IP Library Granted Patent US 11,379,113
Granted Patent B2
US 11,379,113 · App. 16/786,718 · Granted Jul 5, 2022

Techniques for selecting text

Inventors: Morgan Winer (Sunnyvale, CA); Patrick L. Coffman (San Francisco, CA); Dylan Ross Edwards (San Jose, CA); Stephen O. Lemay (Palo Alto, CA); Toby Paterson (San Francisco, CA); Marcos Alonso (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06F3/04883G06F3/0482G06F3/0486
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,379,113
App. No.
16/786,718
Granted
Jul 5, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to selecting text. An example method includes displaying, a focus indicator at a first location; while displaying the focus indicator, detecting a gesture at a first touch location that corresponds to the focus indicator; while detecting the gesture, detecting movement of the gesture to a second touch location; in response to detecting movement of the gesture to the second touch location: in accordance with a determination that the second touch location is in a first direction, moving the focus indicator to a second indicator location; in accordance with a determination that the second touch location is in a second direction, moving the focus indicator to a third location; while the focus indicator is at a fourth location, detecting liftoff of the gesture; and in response to detecting the liftoff, maintaining display of the focus indicator at the fourth location.

Claims (100)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display device;

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 touch-sensitive display device, content include a plurality of sets of characters;

while displaying the plurality of sets of characters, detecting a touch gesture at a first location corresponding to a set of characters of the plurality of sets of characters, wherein an initial portion of the touch gesture includes maintaining a stationary contact at the first location for more than a predetermined time;

in response to detecting the initial portion of the touch gesture:

displaying an animation of a selection representation around the set of characters that starts at a first size and finishes at a second size, smaller than the first size, to visually distinguish the set of characters without changing a size of the set of characters; and

displaying a first indicator at a first end of the set of characters and a second indicator at a second end of the set of characters;

while detecting that the touch gesture is maintained on the touch-sensitive display device, detecting a second portion of the touch gesture that includes movement of the touch gesture; and

in response to detecting the movement of the touch gesture:

visually distinguishing one or more additional characters of the plurality of sets of characters; and

moving, based on one or more characteristics of the movement, the second indicator to an end of the one or more additional characters.

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

in response to detecting the movement of the touch gesture, forgoing movement of the first indicator.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more additional characters includes a first word and a second word different from the first word, and wherein visually distinguishing the one or more additional characters includes:

at a first time, visually distinguishing the first word; and

at a second time after the first time, visually distinguishing the second word, wherein a character of the one or more additional characters is not visually distinguished between the first time and the second time.

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

detecting liftoff of the touch gesture; and

in response to detecting the liftoff, displaying a command display area adjacent to visually distinguished content, wherein the command display area includes an affordance that, when selected, performs a first operation on the visually distinguished content.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sets of characters are editable, the predetermined time is a first value; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sets of characters are not editable, the predetermined time is a second value less than the first value.

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

while displaying the first indicator and the second indicator:

detecting a second touch gesture at the second indicator;

after detecting the second touch gesture at the second indicator, detecting movement of the second touch gesture; and

in response to detecting the movement of the second touch gesture, changing a number of characters in the plurality of sets of characters that are visually distinguished.

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

while displaying one or more visually distinguished characters in the content, receiving a command to perform a second operation; and

in response to receiving the command:

performing the second operation on the one or more visually distinguished characters; and

forgoing performance of the second operation on one or more characters that are not visually distinguished in the content.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the initial portion of the touch gesture is a tap-and-hold gesture or a double-tap gesture.

9. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display device:

displaying, via the touch-sensitive display device, content include a plurality of sets of characters;

while displaying the plurality of sets of characters, detecting a touch gesture at a first location corresponding to a set of characters of the plurality of sets of characters, wherein an initial portion of the touch gesture includes maintaining a stationary contact at the first location for more than a predetermined time;

in response to detecting the initial portion of the touch gesture:

displaying an animation of a selection representation around the set of characters that starts at a first size and finishes at a second size, smaller than the first size, to visually distinguish the set of characters without changing a size of the set of characters; and

displaying a first indicator at a first end of the set of characters and a second indicator at a second end of the set of characters;

while detecting that the touch gesture is maintained on the touch-sensitive display device, detecting a second portion of the touch gesture that includes movement of the touch gesture; and

