U.S. patent application number 14/699177 was filed with the patent office on 2015-08-27 for portable multifunction device, method, and graphical user interface for managing communications received while in a locked state.
The applicant listed for this patent is Apple Inc.. Invention is credited to Freddy Allen ANZURES, Imran CHAUDHRI, Greg CHRISTIE, Scott FORSTALL, Scott HERZ, Marcel VAN OS.
Application Number | 20150242097 14/699177 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39742140 |
Filed Date | 2015-08-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150242097 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
FORSTALL; Scott ; et
al. |
August 27, 2015 |
PORTABLE MULTIFUNCTION DEVICE, METHOD, AND GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE
FOR MANAGING COMMUNICATIONS RECEIVED WHILE IN A LOCKED STATE
Abstract
A computer-implemented method, performed at a portable
multifunction device with a display, includes: receiving a
plurality of communications via a plurality of communication
modalities while the device is in a locked state; and detecting an
unlock interaction by the user with the device. In response to
detecting the unlock interaction, the method further includes
unlocking the device and presenting a communication, or information
about the communication, in the plurality of communications that
was received while the device was in the locked state. The
presented communication or information is presented in accordance
with the corresponding communication modality.
Inventors: |
FORSTALL; Scott; (Los Altos,
CA) ; HERZ; Scott; (San Jose, CA) ; ANZURES;
Freddy Allen; (San Francisco, CA) ; CHRISTIE;
Greg; (San Jose, CA) ; CHAUDHRI; Imran; (San
Francisco, CA) ; VAN OS; Marcel; (San Francisco,
CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Apple Inc. |
Cupertino |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
39742140 |
Appl. No.: |
14/699177 |
Filed: |
April 29, 2015 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11770718 |
Jun 28, 2007 |
9049302 |
|
|
14699177 |
|
|
|
|
60879469 |
Jan 8, 2007 |
|
|
|
60883804 |
Jan 7, 2007 |
|
|
|
60879253 |
Jan 7, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
715/738 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F 3/04883 20130101;
G06F 3/0488 20130101; G06F 3/04842 20130101; H04L 51/046 20130101;
G06F 3/017 20130101; H04M 1/67 20130101; H04M 1/72547 20130101;
H04M 2250/22 20130101; G06F 3/0482 20130101; H04M 1/56
20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06F 3/0484 20060101
G06F003/0484; H04L 12/58 20060101 H04L012/58; G06F 3/0482 20060101
G06F003/0482; G06F 3/0488 20060101 G06F003/0488 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: at a portable
multifunction device with a touch screen display, while the device
is in a locked state, receiving a plurality of communications via a
plurality of communication modalities, wherein the plurality of
communication modalities include audio telephony, video telephony,
instant messaging, and/or email; detecting a finger contact by a
user with the device; in response to detecting the finger contact,
displaying notification information on the touch screen display for
each of the plurality of communication modalities; detecting an
unlock interaction by the user with the device comprising a finger
gesture on or near the touch screen display; and in response to
detecting the unlock interaction, unlocking the device, and
presenting a communication in the plurality of communications that
was received while the device was in the locked state, or
presenting information about the communication, wherein the
presented communication or information is presented in accordance
with the corresponding communication modality.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/770,718 filed Jun. 28, 2007, which claims
priority to: (A) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.
60/879,469, filed Jan. 8, 2007, entitled "Portable Multifunction
Device"; (B) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/879,253,
filed Jan. 7, 2007, entitled "Portable Multifunction Device"; and
(C) U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/883,804, filed Jan.
7, 2007, entitled "System and Method for Displaying Communication
Notifications." All of these applications are incorporated by
reference herein in their entirety.
[0002] This application is related to the following applications:
(1) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/188,182, "Touch Pad For
Handheld Device," filed on Jul. 1, 2002; (2) U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/722,948, "Touch Pad For Handheld Device,"
filed on Nov. 25, 2003; (3) U.S. patent application Ser. No.
