Patent Application
20110074694
The disclosed embodiments relate generally to electronic devices with touch-sensitive surfaces, and more particularly, to electronic devices and methods for reducing jitter associated with user contacts on touch-sensitive surfaces.
The use of touch-sensitive surfaces as input devices for computers and other electronic computing devices has increased significantly in recent years. Exemplary touch-sensitive surfaces include touch pads and touch screen displays. Such surfaces are widely used to manipulate user interface objects on a display.
However, jitter associated with user contacts on touch-sensitive surfaces prevent a user from easily placing and/or adjusting moveable user interface objects. Jitter occurs when a user who is manipulating a moveable user interface object pauses a finger contact on a touch-sensitive surface, or lifts a finger contact off of the touch-sensitive surface. As the user pauses or lifts off the finger contact, an unintentional finger contact motion may be registered on the touch-sensitive surface. This motion inadvertently moves the moveable user interface object to a location slightly off from the desired location. In fact, in many touch-sensitive surface input-based systems, exact placement or adjustment of moveable user interface objects can be impossible for users with limited dexterity, and simply frustrating for more adept users.
Accordingly, a method of reducing jitter when a user is placing and/or adjusting moveable user interface objects is needed so that users avoid the tedious and significant cognitive burden associated with accurately placing moveable objects. Such methods and interfaces reduce the cognitive burden on a user and produce a more efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated computing devices, such methods and interfaces conserve power and increase the time between battery charges.
The above deficiencies and other problems associated with user interfaces for computing devices with touch-sensitive surfaces are reduced or eliminated by the disclosed devices. In some embodiments, the device is a desktop computer. In some embodiments, the device is portable (e.g., a notebook computer, tablet computer, or handheld device). In some embodiments, the device has a touchpad. In some embodiments, the device has a touch-sensitive display (also known as a “touch screen” or “touch screen display”). In some embodiments, the device has a graphical user interface (GUI), one or more processors, memory and one or more modules, programs or sets of instructions stored in the memory for performing multiple functions. In some embodiments, the user interacts with the GUI primarily through finger contacts and gestures on the touch-sensitive surface. In some embodiments, the functions may include image editing, drawing, presenting, word processing, website creating, disk authoring, spreadsheet making, game playing, telephoning, video conferencing, e-mailing, instant messaging, workout support, digital photographing, digital videoing, web browsing, digital music playing, and/or digital video playing. Executable instructions for performing these functions may be included in a computer readable storage medium or other computer program product configured for execution by one or more processors.
In accordance with some embodiments, a method is performed at a multifunction device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface. The method includes: displaying a user interface that includes a moveable object at a first location on the display; detecting a finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the first location of the moveable object on the display; creating an event log entry that corresponds to the finger contact in an event log comprising event log entries, wherein respective event log entries include contact location data and contact time data; detecting a first movement of the finger contact across the touch-sensitive surface; creating one or more event log entries that correspond to the first movement of the finger contact; and, in response to detecting the first movement of the finger contact: when the first movement is less than a first predefined distance threshold, maintaining display of the moveable object at the first location; and, when the first movement is greater than or equal to the first predefined distance threshold: delaying movement of the moveable object from the first location until a second movement of the finger contact after the first movement of the finger contact movement is detected, creating one or more event log entries that correspond to the second movement of the finger contact, and, after detecting the second movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface, moving the moveable object on the display in accordance with the movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface.
In accordance with some embodiments, a multifunction device includes a display, a touch-sensitive surface, one or more processors, memory, and one or more programs. 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 include instructions for: displaying a user interface that includes a moveable object at a first location on the display; detecting a finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the first location of the moveable object on the display; creating an event log entry that corresponds to the finger contact in an event log comprising event log entries, wherein respective event log entries include contact location data and contact time data; detecting a first movement of the finger contact across the touch-sensitive surface; creating one or more event log entries that correspond to the first movement of the finger contact; and, in response to detecting the first movement of the finger contact: when the first movement is less than a first predefined distance threshold, maintaining display of the moveable object at the first location; and, when the first movement is greater than the first predefined distance threshold: delaying movement of the moveable object from the first location until a second movement of the finger contact after the first movement of the finger contact movement is detected, creating one or more event log entries that correspond to the second movement of the finger contact, and, after detecting the second movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface, moving the moveable object on the display in accordance with the movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface.
In accordance with some embodiments, a computer readable storage medium has stored therein instructions which when executed by a multifunction device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface, cause the device to: display a user interface that includes a moveable object at a first location on the display; detect a finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the first location of the moveable object on the display; create an event log entry that corresponds to the finger contact in an event log comprising event log entries, wherein respective event log entries include contact location data and contact time data; detect a first movement of the finger contact across the touch-sensitive surface; create one or more event log entries that correspond to the first movement of the finger contact; and, in response to detecting the first movement of the finger contact: when the first movement is less than a first predefined distance threshold, maintain display of the moveable object at the first location; and, when the first movement is greater than the first predefined distance threshold: delay movement of the moveable object from the first location until a second movement of the finger contact after the first movement of the finger contact movement is detected, create one or more event log entries that correspond to the second movement of the finger contact, and, after detecting the second movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface, move the moveable object on the display in accordance with the movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface.
