Application programming interfaces for gesture operations

• US 9,575,648 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Blumenberg, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): DAO, TUAN C.
• Application Number:
  US13/251,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,971 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites

Abstract

At least certain embodiments of the present disclosure include an environment with user interface software interacting with a software application to provide gesture operations for a display of a device. A method for operating through an application programming interface (API) in this environment includes transferring a scaling transform call. The gesture operations include performing a scaling transform such as a zoom in or zoom out in response to a user input having two or more input points. The gesture operations also include performing a rotation transform to rotate an image or view in response to a user input having two or more input points.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing:

a software application; and

user interface software interacting with the software application, the user interface software including executable program instructions, which, when executed, cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising;

receiving a user input that comprises a plurality of input points touching a display of the system;

transferring a gesture start event function call through an application programming interface from the user interface software to the software application in response to the user input;

transferring a start gesture function call through the application programming interface to a delegate associated with the software application;

transferring a gesture changed event function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the software application in response to a change in the user input;

transferring a gesture did change function call through the application programming interface to the delegate;

transferring a gesture end function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the software application when at least one input point associated with the user input is removed from the display; and

transferring a gesture did finish function call through the application programming interface to the delegate.

2. The medium of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a zoom to scale setting for a window or a view of the display in response to the change in the user input.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the change in the user input comprises a rotation to invoke a gesture event function call that initiates a rotation transform on a view associated with the user input.

4. The medium of claim 3, wherein the rotation transform sets a start rotation angle and an end rotation angle.

5. The medium of claim 1, further storing instructions for determining that the user input corresponds to a gesture, wherein:

the gesture start event function call indicates that the gesture has started;

the gesture changed event function call indicates that the gesture has changed; and

the gesture end function call indicates that the gesture has ended.

6. The medium of claim 1, further storing:

instructions for displaying a user interface of the software application including a plurality of views, wherein;

the user input corresponds to a respective view of the plurality of views;

transferring the gesture start event function call includes transferring the gesture start event function call from the user interface software to a control associated with the respective view;

transferring the gesture changed event function call includes transferring the gesture changed event function call from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view; and

transferring the gesture end function call includes transferring the gesture end function call from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view.

7. A method performed by a computer system that includes a touch device, one or more processors, and memory storing a software application and user interface software interacting with the software application, the method comprising:

receiving a user input that comprises a plurality of input points touching a touch device of a system;

transferring a gesture start event function call through an application programming interface from the user interface software to the software application in response to the user input;

transferring a start gesture function call through the application programming interface to a delegate associated with the software application;

transferring a gesture changed event function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the software application in response to a change in the user input;

transferring a gesture did change function call through the application programming interface to the delegate;

transferring a gesture end function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the software application when the user input comprises less than two input points touching the touch device; and

transferring a gesture did finish function call through the application programming interface to the delegate.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

generating a zoom to scale setting for a window or a view of the touch device in response to the change in the user input.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the user input rotates to invoke a gesture event function call that initiates a rotation transform on a view associated with the user input.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the rotation transform sets a start rotation angle and an end rotation angle.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining that the user input corresponds to a gesture, wherein:

the gesture start event function call indicates that the gesture has started;

the gesture changed event function call indicates that the gesture has changed; and

the gesture end function call indicates that the gesture has ended.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying a user interface of the software application including a plurality of views, wherein;

the user input corresponds to a respective view of the plurality of views;

transferring the gesture start event function call includes transferring the gesture start event function call from the user interface software to a control associated with the respective view;

transferring the gesture changed event function call includes transferring the gesture changed event function call from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view; and

transferring the gesture end function call includes transferring the gesture end function call from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view.

13. A device comprising:

an input panel which is configured to receive user input in the form of two or more input points;

a display device integrated with the input panel;

a central processing unit coupled to the input panel;

memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a software application and user interface software interacting with the software application, the user interface software including executable program instructions including;

instructions for receiving the user input that comprises a plurality of input points touching a display device of the system;

instructions for transferring a gesture start event function call through an application programming interface from the user interface software to the software application in response to the user input;

instructions for transferring a start gesture function call through the application programming interface to a delegate associated with the software application;

instructions for transferring a gesture changed event function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the software application in response to a change in the user input;

instructions for transferring a gesture did change function call through the application programming interface to the delegate;

instructions for transferring a gesture end function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the software application when at least one input point associated with the user input is removed from the display device; and

