EDITING INTERFACE

• US 20090058821A1
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ording, Bas, Chaudhri, Imran A., Jobs, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• 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

Abstract

A portable electronic device displays icons (e.g., graphical objects) in one or more regions of a user interface of a touch-sensitive display, and detects user input specifying an exchange of positions of icons in the user interface. In some aspects, the respective positions of two icons in a user interface can be selected to exchange positions in the one or more regions of the user interface, and one or both icons can change their visual appearance to indicate their selection status.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a first icon in a first position of a touch-sensitive display;

displaying a second icon in a second position of the touch-sensitive display;

receiving first touch input specifying selection of the first icon;

responsive to the first touch input, modifying the visual appearance of the first icon;

receiving second touch input indicating movement of the first icon to within proximity of the second icon; and

responsive to the second touch input, modifying the visual appearance of the second icon.

4. The method of claim 1, where the touch-sensitive display is a multi-touch-sensitive display that is responsive to finger gestures.

5. The method of claim 1, where modifying the first icon includes scaling the first icon to a different size.

6. The method of claim 1, where modifying the second icon includes applying a glowing effect to the second icon.

7. The method of claim 1, where receiving second touch input indicating movement of the first icon to within proximity of the second icon further comprises:

receiving input indicating that a boundary line at least partially surrounding the second icon is touched or crossed by the first icon in response to the movement.

8. The method of claim 1, where the movement includes dragging the first icon across the display.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

exchanging the positions of the first and second icons.

2. A method comprising:

displaying an icon in a first position of a touch-sensitive display;

receiving first touch input specifying selection of the icon;

responsive to the first touch input, modifying the visual appearance of the icon;

receiving second touch input indicating movement of the icon to within proximity of a second position in the user interface; and

responsive to the second touch input, modifying the visual appearance of the second position.

3. A method comprising:

displaying a first icon in a first page of a touch-sensitive display;

receiving first touch input specifying selection of the first icon;

responsive to the first touch input, modifying the visual appearance of the first icon;

receiving second touch input indicating movement of the first icon to within proximity of an edge of the touch sensitive display;

responsive to the second touch input, displaying a second page of the touch-sensitive display, the second page including a second icon;

receiving third touch input indicating movement of the first icon to within proximity of the second icon; and

responsive to the third touch input, modifying the visual appearance of the second icon.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

a processor coupled to the touch-sensitive display and configurable for displaying a first icon in a first position of the touch-sensitive display, and for displaying a second icon in a second position of the touch-sensitive display;

an interface coupled to the processor and configurable for;

receiving first touch input specifying selection of the first icon, the first touch input for use by the processor to modify the visual appearance of the first icon; and

receiving second touch input indicating movement of the first icon to within proximity of the second icon, the second touch input for use by the processor to modify the visual appearance of the second icon.

11. The method of claim 10, where the touch-sensitive display is a multi-touch-sensitive display that is responsive to finger gestures.

12. The method of claim 10, where modifying the first icon includes scaling the first icon to a different size.

13. The method of claim 10, where modifying the second icon includes applying a glowing effect to the second icon.

14. The method of claim 10, where receiving second touch input indicating movement of the first icon to within proximity of the second icon further comprises:

receiving input indicating that a boundary line at least partially surrounding the second icon is touched or crossed by the first icon in response to the movement.

15. The method of claim 10, where the movement includes dragging the first icon across the display.

16. The method of claim 10, where the second position is a user interface element capable of presenting the second icon in a manner that distinguishes the second icon from the first icon.

17. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

displaying a first icon in a first position of a touch-sensitive display;

displaying a second icon in a second position of the touch-sensitive display;

receiving first touch input specifying selection of the first icon;

responsive to the first touch input, modifying the visual appearance of the first icon;

receiving second touch input indicating movement of the first icon to within proximity of the second icon; and

responsive to the second touch input, modifying the visual appearance of the second icon.

18. The method of claim 17, where modifying the first icon includes scaling the first icon to a different size.

19. The method of claim 17, where modifying the second icon includes applying a glowing effect to the second icon.

20. The method of claim 17, where receiving second touch input indicating movement of the first icon to within proximity of the second icon further comprises:

receiving input indicating that a boundary line at least partially surrounding the second icon is touched or crossed by the first icon in response to the movement.

21. The method of claim 17, where the touch-sensitive display is a multi-touch-sensitive display that is responsive to finger gestures.