IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,811,202
Granted Patent B2
US 9,811,202 · App. 15/345,130 · Granted Nov 7, 2017

Electronic touch communication

Inventors: Freddy Allen Anzures (San Francisco, CA); Imran Chaudhri (San Francisco, CA); Alan C. Dye (San Francisco, CA); Jonathan P. Ive (San Jose, CA); Duncan Robert Kerr (San Francisco, CA); Nicholas V. King (San Jose, CA); Kevin Lynch (Woodside, CA); Gregory Novick (San Francisco, CA); Daniel Trent Preston (San Jose, CA); Monica Jenkins (San Francisco, CA); Lawrence Y. Yang (Bellevue, WA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06F3/0416F16M13/00G06F3/016G06F3/017G06F3/048G06F3/0481G06F3/0482G06F3/0488G06F3/04842G06F3/04845G06F3/04847G06F3/04883G06T11/20H04L51/066H04L51/10H04M1/72555G06F2203/04104G06F2203/04806H04L51/32
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,811,202
App. No.
15/345,130
Granted
Nov 7, 2017
Kind
B2
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.

Claims (112)

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, the electronic device configured to communicate with an external device associated with a contact:

displaying a drawing area associated with the contact;

detecting a user input on the drawing area;

determining whether the user input is a single-finger touch input or a multiple-finger touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that the user input is a single-finger touch input, sending data to the external device associated with the contact, the data representing the single-finger touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that the detected user input represents a multiple-finger touch input, sending data to the external device associated with the contact, wherein sending the data triggers the external device to display a visual indicator corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input, further wherein:

sending the data representing the single-finger touch input triggers the external device to display a visual representation that is different than the visual indicator, without displaying the visual indicator, and

sending the data representing the multiple-finger touch input triggers the external device to display the visual indicator, without displaying the visual representation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple-finger touch input triggers the external device to display a visual indicator for a duration of the multiple-finger touch input.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual indicator is an image.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual indicator is an animated image.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual indicator is a pulsing heart.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single-finger touch input triggers the external device to display a visual representation for a duration of the single-finger touch input.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual representation comprises one or more circles, ellipses, and/or ovals.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual representation comprises two or more concentric circles, ellipses, and/or ovals.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the visual representation on the external device fades out after being displayed for a predetermined amount of time.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single-finger touch input is a single-finger tap.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single-finger touch input is a single-finger swipe.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in accordance with a determination that the user input represents a plurality of single-finger touch input, sending data to the external device associated with the contact after lapse of a predetermined amount of time from a last swipe of the plurality of swipes, the data representing the plurality of single-finger touch input.

13. The method of claim 12 , further wherein:

the plurality of single-finger touch inputs comprises multiple swipe movements on the drawing area.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in accordance with the determination that the user input represents the single-finger touch input:

displaying the visual representation corresponding to the single-finger touch input in the drawing area; and

fading the visual representation from the drawing area while the data corresponding to the single-finger touch input is being sent.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in accordance with the determination that the user input represents the multiple-finger touch input:

displaying the visual indicator corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input in the drawing area; and

fading the visual indicator from the drawing area while the data corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input is being sent.

16. The method of claim 1 , further wherein:

sending the data triggers the external device to display a notification of receiving the data prior to displaying the visual indicator corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input.

17. The method of claim 1 , further wherein:

sending the data triggers the external device to display a notification of receiving the data prior to displaying the visual representation corresponding to the single-finger touch input.

18. The method of claim 1 , further wherein:

sending the data triggers the external device to provide a haptic output.

19. An electronic device configured to communicate with an external device associated with a contact, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display:

one or more processors;

a 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:

displaying a drawing area associated with the contact;

detecting a user input on the drawing area;

determining whether the user input is a single-finger touch input or a multiple-finger touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that the user input is a single-finger touch input, sending data to the external device associated with the contact, the data representing the single-finger touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that the detected user input represents a multiple-finger touch input, sending data to the external device associated with the contact, wherein sending the data triggers the external device to display a visual indicator corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input, further wherein:

sending the data representing the single-finger touch input triggers the external device to display a visual representation that is different than the visual indicator, without displaying the visual indicator, and

sending the data representing the multiple-finger touch input triggers the external device to display the visual indicator, without displaying the visual representation.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the multiple-finger touch input triggers the external device to display a visual indicator for a duration of the multiple-finger touch input.

21. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the visual indicator is an image.

22. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the visual indicator is an animated image.

23. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the visual indicator is a pulsing heart.

24. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the single-finger touch input triggers the external device to display a visual representation for a duration of the single-finger touch input.

25. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the visual representation comprises one or more circles, ellipses, and/or ovals.

26. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the visual representation comprises two or more concentric circles, ellipses, and/or ovals.

27. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the visual representation on the external device fades out after being displayed for a predetermined amount of time.

28. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the single-finger touch input is a single-finger tap.

29. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the single-finger touch input is a single-finger swipe.

30. The electronic device of claim 19 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that the user input represents a plurality of single-finger touch input, sending data to the external device associated with the contact after lapse of a predetermined amount of time from a last swipe of the plurality of swipes, the data representing the plurality of single-finger touch input.

31. The electronic device of claim 30 , further wherein:

the plurality of single-finger touch inputs comprises multiple swipe movements on the drawing area.

32. The electronic device of claim 19 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in accordance with the determination that the user input represents the single-finger touch input:

displaying the visual representation corresponding to the single-finger touch input in the drawing area; and

fading the visual representation from the drawing area while the data corresponding to the single-finger touch input is being sent.

33. The electronic device of claim 19 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

in accordance with the determination that the user input represents the multiple-finger touch input:

displaying the visual indicator corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input in the drawing area; and

fading the visual indicator from the drawing area while the data corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input is being sent.

34. The electronic device of claim 19 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

sending the data triggers the external device to display a notification of receiving the data prior to displaying the visual indicator corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input.

35. The electronic device of claim 19 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

sending the data triggers the external device to display a notification of receiving the data prior to displaying the visual representation corresponding to the single-finger touch input.

36. The electronic device of claim 19 , further wherein: sending the data triggers the external device to provide a haptic output.

37. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display and configured to communicate with an external device associated with a contact, cause the electronic device to:

display a drawing area associated with the contact;

detect a user input on the drawing area;

determine whether the user input is a single-finger touch input or a multiple-finger touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that the user input is a single-finger touch input, send data to the external device associated with the contact, the data representing the single-finger touch input; and

in accordance with a determination that the detected user input represents a multiple-finger touch input, send data to the external device associated with the contact, wherein sending the data triggers the external device to display a visual indicator corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input, further wherein:

sending the data representing the single-finger touch input triggers the external device to display a visual representation that is different than the visual indicator, without displaying the visual indicator, and

sending the data representing the multiple-finger touch input triggers the external device to display the visual indicator, without displaying the visual representation.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein the multiple-finger touch input triggers the external device to display a visual indicator for a duration of the multiple-finger touch input.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein the visual indicator is an image.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein the visual indicator is an animated image.

41. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein the visual indicator is a pulsing heart.

42. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein the single-finger touch input triggers the external device to display a visual representation for a duration of the single-finger touch input.

43. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein the visual representation comprises one or more circles, ellipses, and/or ovals.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein the visual representation comprises two or more concentric circles, ellipses, and/or ovals.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein the visual representation on the external device fades out after being displayed for a predetermined amount of time.

46. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein the single-finger touch input is a single-finger tap.

47. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , wherein the single-finger touch input is a single-finger swipe.

48. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , including instructions, which when executed by the electronic device cause the device to:

in accordance with a determination that the user input represents a plurality of single-finger touch input, send data to the external device associated with the contact after lapse of a predetermined amount of time from a last swipe of the plurality of swipes, the data representing the plurality of single-finger touch input.

49. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 48 , further wherein:

the plurality of single-finger touch inputs comprises multiple swipe movements on the drawing area.

50. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , including instructions, which when executed by the electronic device cause the device to:

in accordance with the determination that the user input represents the single-finger touch input:

display the visual representation corresponding to the single-finger touch input in the drawing area; and

fade the visual representation from the drawing area while the data corresponding to the single-finger touch input is being sent.

51. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , including instructions, which when executed by the electronic device cause the device to:

in accordance with the determination that the user input represents the multiple-finger touch input:

display the visual indicator corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input in the drawing area; and

fade the visual indicator from the drawing area while the data corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input is being sent.

52. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , further wherein:

sending the data triggers the external device to display a notification of receiving the data prior to displaying the visual indicator corresponding to the multiple-finger touch input.

53. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , further wherein:

sending the data triggers the external device to display a notification of receiving the data prior to displaying the visual representation corresponding to the single-finger touch input.

54. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 37 , further wherein:

sending the data triggers the external device to provide a haptic output.

Continuity (5)
Continuation 14839921 · Aug 29, 2015
Continuation PCTUS2015034609 · Jun 7, 2015
Provisional Application 62129955 · Mar 8, 2015
Provisional Application 62044961 · Sep 2, 2014
Related Publication 20170168707A1 · Jun 15, 2017