TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices with touch-sensitive surfaces, including but not limited to electronic devices with touch-sensitive surfaces that simulate and interact with handwritten text.

BACKGROUND

The use of touch-sensitive surfaces as input devices for computers and other electronic computing devices has increased significantly in recent years. Example touch-sensitive surfaces include touchpads and touch-screen displays. Such surfaces are widely used to manipulate user interface objects on a display.

Example manipulations include adjusting the position and/or size of one or more user interface objects or activating buttons or opening files/applications represented by user interface objects, as well as associating metadata with one or more user interface objects or otherwise manipulating user interfaces. Example user interface objects include digital images, video, text, icons, control elements such as buttons and other graphics. A user will, in some circumstances, need to perform such manipulations on user interface objects in a file management program (e.g., Finder from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), an image management application (e.g., Aperture, iPhoto, Photos from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a digital content (e.g., videos and music) management application (e.g., iTunes from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a drawing application, a presentation application (e.g., Keynote from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a word processing application (e.g., Pages from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a website creation application (e.g., iWeb from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a disk authoring application (e.g., iDVD from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), or a spreadsheet application (e.g., Numbers from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.).

But methods for performing these manipulations are cumbersome and inefficient. For example, using a sequence of mouse based inputs to select one or more user interface objects and perform one or more actions on the selected user interface objects is tedious and creates a significant cognitive burden on a user. In addition, these methods take longer than necessary, thereby wasting energy. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, there is a need for electronic devices with faster, more efficient methods and interfaces for simulating and interacting with handwritten text. Such methods and interfaces optionally complement or replace conventional methods for simulating and interacting with handwritten text. Such methods and interfaces reduce the cognitive burden on a user and produce a more efficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated devices, such methods and interfaces conserve power and increase the time between battery charges.

The above deficiencies and other problems associated with user interfaces for electronic devices with touch-sensitive surfaces are reduced or eliminated by the disclosed devices. In some embodiments, the device is a desktop computer. In some embodiments, the device is portable (e.g., a notebook computer, tablet computer, or handheld device). In some embodiments, the device has a touchpad. In some embodiments, the device has a touch-sensitive display (also known as a “touch screen” or “touch-screen display”). In some embodiments, the device has a graphical user interface (GUI), one or more processors, memory and one or more modules, programs or sets of instructions stored in the memory for performing multiple functions. In some embodiments, the user interacts with the GUI primarily through stylus and/or finger contacts and gestures on the touch-sensitive surface. In some embodiments, the functions optionally include image editing, drawing, presenting, word processing, website creating, disk authoring, spreadsheet making, game playing, telephoning, video conferencing, e-mailing, instant messaging, workout support, digital photographing, digital videoing, web browsing, digital music playing, and/or digital video playing. Executable instructions for performing these functions are, optionally, included in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium or other computer program product configured for execution by one or more processors.

In accordance with some embodiments, a method is performed at a device with a touch-sensitive display, a non-transitory memory and one or more processors coupled with the touch-sensitive display and the non-transitory memory. The method includes displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, a drawing region. While displaying, the drawing region, the method includes detecting a sequence of drawing inputs on the touch-sensitive display. In response to detecting the sequence of drawing inputs, the method includes drawing a plurality of strokes in the drawing region. The plurality of strokes correspond to a plurality of characters. After detecting the sequence of drawing inputs on the touch-sensitive display, the method includes detecting a predefined gesture that corresponds to a request to perform an operation based on the plurality of characters represented by the plurality of strokes. In response to detecting the predefined gesture, the method includes concurrently displaying a first visual prompt indicating that a first subset of one or more characters in the plurality of characters can be used to perform the operation and a second visual prompt indicating that a second subset of one or more characters in the plurality of characters can be used to perform the operation.

In accordance with some embodiments, an electronic device includes a touch-sensitive display unit configured to display a user interface, one or more input units configured to receive user inputs, and a processing unit coupled with the touch-sensitive display unit, and the one or more input units. The processing unit is configured to enable display of, in a display area on the touch-sensitive display unit, a drawing region. The processing unit is configured to while displaying the drawing region, detecting a sequence of drawing inputs on the touch-sensitive display. In response to detecting the sequence of drawing inputs, the processing unit is further configured to draw a plurality of strokes in the drawing region. The plurality of strokes correspond to a plurality of characters. After detecting the sequence of drawing inputs on the touch-sensitive display, the processing unit is configured to detect a predefined gesture that corresponds to a request to perform an operation based on the plurality of characters represented by the plurality of strokes. In response to detecting the predefined gesture, the processing unit is further configured to concurrently display a first visual prompt indicating that a first subset of one or more characters in the plurality of characters can be used to perform the operation and a second visual prompt indicating that a second subset of one or more characters in the plurality of characters can be used to perform the operation.

In accordance with some embodiments, a method is performed at a device with a display, a non-transitory memory, one or more processors coupled with the display and the non-transitory memory, and one or more input devices. The method includes receiving, via the one or more input devices, a user input that corresponds with a sequence of characters. In response to receiving the user input, the method includes displaying, on the display simulated handwritten text that includes varying the appearance of characters in the simulated handwritten text based on variations that were detected in handwritten text of a respective user. In response to receiving the user input and in accordance with a determination that a first criterion is met, a first character in the sequence of characters has a first appearance that corresponds to the appearance of the first character in handwritten text of the respective user. In response to receiving the user input and in accordance with a determination that a second criterion is met, the first character in the sequence of characters has a second appearance that corresponds to the appearance of the first character in handwritten text of the respective user. The second appearance of the first character is different than the first appearance of the first character.

In accordance with some embodiments, an electronic device includes a display unit configured to display a user interface, one or more input units configured to receive user inputs, and a processing unit coupled with the display unit and the one or more input units. The processing unit is configured to receive, via the one or more input units, the user input that corresponds with a sequence of characters. In response to receiving the user input, the processing unit is configured to display, on the display unit simulated handwritten text that includes varying the appearance of characters in the simulated handwritten text based on variations that were detected in handwritten text of a respective user. In response to receiving the user input and in accordance with a determination that a first criterion is met, a first character in the sequence of characters has a first appearance that corresponds to the appearance of the first character in handwritten text of the respective user. In response to receiving the user input and in accordance with a determination that a second criterion is met, the first character in the sequence of characters has a second appearance that corresponds to the appearance of the first character in handwritten text of the respective user. The second appearance of the first character is different than the first appearance of the first character.

Thus, electronic devices with displays and input devices are provided with faster, more efficient methods and interfaces for displaying affordances in accessibility mode. Such electronic devices improve the visibility of the affordances thereby improving the operability of the electronic devices. Such methods and interfaces may complement or replace conventional methods for displaying affordances in accessibility mode.