10/643,256, "Movable Touch Pad With Added Functionality," filed on
Aug. 18, 2003; (4) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/654,108,
"Ambidextrous Mouse," filed on Sep. 2, 2003; (5) U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/840,862, "Multipoint Touchscreen," filed on
May 6, 2004; (6) U.S. patent application Ser. No: 10/903,964,
"Gestures For Touch Sensitive Input Devices," filed on Jul,
30,2004; (7) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/038,590,
"Mode-Based Graphical User Interfaces For Touch Sensitive Input
Devices" filed on Jan. 18, 2005; (8) U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 11/057,050, "Display Actuator," filed on Feb. 11, 2005; (9)
U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/658,777,
"Multi-Functional Hand-Held Device," filed Mar. 4, 2005; (10) U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 11/367,749, "Multi-Functional Hand-Held
Device," filed Mar. 3, 2006; and (11) U.S. Provisional Patent
Application No. 60/824,769, filed Sep. 6, 2006, entitled "Portable
Multifunction Device." All of these applications are incorporated
by reference herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0003] The disclosed embodiments relate generally to portable
electronic devices, and more particularly, to portable devices that
receive communications via a plurality of communication modalities
(e.g., telephony, instant messaging, and/or email) while in a
locked state.
BACKGROUND
[0004] As portable electronic devices become more compact, and the
number of functions performed by a given device increases, it has
become a significant challenge to design a user interface that
allows users to easily interact with a multifunction device. This
challenge is particularly significant for handheld portable
devices, which have much smaller screens than desktop or laptop
computers. This situation is unfortunate because the user interface
is the gateway through which users receive not only content but
also responses to user actions or behaviors, including user
attempts to access a device's features, tools, and functions. Some
portable communication devices (e.g., mobile telephones, sometimes
called mobile phones, cell phones, cellular telephones, and the
like) have resorted to adding more pushbuttons, increasing the
density of push buttons, overloading the functions of pushbuttons,
or using complex menu systems to allow a user to access, store and
manipulate data. These conventional user interfaces often result in
complicated key sequences and menu hierarchies that must be
memorized by the user.
[0005] Many conventional user interfaces, such as those that
include physical pushbuttons, are also inflexible. This is
unfortunate because it may prevent a user interface from being
configured and/or adapted by either an application running on the
portable device or by users. When coupled with the time consuming
requirement to memorize multiple key sequences and menu
hierarchies, and the difficulty in activating a desired pushbutton,
such inflexibility is frustrating to most users.
[0006] Many portable electronic devices, such as cellular phones or
personal digital assistants can be locked when not in use. Locking
these devices prevents their inadvertent use. Additionally, these
devices may also display notifications of various communications
received by the device but not yet seen by the user (e.g.,
communications received while the device is locked). Such
notifications may include notifications of communications received
from external sources, such as missed calls or email messages.
However, the user is typically unable to view such notifications
unless the device is in an unlocked mode. Furthermore, navigating
through the user interface of the device to view a particular
notification or a particular communication may be cumbersome.
[0007] Accordingly, there is a need for portable multifunction
devices with more transparent and intuitive user interfaces for
managing communications received while the device is in a locked
state that are easy to use, configure, and/or adapt.
SUMMARY
[0008] The above deficiencies and other problems associated with
user interfaces for portable devices are reduced or eliminated by
the disclosed portable multifunction device. In some embodiments,
the device has a touch-sensitive display (also known as a "touch
screen") with 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 finger contacts and gestures on the
touch-sensitive display. In some embodiments, the functions may
include telephoning, video conferencing, e-mailing, instant
messaging, blogging, digital photographing, digital videoing, web
browsing, digital music playing, and/or digital video playing.
Instructions for performing these functions may be included in a
computer program product configured for execution by one or more
processors.
[0009] In one aspect of the invention, a computer-implemented
method, performed at a portable multifunction device with a
display, includes: receiving a plurality of communications via a
plurality of communication modalities while the device is in a
locked state; and detecting an unlock interaction by the user with
the device. In response to detecting the unlock interaction, the
method further includes unlocking the device and presenting a
communication, or information about the communication, in the
plurality of communications that was received while the device was
in the locked state. The presented communication or information is
presented in accordance with the corresponding communication
modality.
