Touch Screen Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Moving On-Screen Objects Without Using a Cursor

• US 20130027303A1
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bernstein, Jeffrey Traer
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• 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 3/04817 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 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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 electronic device with a touch screen display: detects a single finger contact on the touch screen display; creates a touch area that corresponds to the single finger contact; determines a representative point within the touch area; determines if the touch area overlaps an object displayed on the touch screen display, which includes determining if one or more portions of the touch area other than the representative point overlap the object; connects the object with the touch area if the touch area overlaps the object, where connecting maintains the overlap of the object and the touch area; after connecting the object with the touch area, detects movement of the single finger contact; determines movement of the touch area that corresponds to movement of the single finger contact; and moves the object connected with the touch area in accordance with the determined movement of the touch area.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a computing device with a touch screen display;

displaying a plurality of objects on the touch screen display;

simultaneously detecting a plurality of finger contacts on the touch screen display; and

for each respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

creating a respective touch area that corresponds to the respective finger contact on the touch screen display;

determining a respective representative point within the respective touch area;

determining if the respective touch area overlaps a respective object in the plurality of objects displayed on the touch screen display, wherein determining if the respective touch area overlaps the respective object includes determining if one or more portions of the respective touch area other than the respective representative point overlap the respective object;

connecting the respective object with the respective touch area if the respective object is determined to overlap the respective touch area, wherein connecting the respective object with the respective touch area maintains the overlap of the respective object and the respective touch area;

after connecting the respective object with the respective touch area, detecting movement of the respective finger contact on the touch screen display;

determining movement of the respective touch area that corresponds to movement of the respective finger contact on the touch screen display; and

moving the respective object connected with the respective touch area in accordance with the determined movement of the respective touch area.

2. The method of claim 1, including:

for a respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

while detecting movement of the respective finger contact on the touch screen display, detecting intersection of the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the respective touch area with a respective unconnected object in the plurality of objects on the touch screen display; and

in response to detecting intersection of the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the touch area with the respective unconnected object, moving the respective unconnected object such that the respective unconnected object ceases to intersect the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the respective touch area.

3. The method of claim 1, including:

for a respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

determining that the respective touch area ceases to overlap with the respective connected object; and

in response to determining that the respective touch area ceases to overlap with the respective connected object, disconnecting the respective touch area from the respective connected object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective object is moved in accordance with the determined movement of the respective touch area without using a cursor.

5. A computing 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 a plurality of objects on the touch screen display;

simultaneously detecting a plurality of finger contacts on the touch screen display;

for each respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

creating a respective touch area that corresponds to the respective finger contact on the touch screen display;

determining a respective representative point within the respective touch area;

determining if the respective touch area overlaps a respective object in the plurality of objects displayed on the touch screen display, wherein determining if the respective touch area overlaps the respective object includes determining if one or more portions of the respective touch area other than the respective representative point overlap the respective object;

connecting the respective object with the respective touch area if the respective object is determined to overlap the respective touch area, wherein connecting the respective object with the respective touch area maintains the overlap of the respective object and the respective touch area;

after connecting the respective object with the respective touch area, detecting movement of the respective finger contact on the touch screen display;

determining movement of the respective touch area that corresponds to movement of the respective finger contact on the touch screen display; and

moving the respective object connected with the respective touch area in accordance with the determined movement of the respective touch area.

6. The device of claim 5, including instructions for:

for a respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

while detecting movement of the respective finger contact on the touch screen display, detecting intersection of the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the respective touch area with a respective unconnected object in the plurality of objects on the touch screen display; and

in response to detecting intersection of the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the touch area with the respective unconnected object, moving the respective unconnected object such that the respective unconnected object ceases to intersect the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the respective touch area.

7. The device of claim 5, including instructions for:

for a respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

determining that the respective touch area ceases to overlap with the respective connected object; and

in response to determining that the respective touch area ceases to overlap with the respective connected object, disconnecting the respective touch area from the respective connected object.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the respective object is moved in accordance with the determined movement of the respective touch area without using a cursor.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which when executed by a computing device with a touch screen display, cause the device to:

display a plurality of objects on the touch screen display;

simultaneously detect a plurality of finger contacts on the touch screen display;

for each respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

create a respective touch area that corresponds to the respective finger contact on the touch screen display;

determine a respective representative point within the respective touch area;

determine if the respective touch area overlaps a respective object in the plurality of objects displayed on the touch screen display, wherein determining if the respective touch area overlaps the respective object includes determining if one or more portions of the respective touch area other than the respective representative point overlap the respective object;

connect the respective object with the respective touch area if the respective object is determined to overlap the respective touch area, wherein connecting the respective object with the respective touch area maintains the overlap of the respective object and the respective touch area;

after connecting the respective object with the respective touch area, detect movement of the respective finger contact on the touch screen display;

determine movement of the respective touch area that corresponds to movement of the respective finger contact on the touch screen display; and

move the respective object connected with the respective touch area in accordance with the determined movement of the respective touch area.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, including instructions which cause the device to:

for a respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

while detecting movement of the respective finger contact on the touch screen display, detect intersection of the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the respective touch area with a respective unconnected object in the plurality of objects on the touch screen display; and

in response to detecting intersection of the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the touch area with the respective unconnected object, move the respective unconnected object such that the respective unconnected object ceases to intersect the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the respective touch area.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, including instructions which cause the device to:

for a respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

determine that the respective touch area ceases to overlap with the respective connected object; and

in response to determining that the respective touch area ceases to overlap with the respective connected object, disconnect the respective touch area from the respective connected object.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the respective object is moved in accordance with the determined movement of the respective touch area without using a cursor.

13. A graphical user interface on a computing device with a touch screen display, comprising:

a plurality of objects;

wherein;

the plurality of objects are displayed on the touch screen display;

a plurality of finger contacts on the touch screen display are simultaneously detected; and

for each respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

a respective touch area is created that corresponds to the respective finger contact on the touch screen display;

a respective representative point within the respective touch area is determined;

whether the respective touch area overlaps a respective object in the plurality of objects displayed on the touch screen display is determined, wherein the determination includes determining if one or more portions of the respective touch area other than the respective representative point overlap the respective object;

the respective object is connected with the respective touch area if the respective object is determined to overlap the respective touch area, wherein connecting the respective object with the respective touch area maintains the overlap of the respective object and the respective touch area;

after connecting the respective object with the respective touch area, movement of the respective finger contact is detected on the touch screen display;

movement of the respective touch area is determined that corresponds to movement of the respective finger contact on the touch screen display; and

the respective object connected with the respective touch area is moved in accordance with the determined movement of the respective touch area.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 13, wherein:

for a respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

while detecting movement of the respective finger contact on the touch screen display, intersection is detected of the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the respective touch area with a respective unconnected object in the plurality of objects on the touch screen display; and

in response to detecting intersection of the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the touch area with the respective unconnected object, the respective unconnected object is moved such that the respective unconnected object ceases to intersect the respective touch area and/or the respective object connected with the respective touch area.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 13, wherein:

for a respective finger contact in the plurality of detected finger contacts;

the respective touch area is determined to cease to overlap with the respective connected object; and

in response to determining that the respective touch area ceases to overlap with the respective connected object, the respective touch area is disconnected from the respective connected object.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 13, wherein the respective object is moved in accordance with the determined movement of the respective touch area without using a cursor.