Methods and graphical user interfaces for pointing and editing on computing devices with touch-sensitive displays

1. A mobile computing device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

a processor;

a memory configured to store one or more programs;

wherein the processor is configured to execute the one or more programs to cause the mobile computing device to:

display a pointer;

display a control icon;

detect a contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting a change in a horizontal position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon,

change a horizontal position of the pointer by an amount proportional to the change in a horizontal position of the contact wherein the horizontal position of the pointer with respect to the control icon is changed; and

in response to detecting a change in a vertical position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon:

change a vertical position of the pointer by an amount proportional to the change in the vertical position of the contact; and

change a vertical position of the control icon; and

wherein when content is displayed, a change in a vertical position of the content with respect to an edge of the touch-sensitive display does not cause a change in the vertical position of the control icon with respect to the edge of the touch-sensitive display,

whereby the mobile computing device responds differently when the contact is applied to the control icon and when the contact is applied to an area outside the control icon.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the vertical position of the pointer is the same as the vertical position of the control icon.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the pointer has a pointer type selected from the group consisting.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein

in response to detecting the change in the vertical position of the contact, the vertical position of the pointer is changed by an amount equal to the change in the vertical position of the contact, and the vertical position of the control icon is changed by an amount equal to the change in the vertical position of the contact.

5. The device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the mobile computing device to:

in response to a first condition being met, cease to display the pointer positioning and control icon and cease to display the pointer.

6. The device of claim 5 , the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the mobile computing device to:

detect a gesture on the touch-sensitive display; and wherein

the first condition comprises detecting a gesture on the touch-sensitive display at a position not on the control icon.

7. The device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the mobile computing device to:

detect a gesture on the touch-sensitive display; and wherein

the displaying the control icon is in response to detecting a display-the-control-icon gesture on the touch-sensitive display.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the display-the-control-icon gesture is a long-press gesture.

9. The device of claim 7 , the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the mobile computing device to:

display the control icon at the same vertical position as the vertical position of the display-the-control-icon gesture.

10. The device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the mobile computing device to:

detect the time rate of change in the horizontal position of the contact on the control icon; and wherein

in response to detecting the change in the horizontal position of the contact,

change the horizontal position of the pointer by an amount proportional to the change in the horizontal position of the contact and the time rate of change in the horizontal position of the contact.

11. The device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the mobile computing device to:

display the pointer within editable text;

detect a gesture on the control icon; and

in response to the gesture being a first gesture,

display an insertion marker at the position of the pointer.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first gesture is a tap.

13. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first gesture is a lift.

14. The device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the mobile computing device to:

display the pointer within text;

detect a gesture on the control icon; and

in response to the gesture being a selection gesture comprising a tap and change in the position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon, select text beginning at the position of the pointer.

15. The device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the mobile computing device to:

display the pointer within editable text;

detect a gesture on the control icon;

in response to the gesture being a first gesture, on the control icon,

display an insertion marker at the position of the pointer; and

in response to the gesture being a selection gesture anywhere on the control icon,

select text beginning at the position of the pointer.

16. The device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions to cause the mobile computing device to:

detect a gesture on the control icon; and

in response to the gesture being a secondary-click gesture on the control icon, display a secondary-click menu.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the secondary-click gesture comprises a contact on the right-end of the control icon.

18. A method of operating a mobile computing device with a touch-sensitive display, the method comprising:

displaying a pointer;

displaying a control icon;

detecting a contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting a change in a horizontal position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon,

changing a horizontal position of the pointer by an amount proportional to the change in a horizontal position of the contact wherein the horizontal position of the pointer with respect to the control icon is changed; and

in response to detecting a change in a vertical position of a contact beginning anywhere on the control icon:

changing a vertical position of the pointer by an amount proportional to the change in the vertical position of the contact; and

changing a vertical position of the control icon; and

wherein when content is displayed, a change in a vertical position of the content with respect to an edge of the touch-sensitive display does not cause a change in the vertical position of the control icon with respect to the edge of the touch sensitive display,

whereby the mobile computing device responds differently when the contact is applied to the control icon and when the contact is applied to an area outside the control icon.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a mobile computing device having a touch-sensitive display to:

display a pointer;

display a control icon;

detecting a contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting a change in a horizontal position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon,

change a horizontal position of the pointer by an amount proportional to the change in a horizontal position of the contact wherein the horizontal position of the pointer with respect to the control icon is changed; and

in response to detecting a change in a vertical position of a contact beginning anywhere on the control icon:

change a vertical position of the pointer by an amount proportional to the change in the vertical position of the contact; and

change a vertical position of the control icon; and

wherein when content is displayed, a change in a vertical position of the content with respect to an edge of the touch-sensitive display does not cause a change in the vertical position of the control icon with respect to the edge of the touch sensitive display,

whereby the mobile computing device responds differently when the contact is applied to the control icon and when the contact is applied to an area outside the control icon.