[0010] In another aspect of the invention, a graphical user
interface on a portable multifunction device with a display
includes a plurality of icons displaying notification information.
While the device is in a locked state, a plurality of
communications are received via a plurality of communication
modalities. In response to detecting an interaction by a user with
the device, the plurality of icons display notification information
for the plurality of communication modalities. In response to
detecting an unlock interaction by the user with the device, the
device is unlocked, and a communication in the plurality of
communications is presented that was received while the device was
in the locked state, or information about the communication is
presented. The presented communication or information is presented
in accordance with the corresponding communication modality.
[0011] In another aspect of the invention, a portable multifunction
device includes a display, one or more processors, 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 programs include instructions for: receiving a
plurality of communications via a plurality of communication
modalities while the device is in a locked state; and detecting an
unlock interaction by the user with the device. The programs also
include instructions for: in response to detecting the unlock
interaction, unlocking the device, and presenting a communication
in the plurality of communications that was received while the
device was in the locked state, or presenting information about the
communication, wherein the presented communication or information
is presented in accordance with the corresponding communication
modality.
[0012] In another aspect of the invention, a computer-program
product includes a computer readable storage medium and a computer
program mechanism embedded therein. The computer program mechanism
comprises instructions, which when executed by a portable
multifunction device with a display, cause the device to: receive a
plurality of communications via a plurality of communication
modalities while the device is in a locked state; detect an unlock
interaction by the user with the device; and in response to
detecting the unlock interaction, unlock the device, and present a
communication in the plurality of communications that was received
while the device was in the locked state, or present information
about the communication. The presented communication or information
is presented in accordance with the corresponding communication
modality.
[0013] In another aspect of the invention, a portable multifunction
device with a display includes: means for receiving a plurality of
communications via a plurality of communication modalities while
the device is in a locked state; means for detecting an unlock
interaction by the user with the device; and, in response to
detecting the unlock interaction, means for unlocking the device,
and means for presenting a communication in the plurality of
communications that was received while the device was in the locked
state, or means for presenting information about the communication.
The presented communication or information is presented in
accordance with the corresponding communication modality.
[0014] Thus, the invention provides a portable electronic device
with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface for displaying and
managing communications received via a plurality of communication
modalities (e.g., telephony, instant messaging, and/or email) while
the device is in a locked state.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] For a better understanding of the aforementioned embodiments
of the invention as well as additional embodiments thereof,
reference should be made to the Description of Embodiments below,
in conjunction with the following drawings in which like reference
numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the figures.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a portable
multifunction device with a touch-sensitive display in accordance
with some embodiments.
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a portable multifunction device having a
touch screen in accordance with some embodiments.
[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary user interface for unlocking
a portable electronic device in accordance with some
embodiments.
[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary user interface for a menu of
applications on a portable multifunction device in accordance with
some embodiments.
[0020] FIGS. 5A-5F illustrate exemplary user interfaces for the
display of communication notifications on a portable multifunction
device in accordance with some embodiments.
[0021] FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate an exemplary user interface for
displaying and managing recent calls in accordance with some
embodiments.
[0022] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an exemplary user interface for
voicemail in accordance with some embodiments.
[0023] FIGS. 8A and 8B are flow diagrams illustrating processes for
managing communications received by a portable multifunction device
while the device is in a locked state in accordance with some
embodiments.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments,
examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In
the following detailed description, numerous specific details are
set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the
present invention. However, it will be apparent to one of ordinary
skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced
without these specific details. In other instances, well-known
methods, procedures, components, circuits, and networks have not
been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects
of the embodiments.
[0025] Embodiments of a portable multifunction device, user
interfaces for such devices, and associated processes for using
such devices are described. In some embodiments, the device is a
portable communications device such as a mobile telephone that also
contains other functions, such as PDA and/or music player
functions.