In accordance with some embodiments, a multifunction device includes: a display; a touch-sensitive surface; means for displaying a user interface that includes a moveable object at a first location on the display; means for detecting a finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the first location of the moveable object on the display; means for creating an event log entry that corresponds to the finger contact in an event log comprising event log entries, wherein respective event log entries include contact location data and contact time data; means for detecting a first movement of the finger contact across the touch-sensitive surface; means for creating one or more event log entries that correspond to the first movement of the finger contact; and, in response to detecting the first movement of the finger contact: when the first movement is less than a first predefined distance threshold, means for maintaining display of the moveable object at the first location; and, when the first movement is greater than the first predefined distance threshold: means for delaying movement of the moveable object from the first location until a second movement of the finger contact after the first movement of the finger contact movement is detected, means for creating one or more event log entries that correspond to the second movement of the finger contact, and, after detecting the second movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface, means for moving the moveable object on the display in accordance with the movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface.
In accordance with some embodiments, an information processing apparatus for use in a multifunction device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface includes: means for displaying a user interface that includes a moveable object at a first location on the display; means for detecting a finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the first location of the moveable object on the display; means for creating an event log entry that corresponds to the finger contact in an event log comprising event log entries, wherein respective event log entries include contact location data and contact time data; means for detecting a first movement of the finger contact across the touch-sensitive surface; means for creating one or more event log entries that correspond to the first movement of the finger contact; and, in response to detecting the first movement of the finger contact: when the first movement is less than a first predefined distance threshold, means for maintaining display of the moveable object at the first location; and, when the first movement is greater than the first predefined distance threshold: means for delaying movement of the moveable object from the first location until a second movement of the finger contact after the first movement of the finger contact movement is detected, means for creating one or more event log entries that correspond to the second movement of the finger contact, and, after detecting the second movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface, means for moving the moveable object on the display in accordance with the movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface.
Thus, multifunction devices with displays and touch-sensitive surfaces are provided with faster, more efficient methods and interfaces for reducing jitter associated with user contacts on touch-sensitive surfaces, thereby increasing the effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction with such devices. Such methods and interfaces may complement or replace conventional methods for reducing jitter associated with user contacts on touch-sensitive surfaces.
For a better understanding of the aforementioned embodiments of the invention as well as additional embodiments thereof, reference should be made to the Description of Embodiments below, in conjunction with the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the figures.
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.
It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first contact could be termed a second contact, and, similarly, a second contact could be termed a first contact, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The first contact and the second contact are both contacts, but they are not the same contact.
The terminology used in the description of the invention herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used in the description of the invention and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
As used herein, the term “if” may be construed to mean “when” or “upon” or “in response to determining” or “in response to detecting,” depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined” or “if [a stated condition or event] is detected” may be construed to mean “upon determining” or “in response to determining” or “upon detecting [the stated condition or event]” or “in response to detecting [the stated condition or event],” depending on the context.
Embodiments of computing devices, user interfaces for such devices, and associated processes for using such devices are described. In some embodiments, the computing device is a portable communications device such as a mobile telephone that also contains other functions, such as PDA and/or music player functions. Exemplary embodiments of portable multifunction devices include, without limitation, the iPhone® and iPod Touch® devices from Apple, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Other portable devices such as laptops or tablet computers with touch-sensitive surfaces (e.g., touch screen displays and/or touch pads) may also be used. It should also be understood that, in some embodiments, the device is not a portable communications device, but is a desktop computer with a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., a touch screen display and/or a touch pad).
In the discussion that follows, a computing device that includes a display and a touch-sensitive surface is described. It should be understood, however, that the computing device may include one or more other physical user-interface devices, such as a physical keyboard, a mouse and/or a joystick.
The device supports a variety of applications, such as one or more of the following: a drawing application, a presentation application, a word processing application, a website creation application, a disk authoring application, a spreadsheet application, a gaming application, a telephone application, a video conferencing application, an e-mail application, an instant messaging application, a workout support application, a photo management application, a digital camera application, a digital video camera application, a web browsing application, a digital music player application, and/or a digital video player application.
The various applications that may be executed on the device may use at least one common physical user-interface device, such as the touch-sensitive surface. One or more functions of the touch-sensitive surface as well as corresponding information displayed on the device may be adjusted and/or varied from one application to the next and/or within a respective application. In this way, a common physical architecture (such as the touch-sensitive surface) of the device may support the variety of applications with user interfaces that are intuitive and transparent.
The user interfaces may include one or more soft keyboard embodiments. The soft keyboard embodiments may include standard (QWERTY) and/or non-standard configurations of symbols on the displayed icons of the keyboard, such as those described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/459,606, “Keyboards For Portable Electronic Devices,” filed Jul. 24, 2006, and Ser. No. 11/459,615, “Touch Screen Keyboards For Portable Electronic Devices,” filed Jul. 24, 2006, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The keyboard embodiments may include a reduced number of icons (or soft keys) relative to the number of keys in existing physical keyboards, such as that for a typewriter. This may make it easier for users to select one or more icons in the keyboard, and thus, one or more corresponding symbols. The keyboard embodiments may be adaptive. For example, displayed icons may be modified in accordance with user actions, such as selecting one or more icons and/or one or more corresponding symbols. One or more applications on the device may utilize common and/or different keyboard embodiments. Thus, the keyboard embodiment used may be tailored to at least some of the applications. In some embodiments, one or more keyboard embodiments may be tailored to a respective user. For example, one or more keyboard embodiments may be tailored to a respective user based on a word usage history (lexicography, slang, individual usage) of the respective user. Some of the keyboard embodiments may be adjusted to reduce a probability of a user error when selecting one or more icons, and thus one or more symbols, when using the soft keyboard embodiments.
