TOUCH EVENT MODEL

• US 20090228901A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Platzer, Andrew, Beaver, Jason Clay
• Granted Patent: US 8,645,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• 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 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods, software, devices and APIs for defining touch events for application level software. Furthermore, some embodiments are directed to simplifying the recognition of single and multiple touch events for applications running in multi-touch enabled devices. To simplify the recognition of single and multiple touch events, each view within a particular window can be configured as either a multi-touch view or a single touch view. Furthermore, each view can be configured as either an exclusive or a non-exclusive view. Depending on the configuration of a view, touch events in that and other views can be either ignored or recognized. Ignored touches need not be sent to the application. Selectively ignoring touches can allow for simpler software elements that do not take advantage of advanced multi touch features to be executed at the same device and time as more complex software elements.

Claims

1. A method for handling touch events at a multi-touch device, comprising:

displaying one or more views;

executing one or more software elements, each software element being associated with a particular view;

associating a multi-touch flag or an exclusive touch flag with each view;

receiving one or more touches at the one or more views; and

selectively sending one or more touch events, each touch event describing a received touch, to one or more of the software elements associated with the one or more views at which a touch was received based on the values of the multi-touch and exclusive touch flags.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if a multi-touch flag is associated with a particular view, allowing other touch events contemporaneous with a touch event received at the particular view to be sent to software elements associated with the other views.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein if a multi-touch flag is associated with a particular view, the multi-touch flag indicates whether the software element associated with that particular view is allowed to process multiple contemporaneous touches located in that view.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the exclusive touch flag prevents touch events from being sent to software elements associated with views other than a view with an asserted exclusive touch flag while a touch is being received at the view with the asserted exclusive touch flag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch device is a mobile telephone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-touch device is a digital media player.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

associating a multi-touch flag with a first view;

receiving a first touch at the first view, the first view being one of the one or more views;

sending a touch event describing the first touch to a first software element, the first software element being one of the one or more software elements and associated with the first view;

determining whether the multi-touch flag associated with the first view indicates that the first view is a multi-touch view; and

if the first view is not a multi-touch view, blocking all touch events describing any other touches located in the first view until the first touch is no longer received.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

associating an exclusive touch flag with each of the one or more views;

determining whether the exclusive touch flag associated with the first view indicates that the first view is an exclusive touch view; and

if the first view is an exclusive touch view, blocking all touch events describing any other touches located in any view other than the first view until the first touch is no longer received.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first view is not an exclusive touch view, the method further comprising:

receiving a second touch at the multi touch panel, the second touch located at a second view and associated with a second software element;

determining whether the exclusive touch flag associated with the second view indicates that the second view is an exclusive touch view; and

if the second view is an exclusive touch view, preventing a touch event associated with the second touch from being sent to the second software element until the first touch is no longer received.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

if the second view is not an exclusive touch view, sending a touch event describing the second touch to the second software element.

11. A method for recognizing one or more touch events at a multi-touch device, comprising:

defining one or more views;

assigning an exclusive touch or a multi-touch flag to each view; and

accepting one or more touch events detected in each view in accordance with the exclusive touch or multi-touch flag for each view.

12. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions configured for execution at a multi-touch device, the instructions being configured to cause the multi-touch device to:

display one or more views;

execute one or more software elements, each software element being associated with a particular view;

associate a multi-touch flag or an exclusive touch flag with each view;

receive one or more touches at the one or more views; and

selectively send one or more touch events, each touch event describing a received touch, to one or more of the software elements associated with views at which a touch was received based on the values of the multi-touch and exclusive touch flags.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the multi-touch device to:

if a multi-touch flag is associated with a particular view, allowing other touch events contemporaneous with a touch event received at the particular view to be sent to software elements associated with the other views.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein if a multi-touch flag is associated with a particular view, the multi-touch flag indicates whether the software element associated with that particular view is allowed to process multiple contemporaneous touches located in that view.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the exclusive touch flag prevents touch events from being sent to software elements associated with views other than a view with an asserted exclusive touch flag while a touch is being received at the view with the asserted exclusive touch flag.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the multi-touch device is a mobile telephone.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the multi-touch device is a digital media player.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the multi-touch device to:

associate a multi-touch flag with a first view;

receive a first touch at the first view, the first view being one of the one or more views;

send a touch event describing the first touch to a first software element, the first software element being one of the one or more software elements and associated with the first view;

determine whether the multi-touch flag associated with the first view indicates that the first view is a multi-touch view; and

if the first view is not a multi-touch view, block all touch events describing any other touches located in the first view until the first touch is no longer received.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the multi-touch device to:

associate an exclusive touch flag with each of the one or more views;

determine whether the exclusive touch flag associated with the first view indicates that the first view is an exclusive touch view; and

if the first view is an exclusive touch view, blocking all touch events describing any other touches located in any view other than the first view until the first touch is no longer received.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first view is not an exclusive touch view and the instructions are further configured to cause the multi-touch device to:

receive a second touch at the multi touch panel, the second touch located at a second view and associated with a second software element;

determine whether the exclusive touch flag associated with the second view indicates that the second view is an exclusive touch view; and

if the second view is an exclusive touch view, prevent a touch event associated with the second touch from being sent to the second software element until the first touch is no longer received.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the multi-touch device to:

if the second view is not an exclusive touch view, send a touch event describing the second touch to the second software element.

22. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions configured for execution at a multi-touch device, the instructions being configured to cause the multi-touch device to:

define one or more views;

assign an exclusive touch or a multi-touch flag to each view; and

accept one or more touch events detected in each view in accordance with the exclusive touch or multi-touch flag for each view.

23. A method for recognizing point events at a multi-point device, comprising:

displaying one or more views;

executing one or more software elements, each software element being associated with a particular view;

associating a multi-point flag or an exclusive point flag with each view;

receiving one or more point inputs at the one or more views; and

selectively sending one or more point events, each point event describing a received point input, to one or more of the software elements associated with views at which a point input was received based on the values of the multi-point and exclusive point flags.

24. A method for recognizing one or more point events at a multi-point device, comprising:

defining one or more views;

assigning an exclusive point or a multi-point flag to each view; and

accepting one or more point events detected in each view in accordance with the exclusive point or multi-point flag for each view.

25. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions configured for execution at a multi-point device, the instructions being configured to cause the multi-point device to:

display one or more views;

execute one or more software elements, each software element being associated with a particular view;

associate a multi-point flag or an exclusive point flag with each view;

receive one or more point inputs at the one or more views; and

selectively send one or more point events, each point event describing a received point input, to one or more of the software elements associated with views at which a point input was received based on the values of the multi-point and exclusive point flags.

26. A computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions configured for execution at a multi-point device, the instructions being configured to cause the multi-point device to:

define one or more views;

assign an exclusive point or a multi-point flag to each view; and

accept one or more point events detected in each view in accordance with the exclusive point or multi-point flag for each view.

27. A multi-touch enabled mobile telephone including a computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions configured for execution at the mobile telephone, the instructions being configured to cause the mobile telephone to:

display one or more views;

execute one or more software elements, each software element being associated with a particular view;

associate a multi-touch flag or an exclusive touch flag with each view;

receive one or more touches at the one or more views; and

selectively send one or more touch events, each touch event describing a received touch, to one or more of the software elements associated with views at which a touch was received based on the values of the multi-touch and exclusive touch flags.

28. A multi-touch enabled digital media player including a computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions configured for execution at the digital media player, the instructions being configured to cause the digital media player to:

display one or more views;

execute one or more software elements, each software element being associated with a particular view;

associate a multi-touch flag or an exclusive touch flag with each view;

receive one or more touches at the one or more views; and

selectively send one or more touch events, each touch event describing a received touch, to one or more of the software elements associated with views at which a touch was received based on the values of the multi-touch and exclusive touch flags.

29. A computer readable medium comprising a touch data structure defining a state, at a particular time, of a single touch having been or being received at a multi-touch panel, the touch data structure comprising:

a phase field defining the phase of the touch at the particular time;

a view field indicating the view in which the touch was or is being received; and

a location field indicating the location where the touch is currently being received.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 29 further comprising a touch event data structure indicating the state, at a particular time, of two or more touches being or having been simultaneously received at a multi-touch panel, the touch event data structure comprising a plurality of the touch data structures of claim 29, each data structure being associated with one of the two or more touches.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the touch data structure further comprises:

a time field indicating the particular time;

a window field indicating the window in which the touch was or is being received;

a previous location field indicating a location at which the touch was previously received; and

a first touch for view field indicating whether the touch is the first one received for the view in which it was or is being received.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the touch data structure further comprises an info field indicating whether the current touch comprises a swiping motion and, if it does, a general direction along which the motion is aligned.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the phase field holds a value indicating that the touch is a new touch that had been initiated at the particular time.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the phase field holds a value indicating that the touch has been moved from a previous position to a new position.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the phase field holds a value indicating that the touch has stayed stationary since the issuance of a previous data structure for the touch.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 29, further comprising a tap count field indicating a number of short taps that have been sequentially performed at the location of the touch.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the phase field holds a value indicating that the touch has ended.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein the phase field holds a value indicating that the touch has been cancelled by the multi-touch panel or another element of a device comprising the multi touch panel.

39. A device comprising a multi touch panel and a computer readable medium comprising a touch data structure defining a state, at a particular time, of a single touch having been or being received at the multi-touch panel, the touch data structure comprising:

a phase field defining the phase of the touch at the particular time;

a view field indicating the view in which the touch was or is being received; and

a location field indicating the location where the touch is currently being received.

40. A method for operating a multi touch enabled device comprising:

executing a software element representing a view, the software element displaying a visual representation of the view at a display;

detecting a touch at a multi touch panel; and

generating a data structure for defining a state of the touch at a particular time, the data structure comprising;

a phase field defining the phase of the touch at the particular time;

a view field indicating the view in which the touch was or is being received; and

a location field indicating the location where the touch is currently being received.

41. In an environment with a device having a display and a multi touch panel and application software interacting with user interface software, a method for operating through an application programming interface (API), comprising:

detecting a touch at the multi touch panel;

generating a data structure for defining a state of the touch at a particular time, the data structure comprising;

a phase field defining the phase of the touch at the particular time;

a view field indicating the view in which the touch was or is being received; and

a location field indicating the location where the touch is currently being received; and

sending the data structure to the application software by the user interface software.