[0026] The user interface may include a physical click wheel in
addition to a touch screen or a virtual click wheel displayed on
the touch screen. A click wheel is a user-interface device that may
provide navigation commands based on an angular displacement of the
wheel or a point of contact with the wheel by a user of the device.
A click wheel may also be used to provide a user command
corresponding to selection of one or more items, for example, when
the user of the device presses down on at least a portion of the
wheel or the center of the wheel. Alternatively, breaking contact
with a click wheel image on a touch screen surface may indicate a
user command corresponding to selection. For simplicity, in the
discussion that follows, a portable multifunction device that
includes a touch screen is used as an exemplary embodiment. It
should be understood, however, that some of the user interfaces and
associated processes may be applied to other devices, such as
personal computers and laptop computers, that may include one or
more other physical user-interface devices, such as a physical
click wheel, a physical keyboard, a mouse and/or a joystick.
[0027] The device supports a variety of applications, such as a
telephone application, a video conferencing application, an e-mail
application, an instant messaging application, a blogging
application, a digital camera application, a digital video camera
application, a web browsing application, a digital music player
application, and/or a digital video player application.
[0028] The various applications that may be executed on the device
may use at least one common physical user-interface device, such as
the touch screen. One or more functions of the touch screen as well
as corresponding information displayed on the device may be
adjusted and/or varied from one application to the next and/or
within a respective application. In this way, a common physical
architecture (such as the touch screen) of the device may support
the variety of applications with user interfaces that are intuitive
and transparent.
[0029] The user interfaces may include one or more soft keyboard
embodiments. The soft keyboard embodiments may include standard
(QWERTY) and/or non-standard configurations of symbols on the
displayed icons of the keyboard, such as those described in U.S.
patent application Ser. Nos. 11/459,606, "Keyboards For Portable
Electronic Devices," filed Jul. 24, 2006, and 11/459,615, "Touch
Screen Keyboards For Portable Electronic Devices," filed Jul. 24,
2006, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
The keyboard embodiments may include a reduced number of icons (or
soft keys) relative to the number of keys in existing physical
keyboards, such as that for a typewriter. This may make it easier
for users to select one or more icons in the keyboard, and thus,
one or more corresponding symbols. The keyboard embodiments may be
adaptive. For example, displayed icons may be modified in
accordance with user actions, such as selecting one or more icons
and/or one or more corresponding symbols. One or more applications
on the portable device may utilize common and/or different keyboard
embodiments. Thus, the keyboard embodiment used may be tailored to
at least some of the applications. In some embodiments, one or more
keyboard embodiments may be tailored to a respective user. For
example, based on a word usage history (lexicography, slang,
individual usage) of the respective user. Some of the keyboard
embodiments may be adjusted to reduce a probability of a user error
when selecting one or more icons, and thus one or more symbols,
when using the soft keyboard embodiments.
[0030] Attention is now directed towards embodiments of the device.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a portable multifunction
device 100 with a touch-sensitive display 112 in accordance with
some embodiments. The touch-sensitive display 112 is sometimes
called a "touch screen" for convenience, and may also be known as
or called a touch-sensitive display system. The device 100 may
include a memory 102 (which may include one or more computer
readable storage mediums), a memory controller 122, one or more
processing units (CPU's) 120, a peripherals interface 118, RF
circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110, a speaker 111, a microphone
113, an input/output (I/O) subsystem 106, other input or control
devices 116, and an external port 124. The device 100 may include
one or more optical sensors 164. These components may communicate
over one or more communication buses or signal lines 103.
[0031] It should be appreciated that the device 100 is only one
example of a portable multifunction device 100, and that the device
100 may have more or fewer components than shown, may combine two
or more components, or a may have a different configuration or
arrangement of the components. The various components shown in FIG.
1 may be implemented in hardware, software or a combination of both
hardware and software, including one or more signal processing
and/or application specific integrated circuits.
