Operation of a computer with touch screen interface

• US 10,338,789 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2016
• Issued: 07/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ording, Bas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Hua
• Application Number:
  US14/990,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,272 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A touch screen computer executes an application. A method of operating the touch screen computer in response to a user is provided. A virtual input device is provided on the touch screen. The virtual input device comprises a plurality of virtual keys. It is detected that a user has touched the touch screen to nominally activate at least one virtual key, and a behavior of the user with respect to touch is determined. The determined behavior is processed and a predetermined characteristic is associated with the nominally-activated at least one virtual key. A reaction to the nominal activation is determined based at least in part on a result of processing the determined behavior.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface, wherein the device includes one or more sensors to detect pressure of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface, cause the electronic device to:

display, on the display, one or more user interface objects that are configured to be conditionally activated in response to inputs detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

while displaying the one or more user interface objects on the display, detect a first input that includes a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to a first user interface object of the one or more user interface objects, wherein the first contact has a duration and a pressure; and

in response to detecting the first input;

in accordance with a determination that the first input satisfies a respective input threshold without satisfying first activation criteria, perform a first operation associated with the first user interface object without performing a second operation associated with the first user interface object; and

in accordance with a determination that the first input satisfies the first activation criteria for the first user interface object, wherein the first activation criteria for the first user interface object include a combination of pressure criteria and temporal criteria that are evaluated by comparing the duration of the first contact with one or more temporal thresholds and comparing the pressure of the first contact with one or more pressure thresholds, perform the second operation associated with the first user interface object, wherein the duration of the first contact is a duration that the first contact has been detected on the touch-sensitive surface starting from a time prior to when the first input satisfied the respective input threshold, and wherein the second operation is different from the first operation.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the temporal criteria include a criterion that is met when the duration of the contact is below a respective temporal threshold of the one or more temporal thresholds.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the temporal criteria include a criterion that is met when the duration of the contact is above a respective temporal threshold of the one or more temporal thresholds.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the temporal criteria include a criterion that is met when the duration of the contact is within a temporal range bounded by two temporal thresholds of the one or more temporal thresholds.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the pressure criteria include a criterion that is met when the pressure of the contact is below a respective pressure threshold of the one or more pressure thresholds.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the pressure criteria include a criterion that is met when the pressure of the contact is above a respective pressure threshold of the one or more pressure thresholds.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the pressure criteria include a criterion that is met when the pressure of the contact is within a pressure range bounded by two pressure thresholds of the one or more pressure thresholds.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the device to:

while displaying the one or more user interface objects on the display, detect a second input that includes a second contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to a second user interface object of the one or more user interface objects, wherein the second contact has a duration and a pressure; and

in response to detecting the second input;

in accordance with a determination that the second input satisfies second activation criteria for the second user interface object that are different from the first activation criteria for the first user interface object, wherein the second activation criteria for the second user interface object include a combination of pressure criteria and temporal criteria that are evaluated by comparing the duration of the second contact with one or more temporal thresholds and comparing the pressure of the second contact with one or more pressure thresholds, including a pressure threshold that is lower than the respective pressure threshold at which the pressure criteria for the first user interface object are satisfied, perform a respective operation associated with the second user interface object; and

in accordance with a determination that the second input does not satisfy the second activation criteria, forgo performance of the respective operation associated with the second user interface object.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the second operation associated with the first user interface object includes displaying, proximate to the first user interface object, a menu with a plurality of options that are associated with the first user interface object.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the second operation associated with the first user interface object includes displaying, an overlay that includes an expanded view of content of the first user interface object.

11. A method, comprising:

at a device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface, wherein the device includes one or more sensors to detect pressure of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface;

displaying, on the display, one or more user interface objects that are configured to be conditionally activated in response to inputs detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

while displaying the one or more user interface objects on the display, detecting a first input that includes a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to a first user interface object of the one or more user interface objects, wherein the first contact has a duration and a pressure; and

in response to detecting the first input;

in accordance with a determination that the first input satisfies a respective input threshold without satisfying first activation criteria, performing a first operation associated with the first user interface object without performing a second operation associated with the first user interface object; and