Attention is now directed towards embodiments of portable devices with touch-sensitive displays.
It should be appreciated that the device 100 is only one example of a portable multifunction device 100, and that the device 100 may have more or fewer components than shown, may combine two or more components, or a may have a different configuration or arrangement of the components. The various components shown in
Memory 102 may include high-speed random access memory and may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid-state memory devices. Access to memory 102 by other components of the device 100, such as the CPU 120 and the peripherals interface 118, may be controlled by the memory controller 122.
The peripherals interface 118 couples the input and output peripherals of the device to the CPU 120 and memory 102. The one or more processors 120 run or execute various software programs and/or sets of instructions stored in memory 102 to perform various functions for the device 100 and to process data.
In some embodiments, the peripherals interface 118, the CPU 120, and the memory controller 122 may be implemented on a single chip, such as a chip 104. In some other embodiments, they may be implemented on separate chips.
The RF (radio frequency) circuitry 108 receives and sends RF signals, also called electromagnetic signals. The RF circuitry 108 converts electrical signals to/from electromagnetic signals and communicates with communications networks and other communications devices via the electromagnetic signals. The RF circuitry 108 may include well-known circuitry for performing these functions, including but not limited to an antenna system, an RF transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a CODEC chipset, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory, and so forth. The RF circuitry 108 may communicate with networks, such as the Internet, also referred to as the World Wide Web (WWW), an intranet and/or a wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network, a wireless local area network (LAN) and/or a metropolitan area network (MAN), and other devices by wireless communication. The wireless communication may use any of a plurality of communications standards, protocols and technologies, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and/or IEEE 802.11n), voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, a protocol for email (e.g., Internet message access protocol (IMAP) and/or post office protocol (POP)), instant messaging (e.g., extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP), Session Initiation Protocol for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE), Instant Messaging and Presence Service (IMPS)), and/or Short Message Service (SMS), or any other suitable communication protocol, including communication protocols not yet developed as of the filing date of this document.
The audio circuitry 110, the speaker 111, and the microphone 113 provide an audio interface between a user and the device 100. The audio circuitry 110 receives audio data from the peripherals interface 118, converts the audio data to an electrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to the speaker 111. The speaker 111 converts the electrical signal to human-audible sound waves. The audio circuitry 110 also receives electrical signals converted by the microphone 113 from sound waves. The audio circuitry 110 converts the electrical signal to audio data and transmits the audio data to the peripherals interface 118 for processing. Audio data may be retrieved from and/or transmitted to memory 102 and/or the RF circuitry 108 by the peripherals interface 118. In some embodiments, the audio circuitry 110 also includes a headset jack (e.g. 212,
The I/O subsystem 106 couples input/output peripherals on the device 100, such as the touch screen 112 and other input/control devices 116, to the peripherals interface 118. The I/O subsystem 106 may include a display controller 156 and one or more input controllers 160 for other input or control devices. The one or more input controllers 160 receive/send electrical signals from/to other input or control devices 116. The other input/control devices 116 may include physical buttons (e.g., push buttons, rocker buttons, etc.), dials, slider switches, joysticks, click wheels, and so forth. In some alternate embodiments, input controller(s) 160 may be coupled to any (or none) of the following: a keyboard, infrared port, USB port, and a pointer device such as a mouse. The one or more buttons (e.g., 208,
The touch-sensitive touch screen 112 provides an input interface and an output interface between the device and a user. The display controller 156 receives and/or sends electrical signals from/to the touch screen 112. The touch screen 112 displays visual output to the user. The visual output may include graphics, text, icons, video, and any combination thereof (collectively termed “graphics”). In some embodiments, some or all of the visual output may correspond to user-interface objects.
A touch screen 112 has a touch-sensitive surface, sensor or set of sensors that accepts input from the user based on haptic and/or tactile contact. The touch screen 112 and the display controller 156 (along with any associated modules and/or sets of instructions in memory 102) detect contact (and any movement or breaking of the contact) on the touch screen 112 and converts the detected contact into interaction with user-interface objects (e.g., one or more soft keys, icons, web pages or images) that are displayed on the touch screen. In an exemplary embodiment, a point of contact between a touch screen 112 and the user corresponds to a finger of the user.
The touch screen 112 may use LCD (liquid crystal display) technology, or LPD (light emitting polymer display) technology, although other display technologies may be used in other embodiments. The touch screen 112 and the display controller 156 may detect contact and any movement or breaking thereof using any of a plurality of touch sensing technologies now known or later developed, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximity sensor arrays or other elements for determining one or more points of contact with a touch screen 112. In an exemplary embodiment, projected mutual capacitance sensing technology is used, such as that found in the iPhone® and iPod Touch® from Apple, Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.
A touch-sensitive display in some embodiments of the touch screen 112 may be analogous to the multi-touch sensitive touchpads described in the following U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,846 (Westerman et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,570,557 (Westerman et al.), and/or U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,932 (Westerman), and/or U.S. Patent Publication 2002/0015024A1, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. However, a touch screen 112 displays visual output from the portable device 100, whereas touch sensitive touchpads do not provide visual output.