[0032] Memory 102 may include high-speed random access memory and
may also include non-volatile memory, such as one or more magnetic
disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile
solid-state memory devices. Access to memory 102 by other
components of the device 100, such as the CPU 120 and the
peripherals interface 118, may be controlled by the memory
controller 122.
[0033] The peripherals interface 118 couples the input and output
peripherals of the device to the CPU 120 and memory 102. The one or
more processors 120 run or execute various software programs and/or
sets of instructions stored in memory 102 to perform various
functions for the device 100 and to process data.
[0034] In some embodiments, the peripherals interface 118, the CPU
120, and the memory controller 122 may be implemented on a single
chip, such as a chip 104. In some other embodiments, they may be
implemented on separate chips.
[0035] The RF (radio frequency) circuitry 108 receives and sends RF
signals, also called electromagnetic signals. The RF circuitry 108
converts electrical signals to/from electromagnetic signals and
communicates with communications networks and other communications
devices via the electromagnetic signals. The RF circuitry 108 may
include well-known circuitry for performing these functions,
including but not limited to an antenna system, an RF transceiver,
one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital
signal processor, a CODEC chipset, a subscriber identity module
(SIM) card, memory, and so forth. The RF circuitry 108 may
communicate with networks, such as the Internet, also referred to
as the World Wide Web (WWW), an intranet and/or a wireless network,
such as a cellular telephone network, a wireless local area network
(LAN) and/or a metropolitan area network (MAN), and other devices
by wireless communication. The wireless communication may use any
of a plurality of communications standards, protocols and
technologies, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE),
high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), wideband code division
multiple access (W-CDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA),
time division multiple access (TDMA), Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity
(Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and/or IEEE
802.11n), voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, a protocol
for email (e.g., Internet message access protocol (IMAP) and/or
post office protocol (POP)), instant messaging (e.g., extensible
messaging and presence protocol (XMPP), Session Initiation Protocol
for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE),
and/or Instant Messaging and Presence Service (IMPS)), and/or Short
Message Service (SMS)), or any other suitable communication
protocol, including communication protocols not yet developed as of
the filing date of this document.
[0036] The audio circuitry 110, the speaker 111, and the microphone
113 provide an audio interface between a user and the device 100.
The audio circuitry 110 receives audio data from the peripherals
interface 118, converts the audio data to an electrical signal, and
transmits the electrical signal to the speaker 111. The speaker 111
converts the electrical signal to human-audible sound waves. The
audio circuitry 110 also receives electrical signals converted by
the microphone 113 from sound waves. The audio circuitry 110
converts the electrical signal to audio data and transmits the
audio data to the peripherals interface 118 for processing. Audio
data may be retrieved from and/or transmitted to memory 102 and/or
the RF circuitry 108 by the peripherals interface 118. In some
embodiments, the audio circuitry 110 also includes a headset jack
(not shown). The headset jack provides an interface between the
audio circuitry 110 and removable audio input/output peripherals,
such as output-only headphones or a headset with both output (e.g.,
a headphone for one or both ears) and input (e.g., a
microphone).
[0037] The I/O subsystem 106 couples input/output peripherals on
the device 100, such as the touch screen 112 and other
input/control devices 116, to the peripherals interface 118. The
I/O subsystem 106 may include a display controller 156 and one or
more input controllers 160 for other input or control devices. The
one or more input controllers 160 receive/send electrical signals
from/to other input or control devices 116. The other input/control
devices 116 may include physical buttons (e.g., push buttons,
rocker buttons, etc.), dials, slider switches, joysticks, click
wheels, and so forth. In some alternate embodiments, input
controller(s) 160 may be coupled to any (or none) of the following:
a keyboard, infrared port, USB port, and a pointer device such as a
mouse. The one or more buttons (e.g., 208, FIG. 2) may include an
up/down button for volume control of the speaker 111 and/or the
microphone 113. The one or more buttons may include a push button
(e.g., 206, FIG. 2). A quick press of the push button may disengage
a lock of the touch screen 112 or begin a process that uses
gestures on the touch screen to unlock the device, as described in
U.S. patent application Ser. 11/322,549, "Unlocking a Device by
Performing Gestures on an Unlock Image," filed Dec. 23, 2005, which
is hereby incorporated by reference. A longer press of the push
button (e.g., 206) may turn power to the device 100 on or off. The
user may be able to customize a functionality of one or more of the
buttons. The touch screen 112 is used to implement virtual or soft
buttons and one or more soft keyboards.
