Device, method, and graphical user interface for transitioning between touch input to display output relationships

• US 9,778,771 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2015
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bernstein, Jeffrey Traer, Missig, Julian, Cieplinski, Avi E., Hart, David J., Victor, B. Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Sasinowski, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/608,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20150138155A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04104 Multi-touch detection in digitiser, i.e. details about the simultaneous detection of a plurality of touching locations, e.g. multiple fingers or pen and finger
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04105 Pressure sensors for measuring the pressure or force exerted on the touch surface without providing the touch position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• 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 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

An electronic device with a touch-sensitive surface, a display, and one or more sensors to detect intensity of contacts, detects a contact, determines a location and intensity of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface, and displays a response, the response being based at least in part on an input-output mapping of intensity to response at the contact location. The input-output mapping including a first input-output relationship between intensity and response over a first range of intensity values, a second input-output relationship between intensity and response over a second range of intensity values, and a transitional intensity value where the first range of intensity values meets or overlaps the second range of intensity values. At the transitional intensity value, the first input-output relationship has a first rate of change, the second input-output relationship has a second rate of change, and the first rate is substantially the same as the second rate.

Claims

1. 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, a touch-sensitive surface and one or more sensors to detect intensities of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

detect a contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

determine a location of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

determine an intensity of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

display a response in accordance with the detected contact, the response being based at least in part on an input-output mapping of intensity to response at the location of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface, the input-output mapping including, for a respective location on the touch-sensitive surface;

a first input-output relationship between intensity and response over a first range of intensity values, wherein the first input-output relationship is linear;

a second input-output relationship between intensity and response over a second range of intensity values, the second range of intensity values being different from the first range of intensity values, wherein the second input-output relationship is non-linear; and

a transitional intensity value where the first range of intensity values meets or overlaps the second range of intensity values, wherein, at the transitional intensity value;

the first input-output relationship has a first rate of change of response with change in intensity;

the second input-output relationship has a second rate of change of response with change in intensity; and

the first rate of change is substantially the same as the second rate of change.

2. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein, the second input-output relationship and the first input-output relationship have a same output at the transitional intensity value.

3. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the second input-output relationship asymptotically approaches a maximum output as intensity of the contact increases above the transitional intensity value.

4. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the response includes changing a current value of a property from a first value to a second value in a predefined range of values.

5. The computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the response includes adjusting one or more of:

volume, brightness, user interface object spacing, user interface object size, user interface object opacity, content scrubbing, and animation progress.

6. 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, a touch-sensitive surface and one or more sensors to detect intensities of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

detect a contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

determine a location of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

determine an intensity of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

display a response in accordance with the detected contact, the response being based at least in part on an input-output mapping of intensity to response at the location of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface, the input-output mapping including, for a respective location on the touch-sensitive surface;

a first input-output relationship between intensity and response over a first range of intensity values;

a second input-output relationship between intensity and response over a second range of intensity values, the second range of intensity values being different from the first range of intensity values; and

a transitional intensity value where the first range of intensity values meets or overlaps the second range of intensity values, wherein, at the transitional intensity value;

the first input-output relationship has a first rate of change of response with change in intensity;

the second input-output relationship has a second rate of change of response with change in intensity; and

the first rate of change is substantially the same as the second rate of change; and

display a user interface that includes a plurality of user interface objects, wherein;

the plurality of user interface objects respond to press inputs having intensity above corresponding activation intensity thresholds; and

a respective activation intensity threshold for two or more of the user interface objects is the same as the transitional intensity value.