A touch-sensitive display in some embodiments of the touch screen 112 may be as described in the following applications: (1) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/381,313, “Multipoint Touch Surface Controller,” filed May 2, 2006; (2) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/840,862, “Multipoint Touchscreen,” filed May 6, 2004; (3) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/903,964, “Gestures For Touch Sensitive Input Devices,” filed Jul. 30, 2004; (4) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/048,264, “Gestures For Touch Sensitive Input Devices,” filed Jan. 31, 2005; (5) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/038,590, “Mode-Based Graphical User Interfaces For Touch Sensitive Input Devices,” filed Jan. 18, 2005; (6) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/228,758, “Virtual Input Device Placement On A Touch Screen User Interface,” filed Sep. 16, 2005; (7) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/228,700, “Operation Of A Computer With A Touch Screen Interface,” filed Sep. 16, 2005; (8) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/228,737, “Activating Virtual Keys Of A Touch-Screen Virtual Keyboard,” filed Sep. 16, 2005; and (9) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/367,749, “Multi-Functional Hand-Held Device,” filed Mar. 3, 2006. All of these applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
The touch screen 112 may have a resolution in excess of 100 dpi. In an exemplary embodiment, the touch screen has a resolution of approximately 160 dpi. The user may make contact with the touch screen 112 using any suitable object or appendage, such as a stylus, a finger, and so forth. In some embodiments, the user interface is designed to work primarily with finger-based contacts and gestures, which are much less precise than stylus-based input due to the larger area of contact of a finger on the touch screen. In some embodiments, the device translates the rough finger-based input into a precise pointer/cursor position or command for performing the actions desired by the user.
In some embodiments, in addition to the touch screen, the device 100 may include a touchpad (not shown) for activating or deactivating particular functions. In some embodiments, the touchpad is a touch-sensitive area of the device that, unlike the touch screen, does not display visual output. The touchpad may be a touch-sensitive surface that is separate from the touch screen 112 or an extension of the touch-sensitive surface formed by the touch screen.
In some embodiments, the device 100 may include a physical or virtual click wheel as an input control device 116. A user may navigate among and interact with one or more graphical objects (e.g., icons) displayed in the touch screen 112 by rotating the click wheel or by moving a point of contact with the click wheel (e.g., where the amount of movement of the point of contact is measured by its angular displacement with respect to a center point of the click wheel). The click wheel may also be used to select one or more of the displayed icons. For example, the user may press down on at least a portion of the click wheel or an associated button. User commands and navigation commands provided by the user via the click wheel may be processed by an input controller 160 as well as one or more of the modules and/or sets of instructions in memory 102. For a virtual click wheel, the click wheel and click wheel controller may be part of the touch screen 112 and the display controller 156, respectively. For a virtual click wheel, the click wheel may be either an opaque or semitransparent object that appears and disappears on the touch screen display in response to user interaction with the device. In some embodiments, a virtual click wheel is displayed on the touch screen of a portable multifunction device and operated by user contact with the touch screen.
The device 100 also includes a power system 162 for powering the various components. The power system 162 may include a power management system, one or more power sources (e.g., battery, alternating current (AC)), a recharging system, a power failure detection circuit, a power converter or inverter, a power status indicator (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED)) and any other components associated with the generation, management and distribution of power in portable devices.
The device 100 may also include one or more optical sensors 164.
The device 100 may also include one or more proximity sensors 166.
The device 100 may also include one or more accelerometers 168.
In some embodiments, the software components stored in memory 102 may include an operating system 126, a communication module (or set of instructions) 128, a contact/motion module (or set of instructions) 130, a graphics module (or set of instructions) 132, a text input module (or set of instructions) 134, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module (or set of instructions) 135, and applications (or set of instructions) 136.
The operating system 126 (e.g., Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks) includes various software components and/or drivers for controlling and managing general system tasks (e.g., memory management, storage device control, power management, etc.) and facilitates communication between various hardware and software components.
The communication module 128 facilitates communication with other devices over one or more external ports 124 and also includes various software components for handling data received by the RF circuitry 108 and/or the external port 124. The external port 124 (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), FIREWIRE, etc.) is adapted for coupling directly to other devices or indirectly over a network (e.g., the Internet, wireless LAN, etc.). In some embodiments, the external port is a multi-pin (e.g., 30-pin) connector that is the same as, or similar to and/or compatible with the 30-pin connector used on iPod (trademark of Apple, Inc.) devices.
The contact/motion module 130 may detect contact with the touch screen 112 (in conjunction with the display controller 156) and other touch sensitive devices (e.g., a touchpad or physical click wheel). The contact/motion module 130 includes various software components for performing various operations related to detection of contact, such as determining if contact has occurred (e.g., detecting a finger-down event), determining if there is movement of the contact and tracking the movement across the touch-sensitive surface (e.g., detecting one or more finger-dragging events), and determining if the contact has ceased (e.g., detecting a finger-up event or a break in contact). The contact/motion module 130 receives contact data from the touch-sensitive surface. Determining movement of the point of contact, which is represented by a series of contact data, may include determining speed (magnitude), velocity (magnitude and direction), and/or an acceleration (a change in magnitude and/or direction) of the point of contact. These operations may be applied to single contacts (e.g., one finger contacts) or to multiple simultaneous contacts (e.g., “multitouch”/multiple finger contacts). In some embodiments, the contact/motion module 130 and the display controller 156 detects contact on a touchpad. In some embodiments, the contact/motion module 130 and the controller 160 detects contact on a click wheel.
