Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for determining commands by applying heuristics

• US 7,479,949 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Boule, Andre M. J., Wyld, Jeremy A., Marcos, Paul D., Lamiraux, Henri C., Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas, Lemay, Stephen O., Williamson, Richard, Tolmasky, Francisco Ryan, Forstall, Scott, Westerman, Wayne C., Blumenberg, Chris, Anzures, Freddy Allen, Jobs, Steven P., Kocienda, Kenneth, Coffman, Patrick Lee, van Os, Marcel, Pisula, Charles J., Bush, Jeffrey, Matas, Michael, Novick, Gregory, Herz, Scott, Ganatra, Nitin K., King, Virgil Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Duc Q
• Application Number:
  US12/101,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20080174570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 284 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/157, 345173-181
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. SMS or e-mail

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with a computing device with a touch screen display comprises: detecting one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display, applying one or more heuristics to the one or more finger contacts to determine a command for the device, and processing the command. The one or more heuristics comprise: a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command, a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a two-dimensional screen translation command, and a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a respective item in a set of items to displaying a next item in the set of items.

Claims

1. 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 detecting one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display;

instructions for applying one or more heuristics to the one or more finger contacts to determine a command for the device; and

instructions for processing the command;

wherein the one or more heuristics comprise;

a vertical screen scrolling heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command rather than a two-dimensional screen translation command based on an angle of initial movement of a finger contact with respect to the touch screen display;

a two-dimensional screen translation heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to the two-dimensional screen translation command rather than the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command based on the angle of initial movement of the finger contact with respect to the touch screen display; and

a next item heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a respective item in a set of items to displaying a next item in the set of items.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more heuristics include a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to translate content within a frame rather than translating an entire page that includes the frame.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the one or more heuristics include a heuristic for determining which user interface object is selected when two user interface objects have overlapping hit regions.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a finger swipe gesture that initially moves within a predetermined angle of being perfectly vertical with respect to the touch screen display corresponds to the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a moving finger gesture that initially moves within a predefined range of angles corresponds to the two-dimensional screen translation command.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a finger swipe gesture that initially moves within a predetermined angle of being perfectly horizontal with respect to the touch screen display corresponds to a one-dimensional horizontal screen scrolling command rather than the two-dimensional screen translation command.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a simultaneous two-thumb twisting gesture corresponds to a 90°

screen rotation command.

8. The computing device of claim 1, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, an N-finger translation gesture corresponds to a command to translate an entire page of content and an M-finger translation gesture corresponds to a command to translate content within a frame rather than translating the entire page of content that includes the frame.

9. The computing device of claim 1, including:

instructions for detecting one or more first finger contacts with the touch screen display while a web browser application is displayed on the touch screen display;

instructions for applying a first set of heuristics for the web browser application to the one or more first finger contacts to determine a first command for the device; and

instructions for processing the first command;

wherein the first set of heuristics comprises;

the vertical screen scrolling heuristic; and

the two-dimensional screen translation heuristic; and

instructions for detecting one or more second finger contacts with the touch screen display while a photo album application is displayed on the touch screen display;

instructions for applying a second set of heuristics for the photo album application to the one or more second finger contacts to determine a second command for the device; and

instructions for processing the second command;

wherein the second set of heuristics comprises;

the next item heuristic, wherein the respective item in the set of items is a respective image in a set of images; and

a heuristic for determining that the one or more second finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying the respective image in the set of images to displaying a previous image in the set of images.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the first set of heuristics comprises a heuristic for determining that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional horizontal screen scrolling command rather than the two-dimensional screen translation command based on the angle of initial movement of the finger contact with respect to the touch screen display.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a computing device with a touch screen display,

detecting one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display;

applying one or more heuristics to the one or more finger contacts to determine a command for the device; and

processing the command;

wherein the one or more heuristics comprise;

a vertical screen scrolling heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command rather than a two-dimensional screen translation command based on an angle of initial movement of a finger contact with respect to the touch screen display;

a two-dimensional screen translation heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to the two-dimensional screen translation command rather than the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command based on the angle of initial movement of the finger contact with respect to the touch screen display; and

a next item heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a respective item in a set of items to displaying a next item in the set of items.

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

while displaying a web browser application,

detecting one or more first finger contacts with the touch screen display;

applying a first set of heuristics for the web browser application to the one or more first finger contacts to determine a first command for the device; and

processing the first command;

wherein the first set of heuristics comprises;

the vertical screen scrolling heuristic; and

the two-dimensional screen translation heuristic; and

while displaying a photo album application,

detecting one or more second finger contacts with the touch screen display;

applying a second set of heuristics for the photo album application to the one or more second finger contacts to determine a second command for the device; and

processing the second command;

wherein the second set of heuristics comprises;

the next item heuristic, wherein the respective item in the set of items is a respective image in a set of images; and

a heuristic for determining that the one or more second finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying the respective image in the set of images to displaying a previous image in the set of images.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the first set of heuristics comprises a heuristic for determining that the one or more first finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional horizontal screen scrolling command rather than the two-dimensional screen translation command based on the angle of initial movement of the finger contact with respect to the touch screen display.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a finger swipe gesture that initially moves within a predetermined angle of being perfectly vertical with respect to the touch screen display corresponds to the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a moving finger gesture that initially moves within a predefined range of angles corresponds to the two-dimensional screen translation command.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a finger swipe gesture that initially moves within a predetermined angle of being perfectly horizontal with respect to the touch screen display corresponds to a one-dimensional horizontal screen scrolling command rather than the two-dimensional screen translation command.

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

detect one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display;

apply one or more heuristics to the one or more finger contacts to determine a command for the device; and

process the command;

wherein the one or more heuristics comprise;

a vertical screen scrolling heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command rather than a two-dimensional screen translation command based on an angle of initial movement of a finger contact with respect to the touch screen display;

a two-dimensional screen translation heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to the two-dimensional screen translation command rather than the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command based on the angle of initial movement of the finger contact with respect to the touch screen display; and

a next item heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a respective item in a set of items to displaying a next item in the set of items.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable medium has stored therein instructions, which when executed by a device with a touch screen display, cause the device to:

while displaying a web browser application,

detect one or more first finger contacts with the touch screen display;

apply a first set of heuristics for the web browser application to the one or more first finger contacts to determine a first command for the device; and

process the first command;

wherein the first set of heuristics comprises;

the vertical screen scrolling heuristic; and

the two-dimensional screen translation heuristic; and

while displaying a photo album application,

detect one or more second finger contacts with the touch screen display;

apply a second set of heuristics for the photo album application to the one or more second finger contacts to determine a second command for the device; and

process the second command;

wherein the second set of heuristics comprises;

the next item heuristic, wherein the respective item in the set of items is a respective image in a set of images; and

a heuristic for determining that the one or more second finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying the respective image in the set of images to displaying a previous image in the set of images.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a finger swipe gesture that initially moves within a predetermined angle of being perfectly vertical with respect to the touch screen display corresponds to the one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein, in one heuristic of the one or more heuristics, a contact comprising a moving finger gesture that initially moves within a predefined range of angles corresponds to the two-dimensional screen translation command.