[0038] The touch-sensitive touch screen 112 provides an input
interface and an output interface between the device and a user.
The display controller 156 receives and/or sends electrical signals
from/to the touch screen 112. The touch screen 112 displays visual
output to the user. The visual output may include graphics, text,
icons, video, and any combination thereof (collectively termed
"graphics"). In some embodiments, some or all of the visual output
may correspond to user-interface objects, further details of which
are described below.
[0039] A touch screen 112 has a touch-sensitive surface, sensor or
set of sensors that accepts input from the user based on haptic
and/or tactile contact. The touch screen 112 and the display
controller 156 (along with any associated modules and/or sets of
instructions in memory 102) detect contact (and any movement or
breaking of the contact) on the touch screen 112 and converts the
detected contact into interaction with user-interface objects
(e.g., one or more soft keys, icons, web pages or images) that are
displayed on the touch screen. In an exemplary embodiment, a point
of contact between a touch screen 112 and the user corresponds to a
finger of the user.
[0040] The touch screen 112 may use LCD (liquid crystal display)
technology, or LPD (light emitting polymer display) technology,
although other display technologies may be used in other
embodiments. The touch screen 112 and the display controller 156
may detect contact and any movement or breaking thereof using any
of a plurality of touch sensing technologies now known or later
developed, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive,
infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other
proximity sensor arrays or other elements for determining one or
more points of contact with a touch screen 112. A touch-sensitive
display in some embodiments of the touch screen 112 may be
analogous to the multi-touch sensitive tablets described in the
following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 6,323,846 (Westerman et al.), 6,570,557
(Westerman et al.), and/or 6,677,932 (Westerman), and/or U.S.
Patent Publication 2002/0015024A1, each of which is hereby
incorporated by reference. However, a touch screen 112 displays
visual output from the portable device 100, whereas touch sensitive
tablets do not provide visual output. The touch screen 112 may have
a resolution in excess of 100 dpi. In an exemplary embodiment, the
touch screen in the display system has a resolution of
approximately 168 dpi. The user may make contact with the touch
screen 112 using any suitable object or appendage, such as a
stylus, a finger, and so forth. In some embodiments, the user
interface is designed to work primarily with finger-based contacts
and gestures, which are much less precise than stylus-based input
due to the larger area of contact of a finger on the touch screen.
In some embodiments, the device translates the rough finger-based
input into a precise pointer/cursor position or command for
performing the actions desired by the user.
[0041] A touch-sensitive display in some embodiments of the touch
screen 112 may be as described in the following applications: (1)
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/381,313, "Multipoint Touch
Surface Controller," filed on May 2, 2006; (2) U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/840,862, "Multipoint Touchscreen," filed on
May 6, 2004; (3) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/903,964,
"Gestures For Touch Sensitive Input Devices," filed on Jul. 30,
2004; (4) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/048,264, "Gestures
For Touch Sensitive Input Devices," filed on Jan. 31, 2005; (5)
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/038,590, "Mode-Based Graphical
User Interfaces For Touch Sensitive Input Devices," filed on Jan.
18, 2005; (6) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/228,758, "Virtual
Input Device Placement On A Touch Screen User Interface," filed on
Sep. 16, 2005; (7) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/228,700,
"Operation Of A Computer With A Touch Screen Interface," filed on
Sep. 16, 2005; (8) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/228,737,
"Activating Virtual Keys Of A Touch-Screen Virtual Keyboard," filed
on Sep. 16, 2005; and (9) U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/367,749, "Multi-Functional Hand-Held Device," filed on Mar. 3,
2006. All of these applications are incorporated by reference
herein.
