Touch input cursor manipulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9639184-B2
Application number	US-201514866361-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 19, 2015
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

The method for manipulating a cursor is performed at a portable multifunction device with one or more processors, memory, and a touch screen display. Initially, content of an electronic document is displayed on the display, where a cursor is displayed within the electronic document. Two substantially simultaneous touch inputs are then detected on the touch screen display, and preferably anywhere on the touch screen display. In response to detecting the two substantially simultaneous touch inputs, a portion of the content in the document closest to the cursor is selected, and the portion of the content is displayed as selected content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
at an electronic device having one or more processors, memory, a touch-sensitive surface, a display, and one or more sensors to detect intensity of contacts with the touch-sensitive surface:
while a contact is detected on the touch-sensitive surface, concurrently displaying on the display
content and
a text selection indicator at a first location within the content;

detecting a first press input by the contact that includes an increase in a characteristic intensity of the contact from an intensity below a first intensity threshold to an intensity above the first intensity threshold, followed by movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to movement of at least a portion of the text selection indicator from the first location to a second location on the display;
in response to detecting the first press input by the contact followed by the movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface, selecting content between the first location and the second location;
after detecting the movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface, after the intensity of the contact has decreased below the first intensity threshold, and while the content between the first location and the second location is selected, detecting a second press input by the contact on the touch-sensitive surface that includes an increase in the characteristic intensity of the contact from an intensity below the first intensity threshold to an intensity above the first intensity threshold; and,
in response to detecting the second press input by the contact on the touch-sensitive surface, performing a text selection operation, associated with the content between the first location and the second location, in accordance with the second press input, wherein the contact in the first press input, the movement across the touch-sensitive surface, and the second press input is a single continuous contact with the touch-sensitive surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , including:
in response to detecting the first press input by the contact followed by the movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface:
displaying at least the portion of the text selection indicator at the second location within the content.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the text selection operation includes stopping selection of content at the second location and maintaining selection of the content between the first location and the second location.

4. The method of claim 3 , including:
after detecting the second press input and while the content between the first location and the second location remains selected, detecting lift-off of the contact; and
in response to detecting the lift-off of the contact, displaying an action menu for the selected content between the first location and the second location.

5. The method of claim 3 , including:
after detecting the second press input by the contact on the touch-sensitive surface and stopping the selection of the content at the second location, detecting further movement of the contact; and
in response to detecting the further movement of the contact, displaying at least a portion of the text selection indicator at a third location within the content.

6. The method of claim 5 , including:
in response to detecting the further movement of the contact, canceling selection of content between the first location and the second location without selecting content between the second location and the third location.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the text selection operation includes cancelling selection of content between the first location and the second location.

8. The method of claim 7 , including:
after detecting the second press input by the contact on the touch-sensitive surface and canceling the selection of content between the first location and the second location, detecting further movement of the contact; and,
in response to detecting the further movement of the contact, selecting content between the second location and a third location.

9. The method of claim 8 , including:
while the content between the second location and the third location is selected, detecting lift-off of the contact; and,
in response to detecting the lift-off of the contact while the content between the second location and the third location is selected, stopping selection of the content at the third location and maintaining selection of the content between the second location and the third location.

10. The method of claim 1 , including:
before displaying the text selection indicator at the first location within the content, detecting an initial press input by the contact on the touch-sensitive surface; and
in response to detecting the initial press input, displaying the text selection indicator at an initial location within the content that corresponds to a location of the initial press input on the touch-sensitive surface.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display that includes the touch-sensitive surface, and the method includes:
concurrently displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, the content and an onscreen keyboard, wherein the initial press input is detected on the onscreen keyboard.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the initial press input is detected at a location on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a location of the content on the display.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display is a touch-sensitive display that includes the touch-sensitive surface, and the method includes:
concurrently displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, the content and an onscreen keyboard;
before displaying the text selection indicator at the first location within the content, detecting a multi-contact drag input on the onscreen keyboard; and,
in response to detecting the multi-contact drag input on the onscreen keyboard, displaying the text selection indicator at an initial location within the content based on a location of the multi-contact drag input on the onscreen keyboard.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content includes editable content and the text selection indicator includes a cursor.

15. The method of claim 14 , including:
displaying a magnifying loupe that displays a magnified version of the cursor and a region surrounding the cursor.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein selecting the content between the first location and the second location includes:
moving the cursor one character space at a time in response to detecting the movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface; and
selecting one additional character at a time in accordance with the movement of the cursor.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content includes read-only content and the text selection indicator includes a selection area; and wherein displaying the text selection indicator at the first location includes displaying a first word located at the first location within the selection area.

18. The method of claim 17 , including:
displaying a magnifying loupe that displays a magnified version of the selection area and a region surrounding the selection area.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein selecting the content between the first location and the second location includes:
expanding the selection area one word at a time in accordance with the movement of the contact across the touch-sensitive surface; and
selecting one additional word at a time in accordance with the expansion of

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Alonso Ruiz Marcos
• Lemay Stephen O
• Jon Tiffany S
• King Nicholas V
• Chaudhri Imran A
• Coffman Patrick L
• Winer Morgan H
• Fettes Alastair K
• Jong Nicholas K

Classifications

• G06F3/04812 Primary

  Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F2203/04808

  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 title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · CPC title