Touch input cursor manipulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9785305-B2
Application number	US-201514864737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2015
Priority date	Mar 19, 2015
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 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 display, and one or more sensors to detect intensities of contacts with the touch-sensitive display:
concurrently displaying an onscreen keyboard and a content presentation region on the touch-sensitive display, wherein the content presentation region displays text input received from the onscreen keyboard;
detecting a touch input on the onscreen keyboard displayed on the touch-sensitive display, wherein detecting the touch input includes detecting movement of a contact and liftoff of the contact;
in response to detecting the touch input on the onscreen keyboard displayed on the touch-sensitive display:
in accordance with a determination that the touch input on the onscreen keyboard satisfies text-selection criteria, wherein the text-selection criteria include a criterion that is met when a characteristic intensity of the contact increases above a text-selection intensity threshold, performing a text selection operation based on the movement of the contact that includes:
in response to detecting an increase in the characteristic intensity of the contact above the text-selection intensity threshold, changing an appearance of the onscreen keyboard;
in response to detecting movement of the contact while the appearance of the onscreen keyboard has been changed, performing the text selection operation based on the movement of the contact and,
in response to detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive display, reversing the change in appearance of the onscreen keyboard that occurred in response to detecting the increase in the characteristic intensity of the contact above the text-selection intensity threshold; and,

in accordance with a determination that the touch input on the onscreen keyboard satisfies text-entry criteria, wherein the text-entry criteria include a criterion that is met when the characteristic intensity of the contact does not increase above the text-selection intensity threshold, entering text into the content presentation region based on the touch input.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the text-entry criteria include a criterion that is met when the contact does not move outside of the onscreen keyboard before liftoff of the contact is detected.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the text-selection criteria include a criterion that is met when the contact does not move more than a threshold distance before detecting an increase in the characteristic intensity of the contact above the text-selection intensity threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the text-selection operation includes one of: moving a cursor within the content region or selecting text within the content region.

5. The method of claim 1 , including, in response to detecting that the text-selection criteria have been met, generating a tactile output that is indicative of an entry into a text selection mode of operation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein changing the appearance of the onscreen keyboard includes maintaining display of keys in the onscreen keyboard while obscuring characters displayed on the keys of the onscreen keyboard.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein reversing the change in appearance of the onscreen keyboard reveals the characters on the keys of the onscreen keyboard.

8. The method of claim 1 , including, when the touch input satisfies the text-selection criteria, detecting movement of the contact after the touch input has satisfied the text-selection criteria and moving a cursor in the content region in accordance with the movement of the contact detected after the touch input has satisfied the text-selection criteria.

9. The method of claim 1 , including:
when the touch input satisfies the text-selection criteria, detecting a first subsequent change in the characteristic intensity of the contact followed by additional movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive display; and,
in response to detecting the first subsequent change in the characteristic intensity of the contact:
in accordance with a determination that the touch input satisfies selection-start criteria, wherein the selection-start criteria include a criterion that is met when the characteristic intensity of the contact increases above a selection-start intensity threshold, starting to select content in the content region at a location of a cursor in accordance with the additional movement of the contact; and
in accordance with a determination that the touch input does not satisfy the selection-start criteria, moving the cursor in accordance with the additional movement of the contact without starting to select content in the content region.

10. The method of claim 9 , including when the touch input satisfies selection-start criteria, after starting to select content in the content region, detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-sensitive display and confirming the selection in response to detecting the liftoff of the contact.

11. The method of claim 9 , including:
when the touch input satisfies selection-start criteria, after starting to select content in the content region, and while continuing to detect the contact on the touch-sensitive display, detecting a second subsequent change in intensity of the contact:
in response to detecting the second subsequent change in the characteristic intensity of the contact:
in accordance with a determination that the second subsequent change in the characteristic intensity of the contact satisfies selection-cancellation criteria, wherein the selection-cancellation criteria include a criterion that is met when the characteristic intensity of the contact increases above a selection-cancellation intensity threshold, cancelling the selection; and
in accordance with a determination that the second subsequent change in the characteristic intensity of the contact does not satisfy the selection-cancellation criteria, maintaining the selection.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the selection-cancellation criterion include a criterion that is met when the contact moves no more than a threshold distance within a threshold amount of time before the characteristic intensity of the contact increases above the selection-cancellation intensity threshold.

13. The method of claim 11 , including, in response to detecting that the selection-cancellation criteria have been met, generating a tactile output that is indicative of an exit from the text selection mode of operation.

14. The method of claim 11 , including:
after canceling the selection, and while continuing to detect the contact on the touch-sensitive display, detecting a third subsequent change in the characteristic intensity of the contact; and,
in response to detecting the third subsequent change in the characteristic intensity of the contact:
in accordance with a determination that the touch input satisfies the selection-start criteria, starting to select content in the content region at a location of the cursor; and
in accordance with a determination that the touch input does not satisfy the selection-start criteria, forgoing starting to select content in the content region.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein starting to select content in response to detecting the third subsequent change in the characteristic intensity of the contact includes selecting a respective word at the location of the cursor.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the selected respective word is a first word, and the method includes:
while the first word is selected, detecting first subsequen

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
• Jong Nicholas K

Classifications

• G06F3/0483

  Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor · CPC title

• G06F3/0488 Primary

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

• G06F3/04812 Primary

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

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

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