Button functionality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025147608-A1
Application number	US-202519018787-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2025
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	May 8, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Button functionalities for user interfaces, e.g., for use with a portable multifunction device, are disclosed. Exemplary button functionalities are described for an electronic device with a display, a rotatable and depressible input mechanism, and/or a button. Different device features may be accessed, depending on whether the rotatable and depressible input mechanism or the button is activated, and further depending on whether the activation represents a single press, a double press, or an extended press on the rotatable and depressible input mechanism or the button.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device, comprising:
a display; a rotatable and depressible input mechanism; 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 an activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism; and
in response to detecting the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism:
in accordance with a determination that a clock face user interface that includes a clock face was displayed on the display when the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism was detected:
displaying, via the display, an application picker user interface, wherein the application picker user interface includes a plurality of affordances, the plurality of affordances comprising a first affordance representing a first application; and

in accordance with a determination that a respective user interface, different from the clock face user interface, was displayed on the display when the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism was detected:
displaying, via the display, the clock face user interface.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the application picker user interface further comprises a second affordance different from the first affordance, wherein the second affordance represents a second application different from the first application.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the rotatable and depressible input mechanism is a mechanical button that is rotatable; and the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism comprises a depression of the mechanical button.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the rotatable and depressible input mechanism is a capacitive button that is rotatable; and the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism comprises a touch on the capacitive button.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism includes an input other than rotation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the clock face includes a first user interface object that indicates time, and the one or more programs further include instructions for:
displaying a time affordance on the application picker user interface as part of the plurality of affordances, wherein the time affordance indicates time, and wherein the time affordance has an appearance that is determined based on the first user interface object.

7 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the time is a current time.

8 . The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein:
the first user interface object is a representation of an analog clock having a first respective hour hand and a first respective minute hand; and the time affordance is a second representation of an analog clock having a second respective hour hand and a second respective minute hand.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of affordances in the application picker user interface includes a grid of application icons.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the grid of application icons includes a hexagonal grid of application icons.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of affordances comprises a second affordance different from the first affordance, wherein the second affordance represents a second application different from the first application; and the one or more programs further include instructions for:
while displaying the application picker user interface, detecting a selection input; and
in response to detecting the selection input:
in accordance with a determination that the selection input corresponds to selection of the first affordance, launching the first application without launching the second application; and
in accordance with a determination that the selection input corresponds to selection of the second affordance, launching the second application without launching the first application.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the determination that a user interface different from the clock user interface was displayed on the display when the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism was detected comprises a determination that the application picker user interface was displayed on the display when the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism was detected.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of an electronic device having a display and a rotatable and depressible input mechanism, the one or more programs including instructions for:
detecting an activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism; and in response to detecting the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism:
in accordance with a determination that a clock face user interface that includes a clock face was displayed on the display when the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism was detected:
displaying, via the display, an application picker user interface, wherein the application picker user interface includes a plurality of affordances, the plurality of affordances comprising a first affordance representing a first application; and

in accordance with a determination that a respective user interface, different from the clock face user interface, was displayed on the display when the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism was detected:
displaying, via the display, the clock face user interface.

14 . A method, comprising:
at an electronic device with a display and a rotatable and depressible input mechanism:
detecting an activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism; and
in response to detecting the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism:
in accordance with a determination that a clock face user interface that includes a clock face was displayed on the display when the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism was detected:
displaying, via the display, an application picker user interface, wherein the application picker user interface includes a plurality of affordances, the plurality of affordances comprising a first affordance representing a first application; and

in accordance with a determination that a respective user interface, different from the clock face user interface, was displayed on the display when the activation of the rotatable and depressible input mechanism was detected:
displaying, via the display, the clock face user interface.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Foss Christopher Patrick
• Davydov Anton M
• Edwards Dylan Ross
• Chaudhri Imran
• Dye Alan C
• Ive Jonathan P
• Lemay Stephen O
• Lynch Kevin M
• Yang Lawrence Y
• Park Dennis S

Classifications

• G06Q20/322

  Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices] · CPC title

• G06Q20/085

  involving remote charge determination or related payment systems · CPC title

• G06F2203/0381

  Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/0487

  using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser · CPC title