PROXIMITY DETECTOR IN HANDHELD DEVICE

• US 20180341324A1
• Filed: 08/02/2018
• Published: 11/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: HOTELLING, Steve P., HUPPI, Brian Q., STRICKON, Joshua A., KERR, Duncan Robert, CHAUDHRI, Imran, CHRISTIE, Gregory, IVE, Jonathan P., KENNEDY, Peter J., FADDELL, Anthony M., ROBBIN, Jeffrey L.
• Granted Patent: US 11,036,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 21/16 for measuring distance of clearance between spaced objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• 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 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0416 Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• 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

Proximity based systems and methods that are implemented on an electronic device are disclosed. The method includes sensing an object spaced away and in close proximity to the electronic device. The method also includes performing an action in the electronic device when an object is sensed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with a touch screen;

while displaying, on the touch screen, a user interface, detecting, via the touch screen, a hover input that includes detecting an object over the touch screen without detecting the object in contact with the touch screen; and

in response to detecting the hover input;

in accordance with a determination that one or more criteria are met, the one or more criteria including a criterion that requires that the hover input be detected for at least a predetermined time threshold, displaying, on the touch screen, a control corresponding to the user interface; and

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are not met, forgoing displaying the control on the touch screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria include a criterion that requires that the hover input be detected while a predefined application is displayed, a criterion that requires the hover input be detected while the predefined application be in a specified state or mode, a criterion that requires the hover input include a specified number of objects detected over the touch screen, or a criterion that requires the hover input be detected at a specified location on the touch screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the control comprises gradually displaying the control on the touch screen by increasing a visual property of the control over time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a rate or amount of gradually displaying the control is based on a length of time the hover input is detected on the touch screen.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the control is displayed at a location on the touch screen based on a location of the hover input detected at the touch screen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the control includes a first portion and a second portion, the method further comprising:

while displaying the control and detecting the hover input;

in accordance with a determination that the hover input is over the first portion, enlarging the first portion; and

in accordance with a determination that the object is over the second portion, enlarging the second portion.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while displaying the user interface on the touch screen, detecting, via the touch screen, an object touching the touch screen; and

in response to detecting the object touching the touch screen;

in accordance with a determination that the object touches the touch screen at a respective location at which the control is displayed on the touch screen, performing an action corresponding to the control; and

in accordance with a determination that the object touches the touch screen at the respective location at which the control is not displayed, forgoing performing the action corresponding to the control.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while displaying the control on the touch screen, determining that the one or more criteria are no longer met; and

in response to determining that the one or more first criteria are no longer met, ceasing displaying the control on the touch screen.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein ceasing display of the control comprises gradually removing the control from the display.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the one or more criteria are no longer met includes determining that the hover input is no longer detected at the touch screen for at least a second predetermined time threshold.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that the one or more criteria are no longer met includes determining that the hover input is no longer detected at the touch screen, determining that a the control has been displayed for a second predetermined time threshold, or determining that the control has been selected.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein input to the control manipulates content displayed in the user interface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein input to the control navigates forward and backward through content displayed in the user interface.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after detecting the hover input, detecting, via the touch screen, a second hover input; and

in response to detecting the second hover input;

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are met for the second hover input, displaying, on the touch screen, a second control, different from the control; and

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are not met for the second hover input, maintaining display of the control.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while detecting the hover input, detecting, via the touch screen, a second hover input; and

in response to detecting the second hover input;

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are met for the second hover input, displaying, on the touch screen, a second control corresponding to the user interface while maintaining display of the control; and

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are not met for the second hover input, maintaining display of the control without displaying the second control.

16. An electronic device, comprising:

a touchscreen

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;

while displaying, on the touch screen, a user interface, detecting, via the touch screen, a hover input that includes detecting an object over the touch screen without detecting the object in contact with the touch screen; and

in response to detecting the hover input;

in accordance with a determination that one or more criteria are met, the one or more criteria including a criterion that requires that the hover input be detected for at least a predetermined time threshold, displaying, on the touch screen, a control corresponding to the user interface; and

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are not met, forgoing displaying the control on the touch screen.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the control includes a first portion and a second portion, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while displaying the control and detecting the hover input;

in accordance with a determination that the hover input is over the first portion, enlarging the first portion; and

in accordance with a determination that the object is over the second portion, enlarging the second portion.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while displaying the control on the touch screen, determining that the one or more criteria are no longer met; and

in response to determining that the one or more first criteria are no longer met, ceasing displaying the control on the touch screen.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

after detecting the hover input, detecting, via the touch screen, a second hover input; and

in response to detecting the second hover input;

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are met for the second hover input, displaying, on the touch screen, a second control, different from the control; and

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are not met for the second hover input, maintaining display of the control.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, the one or more programs further including instructions for:

while detecting the hover input, detecting, via the touch screen, a second hover input; and

in response to detecting the second hover input;

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are met for the second hover input, displaying, on the touch screen, a second control corresponding to the user interface while maintaining display of the control; and

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are not met for the second hover input, maintaining display of the control without displaying the second control.

21. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device including a touch screen, cause the electronic device to:

while displaying, on the touch screen, a user interface, detect, via the touch screen, a hover input that includes detecting an object over the touch screen without detecting the object in contact with the touch screen; and

in response to detecting the hover input;

in accordance with a determination that one or more criteria are met, the one or more criteria including a criterion that requires that the hover input be detected for at least a predetermined time threshold, display, on the touch screen, a control corresponding to the user interface; and

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are not met, forgo displaying the control on the touch screen.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, wherein the control includes a first portion and a second portion, the one or more programs further comprising instructions which when executed cause the electronic device to:

while displaying the control and detecting the hover input;

in accordance with a determination that the hover input is over the first portion, enlarge the first portion; and

in accordance with a determination that the object is over the second portion, enlarge the second portion.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, the one or more programs further comprising instructions which when executed cause the electronic device to:

while displaying the control on the touch screen, determine that the one or more criteria are no longer met; and

in response to determining that the one or more first criteria are no longer met, cease displaying the control on the touch screen.

24. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, the one or more programs further comprising instructions which when executed cause the electronic device to:

after detecting the hover input, detect, via the touch screen, a second hover input; and

in response to detecting the second hover input;

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are met for the second hover input, display, on the touch screen, a second control, different from the control; and

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are not met for the second hover input, maintain display of the control.

25. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 21, the one or more programs further comprising instructions which when executed cause the electronic device to:

while detecting the hover input, detect, via the touch screen, a second hover input; and

in response to detecting the second hover input;

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are met for the second hover input, display, on the touch screen, a second control corresponding to the user interface while maintaining display of the control; and

in accordance with a determination that the one or more criteria are not met for the second hover input, maintain display of the control without displaying the second control.