Portable Touch Screen Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Using Emoji Characters

• US 20100123724A1
• Filed: 11/19/2008
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ording, Bas, Furches, Elizabeth Caroline, Moore, Bradford Allen, Kocienda, Kenneth L., Chick, Stephen J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,584,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/473
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0219 Special purpose keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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 3/04883 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: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

In some embodiments, a computer-implemented method performed at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display includes simultaneously displaying a character input area operable to display text character input and emoji character input selected by a user, a keyboard display area, and a plurality of emoji category icons. In response to detecting a gesture on a respective emoji category icon, the method also includes simultaneously displaying: a first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area and a plurality of subset-sequence-indicia icons for the respective emoji category. The method also includes detecting a gesture in the keyboard display area and, in response: replacing display of the first subset of emoji character keys with display of a second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category, and updating the information provided by the subset-sequence-indicia icons.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device with a touch screen display;

simultaneously displaying;

a character input area operable to display text character input and emoji character input selected by a user,

a keyboard display area, and

a plurality of emoji category icons, wherein the emoji category icons correspond to a plurality of emoji categories;

detecting a gesture on a respective emoji category icon in the plurality of emoji category icons;

in response to detecting the gesture on the respective emoji category icon, simultaneously displaying;

a first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, wherein the respective emoji category contains a number of subsets of emoji character keys that are configured to be separately displayed as a sequence of subsets of emoji character keys in the keyboard display area, and

a plurality of subset-sequence-indicia icons for the respective emoji category, wherein the subset-sequence-indicia icons provide information about the number of subsets in the respective emoji category and a position of a displayed subset in the sequence of subsets of emoji character keys in the keyboard display area;

while displaying the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, detecting a gesture in the keyboard display area; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture in the keyboard display area;

replacing display of the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category with display of a second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, and

updating the information provided by the subset-sequence-indicia icons to reflect the replacement of the displayed first subset of emoji character keys by the second subset of emoji character keys.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of emoji category icons includes a recently and frequently used emoji category icon that corresponds to a plurality of emoji characters recently and frequently selected by the user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein emoji character keys in at least one emoji category are ordered in accordance with emoji character usage data.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the emoji character usage data includes emoji character usage data from software applications running on the portable electronic device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the emoji character usage data includes emoji character usage data received from a service provider of the portable electronic device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein replacing display of the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category with display of the second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area comprises displaying an animation of the first subset of emoji character keys moving off the touch screen display.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein replacing display of the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category with display of the second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area comprises displaying an animation of the second subset of emoji character keys moving on the touch screen display.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein replacing display of the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category with display of the second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area comprises displaying an animation of the first subset of emoji character keys moving off the touch screen display and displaying an animation of the second subset of emoji character keys moving on the touch screen display.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the subset-sequence-indicia icons are displayed in the keyboard display area.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of emoji category icons are displayed in the keyboard display area.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including:

while displaying the second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, detecting a gesture in the keyboard display area; and

in response to detecting the gesture in the keyboard display area;

replacing display of the second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category with display of a third subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, and

updating the information provided by the subset-sequence-indicia icons to reflect the replacement of the displayed second subset of emoji character keys by the third subset of emoji character keys.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the gesture detected while displaying the second subset of emoji character keys is a swipe gesture in a first direction;

and further including;

detecting a second swipe gesture on the touch screen display in the keyboard display area in a direction that is substantially opposite the first direction; and

in response to detecting the second swipe gesture in the keyboard display area;

replacing display of the third subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category with display of the second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, and

updating the information provided by the subset-sequence-indicia icons to reflect the replacement of the displayed third subset of emoji character keys by the second subset of emoji character keys.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including:

displaying a keyboard selection icon;

detecting a gesture on the keyboard selection icon; and

after detecting the gesture on the keyboard selection icon, replacing display of the second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category with display of a text character input keyboard in the keyboard display area.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, including:

receiving one or more words input by the user with the text character input keyboard;

displaying the one or more words input by the user in the character input area; and

,

in response to receiving the one or more words input by the user with the text character input keyboard;

determining a recommended emoji character based at least in part on the one or more words input by the user, and

displaying the recommended emoji character on the touch screen display.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, including:

detecting a gesture on the touch screen display; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture, inserting and displaying the recommended emoji character after the one or more words input by the user in the character input area.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, including:

displaying the keyboard selection icon while the text character input keyboard is displayed in the keyboard display area;

detecting a gesture on the keyboard selection icon; and

after detecting the gesture on the keyboard selection icon, replacing display of the text character input keyboard with simultaneous display of the second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area and the corresponding subset-sequence-indicia icons.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including:

detecting a gesture on a respective emoji character key in the second subset of emoji character keys; and

in response to detecting the gesture on the respective emoji character key in the second subset of emoji character keys, inserting and displaying a corresponding emoji character in the character input area.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, including:

detecting a predefined user action for initiating a predefined user interface reconfiguration process; and