20. A graphical user interface on a mobile computing device with a touch-sensitive display wherein:

a pointer is displayed

a control icon is displayed;

a contact on the touch-sensitive display is detected; and

in response to detecting a change in a horizontal position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon,

a horizontal position of the pointer is changed by an amount proportional to the change in a horizontal position of the contact wherein the horizontal position of the pointer with respect to the control icon is changed; and

in response to detecting a change in a vertical position of a contact beginning anywhere on the control icon:

a vertical position of the pointer is changed by an amount proportional to the change in the vertical position of the contact; and

a vertical position of the control icon is changed; and

wherein when content is displayed, a change in a vertical position of the content with respect to an edge of the touch-sensitive display does not cause a change in the vertical position of the control icon with respect to the edge of the touch sensitive display,

whereby the graphical user interface responds differently when the contact is applied to the control icon and when the contact is applied to an area outside the control icon.

21. The graphical user interface of claim 20 , wherein the vertical position of the pointer is the same as the vertical position of the control icon.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 20 , wherein

in response to detecting the change in the vertical position of the contact, the vertical position of the pointer is changed by an amount equal to the change in the vertical position of the contact, and the vertical position of the control icon is changed by an amount equal to the change in the vertical position of the contact.

23. The graphical user interface of claim 20 , further including:

in response to a first condition being met, the display of the control icon is cancelled and the display of the pointer is cancelled.

24. The graphical user interface of claim 23 , wherein the first condition comprises the detection of a gesture on the touch-sensitive display at a position not on the control icon.

25. The graphical user interface of claim 20 , further including:

a gesture on the touch-sensitive display is detected; and

wherein the control icon is displayed in response to the detection of a display-the-control-icon gesture on the touch-sensitive display.

26. The graphical user interface of claim 25 , wherein the display-the-control-icon gesture is a long-press gesture.

27. The graphical user interface of claim 25 , further including:

the control icon is displayed at the same vertical position as the vertical position of the display-the-control-icon gesture.

28. The graphical user interface of claim 20 , further including:

a time rate of change in the horizontal position of the contact on the control icon is detected; and

wherein in response to detecting the change in the horizontal position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon, the horizontal position of the pointer is changed by an amount proportional to the change and the time rate of change in the horizontal position of the contact on the control icon.

29. The graphical user interface of claim 20 , further including:

the pointer is displayed within editable text;

a gesture is detected on the control icon; and

in response to the gesture being a first gesture, an insertion marker is displayed at the position of the pointer.

30. The graphical user interface of claim 29 , wherein the first gesture is a tap.

31. The graphical user interface of claim 29 , wherein the first gesture is a lift.

32. The graphical user interface of claim 20 , further including:

the pointer is displayed within text;

a gesture is detected on the control icon; and

in response to the gesture being a selection gesture comprising a tap and change in the position of the contact beginning anywhere on the control icon, text is selected beginning at the position of the pointer.

33. The graphical user interface of claim 20 , further including:

the pointer is displayed within editable text;

a gesture is detected on the control icon;

in response to the gesture being a first gesture on the control icon,

an insertion marker is displayed at the position of the pointer; and

in response to the gesture being a selection gesture anywhere on the control icon,

text is selected beginning at the position of the pointer.

34. The graphical user interface of claim 20 , further including:

detecting a gesture on the control icon; and

in response to the gesture being a secondary-click gesture on the control icon, displaying a secondary-click menu.

35. The graphical user interface of claim 34 , wherein the secondary click-gesture comprises a contact on the right end of the control icon.

36. The graphical user interface of claim 20 , wherein the pointer has a pointer type selected from the group consisting of a text pointer type, a hand pointer type, a table cell pointer type, a vertical edge drag pointer type, a horizontal edge drag pointer type, a corner drag pointer type, and an arrow pointer type.