and deactivation of an input surface of the input device within a threshold period of time.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining that the device exits the second mode of operation when a subsequent activation of the input surface of the input device is detected.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining that the device is in the first mode of operation comprises determining that the device is not in the second mode of operation and detecting no activation of an input surface of the input device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining that the device exits the second mode of operation when the activation of the input surface of the input device is detected.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions that, when executed, perform a method at an electronic device with a display, the method comprising:

concurrently displaying, on the display, a user interface that includes a respective user interface object and a plurality of other user interface objects in a container element;

while concurrently displaying the respective user interface object and the plurality of other user interface objects in the container element, detecting a sequence of one or more inputs from an input device, wherein the sequence of one or more inputs includes movement by the input device;

in response to detecting the sequence of one or more inputs;

determining whether the device is in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation based on a duration of a respective input in the sequence of inputs that corresponds to a respective location in the user interface;

in accordance with a determination, based on the duration of the respective input in the sequence of inputs that corresponds to the respective location in the user interface, that the device is in the first mode of operation when the movement is detected, moving the respective user interface object relative to the plurality of other user interface objects in the container element; and

in accordance with a determination, based on the duration of the respective input in the sequence of inputs that corresponds to the respective location in the user interface, that the device is in the second mode of operation when the movement is detected, moving the respective user interface object and the plurality of other user interface objects while preserving a spatial relationship between the respective user interface object and the plurality of other user interface objects in the container element.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the determination that the device is in the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation occurs before movement is detected.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the determining that the device is in the second mode of operation comprises detecting an activation and deactivation of an input surface of the input device within a threshold period of time.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, further comprising determining that the device exits the second mode of operation when a subsequent activation of the input surface of the input device is detected.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the determining that the device is in the first mode of operation comprises determining that the device is not in the second mode of operation and detecting no activation of an input surface of the input device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising determining that the device exits the second mode of operation when the activation of the input surface of the input device is detected.

13. A computer system comprising:

a display; and

one or more processors configured for;

concurrently displaying, on the display, a user interface that includes a respective user interface object and a plurality of other user interface objects in a container element;

while concurrently displaying the respective user interface object and the plurality of other user interface objects in the container element, detecting a sequence of one or more inputs from an input device, wherein the sequence of one or more inputs includes movement by the input device;

in response to detecting the sequence of one or more inputs;

determining whether the device is in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation based on a duration of a respective input in the sequence of inputs that corresponds to a respective location in the user interface;

in accordance with a determination, based on the duration of the respective input in the sequence of inputs that corresponds to the respective location in the user interface, that the device is in the first mode of operation when the movement is detected, moving the respective user interface object relative to the plurality of other user interface objects in the container element; and

in accordance with a determination, based on the duration of the respective input in the sequence of inputs that corresponds to the respective location in the user interface, that the device is in the second mode of operation when the movement is detected, moving the respective user interface object and the plurality of other user interface objects while preserving a spatial relationship between the respective user interface object and the plurality of other user interface objects in the container element.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the determination that the device is in the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation occurs before movement is detected.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the determining that the device is in the second mode of operation comprises detecting an activation and deactivation of an input surface of the input device within a threshold period of time.

16. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising determining that the device exits the second mode of operation when a subsequent activation of the input surface of the input device is detected.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the determining that the device is in the first mode of operation comprises determining that the device is not in the second mode of operation and detecting no activation of an input surface of the input device.

18. The computer system of claim 17, further comprising determining that the device exits the second mode of operation when the activation of the input surface of the input device is detected.