Methods and graphical user interfaces for positioning the cursor and selecting text on computing devices with touch-sensitive displays

• US 10,534,502 B1
• Filed: 02/10/2016
• Issued: 01/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Graham Boyers
• Original Assignee: David Graham Boyers
• Inventors: Boyers, David Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Kenny S
• Application Number:
  US15/040,717
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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

Abstract

A device and method and graphical user interface for positioning a selection and selecting text on a mobile computing device with a touch-sensitive display is described. This includes: displaying a selection having a selection start point and a selection end point within text content displaying a control icon; detecting a contact on the touch-sensitive display; and in response to detecting a change in a horizontal and vertical position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon: changing a selection position wherein a horizontal position of the selection start point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a horizontal position of the contact and a vertical position of the selection start point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a vertical position of the contact and wherein the horizontal position of the selection start point with respect to the control icon is changed and a vertical position of the control icon is changed.

Claims

1. A mobile 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 memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

displaying a selection within a text content having a text content type;

determining the text content type;

in response to determining that the text content type is editable text content,

displaying the selection within the text content wherein the selection is a zero-length selection;

in response to determining that the text content type is read-only text content,

displaying the selection within the text content wherein the selection is a one-character-length selection;

displaying a control icon;

detecting a contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting a change in a position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon, changing a position of the selection.

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

display a selection within a text content having a text content type;

determine the text content type;

in response to determining that the text content type is editable text content,

display the selection within the text content wherein the selection is a zero-length selection;

in response to determining that the text content type is read-only text content,

display the selection within the text content wherein the selection is a one-character-length selection;

display a control icon;

detect a contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting a change in a position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon, change a position of the selection.

3. A graphical user interface on a computing device with a touch-sensitive display wherein:

a selection is displayed within a text content having a text content type;

the text content type is determined;

in response to determining that the text content type is editable text content,

the selection within the text content is displayed wherein the selection a zero-length selection;

in response to determining that the text content type is read-only text content,

the selection within the text content is displayed wherein the selection a one-character-length selection;

a control icon is displayed;

a contact on the touch-sensitive display is detected; and

in response to detecting a change in a position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon, a position of the selection is changed.

4. A graphical user interface on a computing device with a touch-sensitive display wherein:

a selection having a selection start point and a selection end point is displayed within text content;

a control icon is displayed;

a contact on the touch-sensitive display is detected;

in response to detecting a change in a horizontal and vertical position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon;

a selection position is changed wherein a horizontal position of the selection start point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a horizontal position of the contact and a vertical position of the selection start point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a vertical position of the contact; and

wherein the horizontal position of the selection start point with respect to the control icon is changed and a vertical position of the control icon is changed.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 4 wherein:

the text content is editable text content and the selection is a zero-length selection.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 4 wherein:

the text content is read-only text content and the selection is a one-character-length selection.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 4 wherein:

the vertical position of the control icon is changed by an amount equal to the change in a vertical position of the contact.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 4, further including:

in response detecting a tap gesture on the touch-sensitive display at a position not on the control icon, the display of the control icon is cancelled.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 4, further including:

a time rate of change in a horizontal position of the contact on the control icon is detected; and

in response to detecting the change in horizontal position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon, a horizontal position of the selection start point is changed by an amount proportional to the change and the time rate of change in the horizontal position of the contact on the control icon.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 4, further including:

in response to detecting a tap and change in a horizontal and vertical position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon;

a multicharacter text selection is started at the selection start point wherein a horizontal position of the selection end point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a horizontal position of the contact and a vertical position of the selection end point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a vertical position of the contact; and

wherein the horizontal position of the selection end point with respect to the control icon is changed and a vertical position of the control icon is changed.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 10, further including:

in response to detecting a lift from the control icon, the multicharacter selection is ended at the selection end point.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 10, further including:

in response to detecting a tap on the control icon;

the multicharacter selection is cancelled;

a selection is displayed; and

the control icon is displayed.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 10, further including:

in response to detecting a lift from the control icon followed by a tap on the control icon, the multicharacter selection is ended at the selection end point.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 13, further including:

in response to detecting a tap on the control icon;

the multicharacter selection is cancelled;

a selection is displayed; and

the control icon is displayed.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 4, further including:

in response to detecting an edit action with respect to a selection, the display of the control icon is cancelled.