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, a touch-sensitive surface and one or more sensors to detect intensities of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to:

detect a contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

determine a location of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

determine an intensity of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

display a response in accordance with the detected contact, the response being based at least in part on an input-output mapping of intensity to response at the location of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface, the input-output mapping including, for a respective location on the touch-sensitive surface;

a first input-output relationship between intensity and response over a first range of intensity values;

a second input-output relationship between intensity and response over a second range of intensity values, the second range of intensity values being different from the first range of intensity values; and

a transitional intensity value where the first range of intensity values meets or overlaps the second range of intensity values, wherein, at the transitional intensity value;

the first input-output relationship has a first rate of change of response with change in intensity;

the second input-output relationship has a second rate of change of response with change in intensity; and

the first rate of change is substantially the same as the second rate of change;

wherein;

a first property of the device varies at different locations on the touch-sensitive surface;

the first input-output relationship is the same at a first location and a second location on the touch-sensitive surface; and

the second input-output relationship is different at the first location than at the second location on the touch-sensitive surface.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a touch-sensitive surface;

one or more sensors to detect intensities of contacts with the 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;

detecting a contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

determining a location of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

determining an intensity of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

displaying a response in accordance with the detected contact, the response being based at least in part on an input-output mapping of intensity to response at the location of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface, the input-output mapping including, for a respective location on the touch-sensitive surface;

a first input-output relationship between intensity and response over a first range of intensity values, wherein the first input-output relationship is linear;

a second input-output relationship between intensity and response over a second range of intensity values, the second range of intensity values being different from the first range of intensity values, wherein the second input-output relationship is non-linear; and

a transitional intensity value where the first range of intensity values meets or overlaps the second range of intensity values, wherein, at the transitional intensity value;

the first input-output relationship has a first rate of change of response with change in intensity;

the second input-output relationship has a second rate of change of response with change in intensity; and

the first rate of change is substantially the same as the second rate of change.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein, the second input-output relationship and the first input-output relationship have a same output at the transitional intensity value.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the second input-output relationship asymptotically approaches a maximum output as intensity of the contact increases above the transitional intensity value.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the one or more programs include instructions for displaying a user interface that includes a plurality of user interface objects, wherein:

the plurality of user interface objects respond to press inputs having intensity above corresponding activation intensity thresholds; and

a respective activation intensity threshold for two or more of the user interface objects is the same as the transitional intensity value.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein:

a first property of the device varies at different locations on the touch-sensitive surface;

the first input-output relationship is the same at a first location and a second location on the touch-sensitive surface; and

the second input-output relationship is different at the first location than at the second location on the touch-sensitive surface.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the response includes changing a current value of a property from a first value to a second value in a predefined range of values.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the response includes adjusting one or more of:

volume, brightness, user interface object spacing, user interface object size, user interface object opacity, content scrubbing, and animation progress.

15. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive surface and a display, wherein the device includes one or more sensors to detect intensities of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface;

detecting a contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

determining a location of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface;

determining an intensity of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and

displaying a response in accordance with the detected contact, the response being based at least in part on an input-output mapping of intensity to response at the location of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface, the input-output mapping including, for a respective location on the touch-sensitive surface;

a first input-output relationship between intensity and response over a first range of intensity values, wherein the first input-output relationship is linear;

a second input-output relationship between intensity and response over a second range of intensity values, the second range of intensity values being different from the first range of intensity values, wherein the second input-output relationship is non-linear; and

a transitional intensity value where the first range of intensity values meets or overlaps the second range of intensity values, wherein, at the transitional intensity value;

the first input-output relationship has a first rate of change of response with change in intensity;

the second input-output relationship has a second rate of change of response with change in intensity; and

the first rate of change is substantially the same as the second rate of change.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, the second input-output relationship and the first input-output relationship have a same output at the transitional intensity value.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second input-output relationship asymptotically approaches a maximum output as intensity of the contact increases above the transitional intensity value.

18. The method of claim 15, including displaying a user interface that includes a plurality of user interface objects, wherein:

the plurality of user interface objects respond to press inputs having intensity above corresponding activation intensity thresholds; and

a respective activation intensity threshold for two or more of the user interface objects is the same as the transitional intensity value.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein:

a first property of the device varies at different locations on the touch-sensitive surface;

the first input-output relationship is the same at a first location and a second location on the touch-sensitive surface; and

the second input-output relationship is different at the first location than at the second location on the touch-sensitive surface.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the response includes changing a current value of a property from a first value to a second value in a predefined range of values.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the response includes adjusting one or more of:

volume, brightness, user interface object spacing, user interface object size, user interface object opacity, content scrubbing, and animation progress.