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

• US 8,754,860 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• 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:
  US13/076,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20120117505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 345/156, 345/167, 345/168, 345173-183, 178 1801- 1805, 178 1901- 1904, 178/20.01, 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;

displaying an unsplit keyboard;

replacing display of the unsplit keyboard with display of an integrated input area in response to detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

concurrently displaying a first text entry area and the integrated input area, the integrated input area including;

a left portion with a left side of a split keyboard;

a right portion with a right side of the split keyboard, wherein the left side of the split keyboard and the right side of the split keyboard maintain fixed positions relative to each other within the integrated input area during movement of the integrated input area; and

a center portion with a second text entry area, the center portion in between the left portion and the right portion;

detecting a gesture at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of a character key in the split keyboard; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture at the location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the location of the character key in the split keyboard, inputting and concurrently displaying the corresponding character in the first text entry area and the second text entry area on the display.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the width of the integrated input area is the same as the width of the display.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the second text entry area includes an insertion point that remains stationary on the display as text is entered.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second text entry area includes an insertion point, the device including instructions for:

detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the insertion point in the second text entry area; and

,

moving the insertion point in the second text entry area in accordance with the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at the location that corresponds to the insertion point in the second text entry area.

5. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

detecting a plurality of gestures on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the center portion of the integrated input area; and

,

entering in the first text entry area and the second text entry area a character that corresponds to the plurality of gestures.

6. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

detecting a plurality of gestures on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the center portion of the integrated input area; and

,

making a drawing in accordance with the plurality of gestures.

7. The device of claim 1, including instructions for:

detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the second text entry area; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at the location that corresponds to the second text entry area, selecting a range of text.

8. A method, comprising:

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

displaying an unsplit keyboard;

replacing display of the unsplit keyboard with display of an integrated input area in response to detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

concurrently displaying a first text entry area and the integrated input area, the integrated input area including;

a left portion with a left side of a split keyboard;

a right portion with a right side of the split keyboard, wherein the left side of the split keyboard and the right side of the split keyboard maintain fixed positions relative to each other within the integrated input area during movement of the integrated input area; and

a center portion with a second text entry area, the center portion in between the left portion and the right portion;

detecting a gesture at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of a character key in the split keyboard; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture at the location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the location of the character key in the split keyboard, inputting and concurrently displaying the corresponding character in the first text entry area and the second text entry area on the display.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the width of the integrated input area is the same as the width of the display.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second text entry area includes an insertion point that remains stationary on the display as text is entered.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the second text entry area includes an insertion point, the method including:

detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the insertion point in the second text entry area; and

,

moving the insertion point in the second text entry area in accordance with the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at the location that corresponds to the insertion point in the second text entry area.

12. The method of claim 8, including:

detecting a plurality of gestures on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the center portion of the integrated input area; and

,

entering in the first text entry area and the second text entry area a character that corresponds to the plurality of gestures.

13. The method of claim 8, including:

detecting a plurality of gestures on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the center portion of the integrated input area; and

,

making a drawing in accordance with the plurality of gestures.

14. The method of claim 8, including:

detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the second text entry area; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at the location that corresponds to the second text entry area, selecting a range of text.

15. 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:

display an unsplit keyboard;

replace display of the unsplit keyboard with display of an integrated input area in response to detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface;

concurrently display a first text entry area and the integrated input area, the integrated input area including;

a left portion with a left side of a split keyboard;

a right portion with a right side of the split keyboard, wherein the left side of the split keyboard and the right side of the split keyboard maintain fixed positions relative to each other within the integrated input area during movement of the integrated input area; and

a center portion with a second text entry area, the center portion in between the left portion and the right portion;

detect a gesture at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of a character key in the split keyboard; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture at the location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the location of the character key in the split keyboard, input and concurrently display the corresponding character in the first text entry area and the second text entry area on the display.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the width of the integrated input area is the same as the width of the display.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second text entry area includes an insertion point that remains stationary on the display as text is entered.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the second text entry area includes an insertion point, the computer readable storage medium including instructions, which when executed by the electronic device with the display and the touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

detect a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the insertion point in the second text entry area; and

,

move the insertion point in the second text entry area in accordance with the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at the location that corresponds to the insertion point in the second text entry area.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, including instructions, which when executed by the electronic device with the display and the touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

detect a plurality of gestures on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the center portion of the integrated input area; and

,

enter in the first text entry area and the second text entry area a character that corresponds to the plurality of gestures.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, including instructions, which when executed by the electronic device with the display and the touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

detect a plurality of gestures on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the center portion of the integrated input area; and

,

make a drawing in accordance with the plurality of gestures.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, including instructions, which when executed by the electronic device with the display and the touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

detect a gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at a location that corresponds to the second text entry area; and

,

in response to detecting the gesture on the touch-sensitive surface at the location that corresponds to the second text entry area, select a range of text.