16. A computing device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

a processor;

a memory configured to store one or more programs;

wherein the processor is configured to execute the one or more programs to cause the computing device to;

display a selection having a selection start point and a selection end point within text content;

display a control icon;

detect a contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting a change in a horizontal and vertical position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon;

change a selection position wherein a horizontal position of the selection start point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a horizontal position of the contact and a vertical position of the selection start point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a vertical position of the contact; and

wherein the horizontal position of the selection start point with respect to the control icon is changed and a vertical position of the control icon is changed.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the text content is editable text content and the selection is a zero-length selection.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the text content is read-only text content and the selection is a one-character-length selection.

19. The device of claim 16 wherein:

the vertical position of the control icon is changed by an amount equal to the change in a vertical position of the contact.

20. The device of claim 16 the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the device to:

in response detecting a tap gesture on the touch-sensitive display at a position not on the control icon, cancel the display of the control icon.

21. The device of claim 16, the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the device to:

detect a time rate of change in a horizontal position of the contact on the control icon; and

in response to detecting the change in horizontal position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon, change a horizontal position of the selection start point by an amount proportional to the change and the time rate of change in the horizontal position of the contact on the control icon.

22. The device of claim 16, the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the device to:

in response to detecting a tap and change in a horizontal and vertical position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon;

start a multicharacter text selection at the selection start point wherein a horizontal position of the selection end point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a horizontal position of the contact and a vertical position of the selection end point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a vertical position of the contact; and

wherein the horizontal position of the selection end point with respect to the control icon is changed and a vertical position of the control icon is changed.

23. The device of claim 22, the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the device to:

in response to detecting a lift from the control icon, end the multicharacter selection at the selection end point.

24. The device of claim 23, the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the device to:

in response to detecting a tap on the control icon;

cancel the multicharacter selection;

display a selection; and

display the control icon.

25. The device of claim 22, the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the device to:

in response to detecting a lift from the control icon followed by a tap on the control icon, end the multicharacter selection at the selection end point.

26. The device of claim 25, the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the device to:

in response to detecting a tap on the control icon;

cancel the multicharacter selection;

display a selection; and

display the control icon.

27. The device of claim 16, the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the device to:

in response to detecting an edit action with respect to a selection, cancel the display of the control icon.

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

display a selection having a selection start point and a selection end point within text content;

display a control icon;

detect a contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting a change in a horizontal and vertical position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon;

change a selection position wherein a horizontal position of the selection start point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a horizontal position of the contact and a vertical position of the selection start point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a vertical position of the contact; and

wherein the horizontal position of the selection start point with respect to the control icon is changed.

29. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein:

the text content is editable text content and the selection is a zero-length selection.

30. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28, wherein:

the text content is read-only text content and the selection is a one-character-length selection.

31. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28 wherein:

the vertical position of the control icon is changed by an amount equal to the change in a vertical position of the contact.

32. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28 further including instructions, when executed, cause the device to:

in response detecting a tap gesture on the touch-sensitive display at a position not on the control icon cancel the display of the control icon.

33. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28, further including instructions, when executed, cause the device to:

detect a time rate of change in a horizontal position of the contact on the control icon; and

in response to detecting the change in horizontal position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon, change a horizontal position of the selection start point by an amount proportional to the change and the time rate of change in the horizontal position of the contact on the control icon.

34. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28, further including instructions, when executed, cause the device to:

response to detecting a tap and change in a horizontal and vertical position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon;

start a multicharacter text selection at the selection start point wherein a horizontal position of the selection end point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a horizontal position of the contact and a vertical position of the selection end point is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a vertical position of the contact; and

wherein the horizontal position of the selection end point with respect to the control icon is changed and a vertical position of the control icon is changed.

35. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 34, further including instructions, when executed, cause the device to:

in response to detecting a lift from the control icon, end the multicharacter selection at the selection end point.

36. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 35, further including instructions, when executed, cause the device to:

in response to detecting a tap on the control icon;

cancel the multicharacter selection;

display a selection; and

display the control icon.

37. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 34, further including instructions, when executed, cause the device to:

in response to detecting a lift from the control icon followed by a tap on the control icon, end the multicharacter selection at the selection end point.

38. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 37, further including instructions, when executed, cause the device to:

in response to detecting a tap on the control icon;

cancel the multicharacter selection;

display a selection; and

display the control icon.

39. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 28, further including instructions, when executed, cause the device to:

in response to detecting an edit action with respect to a selection, cease to display the control icon.