in accordance with a determination that the first input satisfies the first activation criteria for the first user interface object, wherein the first activation criteria for the first user interface object include a combination of pressure criteria and temporal criteria that are evaluated by comparing the duration of the first contact with one or more temporal thresholds and comparing the pressure of the first contact with one or more pressure thresholds, performing the second operation associated with the first user interface object, wherein the duration of the first contact is a duration that the first contact has been detected on the touch-sensitive surface starting from a time prior to when the first input satisfied the respective input threshold, and wherein the second operation is different from the first operation.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the temporal criteria include a criterion that is met when the duration of the contact is below a respective temporal threshold of the one or more temporal thresholds.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the temporal criteria include a criterion that is met when the duration of the contact is above a respective temporal threshold of the one or more temporal thresholds.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the temporal criteria include a criterion that is met when the duration of the contact is within a temporal range bounded by two temporal thresholds of the one or more temporal thresholds.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the pressure criteria include a criterion that is met when the pressure of the contact is below a respective pressure threshold of the one or more pressure thresholds.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the pressure criteria include a criterion that is met when the pressure of the contact is above a respective pressure threshold of the one or more pressure thresholds.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the pressure criteria include a criterion that is met when the pressure of the contact is within a pressure range bounded by two pressure thresholds of the one or more pressure thresholds.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

while displaying the one or more user interface objects on the display, detecting a second input that includes a second contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to a second user interface object of the one or more user interface objects, wherein the second contact has a duration and a pressure; and

in response to detecting the second input;

in accordance with a determination that the second input satisfies second activation criteria for the second user interface object that are different from the first activation criteria for the first user interface object, wherein the second activation criteria for the second user interface object include a combination of pressure criteria and temporal criteria that are evaluated by comparing the duration of the second contact with one or more temporal thresholds and comparing the pressure of the second contact with one or more pressure thresholds, including a pressure threshold that is lower than the respective pressure threshold at which the pressure criteria for the first user interface object are satisfied, performing a respective operation associated with the second user interface object; and

in accordance with a determination that the second input does not satisfy the second activation criteria, forgoing performance of the respective operation associated with the second user interface object.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the second operation associated with the first user interface object includes displaying, proximate to the first user interface object, a menu with a plurality of options that are associated with the first user interface object.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the second operation associated with the first user interface object includes displaying, an overlay that includes an expanded view of content of the first user interface object.

21. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a touch-sensitive surface;

one or more sensors configured to detect pressure of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface;

a processor;

a memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying, on the display, one or more user interface objects that are configured to be conditionally activated in response to inputs detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

while displaying the one or more user interface objects on the display, detecting a first input that includes a first contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to a first user interface object of the one or more user interface objects, wherein the first contact has a duration and a pressure; and

in response to detecting the first input;

in accordance with a determination that the first input satisfies a respective input threshold without satisfying first activation criteria, performing a first operation associated with the first user interface object without performing a second operation associated with the first user interface object; and

in accordance with a determination that the first input satisfies the first activation criteria for the first user interface object, wherein the first activation criteria for the first user interface object include a combination of pressure criteria and temporal criteria that are evaluated by comparing the duration of the first contact with one or more temporal thresholds and comparing the pressure of the first contact with one or more pressure thresholds, performing the second operation associated with the first user interface object, wherein the duration of the first contact is a duration that the first contact has been detected on the touch-sensitive surface starting from a time prior to when the first input satisfied the respective input threshold, and wherein the second operation is different from the first operation.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the temporal criteria include a criterion that is met when the duration of the contact is below a respective temporal threshold of the one or more temporal thresholds.

23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the temporal criteria include a criterion that is met when the duration of the contact is above a respective temporal threshold of the one or more temporal thresholds.

24. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the temporal criteria include a criterion that is met when the duration of the contact is within a temporal range bounded by two temporal thresholds of the one or more temporal thresholds.

25. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the pressure criteria include a criterion that is met when the pressure of the contact is below a respective pressure threshold of the one or more pressure thresholds.

26. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the pressure criteria include a criterion that is met when the pressure of the contact is above a respective pressure threshold of the one or more pressure thresholds.

27. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the pressure criteria include a criterion that is met when the pressure of the contact is within a pressure range bounded by two pressure thresholds of the one or more pressure thresholds.

28. The electronic device of claim 21, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while displaying the one or more user interface objects on the display, detecting a second input that includes a second contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to a second user interface object of the one or more user interface objects, wherein the second contact has a duration and a pressure; and

in response to detecting the second input;

in accordance with a determination that the second input satisfies second activation criteria for the second user interface object that are different from the first activation criteria for the first user interface object, wherein the second activation criteria for the second user interface object include a combination of pressure criteria and temporal criteria that are evaluated by comparing the duration of the second contact with one or more temporal thresholds and comparing the pressure of the second contact with one or more pressure thresholds, including a pressure threshold that is lower than the respective pressure threshold at which the pressure criteria for the first user interface object are satisfied, performing a respective operation associated with the second user interface object; and

in accordance with a determination that the second input does not satisfy the second activation criteria, forgoing performance of the respective operation associated with the second user interface object.

29. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the second operation associated with the first user interface object includes displaying, proximate to the first user interface object, a menu with a plurality of options that are associated with the first user interface object.

30. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the second operation associated with the first user interface object includes displaying, an overlay that includes an expanded view of content of the first user interface object.