,

in response to detecting the predefined user action, varying positions of two or more emoji character keys in the second subset of emoji character keys, wherein the varying includes varying the positions of each emoji character key of the two or more emoji character keys about a respective average position distinct from the respective average positions of other emoji character keys of the two or more emoji character keys.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein each respective emoji character key of the two or more emoji character keys oscillates in a region substantially centered on the respective average position of the respective emoji character key.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, including:

detecting the user making a point of contact with the touch screen display at a first position corresponding to a first emoji character key in the second subset of emoji character keys and detecting movement of the point of contact to a second position on the touch screen display; and

,

in response to detecting the point of contact and detecting movement of the point of contact, displaying movement of the first emoji character key to the second position on the touch screen display in accordance with the detected movement of the point of contact.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 20, further comprising fixing a position of the first emoji character key at the second position in response to detecting a second predefined user action for terminating the predefined user interface reconfiguration process.

22. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

simultaneously displaying;

a character input area operable to display text character input and emoji character input selected by a user,

a keyboard display area, and

a plurality of emoji category icons, wherein the emoji category icons correspond to a plurality of emoji categories;

detecting a gesture on a respective emoji category icon in the plurality of emoji category icons;

in response to detecting the gesture on the respective emoji category icon, simultaneously displaying;

a first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, wherein the respective emoji category contains a number of subsets of emoji character keys that are configured to be separately displayed as a sequence of subsets of emoji character keys in the keyboard display area, and

a plurality of subset-sequence-indicia icons for the respective emoji category, wherein the subset-sequence-indicia icons provide information about the number of subsets in the respective emoji category and a position of a displayed subset in the sequence of subsets of emoji character keys in the keyboard display area;

while displaying the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, detecting a gesture in the keyboard display area; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture in the keyboard display area;

replacing display of the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category with display of a second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, and

updating the information provided by the subset-sequence-indicia icons to reflect the replacement of the displayed first subset of emoji character keys by the second subset of emoji character keys.

23. A computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which when executed by a portable electronic device with a touch screen display, cause the device to:

simultaneously display;

a character input area operable to display text character input and emoji character input selected by a user,

a keyboard display area, and

a plurality of emoji category icons, wherein the emoji category icons correspond to a plurality of emoji categories;

detect a gesture on a respective emoji category icon in the plurality of emoji category icons;

in response to detecting the gesture on the respective emoji category icon, simultaneously display;

a first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, wherein the respective emoji category contains a number of subsets of emoji character keys that are configured to be separately displayed as a sequence of subsets of emoji character keys in the keyboard display area, and

a plurality of subset-sequence-indicia icons for the respective emoji category, wherein the subset-sequence-indicia icons provide information about the number of subsets in the respective emoji category and a position of a displayed subset in the sequence of subsets of emoji character keys in the keyboard display area;

while displaying the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, detect a gesture in the keyboard display area; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture in the keyboard display area;

replace display of the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category with display of a second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, and

update the information provided by the subset-sequence-indicia icons to reflect the replacement of the displayed first subset of emoji character keys by the second subset of emoji character keys.

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

a character input area operable to display text character input and emoji character input selected by a user,

a keyboard display area,

a plurality of emoji category icons, wherein the emoji category icons correspond to a plurality of emoji categories, and wherein a respective emoji category contains a number of subsets of emoji character keys that are configured to be separately displayed as a sequence of subsets of emoji character keys in the keyboard display area,

a first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category,

a second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category, and

a plurality of subset-sequence-indicia icons for the respective emoji category, wherein the subset-sequence-indicia icons provide information about the number of subsets in the respective emoji category and a position of a displayed subset in the sequence of subsets of emoji character keys in the keyboard display area;

wherein;

the character input area, the keyboard display area, and the plurality of emoji category icons are simultaneously displayed;

in response to detecting a gesture on a respective emoji category icon in the plurality of emoji category icons, the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area are simultaneously displayed with the plurality of subset-sequence-indicia icons for the respective emoji category;

in response to detecting a gesture in the keyboard display area while displaying the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area, display of the first subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category is replaced with display of a second subset of emoji character keys for the respective emoji category in the keyboard display area and the information provided by the subset-sequence-indicia icons is updated to reflect the replacement of the displayed first subset of emoji character keys by the second subset of emoji character keys.