Devices, Methods, and Graphical User Interfaces for Accessibility Using a Touch-Sensitive Surface

• US 20100309148A1
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Seymour, Eric Taylor, Fleizach, Christopher Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,681,106 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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

Abstract

An accessibility method is performed by an electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface. The method includes: mapping at least a first portion of the display to the touch-sensitive surface; concurrently displaying a plurality of user interface containers on the display; detecting a user interface container selection event that selects a first user interface container in the plurality of user interface containers; and, in response to detecting the user interface container selection event: ceasing to map the first portion of the display to the touch-sensitive surface, and proportionally mapping the first user interface container to be substantially coextensive with the touch-sensitive surface.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at an accessible electronic device with a touch-sensitive surface and a display;

mapping at least a first portion of the display to the touch-sensitive surface;

concurrently displaying a plurality of user interface containers on the display;

detecting a user interface container selection event that selects a first user interface container in the plurality of user interface containers; and

,

in response to detecting the user interface container selection event;

ceasing to map the first portion of the display to the touch-sensitive surface, and

proportionally mapping the first user interface container to be substantially coextensive with the touch-sensitive surface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising outputting accessibility information associated with the first user interface container in response to detecting the user interface container selection event.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising visually highlighting the first user interface container in response to detecting the user interface container selection event.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user interface container navigation event that deselects the first user interface container;

in response to detecting the user interface container navigation event;

ceasing to proportionally map the first user interface container to be substantially coextensive with the touch-sensitive surface, and

remapping the first portion of the display to the touch-sensitive surface.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user interface container includes a plurality of user interface elements.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

while the first user interface container is proportionally mapped to be substantially coextensive with the touch-sensitive surface, detecting a first user interface element navigation gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, wherein the first user interface element navigation gesture contacts an area of the touch-sensitive surface to which at least one user interface element of the plurality of user interface elements is mapped;

in response to detecting the first user interface element navigation gesture, outputting accessibility information associated with the at least one user interface element of the plurality of user interface elements.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein multiple user interface elements in the plurality of user interface elements are substantially aligned in one direction within the first user interface container.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

while the first user interface container is proportionally mapped to be substantially coextensive with the touch-sensitive surface, detecting a second user interface element navigation gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, wherein detecting the second user interface element navigation gesture includes;

detecting a finger contact, and

detecting movement of the finger contact in substantially one direction;

in response to detecting the movement of the finger contact in substantially one direction, moving a current focus in the first user interface container in accordance with the movement of the finger contact, wherein locations for the current focus are substantially confined within a first axis aligned with the multiple user interface elements.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting movement of the finger contact that substantially departs from the one direction; and

in response to detecting movement of the finger contact that substantially departs from the one direction, moving the current focus away from a user interface element within the first aligned axis to a user interface element in the first user interface container other than one of the multiple user interface elements that are along the first aligned axis.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user interface containers comprises a hierarchy of user interface containers.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

while the first user interface container is proportionally mapped to be substantially coextensive with the touch-sensitive surface, detecting another user interface container selection event that selects a second user interface container in the plurality of user interface containers; and

,

in response to detecting the another user interface container selection event;

ceasing to proportionally map the first user interface container to be substantially coextensive with the touch-sensitive surface, and

proportionally mapping the second user interface container to be substantially coextensive with the touch-sensitive surface,

wherein the second user interface container is in a level of the hierarchy of user interface containers that is immediately below the first user interface container.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising traversing down the hierarchy of user interface containers in response to detecting the user interface container selection event.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface container selection event is a multi-finger gesture.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface container selection event is a multi-finger depinching gesture.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the user interface container selection event is a multi-finger swipe gesture.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising traversing up the hierarchy of user interface containers in response to detecting a user interface container deselection event.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the user interface container deselection event is a multi-finger gesture.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the user interface container selection event is a multi-finger pinching gesture.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the user interface container selection event is a multi-finger swipe gesture.

20. An accessible electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive surface;

a 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;

mapping at least a first portion of the display to the touch-sensitive surface;

concurrently displaying a plurality of user interface containers on the display;

detecting a user interface container selection event that selects a first user interface container in the plurality of user interface containers; and

,

in response to detecting the user interface container selection event;

ceasing to map the first portion of the display to the touch-sensitive surface, and

proportionally mapping the first user interface container to be substantially coextensive with the touch-sensitive surface.

21. A computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which when executed by an accessible electronic device with a touch-sensitive surface and a display, cause the device to:

map at least a first portion of the display to the touch-sensitive surface;

concurrently display a plurality of user interface containers on the display;

detect a user interface container selection event that selects a first user interface container in the plurality of user interface containers; and

,

in response to detecting the user interface container selection event;

cease to map the first portion of the display to the touch-sensitive surface, and

proportionally map the first user interface container to be substantially coextensive with the touch-sensitive surface.

22. A graphical user interface on an accessible electronic device with a touch-sensitive surface and a display, the graphical user interface comprising:

a plurality of user interface containers on the display,

wherein;

at least a first portion of the display is mapped to the touch-sensitive surface; and

,

in response to detecting a user interface container selection event that selects a first user interface container in the plurality of user interface containers;

the first portion of the display ceases to be mapped to the touch-sensitive surface, and

the first user interface container is proportionally mapped to be substantially coextensive with the touch-sensitive surface.