The contact/motion module 130 may detect a gesture input by a user. Different gestures on the touch-sensitive surface have different contact patterns. Thus, a gesture may be detected by detecting a particular contact pattern. For example, detecting a finger tap gesture includes detecting a finger-down event followed by detecting a finger-up event at the same position (or substantially the same position) as the finger-down event (e.g., at the position of an icon). As another example, detecting a finger swipe gesture on the touch-sensitive surface includes detecting a finger-down event followed by detecting one or more finger-dragging events, and subsequently followed by detecting a finger-up event.
The graphics module 132 includes various known software components for rendering and displaying graphics on the touch screen 112 or other display, including components for changing the intensity of graphics that are displayed. As used herein, the term “graphics” includes any object that can be displayed to a user, including without limitation text, web pages, icons (such as user-interface objects including soft keys), digital images, videos, animations and the like.
In some embodiments, the graphics module 132 stores data representing graphics to be used. Each graphic may be assigned a corresponding code. The graphics module 132 receives, from applications etc., one or more codes specifying graphics to be displayed along with, if necessary, coordinate data and other graphic property data, and then generates screen image data to output to display controller 156.
The text input module 134, which may be a component of graphics module 132, provides soft keyboards for entering text in various applications (e.g., contacts 137, e-mail 140, IM 141, browser 147, and any other application that needs text input).
The GPS module 135 determines the location of the device and provides this information for use in various applications (e.g., to telephone 138 for use in location-based dialing, to camera 143 as picture/video metadata, and to applications that provide location-based services such as weather widgets, local yellow page widgets, and map/navigation widgets).
The applications 136 may include the following modules (or sets of instructions), or a subset or superset thereof:
Examples of other applications 136 that may be stored in memory 102 include other word processing applications, other image editing applications, drawing applications, presentation applications, JAVA-enabled applications, encryption, digital rights management, voice recognition, and voice replication.
In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, the contacts module 137 may be used to manage an address book or contact list, including: adding name(s) to the address book; deleting name(s) from the address book; associating telephone number(s), e-mail address(es), physical address(es) or other information with a name; associating an image with a name; categorizing and sorting names; providing telephone numbers or e-mail addresses to initiate and/or facilitate communications by telephone 138, video conference 139, e-mail 140, or IM 141; and so forth.
In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110, speaker 111, microphone 113, touch screen 112, display controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, the telephone module 138 may be used to enter a sequence of characters corresponding to a telephone number, access one or more telephone numbers in the address book 137, modify a telephone number that has been entered, dial a respective telephone number, conduct a conversation and disconnect or hang up when the conversation is completed. As noted above, the wireless communication may use any of a plurality of communications standards, protocols and technologies.
In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110, speaker 111, microphone 113, touch screen 112, display controller 156, optical sensor 164, optical sensor controller 158, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text input module 134, contacts list 137, and telephone module 138, the videoconferencing module 139 may be used to initiate, conduct, and terminate a video conference between a user and one or more other participants.
In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, the e-mail client module 140 may be used to create, send, receive, and manage e-mail. In conjunction with image management module 144, the e-mail module 140 makes it very easy to create and send e-mails with still or video images taken with camera module 143.
In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, the instant messaging module 141 may be used to enter a sequence of characters corresponding to an instant message, to modify previously entered characters, to transmit a respective instant message (for example, using a Short Message Service (SMS) or Multimedia Message Service (MMS) protocol for telephony-based instant messages or using XMPP, SIMPLE, or IMPS for Internet-based instant messages), to receive instant messages and to view received instant messages. In some embodiments, transmitted and/or received instant messages may include graphics, photos, audio files, video files and/or other attachments as are supported in a MMS and/or an Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS). As used herein, “instant messaging” refers to both telephony-based messages (e.g., messages sent using SMS or MMS) and Internet-based messages (e.g., messages sent using XMPP, SIMPLE, or IMPS).
In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text input module 134, GPS module 135, map module 154, and music player module 146, the workout support module 142 may be used to create workouts (e.g., with time, distance, and/or calorie burning goals); communicate with workout sensors (sports devices); receive workout sensor data; calibrate sensors used to monitor a workout; select and play music for a workout; and display, store and transmit workout data.
In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156, optical sensor(s) 164, optical sensor controller 158, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and image management module 144, the camera module 143 may be used to capture still images or video (including a video stream) and store them into memory 102, modify characteristics of a still image or video, or delete a still image or video from memory 102.
In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text input module 134, and camera module 143, the image management module 144 may be used to arrange, modify (e.g., edit), or otherwise manipulate, label, delete, present (e.g., in a digital slide show or album), and store still and/or video images.
In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, audio circuitry 110, and speaker 111, the video player module 145 may be used to display, present or otherwise play back videos (e.g., on the touch screen or on an external, connected display via external port 124).
In conjunction with touch screen 112, display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, audio circuitry 110, speaker 111, RF circuitry 108, and browser module 147, the music player module 146 allows the user to download and play back recorded music and other sound files stored in one or more file formats, such as MP3 or AAC files. In some embodiments, the device 100 may include the functionality of an MP3 player, such as an iPod (trademark of Apple, Inc.).
In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, the browser module 147 may be used to browse the Internet, including searching, linking to, receiving, and displaying web pages or portions thereof, as well as attachments and other files linked to web pages.
In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text input module 134, e-mail module 140, and browser module 147, the calendar module 148 may be used to create, display, modify, and store calendars and data associated with calendars (e.g., calendar entries, to do lists, etc.).
