Systems and methods for activating and using a trackpad at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display and no force sensors

• US 10,776,006 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2018
• Issued: 09/15/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Marsden, Randal J., Alonso Ruiz, Marcos, Winer, Morgan H., Munro, Colin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Silverman, Seth A
• Application Number:
  US16/146,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20190369870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038

Abstract

Disclosed herein are single-finger gestures for activating a trackpad mode on a touch-sensitive device with no force sensors. An example method includes: displaying a virtual keyboard on a touch-sensitive display with a spacebar key and other keys. Detecting a first extended contact over the virtual keyboard and, in accordance with a determination that the first extended contact is over any of the respective displayed representations of the other keys, interpreting the first extended contact as a keyboard input and activating a corresponding extended keyboard function. The method also includes: detecting a second extended contact over the virtual keyboard. The method further includes: in accordance with a determination that the second extended contact is over a respective displayed representation of the spacebar key, interpreting the second extended contact as a mode-switching input that causes the electronic device to operate at least a portion of the touch-sensitive display as a trackpad.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device that includes a touch-sensitive display coupled with a plurality of touch sensors, wherein the touch-sensitive display is not coupled with any force sensors;

displaying a virtual keyboard on the touch-sensitive display, the virtual keyboard including displayed representations of a spacebar key and other keys;

detecting a first extended contact over the virtual keyboard;

in accordance with a determination that the first extended contact is over any of the respective displayed representations of the other keys, interpreting the first extended contact as a keyboard input and activating a corresponding extended keyboard function; and

detecting a second extended contact over the virtual keyboard; and

in accordance with a determination that the second extended contact is over a respective displayed representation of the spacebar key;

interpreting the second extended contact as a mode-switching input that causes the electronic device to operate at least a portion of the touch-sensitive display as a trackpad; and

changing a visual appearance of the virtual keyboard from a virtual keyboard appearance to a trackpad appearance; and

maintaining the trackpad appearance for at least a predetermined amount of time after detecting a lift-off of the second extended contact from the touch-sensitive display, wherein the predetermined amount of time is a non-zero amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising,

while operating as the trackpad:

in response to detecting the lift-off of the second extended contact, determining whether any movement of the second extended contact across the touch-sensitive display prior to the lift-off satisfies a movement parameter.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that movement of the second extended contact across the touch-sensitive display prior to the lift-off does not satisfy the movement parameter and, in response, ceasing to operate the portion of the touch-sensitive display as the trackpad.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining that movement of the second extended contact across the touch-sensitive display prior to the lift-off does not satisfy the movement parameter includes determining that the second extended contact moved less than a predetermined distance across the touch-sensitive display prior to the lift-off.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining that movement of the second extended contact across the touch-sensitive display prior to the lift-off does not satisfy the movement parameter includes determining that the second extended contact moved at less than a predetermined speed across the touch-sensitive display prior to the lift-off.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that movement of the second extended contact across the touch-sensitive display prior to the lift-off satisfies the movement parameter and, in response, continuing to operate the portion of the touch-sensitive display as the trackpad for at least the predetermined amount of time.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting a double-tap input on the touch-sensitive display while operating the portion of the touch-sensitive display as the trackpad, the double-tap input being detected within a certain amount of time after detecting the lift-off of the second extended contact; and

,

in response to detecting the double-tap input, selecting an object that is displayed on the touch-sensitive display.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising, detecting a drag gesture after the double-tap input and, in response, selecting more of the object as the drag gesture moves.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in conjunction with maintaining the trackpad appearance, continuing to operate the portion of the touch-sensitive display as the trackpad for at least the predetermined amount of time after detecting a lift-off of the second extended contact from the touch-sensitive display.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the trackpad is invoked after the second extended contact has remained in contact with the touch-sensitive display for at least a second predetermined amount of time;

and the second predetermined amount of time is less than the predetermined amount of time.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, in accordance with a determination that no input is detected over the portion of the touch-sensitive display for the predetermined amount of time after detecting the lift-off of the second extended contact, ceasing to operate the portion of the touch-sensitive display as the trackpad.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein an extended contact over any of the respective displayed representations of the other keys causes activation of a corresponding extended keyboard function and does not cause the electronic device to operate any portion of the touch-sensitive display as the trackpad.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the virtual keyboard is displayed in an area of the touch-sensitive display and each of the displayed representations of the other keys includes a respective displayed symbol, and wherein

operating at least the portion of the touch-sensitive display as the trackpad includes (i) operating the area as part of the trackpad, and (ii) ceasing to display at least some of the displayed symbols of the virtual keyboard.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a third extended contact over a part of the virtual keyboard below the displayed representation of the spacebar key, where the part of the virtual keyboard does not include any of the other keys; and