[0042] In some embodiments, in addition to the touch screen, the
device 100 may include a touchpad (not shown) for activating or
deactivating particular functions. In some embodiments, the
touchpad is a touch-sensitive area of the device that, unlike the
touch screen, does not display visual output. The touchpad may be a
touch-sensitive surface that is separate from the touch screen 112
or an extension of the touch-sensitive surface formed by the touch
screen.
[0043] In some embodiments, the device 100 may include a physical
or virtual click wheel as an input control device 116. A user may
navigate among and interact with one or more graphical objects
(henceforth referred to as icons) displayed in the touch screen 112
by rotating the click wheel or by moving a point of contact with
the click wheel (e.g., where the amount of movement of the point of
contact is measured by its angular displacement with respect to a
center point of the click wheel). The click wheel may also be used
to select one or more of the displayed icons. For example, the user
may press down on at least a portion of the click wheel or an
associated button. User commands and navigation commands provided
by the user via the click wheel may be processed by an input
controller 160 as well as one or more of the modules and/or sets of
instructions in memory 102. For a virtual click wheel, the click
wheel and click wheel controller may be part of the touch screen
112 and the display controller 156, respectively. For a virtual
click wheel, the click wheel may be either an opaque or
semitransparent object that appears and disappears on the touch
screen display in response to user interaction with the device. In
some embodiments, a virtual click wheel is displayed on the touch
screen of a portable multifunction device and operated by user
contact with the touch screen.
[0044] The device 100 also includes a power system 162 for powering
the various components. The power system 162 may include a power
management system, one or more power sources (e.g., battery,
alternating current (AC)), a recharging system, a power failure
detection circuit, a power converter or inverter, a power status
indicator (e.g., a light-emitting diode (LED)) and any other
components associated with the generation, management and
distribution of power in portable devices.
[0045] The device 100 may also include one or more optical sensors
164. FIG. 1 shows an optical sensor coupled to an optical sensor
controller 158 in I/O subsystem 106. The optical sensor 164 may
include charge-coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal- oxide
semiconductor (CMOS) phototransistors. The optical sensor 164
receives light from the environment, projected through one or more
lens, and converts the light to data representing an image. In
conjunction with an imaging module 143 (also called a camera
module), the optical sensor 164 may capture still images or video.
In some embodiments, an optical sensor is located on the back of
the device 100, opposite the touch screen display 112 on the front
of the device, so that the touch screen display may be used as a
viewfinder for either still and/or video image acquisition. In some
embodiments, an optical sensor is located on the front of the
device so that the user's image may be obtained for
videoconferencing while the user views the other video conference
participants on the touch screen display. In some embodiments, the
position of the optical sensor 164 can be changed by the user
(e.g., by rotating the lens and the sensor in the device housing)
so that a single optical sensor 164 may be used along with the
touch screen display for both video conferencing and still and/or
video image acquisition.
[0046] The device 100 may also include one or more proximity
sensors 166. FIG. 1 shows a proximity sensor 166 coupled to the
peripherals interface 118. Alternately, the proximity sensor 166
may be coupled to an input controller 160 in the I/O subsystem 106.
The proximity sensor 166 may perform as described in U.S. patent
application Ser. Nos. 11/241,839, "Proximity Detector In Handheld
Device," filed Sep. 30, 2005, and 11/240,788, "Proximity Detector
In Handheld Device," filed Sep. 30, 2005, which are hereby
incorporated by reference. In some embodiments, the proximity
sensor turns off and disables the touch screen 112 when the
multifunction device is placed near the user's ear (e.g., when the
user is making a phone call). In some embodiments, the proximity
sensor keeps the screen off when the device is in the user's
pocket, purse, or other dark area to prevent unnecessary battery
drainage when the device is a locked state.
