Method, System, and Graphical User Interface for Positioning an Insertion Marker in a Touch Screen Display

• US 20080259040A1
• Filed: 10/26/2006
• Published: 10/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ording, Bas, Van Os, Marcel, Williamson, Richard, Forstall, Scott, Kocienda, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 7,856,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 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

An insertion marker that is displayed on a touch screen may be moved by a user via an insertion marker placement aid. The insertion marker placement aid is displayed on the touch screen after a contact with the touch screen is detected. The insertion marker placement aid provides visual feedback to the user, indicating that the insertion marker is subject to repositioning by the user. When the contact is moved across the touch screen, the insertion marker and the insertion marker placement aid is moved in accordance with the movement of the contact. When the contact is broken (i.e., no longer detected), the insertion marker placement aid is removed from display and the insertion marker comes to rest.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display,

displaying an insertion marker in a first area of the touch screen display that includes characters entered using a soft keyboard, wherein the soft keyboard is located in a second area of the touch screen display;

detecting a finger contact within the first area of the touch screen display;

in response to the detected finger contact, displaying an insertion marker placement aid in the first area of the touch screen display;

detecting movement of the finger contact within the first area;

moving the insertion marker and the insertion marker placement aid in accordance with the detected movement of the finger contact; and

removing the insertion marker placement aid if finger contact with the touch screen display is no longer detected in the first area.

2. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display,

displaying an insertion marker in the touch screen display;

detecting a finger contact with the touch screen display;

in response to the detected finger contact, displaying an insertion marker placement aid in the touch screen display;

detecting movement of the finger contact; and

moving the insertion marker and the insertion marker placement aid in accordance with the detected movement of the finger contact.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the insertion marker is a cursor, insertion bar, insertion point, or pointer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the location of the finger contact is separate from the location of the insertion marker.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the insertion marker placement aid overlaps the location of the insertion marker.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the insertion marker placement aid overlaps the location of the insertion marker and the location of the finger contact.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein moving the insertion marker and the insertion marker placement aid in accordance with the detected movement of the finger contact includes moving the insertion marker and the insertion marker placement aid in a first area of the touch screen that includes characters entered using a soft keyboard, wherein the soft keyboard is located in a second area of the touch screen that is separate from the first area.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising removing the insertion marker placement aid if finger contact with the touch screen display in the first area is broken.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the removing includes fading out the insertion marker placement aid.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising removing the insertion marker placement aid if finger contact with the touch screen display is no longer detected in the first area for a predetermined time.

11. A graphical user interface on a portable electronic device with a touch screen display, comprising:

an insertion marker; and

an insertion marker placement aid,

wherein the insertion marker and the insertion marker placement aid move in the touch screen display in accordance with the detected movement of a finger that contacts the touch screen display.

12. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

at least one program, wherein the at least one program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the at least one program including;

instructions for displaying an insertion marker in the touch screen display;

instructions for detecting a finger contact with the touch screen display;

instructions for, in response to the detected finger contact, displaying an insertion marker placement aid in the touch screen display;

instructions for detecting movement of the finger contact; and

instructions for moving the insertion marker and the insertion marker placement aid in accordance with the detected movement of the finger contact.

13. A computer-program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions, which when executed by a portable electronic device with a touch screen display, cause the device to;

display an insertion marker in the touch screen display;

detect a finger contact with the touch screen display;

in response to the detected finger contact, display an insertion marker placement aid in the touch screen display;

detect movement of the finger contact; and

move the insertion marker and the insertion marker placement aid in accordance with the detected movement of the finger contact.

14. A portable electronic device with a touch screen display, comprising:

means for displaying an insertion marker in the touch screen display;

means for detecting a finger contact with the touch screen display;

in response to the detected finger contact, means for displaying an insertion marker placement aid in the touch screen display;

means for detecting movement of the finger contact; and

means for moving the insertion marker and the insertion marker placement aid in accordance with the detected movement of the finger contact.

15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display,

displaying an insertion marker in the touch screen display;

detecting a finger contact with the touch screen display;

in response to the detected finger contact, modifying the appearance of the insertion marker in the touch screen display;

detecting movement of the finger contact; and

moving the modified insertion marker in accordance with the detected movement of the finger contact.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the insertion marker is a cursor, insertion bar, insertion point, or pointer.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the location of the finger contact is separate from the location of the insertion marker.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein moving the modified insertion marker in accordance with the detected movement of the finger contact includes moving the modified insertion marker in a first area of the touch screen that includes characters entered using a soft keyboard, wherein the soft keyboard is located in a second area of the touch screen that is separate from the first area.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising changing the appearance of the modified insertion marker if finger contact with the touch screen display is broken.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising changing the appearance of the modified insertion marker if finger contact with the touch screen display in the first area is no longer detected for a predetermined time.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein changing the appearance of the modified insertion marker includes reversing the modifications made to the appearance of the insertion marker in response to the detected finger contact.

22. A graphical user interface on a portable electronic device with a touch screen display, comprising:

an insertion marker;

wherein, in response to detection of a finger contact with the touch screen display, the appearance of the insertion marker is modified and the modified insertion marker is moved in accordance with detected movement of the finger contact.

23. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

a program, wherein the program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the program including;

instructions for displaying an insertion marker in the touch screen display;

instructions for detecting a finger contact with the touch screen display;

instructions for responding to the detected finger contact by modifying the appearance of the insertion marker in the touch screen display;

instructions for detecting movement of the finger contact; and

instructions for moving the modified insertion marker in accordance with the detected movement of the finger contact.

24. A computer-program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism comprising instructions, which when executed by a portable electronic device with a touch screen display, cause the device to;

display an insertion marker in the touch screen display;

detect a finger contact with the touch screen display;

in response to the detected finger contact, modify the appearance of the insertion marker in the touch screen display;

detect movement of the finger contact; and

move the modified insertion marker in accordance with the detected movement of the finger contact.

25. A portable electronic device with a touch screen display, comprising:

means for displaying an insertion marker in the touch screen display;

means for detecting a finger contact with the touch screen display;

in response to the detected finger contact, means for modifying the appearance of the insertion marker in the touch screen display;

means for detecting movement of the finger contact; and

means for moving the modified insertion marker in accordance with the detected movement of the finger contact.