System and method for touchscreen knob control

• US 9,547,428 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2011
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lengeling, Gerhard, Junghanns, Marko
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parker, Jeanette J
• Application Number:
  US13/038,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20120226977A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,149 Days
• Field of Search: 715/702
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for controlling a user interface. A system configured to practice the method displays a user interface element, such as a knob, on a touch-sensitive display. The system receives input from a user associated with the user interface element via the touch-sensitive display. For example, the user can provide input to the knob via a tap, twist, flick, press-and-hold, drag, slide, or other touch-based input with a single or multiple fingers or other points of contact. The system matches the input to an input category selected from a group of predefined input categories for the user interface element, and updates the user interface element based on the input and based on the input category. The system can also update a value represented by the user interface element, such as a value that affects output or other settings of a software application.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a user interface, the method comprising:

at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, one or more processors, and memory;

displaying an adjustable virtual knob on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the adjustable virtual knob has a plurality of distinct predefined input categories, the adjustable virtual knob represents a value, and each of the distinct predefined input categories comprise at least one of a drag gesture, a tap gesture, a multi-finger directional gesture, or a pinch gesture;

receiving, from a user, input on the adjustable virtual knob via the touch-sensitive display;

in response to receiving the input on the adjustable virtual knob;

comparing the input on the adjustable virtual knob to input category definition information for the plurality of distinct predefined input categories for the adjustable virtual knob;

matching the input to a respective input category selected from the plurality of distinct predefined input categories for the adjustable virtual knob based on the comparison;

interpreting the input in accordance with the respective input category for the adjustable virtual knob; and

updating the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob based on the input as interpreted in accordance with the respective input category for the adjustable virtual knob, wherein updating the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob includes;

when the input matches a first input category, the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob is updated from a first value to a second value based on a characteristic of the input and the first input category; and

when the input matches a second input category, the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob is updated from the first value to the second value based on a characteristic of the input and the second input category.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the input further includes a menu gesture, wherein the menu gesture is activated in response to a tap and hold finger contact in a center region of the knob without dragging by the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the menu gesture is determined by a duration of the finger contact of the input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein matching the input to the respective input category is based on a similarity threshold to one of the plurality of distinct predefined input categories.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, if the input does not match any of the plurality of distinct input categories based on the similarity threshold:

prompting the user to for additional input defining a new predefined input category;

receiving the additional input from the user; and

creating the new predefined input category based on the additional input.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

translating the input to a standardized input based on the respective input category; and

updating the adjustable virtual knob based on the standardized input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user can toggle availability of a certain input category in the plurality of distinct predefined input categories.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a sensitivity for at least one input category in the plurality of distinct input categories is user customizable.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the input is multi-modal input, and wherein a portion of the multi-modal input is matched to the input category.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising altering at least one aspect of a running software application based on the input and the input category.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustable virtual knob is updated in substantially real time as the input is received.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an increase or decrease in the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob based on a direction of movement of a finger contact of the input.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein granularity of adjustment of the virtual knob is based on a number of finger contacts of the input.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises two or more gesture types, and the input is matched to the first input category while the input corresponds to a first gesture type, and the input is matched to the second input category while the input corresponds to a second gesture type.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs comprising instructions which, when executed by a computing device with a touch-sensitive display, cause the computing device to:

display an adjustable virtual knob on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the adjustable virtual knob has a plurality of distinct predefined input categories, the adjustable virtual knob represents a value, and each of the distinct predefined input categories comprise at least one of a drag gesture, a tap gesture, a multi-finger directional gesture, or a pinch gesture;

receive from a user input on the adjustable virtual knob via the touch-sensitive display;

in response to receiving the input on the adjustable virtual knob;

compare the input on the adjustable virtual knob to input category definition information for the plurality of distinct predefined input categories for the adjustable virtual knob;

match the input to a respective input category selected from the plurality of distinct predefined input categories for the adjustable virtual knob based on the comparison; and

update the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob based on the input as interpreted in accordance with the respective input category for the adjustable virtual knob, wherein updating the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob includes;

when the input matches a first input category, the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob is updated from a first value to a second value based on a characteristic of the input and the first input category; and

when the input matches a second input category, the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob is updated from the first value to the second value based on a characteristic of the input and the second input category.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein matching the input to the respective input category is based on a similarity threshold to one of the plurality of distinct predefined input categories.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more programs include instructions which, when executed by the device, cause the device to, if the input does not match any of the plurality of distinct input categories based on the similarity threshold:

prompt the user to for additional input defining a new predefined input category;

receive the additional input from the user; and

create the new predefined input category based on the additional input.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more programs include instructions which, when executed by the device, cause the device to:

translate the input to a standardized input based on the respective input category; and

update the adjustable virtual knob based on the standardized input.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein a sensitivity for at least one input category in the plurality of distinct input categories is user customizable.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more programs include instructions which, when executed by the device, cause the device to update the adjustable virtual knob substantially in real time as the input is received.

21. A computing device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

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 an adjustable virtual knob on the touch-sensitive display,

wherein the adjustable virtual knob has a plurality of distinct predefined input categories,

the adjustable virtual knob represents a value, and

each of the distinct predefined input categories comprise at least one of a drag gesture, a tap gesture, a multi-finger directional gesture, a pinch gesture, or a pinch gesture;

receiving, from a user, input on the adjustable virtual knob via the touch-sensitive display;

in response to receiving the input on the adjustable virtual knob;

comparing the input on the adjustable virtual knob to input category definition information for the plurality of distinct predefined input categories for the adjustable virtual knob;

matching the input to a respective input category selected from the plurality of distinct predefined input categories for the adjustable virtual knob based on the comparison;

interpreting the input in accordance with the respective input category for the adjustable virtual knob; and

updating the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob based on the input as interpreted in accordance with the respective input category for the adjustable virtual knob, wherein updating the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob includes;

when the input matches a first input category, the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob is updated from a first value to a second value based on a characteristic of the input and the first input category; and

when the input matches a second input category, the value represented by the adjustable virtual knob is updated from the first value to the second value based on a characteristic of the input and the second input category.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein matching the input to the respective input category is based on a similarity threshold to one of the plurality of distinct predefined input categories.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for, if the input does not match any of the plurality of distinct input categories, based on the similarity threshold:

prompting the user to for additional input defining a new predefined input category;

receiving the additional input from the user; and

creating the new predefined input category based on the additional input.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for:

translating the input to a standardized input based on the respective input category; and

updating the adjustable virtual knob based on the standardized input.

25. The device of claim 21, wherein a sensitivity for at least one input category in the plurality of distinct input categories is user customizable.

26. The device of claim 21, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for updating the adjustable virtual knob substantially in real time as the input is received.