Electronic touch communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016062630-A1
Application number	US-201514839919-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 28, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	Mar 3, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Touch inputs such as single-finger contacts and multiple-finger contacts are detected at an electronic device and translated into electronic touch communications for playback at an external electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display and a rotatable input mechanism:
displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, a user interface comprising a plurality of objects each associated with a contact of a plurality of contacts and an affordance having a visual appearance representing a first contact of the plurality of contacts;
receiving a first input corresponding to a rotation of the rotatable input mechanism; and
in response to receiving the input corresponding to the rotation of the rotatable input mechanism, updating the visual appearance of the affordance to represent a second contact among the plurality of contacts.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface further comprises a visual indicator associated with a first object of the plurality of objects, the first object associated with the first contact of the plurality of contacts.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
further in response to receiving the first input corresponding to the rotation of the rotatable input mechanism:
ceasing to associate the visual indicator with the first object of the plurality of objects, and
associating the visual indicator with an object of the plurality of objects that is associated with the second contact of the plurality of contacts.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying, as part of the user interface, a visual indicator in accordance with a position value, the value being within a range of position values, each of the objects plurality of objects associated with a position within the range of position values; further in response to the first input, determining whether the first input is a request to update the position value of the visual indicator to a second position value that is not associated with an object of the plurality of objects; in accordance with a determination that the first input is a request to update the position value of the visual indicator to a second position value that is not associated with an object of the plurality of objects:
updating the position value of the visual indicator to a third position value that corresponds to the position value of the object of the plurality of objects that is nearest to the second position value within the range of position values; and
updating display of the visual indicator in accordance with the third position value.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein ceasing to associate the visual indicator with the first object of the plurality of objects, and associating the visual indicator with the second contact of the plurality of contacts comprises:
determining that the rotation of the rotatable input mechanism did not result in the association of the visual indicator with the second contact of the plurality of contacts; in accordance with a determination that the rotation of the rotatable input mechanism did not result in the association of the visual indicator with the second contact of the plurality of contacts, determining whether a position of the visual indicator is in an object transition region, wherein the object transition region is a region located after the first object and before a second object associated with the second contact; in accordance with a determination that the position of the visual indicator is in the object transition region, associating the visual indicator with the second contact of the plurality of contacts; in accordance with a determination that the position of the visual indicator is not in the object transition region, maintaining association of the visual indicator with the first object of the plurality of objects.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the visual indicator is a discrete area in which one or more displayed colors of the affordance are altered, the method further comprising:
further in response to receiving the first input corresponding to the rotation of the rotatable input mechanism:
altering a color of the visual indicator from a first color based on a color of the first object of the plurality of objects to a second color based on a color of a second object of the plurality of objects

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein altering the color of the visual indicator from the first color associated with the first object of the plurality of objects to the second color associated with the second contact of the plurality of contacts comprises blending the first color and the second color as the visual indicator moves from a first position associated with the first object to a second position preceding a position of a second object associated with the contact.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the visual indicator is associated with the first object of the plurality of objects when the visual indicator is at a first position that overlaps with at least a portion of the first object and one or more displayed colors of the first object are altered.

9 . The method of claim 2 , wherein ceasing to associate the visual indicator with the first object of the plurality of objects, and associating the visual indicator with the second contact of the plurality of contacts comprises translating the visual indicator from the first position to a second position that overlaps with at least a portion of the second object and one or more displayed colors of the second object are altered.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual appearance of the affordance is an animated representation of the first contact when the affordance represents the first contact and wherein updating the visual appearance of the affordance to represent a second contact among the plurality of contacts comprises updating the visual appearance of the affordance to an animated representation of the second contact.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the animated representation of the first contact is dynamically based on information selected from the group consisting of time zone information of the second contact, location information of the second contact, information regarding a state designated by the second contact, and a combination thereof.

12 . The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
after updating the visual appearance of the affordance, receiving a second input corresponding to selection of a third object of the plurality of objects, the third object different than the first object and the second object, in response to receiving the second input, updating the visual appearance of the affordance to represent a third contact among the plurality of contacts.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after updating the visual appearance of the affordance, determining that no input has been received for a period of time; and in response to determining that no input has been received for the period of time, forgoing display of the plurality of objects.

14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after updating the visual appearance of the affordance, detecting a third input corresponding to a selection of the affordance; and in response to detecting the third input, forgoing display of the plurality of objects.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
further in response to determining that no input has been received for the period of time, displaying a second affordance.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
further in response to detecting the third input, displaying a second affordance.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second affordance comprises one or more affordances selected from th

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Anzures Freddy Allen
• Chaudhri Imran
• Dye Alan C
• Ive Jonathan P
• Kerr Duncan Robert
• King Nicholas V
• Lynch Kevin
• Novick Gregory
• Preston Daniel Trent
• Jenkins Monica
• Yang Lawrence Y

Classifications

• F16M13/00

  Other supports for positioning apparatus or articles (heads thereof F16M11/02 {; undercarriages thereof F16M11/20} ; adapted to be stuck in the ground A45F3/44 {; sockets or holders for poles or posts E04H12/22}); Means for steadying hand-held apparatus or articles {(supports for measuring instruments G01D11/30; supports for casings of remote control switching devices H01H9/025)} · CPC title

• G06F3/0414

  using force sensing means to determine a position · CPC title

• G06F2203/04806

  Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation · CPC title

• G06F2203/04104

  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 title

• G06F3/0416 Primary

  Control or interface arrangements specially adapted for digitisers · CPC title