Methods and Graphical User Interfaces for Editing on a Multifunction Device with a Touch Screen Display

• US 20100235729A1
• Filed: 09/24/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Forstall, Scott, Moore, Bradford Allen, Kocienda, Kenneth L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,661,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/70 methods for entering alphabetical characters, e.g. multi-tap or dictionary disambiguation methods for entering alphabetical characters per se G06F3/0237

Abstract

In some embodiments, a device displays content on a touch screen display and detects input by finger gestures. In response to the finger gestures, the device selects content, visually distinguishes the selected content, and/or updates the selected content based on detected input. In some embodiments, the device displays a command display area that includes one or more command icons; detects activation of a command icon in the command display area; and, in response to detecting activation of the command icon in the command display area, performs a corresponding action with respect to the selected content. Exemplary actions include cutting, copying, and pasting content.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a multifunction device with a touch screen display;

displaying content on the touch screen display at a first magnification, wherein the content includes selected content;

detecting a finger contact on a respective end of the selected content;

displaying a content magnifier adjacent to the respective end of the selected content, wherein the content magnifier displays;

an expanded portion of the content proximate to the respective end of the selected content at a second magnification that is greater than the first magnification, and

a boundary marker that denotes a current position of the respective end of the selected content;

detecting movement of the finger contact across the touch screen display;

updating the respective end of the selected content and the displayed expanded portion of the content proximate to the respective end at the second magnification in accordance with the movement of the finger contact; and

moving the content magnifier and the boundary marker in accordance with the movement of the finger contact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the content magnifier adjacent to the respective end of the selected content comprises displaying the content magnifier immediately above and centered over the respective end of the selected content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content magnifier is initially displayed in response to detecting the finger contact on the respective end of the selected content.

4. The method of claim 1, including:

displaying a start-point object and an end-point object at respective ends of the selected content;

moving the start-point object in accordance with the movement of the finger contact when the respective end of the selected content is the beginning of the selected content, and

moving the end-point object in accordance with the movement of the finger contact when the respective end of the selected content is the end of the selected content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the expanded portion of the content displayed by the content magnifier includes selected content adjacent to the respective end and unselected content adjacent to the respective end.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the boundary marker is displayed between the selected content adjacent to the respective end and the unselected content adjacent to the respective end.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content magnifier displays an expanded portion of a single line of text in the content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content magnifier displays a sequence of words, including a respective word at the center of the content magnifier, and further including:

updating the respective word at the center of the content magnifier in accordance with the movement of the finger contact; and

moving the boundary marker within the content magnifier by moving the boundary marker within each respective word at the center of the content magnifier for a plurality of successive words at the center of the content magnifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the content magnifier displays a sequence of words, including a respective word at the center of the content magnifier, and further including:

updating the respective word at the center of the content magnifier in accordance with the movement of the finger contact; and

moving the boundary marker within the content magnifier by moving the boundary marker character-by-character within each respective word at the center of the content magnifier for a plurality of successive words at the center of the content magnifier.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the content magnifier displays a sequence of words, including a respective word at the center of the content magnifier, and further including:

updating the respective word at the center of the content magnifier in accordance with the movement of the finger contact; and

moving the boundary marker within the content magnifier by jumping the boundary marker to an end of each respective word at the center of the content magnifier for a plurality of successive words at the center of the content magnifier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the boundary marker remains centered within the content magnifier.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the content magnifier in accordance with the movement of the finger contact comprises line-by-line movement of the content magnifier.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective end of the selected content is updated continuously.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective end of the selected content is updated character-by-character.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective end of the selected content is updated word-by-word.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective end of the selected content is updated word-by-word when the movement of the finger contact exceeds a predefined value in a predefined time interval.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the respective end of the selected content is updated character-by-character when the movement of the finger contact is below a predefined value in a predefined time interval, and

the respective end of the selected content is updated word-by-word when the movement of the finger contact is above the predefined value in a predefined time interval.

18. The method of claim 1, including:

detecting lift off of the finger contact from the touch screen display when a location of the finger contact corresponds to a current position within a current word; and

,

in response to detecting lift off of the finger contact from the touch screen display when the location of the finger contact corresponds to the current position within the current word;

terminating display of the content magnifier; and

placing the respective end of the selected content at the current position within the current word.

19. The method of claim 1, including:

detecting lift off of the finger contact from the touch screen display when a location of the finger contact corresponds to a current position within a current word; and

,

in response to detecting lift off of the finger contact from the touch screen display when the location of the finger contact corresponds to the current position within the current word;

terminating display of the content magnifier; and

placing the respective end of the selected content at a respective end of the current word.

20. The method of claim 19, including:

in response to detecting lift off of the finger contact from the touch screen display, displaying an animation of the content magnifier moving to a position that corresponds to the respective end of the current word prior to terminating display of the content magnifier.

21. The method of claim 1, including:

detecting lift off of the finger contact from the touch screen display when a location of the finger contact corresponds to a current position within a current word; and

,

in response to detecting lift off of the finger contact from the touch screen display when the location of the finger contact corresponds to the current position within the current word;

terminating display of the content magnifier;

placing the respective end of the selected content at the current position within the current word when the movement of the finger contact is less than a predefined value in a predefined time interval; and

placing the respective end of the selected content at a respective end of the current word when the movement of the finger contact is greater than the predefined value in the predefined time interval.

22. The method of claim 21, including:

in response to detecting lift off of the finger contact from the touch screen display, displaying an animation of the content magnifier moving to a position that corresponds to the respective end of the current word prior to terminating display of the content magnifier when the movement of the finger contact is greater than the predefined value in the predefined time interval.

23. A graphical user interface on a multifunction device with a touch screen display, the graphical user interface comprising:

content at a first magnification, the content including selected content, and

a content magnifier;

wherein;

a finger contact is detected on a respective end of the selected content;

the content magnifier is displayed adjacent to the respective end of the selected content;

the content magnifier displays;

an expanded portion of the content proximate to the respective end of the selected content at a second magnification that is greater than the first magnification, and

a boundary marker that denotes a current position of the respective end of the selected content;

the respective end of the selected content and the displayed expanded portion of the content proximate to the respective end at the second magnification are updated in accordance with movement of the finger contact across the touch screen display; and

the content magnifier and the boundary marker are moved in accordance with the movement of the finger contact.

24. A multifunction 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;

displaying content on the touch screen display at a first magnification, wherein the content includes selected content;

detecting a finger contact on a respective end of the selected content;

displaying a content magnifier adjacent to the respective end of the selected content, wherein the content magnifier displays;

an expanded portion of the content proximate to the respective end of the selected content at a second magnification that is greater than the first magnification, and

a boundary marker that denotes a current position of the respective end of the selected content;

detecting movement of the finger contact across the touch screen display;

updating the respective end of the selected content and the displayed expanded portion of the content proximate to the respective end at the second magnification in accordance with the movement of the finger contact; and

moving the content magnifier and the boundary marker in accordance with the movement of the finger contact.

25. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a multifunction device with a touch screen display, cause the device to:

display content on the touch screen display at a first magnification, wherein the content includes selected content;

detect a finger contact on a respective end of the selected content;

display a content magnifier adjacent to the respective end of the selected content, wherein the content magnifier displays;

an expanded portion of the content proximate to the respective end of the selected content at a second magnification that is greater than the first magnification, and

a boundary marker that denotes a current position of the respective end of the selected content;

detect movement of the finger contact across the touch screen display;

update the respective end of the selected content and the displayed expanded portion of the content proximate to the respective end at the second magnification in accordance with the movement of the finger contact; and

move the content magnifier and the boundary marker in accordance with the movement of the finger contact.