Device, method, and graphical user interface for accessing alternate keys

• US 8,806,362 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2010
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ording, Bas, Kocienda, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chung, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US12/790,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20110163973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 345/168, 715/773
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• 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

A method at a multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display includes: displaying a text entry region and a soft keyboard with default keys; detecting a contact at a first location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to an activation region associated with a respective default key, and detecting an immediate subsequent movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive display; in response to detecting the immediate subsequent movement, displaying an array of keys including alternate keys for the respective default key; detecting liftoff of the contact at a second location on the touch-sensitive display; and, in response to detecting the liftoff: when the second location corresponds to an activation region associated with a respective alternate key, ceasing to display the array and inserting a character associated with the respective alternate key into the text entry region.

Claims

1. A multifunction device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive 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 text entry region and a soft keyboard having a plurality of default keys;

detecting an initial touchdown of a contact at a first location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to an activation region associated with a respective default key, wherein the respective default key has a plurality of alternate keys;

detecting an immediate subsequent movement of the contact from the first location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to an activation region associated with a respective default key on the touch-sensitive display, wherein detecting the immediate subsequent movement of the contact includes;

detecting movement of the contact from the first location;

determining a period of time between detecting the initial touchdown of the contact at the first location and detecting movement of the contact from the first location; and

determining whether the period of time between detecting the initial touchdown of the contact at the first location and detecting movement of the contact from the first location is within a predefined period of time;

in response to detecting the immediate subsequent movement of the contact, while continuing to display the plurality of default keys of the soft keyboard, displaying an array of keys including the plurality of alternate keys for the respective default key, each key in the array having an associated activation region;

detecting liftoff of the contact at a second location on the touch-sensitive display; and

,

in response to detecting the liftoff of the contact;

when the second location corresponds to an activation region that is associated with a respective alternate key in the array, ceasing to display the array and inserting a character associated with the respective alternate key into the text entry region; and

when the second location corresponds to a region of the touch-sensitive display that is not an activation region for any of the keys in the array, ceasing to display the array without inserting any character into the text entry region.

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

detecting a contact at a location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to an activation region associated with a respective default key, and detecting an immediate subsequent downward movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting the immediate subsequent downward movement of the contact, hiding the soft keyboard.

3. The device of claim 1, including instructions for displaying the plurality of alternate keys in an order that is determined based at least in part on a language associated with the soft keyboard.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the order is determined based at least in further part on respective usage frequencies of the plurality of alternate keys.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the array is a horizontal array.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the detected immediate subsequent movement is an upward movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive display.

7. A method, comprising:

at a multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display;

displaying a text entry region and a soft keyboard having a plurality of default keys;

detecting an initial touchdown of a contact at a first location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to an activation region associated with a respective default key, wherein the respective default key has a plurality of alternate keys;

detecting an immediate subsequent movement of the contact from the first location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to an activation region associated with a respective default key on the touch-sensitive display, wherein detecting the immediate subsequent movement of the contact includes;

detecting movement of the contact from the first location;

determining a period of time between detecting the initial touchdown of the contact at the first location and detecting movement of the contact from the first location; and

determining whether the period of time between detecting the initial touchdown of the contact at the first location and detecting movement of the contact from the first location is within a predefined period of time;

in response to detecting the immediate subsequent movement of the contact, while continuing to display the plurality of default keys of the soft keyboard, displaying an array of keys including the plurality of alternate keys for the respective default key, each key in the array having an associated activation region;

detecting liftoff of the contact at a second location on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting the liftoff of the contact;

when the second location corresponds to an activation region that is associated with a respective alternate key in the array, ceasing to display the array and inserting a character associated with the respective alternate key into the text entry region; and

when the second location corresponds to a region of the touch-sensitive display that is not an activation region for any of the keys in the array, ceasing to display the array without inserting any character into the text entry region.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

detecting a contact at a location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to an activation region associated with a respective default key, and detecting an immediate subsequent downward movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting the immediate subsequent downward movement of the contact, hiding the soft keyboard.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying the array of keys including the plurality of alternate keys for the respective default key comprises:

displaying the plurality of alternate keys in an order that is determined based at least in part on a language associated with the soft keyboard.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the order is determined based at least in further part on respective usage frequencies of the plurality of alternate keys.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the array is a horizontal array.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the detected immediate subsequent movement is an upward movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive display.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display, cause the device to:

display a text entry region and a soft keyboard having a plurality of default keys;

detect an initial touchdown of a contact at a first location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to an activation region associated with a respective default key, wherein the respective default key has a plurality of alternate keys;

detect an immediate subsequent movement of the contact from the first location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to an activation region associated with a respective default key on the touch-sensitive display, wherein detecting the immediate subsequent movement of the contact includes;

detect movement of the contact from the first location;

determine a period of time between detecting the initial touchdown of the contact at the first location and detecting movement of the contact from the first location; and

determine whether the period of time between detecting the initial touchdown of the contact at the first location and detecting movement of the contact from the first location is within a predefined period of time;

in response to detecting the immediate subsequent movement of the contact, while continuing to display the plurality of default keys of the soft keyboard, display an array of keys including the plurality of alternate keys for the respective default key, each key in the array having an associated activation region;

detect liftoff of the contact at a second location on the touch-sensitive display; and

,

in response to detecting the liftoff of the contact;

when the second location corresponds to an activation region that is associated with a respective alternate key in the array, cease displaying the array and insert a character associated with the respective alternate key into the text entry region; and

when the second location corresponds to a region of the touch-sensitive display that is not an activation region for any of the keys in the array, cease displaying the array without inserting any character into the text entry region.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, including instructions that cause the device to:

detect a contact at a location on the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to an activation region associated with a respective default key, and detect an immediate subsequent downward movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting the immediate subsequent downward movement of the contact, hide the soft keyboard.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, including instructions that cause the device to display the plurality of alternate keys in an order that is determined based at least in part on a language associated with the soft keyboard.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the order is determined based at least in further part on respective usage frequencies of the plurality of alternate keys.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the array is a horizontal array.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the detected immediate subsequent movement is an upward movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive display.