In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text input module 134, and browser module 147, the widget modules 149 are mini-applications that may be downloaded and used by a user (e.g., weather widget 149-1, stocks widget 149-2, calculator widget 149-3, alarm clock widget 149-4, and dictionary widget 149-5) or created by the user (e.g., user-created widget 149-6). In some embodiments, a widget includes an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) file, a CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) file, and a JavaScript file. In some embodiments, a widget includes an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file and a JavaScript file (e.g., Yahoo! Widgets).
In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text input module 134, and browser module 147, the widget creator module 150 may be used by a user to create widgets (e.g., turning a user-specified portion of a web page into a widget).
In conjunction with touch screen 112, display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, the search module 151 may be used to search for text, music, sound, image, video, and/or other files in memory 102 that match one or more search criteria (e.g., one or more user-specified search terms).
In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, the notes module 153 may be used to create and manage notes, to do lists, and the like.
In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text input module 134, GPS module 135, and browser module 147, the map module 154 may be used to receive, display, modify, and store maps and data associated with maps (e.g., driving directions; data on stores and other points of interest at or near a particular location; and other location-based data).
In conjunction with touch screen 112, display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, audio circuitry 110, speaker 111, RF circuitry 108, text input module 134, e-mail client module 140, and browser module 147, the online video module 155 allows the user to access, browse, receive (e.g., by streaming and/or download), play back (e.g., on the touch screen or on an external, connected display via external port 124), send an e-mail with a link to a particular online video, and otherwise manage online videos in one or more file formats, such as H.264. In some embodiments, instant messaging module 141, rather than e-mail client module 140, is used to send a link to a particular online video. Additional description of the online video application can be found in U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/936,562, “Portable Multifunction Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Playing Online Videos,” filed Jun. 20, 2007, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/968,067, “Portable Multifunction Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Playing Online Videos,” filed Dec. 31, 2007, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Each of the above identified modules and applications correspond to a set of executable instructions for performing one or more functions described above and the methods described in this application (e.g., the computer-implemented methods and other information processing methods described herein). These modules (i.e., sets of instructions) need not be implemented as separate software programs, procedures or modules, and thus various subsets of these modules may be combined or otherwise re-arranged in various embodiments. For example, video player module 145 may be combined with music player module 146 into a single module (e.g., video and music player module 152,
In some embodiments, the device 100 is a device where operation of a predefined set of functions on the device is performed exclusively through a touch screen 112 and/or a touchpad. By using a touch screen and/or a touchpad as the primary input/control device for operation of the device 100, the number of physical input/control devices (such as push buttons, dials, and the like) on the device 100 may be reduced.
The predefined set of functions that may be performed exclusively through a touch screen and/or a touchpad include navigation between user interfaces. In some embodiments, the touchpad, when touched by the user, navigates the device 100 to a main, home, or root menu from any user interface that may be displayed on the device 100. In such embodiments, the touchpad may be referred to as a “menu button.” In some other embodiments, the menu button may be a physical push button or other physical input/control device instead of a touchpad.
The device 100 may also include one or more physical buttons, such as “home” or menu button 204. As described previously, the menu button 204 may be used to navigate to any application 136 in a set of applications that may be executed on the device 100. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the menu button is implemented as a soft key in a GUI in touch screen 112.
In one embodiment, the device 100 includes a touch screen 112, a menu button 204, a push button 206 for powering the device on/off and locking the device, volume adjustment button(s) 208, a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card slot 210, a head set jack 212, and a docking/charging external port 124. The push button 206 may be used to turn the power on/off on the device by depressing the button and holding the button in the depressed state for a predefined time interval; to lock the device by depressing the button and releasing the button before the predefined time interval has elapsed; and/or to unlock the device or initiate an unlock process. In an alternative embodiment, the device 100 also may accept verbal input for activation or deactivation of some functions through the microphone 113.
Each of the above identified elements in
In some embodiments, memory 370 stores contact/motion module 130. In some embodiments, the contact/motion module 130 includes an event handler 361 that incorporates an event log 366. The event log 366 may include one or more event log entries, e.g., event log entry 1366-1, event log entry n 366-3, etc. Event handler 361 will be discussed in greater detail below.
Contact motion module event handler 361 is implemented with one or more submodules, which in this example includes contact event jitter reduction submodule 362, which in turn, may be implemented with one or more submodules. Contact event jitter reduction submodule 362 includes state machine 363 (discussed below with reference to
Event log management submodule 365 is used to create, populate, and manage an event log 366 of contact, touch, and/or motion events on the touch-sensitive surface of a device such as portable multifunction device 100. Event log management submodule 365 creates one or more event log entries in the event log 366, e.g., event log entry 1366-1, event log entry 2366-2, and event log entry n 366-3, in response to the contact motion module 130 detecting and/or determining contact, touch, and/or motion events on the touch-sensitive surface (e.g., determining if contact has occurred, such as detecting a finger-down event; determining if there is movement of the contact and tracking the movement across the touch-sensitive surface, such as detecting one or more finger-dragging events; and determining if the contact has ceased, such as detecting a finger-up event or a break in contact).
