IP Library › Granted Patent US 12663881
Granted Patent B2
US 12663881 · App. 18/957,386 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Interacting with an electronic device through physical movement

Inventors: Jeffrey Traer Bernstein (San Francisco, CA); Lukas Robert Tom Girling (Stoke Bishop, GB); Julian Missig (Burlingame, CA); Golnaz Abdollahian (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06F3/0346G04C3/002G06F1/1694G06F3/011G06F3/016G06F3/017G06F3/0482G06F3/04842G06F3/04845G06F3/0485G06F3/0487G06F3/0488H04M1/72454H04M1/72469A61B5/02416A61B5/14552H04M2250/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12663881
App. No.
18/957,386
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to interacting with an electronic device without touching a display screen or other physical input mechanisms. In some examples, the electronic device performs an operation in response to a positioning of a user's hand and/or an orientation of the electronic device.

Claims (47)

1 . An electronic device, comprising:

a display screen;

one or more sensors;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

displaying, via the display screen, one or more graphical elements associated with an operation;

receiving, via the one or more sensors, a plurality of sensor inputs associated with movement of the electronic device; and

in response to receiving the plurality of sensor inputs associated with movement of the electronic device:

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in a first direction around a respective axis from a first position to a second position and back toward the first position that meets a respective set of one or more criteria, performing the operation associated with the one or more graphical elements, wherein the determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position that meets the respective set of one or more criteria includes a determination requirement that the rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position is performed such that a value for a respective movement parameter is greater than a predetermined minimum movement parameter threshold in order for the respective set of one or more criteria to be met; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position that does not meet the respective set of one or more criteria, forgoing performing the operation associated with the one or more graphical elements, wherein the determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position that does not meet the respective set of one or more criteria is based at least in part on a determination that the rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position is performed such that a value for the respective movement parameter is not greater than the predetermined minimum movement parameter threshold.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the respective axis corresponds to an axis of rotation of a user's wrist.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the operation includes declining a telephone call.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while receiving the plurality of sensor inputs, displaying one or more second graphical elements indicating movements of the electronic device.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the movement parameter is based on one or more of a velocity of movement of the electronic device and an acceleration of movement of the electronic device.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while receiving the plurality of sensor inputs, displaying an indicator that indicates the direction of rotation of the electronic device.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors includes an accelerometer, directional sensor, gyroscope, motion sensor, or a combination thereof.

8 . 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 with a display screen and one or more sensors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

displaying, via the display screen, one or more graphical elements associated with an operation;

receiving, via the one or more sensors, a plurality of sensor inputs associated with movement of the electronic device; and

in response to receiving the plurality of sensor inputs associated with movement of the electronic device:

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in a first direction around a respective axis from a first position to a second position and back toward the first position that meets a respective set of one or more criteria, performing the operation associated with the one or more graphical elements, wherein the determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position that meets the respective set of one or more criteria includes a determination requirement that the rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position is performed such that a value for a respective movement parameter is greater than a predetermined minimum movement parameter threshold in order for the respective set of one or more criteria to be met; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position within the respective time threshold that does not meet the respective set of one or more criteria, forgoing performing the operation associated with the one or more graphical elements, wherein the determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position that does not meet the respective set of one or more criteria is based at least in part on a determination that the rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position is performed such that a value for the respective movement parameter is not greater than the predetermined minimum movement parameter threshold.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the respective axis corresponds to an axis of rotation of a user's wrist.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the operation includes declining a telephone call.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while receiving the plurality of sensor inputs, displaying one or more second graphical elements indicating movements of the electronic device.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the movement parameter is based on one or more of a velocity of movement of the electronic device and an acceleration of movement of the electronic device.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while receiving the plurality of sensor inputs, displaying an indicator that indicates the direction of rotation of the electronic device.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the one or more sensors includes an accelerometer, directional sensor, gyroscope, motion sensor, or a combination thereof.

15 . A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display screen and one or more sensors:

displaying, via the display screen, one or more graphical elements associated with an operation;

receiving, via the one or more sensors, a plurality of sensor inputs associated with movement of the electronic device; and

in response to receiving the plurality of sensor inputs associated with movement of the electronic device:

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in a first direction around a respective axis from a first position to a second position and back toward the first position that meets a respective set of one or more criteria, performing the operation associated with the one or more graphical elements, wherein the determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position that meets the respective set of one or more criteria includes a determination requirement that the rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position is performed such that a value for a respective movement parameter is greater than a predetermined minimum movement parameter threshold in order for the respective set of one or more criteria to be met; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position within the respective time threshold that does not meet the respective set of one or more criteria, forgoing performing the operation associated with the one or more graphical elements, wherein the determination that the plurality of sensor inputs corresponds to rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position that does not meet the respective set of one or more criteria is based at least in part on a determination that the rotation of the electronic device in the first direction around the respective axis from the first position to the second position and back toward the first position is performed such that a value for the respective movement parameter is not greater than the predetermined minimum movement parameter threshold.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the respective axis corresponds to an axis of rotation of a user's wrist.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the operation includes declining a telephone call.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

while receiving the plurality of sensor inputs, displaying one or more second graphical elements indicating movements of the electronic device.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the movement parameter is based on one or more of a velocity of movement of the electronic device and an acceleration of movement of the electronic device.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

while receiving the plurality of sensor inputs, displaying an indicator that indicates the direction of rotation of the electronic device.

21 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more sensors includes an accelerometer, directional sensor, gyroscope, motion sensor, or a combination thereof.