in response to detecting the movement of the touch gesture:

visually distinguishing one or more additional characters of the plurality of sets of characters; and

moving, based on one or more characteristics of the movement, the second indicator to an end of the one or more additional characters.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

in response to detecting the movement of the touch gesture, forgoing movement of the first indicator.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more additional characters includes a first word and a second word different from the first word, and wherein visually distinguishing the one or more additional characters includes:

at a first time, visually distinguishing the first word; and

at a second time after the first time, visually distinguishing the second word, wherein a character of the one or more additional characters is not visually distinguished between the first time and the second time.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

detecting liftoff of the touch gesture; and

in response to detecting the liftoff, displaying a command display area adjacent to visually distinguished content, wherein the command display area includes an affordance that, when selected, performs a first operation on the visually distinguished content.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sets of characters are editable, the predetermined time is a first value; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sets of characters are not editable, the predetermined time is a second value less than the first value.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

while displaying the first indicator and the second indicator:

detecting a second touch gesture at the second indicator;

after detecting the second touch gesture at the second indicator, detecting movement of the second touch gesture; and

in response to detecting the movement of the second touch gesture, changing a number of characters in the plurality of sets of characters that are visually distinguished.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

while displaying one or more visually distinguished characters in the content, receiving a command to perform a second operation; and

in response to receiving the command:

performing the second operation on the one or more visually distinguished characters; and

forgoing performance of the second operation on one or more characters that are not visually distinguished in the content.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the initial portion of the touch gesture is a tap-and-hold gesture or a double-tap gesture.

17. 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 touch-sensitive display device, the one or more programs including instructions for:

displaying, via the touch-sensitive display device, content include a plurality of sets of characters;

while displaying the plurality of sets of characters, detecting a touch gesture at a first location corresponding to a set of characters of the plurality of sets of characters, wherein an initial portion of the touch gesture includes maintaining a stationary contact at the first location for more than a predetermined time;

in response to detecting the initial portion of the touch gesture:

displaying an animation of a selection representation around the set of characters that starts at a first size and finishes at a second size, smaller than the first size, to visually distinguish the set of characters without changing a size of the set of characters; and

displaying a first indicator at a first end of the set of characters and a second indicator at a second end of the set of characters;

while detecting that the touch gesture is maintained on the touch-sensitive display device, detecting a second portion of the touch gesture that includes movement of the touch gesture; and

in response to detecting the movement of the touch gesture:

visually distinguishing one or more additional characters of the plurality of sets of characters; and

moving, based on one or more characteristics of the movement, the second indicator to an end of the one or more additional characters.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

in response to detecting the movement of the touch gesture, forgoing movement of the first indicator.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more additional characters includes a first word and a second word different from the first word, and wherein visually distinguishing the one or more additional characters includes:

at a first time, visually distinguishing the first word; and

at a second time after the first time, visually distinguishing the second word, wherein a character of the one or more additional characters is not visually distinguished between the first time and the second time.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

detecting liftoff of the touch gesture; and

in response to detecting the liftoff, displaying a command display area adjacent to visually distinguished content, wherein the command display area includes an affordance that, when selected, performs a first operation on the visually distinguished content.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein:

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sets of characters are editable, the predetermined time is a first value; and

in accordance with a determination that the plurality of sets of characters are not editable, the predetermined time is a second value less than the first value.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while displaying the first indicator and the second indicator:

detecting a second touch gesture at the second indicator;

after detecting the second touch gesture at the second indicator, detecting movement of the second touch gesture; and

in response to detecting the movement of the second touch gesture, changing a number of characters in the plurality of sets of characters that are visually distinguished.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

while displaying one or more visually distinguished characters in the content, receiving a command to perform a second operation; and

in response to receiving the command:

performing the second operation on the one or more visually distinguished characters; and

forgoing performance of the second operation on one or more characters that are not visually distinguished in the content.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the initial portion of the touch gesture is a tap-and-hold gesture or a double-tap gesture.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2020
From: WINER, MORGAN; COFFMAN, PATRICK L.; EDWARDS, DYLAN ROSS; LEMAY, STEPHEN O.; PATERSON, TOBY; ALONSO, MARCOS
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 052477/0649 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62856021 · Jun 1, 2019
Related Publication 20200379637A1 · Dec 3, 2020