Event log entries, such as event log entry n 366-3, may be created by the event log management submodule 365 in the form of exemplary event log entry structure 367, which contains one or more of the following. Event log entry structure 367 contains an event state 367-1 (optional), that tracks what state the contact event jitter reduction submodule's state machine 363 is in at the time of the event corresponding to the current event log entry. In some embodiments, event state 367-1 may also track the last known state of the state machine 363. Event log entry structure 367 may also contain an event ID 367-2 (optional), which is a unique event serial number so that the order of event log entries may be easily ascertained. Event log entry structure 367 may also contain contact event specific fields 367-3, including contact location data 367-4, which stores information regarding the contact location on the touch-sensitive surface, and contact time data 367-5, which stores information what time the contact was detected or determined to be on the touch-sensitive surface.
For purposes of brevity, each state in contact event jitter reduction submodule state machine diagram 363 is described as “detected,” though this may include determining that a contact is any of: on the touch-sensitive surface, moved over the touch-sensitive surface, is paused at a location on the touch-sensitive surface, or has been removed from the touch-sensitive surface.
After detecting that a contact is on the touch-sensitive surface, the state machine 363 enters state contact detected 377. After detecting movement 378 of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface, the state machine 363 enters state contact movement detected 379. If the contact moves less than a first predefined threshold distance (e.g., 3, 5, 10, or 15 pixels, or any suitable, predefined distance over the touch-sensitive surface), the state machine 363 remains (via path 391) in state contact movement detected 379, and no objects on the display are moved. If the contact moves more than (or in some implementations, an amount equal to) the first predefined threshold distance 364-1, the state machine 363 remains (via path 391) in state contact movement detected 379, and any objects on the display are moved or adjusted at the next event. As long as continued motion of the contact is detected, the state machine 363 remains in state contact movement detected 379.
After detecting a pause of more than a predefined time threshold 364-3 in the contact's motion on the touch-sensitive surface (e.g., less than 1.2 seconds, less than a second, or less than half a second, or any suitable, predefined duration), the state machine transitions to state contact pause detected 396 via path 394. While no motion of the contact is detected, i.e., the contact remains paused, the state machine 363 remains in contact pause detected 396 via path 397. If contact liftoff is detected, the state machine 363 transitions to state contact liftoff detected 393 via path 398. When a movement of greater than a second predefined distance threshold 364-2 (e.g., 3 pixels, 4 pixels, 5 pixels, or any suitable, predefined distance over the touch-sensitive surface) is detected however, the state machine 363 returns to state contact movement detected 379 via path 395, and any objects on the display are moved or adjusted at the next event.
When the state machine is in state contact movement detected 379, and a contact liftoff event is detected, the state machine 363 transitions to state contact liftoff detected 393 via path 392, and any objects on the display are not moved or adjusted. This occurs because the objects on the display would not be moved or adjusted until the next movement event. But, since liftoff has occurred, there will be no more motion events for this given contact. As a result, any jitter of the object associated with liftoff is suppressed.
Attention is now directed towards embodiments of user interfaces (“UI”) that may be implemented on a portable multifunction device 100.
In some embodiments, user interface 400B includes the following elements, or a subset or superset thereof:
Additionally, while the following examples are given primarily with reference to finger inputs (e.g., finger contacts, finger tap gestures, finger swipe gestures), it should be understood that, in some embodiments, one or more of the finger inputs are replaced with input from another input device (e.g., a mouse based input or stylus input). For example, a swipe gesture may be replaced with a mouse click (e.g., instead of a contact) followed by movement of the cursor along the path of the swipe (e.g., instead of movement of the contact). As another example, a tap gesture may be replaced with a mouse click while the cursor is located over the location of the tap gesture (e.g., instead of detection of the contact followed by ceasing to detect the contact). Similarly, when multiple user inputs are simultaneously detected, it should be understood that multiple computer mice may be used simultaneously, or a mouse and finger contacts may be used simultaneously.
Attention is now directed towards embodiments of user interfaces (“UI”) and associated processes that may be implemented on a multifunction device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface, such as device 300 or portable multifunction device 100.
In
UI 500A (
UI 500A also depicts that device 100 detects a first movement 513 of finger contact 505. A first movement can be a movement of any magnitude that is less than the first predefined distance threshold, and the first movement can be in any direction. While not depicted in UI 500A, one or more event log entries, such as event log entry n 366-3, may be created by the event log management submodule 365. A movement, such as the first movement, can correspond to a single event log entry in the event log or a movement may be defined by multiple entries in the event log.
UI 500B (
UI 500C-UI 500E (
UI 500E illustrates that the movements 515 depicted in UI 500C and UI 500D have moved rectangle 502 to a new location. Notably, the movement of the rectangle 502 is delayed in UI 500C until after detecting the additional, second movement 515-2 of the finger contact 505 depicted in UI 500D. In other words, the rectangle 502 would move in accordance with the movement 515-2 of finger contact 505 on the touch screen 112, starting with the movement 515-2 depicted in UI 500D.
UI 500E also illustrates that, in some embodiments, the first predefined distance threshold becomes irrelevant for the current finger contact once motion is detected that exceeds the first predefined distance threshold. Thus, for clarity, the perimeter 511 is no longer displayed in the following figures.
UI 500E also depicts that a pause in movement of the finger contact 505 has been detected.
UI 500F (
UI 500G-UI 500H (
UI 500I-UI 500K (
UI 500K illustrates that the movements 522 depicted in UI 500I and UI 500J have moved rectangle 502 to a new location. Notably, the movement of the rectangle 502 is delayed in UI 500K until after detecting the additional, second movement 522-2 of the finger contact 505 depicted in UI 500J. In other words, the rectangle 502 would move in accordance with the movement 522 of finger contact 505 on the touch screen 112, starting with the movement 522-2 depicted in UI 500J.
