Device, method, and graphical user interface for manipulating soft keyboards

• US 8,648,823 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Koch, Jonathan, Victor, B. Michael, Cieplinski, Avi E., Missig, Julian
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sadio, Insa
• Application Number:
  US13/076,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20120113025A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345168-169, 345172-183, 178 1801- 1805, 178 1901- 1904, 715/773
• US Class Current: 345/173
• 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

A method includes, at an electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface: concurrently displaying a first text entry area and an unsplit keyboard on the display; detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface; and, in response to detecting the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface, replacing the unsplit keyboard with an integrated input area. The integrated input area includes a left portion with a left side of a split keyboard, a right portion with a right side of the split keyboard, and a center portion in between the left portion and the right portion.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a touch-sensitive surface;

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;

concurrently displaying on the display

an application content area with a first size, and

an input area with a keyboard,

the input area being adjacent to and separate from the application content area with the first size, the input area being at a bottom of the display;

detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

moving the input area upward on the display, away from the bottom of the display, such that the input area moves over the application content area; and

increasing the application content area to a second size larger than the first size.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first size of the application content area has a first height;

the second size of the application content area has a second height;

the input area has an input area height; and

the second height is greater than the first height by an amount equal to the input area height.

3. A method, comprising:

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

concurrently displaying on the display

an application content area with a first size, and an input area with a keyboard, the input area being adjacent to and separate from the application content area with the first size, the input area being at a bottom of the display;

detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

moving the input area upward on the display, away from the bottom of the display, such that the input area moves over the application content area; and

increasing the application content area to a second size larger than the first size.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the first size of the application content area has a first height;

the second size of the application content area has a second height;

the input area has an input area height; and

the second height is greater than the first height by an amount equal to the input area height.

5. A graphical user interface on an electronic device with a display, a touch-sensitive surface, a memory, and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, the graphical user interface comprising:

concurrently displayed;

an application content area with a first size, and

an input area with a keyboard, the input area being adjacent to and separate from

the application content area with the first size, the input area being at a bottom of the display;

wherein;

a gesture is detected on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

the input area is moved upward on the display, away from the bottom of the display, such that the input area moves over the application content area; and

the application content area is increased to a second size larger than the first size.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 5, wherein:

the first size of the application content area has a first height;

the second size of the application content area has a second height;

the input area has an input area height; and

the second height is greater than the first height by an amount equal to the input area height.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more

programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

concurrently display on the display

an application content area with a first size, and an input area with a keyboard, the input area being adjacent to and separate from the application content area with the first size, the input area being at a bottom of the display;

detect a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

in response to detecting the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

move the input area upward on the display, away from the bottom of the display, such that the input area moves over the application content area; and

increase the application content area to a second size larger than the first size.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein:

the first size of the application content area has a first height;

the second size of the application content area has a second height;

the input area has an input area height; and

the second height is greater than the first height by an amount equal to the input area height.