in accordance with a determination that the third extended contact is over the part of the virtual keyboard, interpreting the third extended contact as a mode-switching input that causes the electronic device to operate at least a portion of the touch-sensitive display as a trackpad.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein, while operating as the trackpad, any input at the touch-sensitive display over at least the portion controls movement of a cursor that is displayed in another portion of the touch-sensitive display.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the other keys of the virtual keyboard are respectively associated with a corresponding keyboard function that is activated in response to a momentary contact over the key and with a corresponding extended keyboard function that is activated in response to an extended contact over the key.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing haptic feedback in conjunction with invoking operation of the portion of the touch-sensitive display as the trackpad.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed virtual keyboard does not include a function (fn) key.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the mode-switching input causes the electronic device to operate all of the touch-sensitive display as a trackpad.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

while operating all of the touch-sensitive display as the trackpad, any input at the touch-sensitive display controls movement of a cursor that is displayed on the touch-sensitive display, and

a swipe gesture that moves across the touch-sensitive display causes the cursor that is displayed on the touch-sensitive display to be moved in accordance with movement of the swipe gesture, the swipe gesture including upward and/or downward movement.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the extended contact is a long press that remains in a stationary position over the respective displayed representation of the spacebar key.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, wherein the electronic device is not coupled with any force sensors, cause the electronic device to:

display a virtual keyboard on the touch-sensitive display, the virtual keyboard including displayed representations of a spacebar key and other keys;

detect a first extended contact over the virtual keyboard;

in accordance with a determination that the first extended contact is over any of the respective displayed representations of the other keys, interpret the first extended contact as a keyboard input and activating a corresponding extended keyboard function; and

detect a second extended contact over the virtual keyboard; and

in accordance with a determination that the second extended contact is over a respective displayed representation of the spacebar key;

interpret the second extended contact as a mode-switching input that causes the electronic device to operate at least a portion of the touch-sensitive display as a trackpad; and

change a visual appearance of the virtual keyboard from a virtual keyboard appearance to a trackpad appearance; and

maintain the trackpad appearance for at least a predetermined amount of time after detecting a lift-off of the second extended contact from the touch-sensitive display, wherein the predetermined amount of time is a non-zero amount of time.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the mode-switching input causes the electronic device to operate all of the touch-sensitive display as a trackpad.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein:

while operating all of the touch-sensitive display as the trackpad, any input at the touch-sensitive display controls movement of a cursor that is displayed on the touch-sensitive display, and

a swipe gesture that moves across the touch-sensitive display causes the cursor that is displayed on the touch-sensitive display to be moved in accordance with movement of the swipe gesture, the swipe gesture including upward and/or downward movement.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the extended contact is a long press that remains in a stationary position over the respective displayed representation of the spacebar key.

26. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a touch-sensitive display; and

memory storing one or more programs that are configured for execution by the one or more processors, wherein the electronic device is not coupled with any force sensors, and wherein the one or more programs include instructions for;

displaying a virtual keyboard on the touch-sensitive display, the virtual keyboard including displayed representations of a spacebar key and other keys;

detecting a first extended contact over the virtual keyboard;

in accordance with a determination that the first extended contact is over any of the respective displayed representations of the other keys, interpreting the first extended contact as a keyboard input and activating a corresponding extended keyboard function; and

detecting a second extended contact over the virtual keyboard; and

in accordance with a determination that the second extended contact is over a respective displayed representation of the spacebar key;

interpreting the second extended contact as a mode-switching input that causes the electronic device to operate at least a portion of the touch-sensitive display as a trackpad; and

changing a visual appearance of the virtual keyboard from a virtual keyboard appearance to a trackpad appearance; and

maintaining the trackpad appearance for at least a predetermined amount of time after detecting a lift-off of the second extended contact from the touch-sensitive display, wherein the predetermined amount of time is a non-zero amount of time.

27. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the mode-switching input causes the electronic device to operate all of the touch-sensitive display as a trackpad.

28. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein:

while operating all of the touch-sensitive display as the trackpad, any input at the touch-sensitive display controls movement of a cursor that is displayed on the touch-sensitive display, and

a swipe gesture that moves across the touch-sensitive display causes the cursor that is displayed on the touch-sensitive display to be moved in accordance with movement of the swipe gesture, the swipe gesture including upward and/or downward movement.

29. The electronic device of claim 26, wherein the extended contact is a long press that remains in a stationary position over the respective displayed representation of the spacebar key.