After the movement 522 of the finger contact 505 in
UI 500L (
As described below, the method 600 provides an effective way to reduce jitter associated with user contacts on touch-sensitive surfaces in accordance with some embodiments. The method reduces the cognitive burden on a user when using a touch sensitive surface to interact with a user interface because the user does not have to contend with jitter when placing and/or adjusting moveable user interface objects, thereby creating a more efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated computing devices, enabling a user to place and/or adjust moveable user interface objects faster and more efficiently conserves power and increases the time between battery charges.
The device displays (602) a user interface that includes a moveable object at a first location on the display at a multifunction device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., UI 500A, touch screen 112, and rectangle 502 in
As discussed above, in some embodiments, the display is a touch screen display and a touch-sensitive surface is on the display (604) (e.g., portable multifunction device 100,
The device detects (606) a finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the first location of the moveable object on the display (e.g.,
The device detects (610) a first movement of the finger contact across the touch-sensitive surface (e.g.,
The device creates (612) one or more event log entries that correspond to the first movement of the finger contact (e.g., event log management submodule 365 shown in
In some embodiments, the device creates at least one event log entry that corresponds to the first movement of the finger contact.
In response to detecting the first movement of the finger contact, when the first movement is less than a first predefined distance threshold (i.e., 5, 10, or 15 pixels, or any suitable, predefined distance over the touch-sensitive surface), the device maintains (614) display of the moveable object at the first location (e.g.,
When the first movement is greater than or equal to the first predefined distance threshold, the device delays (616) movement of the moveable object from the first location until a second movement of the finger contact after the first movement of the finger contact movement is detected (e.g., as shown in
The device creates (618) one or more event log entries that correspond to the second movement of the finger contact (e.g., the event log management submodule 365 of
In some embodiments, the one or more events corresponding to the second movement of the finger contact occur with no intervening events after the one or more events corresponding to the first movement of the finger contact (620).
After detecting the second movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface, the device moves (622) the moveable object on the display in accordance with the movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface (e.g., as shown in
In some embodiments, the moveable object is moved on the display in accordance with the first movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface. In some embodiments, the moveable object is moved on the display in accordance with the second movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface. In alternate embodiments, the moveable object is moved on the display in accordance with both the first and the second movements of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface. In some embodiments, moving the moveable object on the display in accordance with the movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface is done in response to detecting the second movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface.
In some embodiments, moving the moveable object on the display comprises moving the moveable object in accordance with event log entries that correspond to the first and second movements of the finger contact (624).
After detecting the second movement of the finger contact, the device detects (626) a pause in movement of the finger contact (e.g.,
The device creates (628) one or more event log entries corresponding to the pause in movement of the finger contact (e.g., event log management submodule 365 shown in
In response to detecting the pause in movement of the finger contact, the device maintains (630) display of the moveable object at a paused location (i.e., the paused location is a fixed location) (e.g.,
The device detects (632) a third movement of the finger contact 505 across the touch-sensitive surface (e.g.,
In response to detecting the third movement of the finger contact, the device creates (634) one or more event log entries that correspond to the third movement of the finger contact (e.g., event log management submodule 365 shown in
In response to detecting the third movement of the finger contact, when the third movement is less than a second predefined distance threshold, the device maintains (636) display of the moveable object at the paused location (e.g., in
In some embodiments, the first predefined distance threshold is equivalent to the second predefined distance threshold (638). In alternative embodiments, the first predefined distance threshold is greater than the second predefined distance threshold (640).
In response to detecting the third movement of the finger contact, when the third movement is greater than or equal to the second predefined distance threshold, the device delays (642) movement of the moveable object from the paused location until a fourth movement of the finger contact after the third movement of the finger contact movement is detected (e.g.,
In some embodiments, the one or more events corresponding to the fourth movement of the finger contact occur with no intervening events after the one or more events corresponding to the third movement of the finger contact (644). It is noted that in the event that one or more intervening events (e.g., liftoff of the finger contact, or user selection of another object via another gesture) were to occur after the third movement of the finger contact, the process would resume back at 602.
In response to detecting the fourth movement, the device creates (646) one or more event log entries that correspond to the fourth movement of the finger contact (e.g., event log management submodule 365 shown in
After detecting the fourth movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface, and in response to detecting the fourth movement of the finger contact, the device moves (648) the moveable object on the display in accordance with the movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface (e.g.,
In some embodiments, the moveable object is moved on the display in accordance with the third movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface. In some embodiments, the moveable object is moved on the display in accordance with the fourth movement of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface. In alternate embodiments, the moveable object is moved on the display in accordance with both the third and the fourth movements of the finger contact on the touch-sensitive surface.
After detecting the third movement of the finger contact, when the third movement is less than the second predefined distance threshold, the device detects (650) liftoff of the finger contact (e.g.,
The device then maintains (654) display of the moveable object at the paused location (e.g.,
The methods discussed above permit moveable objects to be placed on the display with single pixel accuracy.
The steps in the information processing methods described above may be implemented by running one or more functional modules in information processing apparatus such as general purpose processors or application specific chips. These modules, combinations of these modules, and/or their combination with general hardware (e.g., as described above with respect to
The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