instructions for transferring a gesture did finish function call through the application programming interface to the delegate.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the program instructions further comprising:

instructions for generating a zoom to scale setting for a window or a view of the display in response to the change in the user input.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the change in the user input comprises a rotation to invoke a gesture event function call that initiates a rotation transform on a view associated with the user input.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the rotation transform to set a start rotation angle and an end rotation angle,

wherein the gesture changed event function call further comprises a length of a major and a minor axis of an input point,

wherein the gesture changed event function call further comprises a velocity of an input point.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the program instructions include instructions for determining that the user input corresponds to a gesture, wherein:

the gesture start event function call indicates that the gesture has started;

the gesture changed event function call indicates that the gesture has changed; and

the gesture end function call indicates that the gesture has ended.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein:

the user interface software includes instructions for displaying a user interface of the software application including a plurality of views;

the user input corresponds to a respective view of the plurality of views;

the instructions for transferring the gesture start event function call include instructions for transferring the gesture start event function call from the user interface software to a control associated with the respective view;

the instructions for transferring the gesture changed event function call include instructions for transferring the gesture changed event function call from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view; and

the instructions for transferring the gesture end call include instructions for transferring the gesture end function call from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view.

19. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing:

a software application; and

user interface software interacting with the software application, the user interface software including executable program instructions, which, when executed, cause a data processing system with a display to perform a method comprising;

displaying a user interface, of the software application, including a plurality of views;

receiving a user input, that comprises one or more input points, touching a respective view of the plurality of views on the display of the system, wherein the respective view is associated with a control of a plurality of controls;

in response to the user input, transferring a gesture start event function call through an application programming interface from the user interface software, interacting with the software application, to the control associated with the respective view;

receiving a change in the user input, the change including a movement of the user input from the respective view of the plurality of views to another view of the plurality of views on the display of the system;

in response to the change in the user input, transferring a gesture changed event function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view; and

transferring a gesture end function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view when at least one input point associated with the user input is removed from the display.

20. The medium of claim 19, further storing instructions for determining that the user input corresponds to a gesture, wherein:

the gesture start event function call indicates that the gesture has started;

the gesture changed event function call indicates that the gesture has changed; and

the gesture end function call indicates that the gesture has ended.

21. A method performed by a computer system that includes a touch device, one or more processors and memory storing a software applications and user interface software interacting with the software application, comprising:

displaying a user interface, of the software application, including a plurality of views;

receiving a user input that comprises a plurality of input points touching a respective view of the plurality of views on the touch device of the system, wherein the respective view is associated with a control of a plurality of controls;

in response to the user input, transferring a gesture start event function call through an application programming interface from the user interface software, interacting with the software application, to the control associated with the respective view;

receiving a change in the user input, the change including a movement of the user input from the respective view of the plurality of views to another view of the plurality of views on the touch device of the system;

in response to the change in the user input, transferring a gesture changed event function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view; and

transferring a gesture end function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view when the user input comprises less than two input points touching the touch device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising determining that the user input corresponds to a gesture, wherein:

the gesture start event function call indicates that the gesture has started;

the gesture changed event function call indicates that the gesture has changed; and

the gesture end function call indicates that the gesture has ended.

23. A device comprising:

an input panel which is configured to receive user input in the form of two or more input points;

a display integrated with the input panel;

a central processing unit coupled to the input panel;

memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing a software application and user interface software interacting with the software application, the user interface software including executable program instructions including;

instructions for displaying a user interface, of the software application, including a plurality of views;

instructions for receiving a user input, that comprises one or more input points, touching a respective view of the plurality of views on the display of the system, wherein the respective view is associated with a control of a plurality of controls;

instructions for, in response to the user input, transferring a gesture start event function call through an application programming interface from user interface software, interacting with the software application, to the control associated with the respective view;

instructions for receiving a change in the user input, the change including a movement of the user input from the respective view of the plurality of views to another view of the plurality of views on the display of the system;

instructions for, in response to the change in the user input, transferring a gesture changed event function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view; and

instructions for transferring a gesture end function call through the application programming interface from the user interface software to the control associated with the respective view when at least one input point associated with the user input is removed from the display.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the program instructions include instructions for determining that the user input corresponds to a gesture, wherein:

the gesture start event function call indicates that the gesture has started;

the gesture changed event function call indicates that the gesture has changed; and

the gesture end function call indicates that the gesture has ended.