[0047] The device 100 may also include one or more accelerometers
168. FIG. 1 shows an accelerometer 168 coupled to the peripherals
interface 118. Alternately, the accelerometer 168 may be coupled to
an input controller 160 in the I/O subsystem 106. The accelerometer
168 may perform as described in U.S. Patent Publication No.
20050190059, "Acceleration-based Theft Detection System for
Portable Electronic Devices," and U.S. Patent Publication No.
20060017692, "Methods And Apparatuses For Operating A Portable
Device Based On An Accelerometer," both of which are incorporated
herein by reference. In some embodiments, information is displayed
on the touch screen display in a portrait view or a landscape view
based on an analysis of data received from the one or more
accelerometers.
[0048] In some embodiments, the software components stored in
memory 102 may include an operating system 126, a communication
module (or set of instructions) 128, a contact/motion module (or
set of instructions) 130, a graphics module (or set of
instructions) 132, a text input module (or set of instructions)
134, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module (or set of
instructions) 135, and applications (or set of instructions)
136.
[0049] The operating system 126 (e.g., Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX,
OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks)
includes various software components and/or drivers for controlling
and managing general system tasks (e.g., memory management, storage
device control, power management, etc.) and facilitates
communication between various hardware and software components.
[0050] The communication module 128 facilitates communication with
other devices over one or more external ports 124 and also includes
various software components for handling data received by the RF
circuitry 108 and/or the external port 124. The external port 124
(e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), FIREWIRE, etc.) is adapted for
coupling directly to other devices or indirectly over a network
(e.g., the Internet, wireless LAN, etc.). In some embodiments, the
external port is a multi-pin (e.g., 30-pin) connector that is the
same as, or similar to and/or compatible with the 30-pin connector
used on iPod (trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.) devices.
[0051] The contact/motion module 130 may detect contact with the
touch screen 112 (in conjunction with the display controller 156)
and other touch sensitive devices (e.g., a touchpad or physical
click wheel). The contact/motion module 130 includes various
software components for performing various operations related to
detection of contact, such as determining if contact has occurred,
determining if there is movement of the contact and tracking the
movement across the touch screen 112, and determining if the
contact has been broken (i.e., if the contact has ceased).
Determining movement of the point of contact may include
determining speed (magnitude), velocity (magnitude and direction),
and/or an acceleration (a change in magnitude and/or direction) of
the point of contact. These operations may be applied to single
contacts (e.g., one finger contacts) or to multiple simultaneous
contacts (e.g., "multitouch"/multiple finger contacts). In some
embodiments, the contact/motion module 130 and the display
controller 156 also detects contact on a touchpad. In some
embodiments, the contact/motion module 130 and the controller 160
detects contact on a click wheel.
[0052] The graphics module 132 includes various known software
components for rendering and displaying graphics on the touch
screen 112, including components for changing the intensity of
graphics that are displayed. As used herein, the term "graphics"
includes any object that can be displayed to a user, including
without limitation text, web pages, icons (such as user-interface
objects including soft keys), digital images, videos, animations
and the like.
[0053] The text input module 134, which may be a component of
graphics module 132, provides soft keyboards for entering text in
various applications (e.g., contacts 137, e-mail 140, IM 141,
blogging 142, browser 147, and any other application that needs
text input).
[0054] The GPS module 135 determines the location of the device and
provides this information for use in various applications (e.g., to
telephone 138 for use in location-based dialing, to camera 143
and/or blogger 142 as picture/video metadata, and to applications
that provide location-based services such as weather widgets, local
yellow page widgets, and map/navigation widgets).
[0055] The applications 136 may include the following modules (or
sets of instructions), or a subset or superset thereof: [0056] a
contacts module 137 (sometimes called an address book or contact
list); [0057] a telephone module 138; [0058] a video conferencing
module 139; [0059] an e-mail client module 140; [0060] an instant
messaging (IM) module 141; [0061] a blogging module 142; [0062] a
camera module 143 for still and/or video images; [0063] an image
management module 144; [0064] a video player module 145; [0065] a
music player module 146; [0066] a browser module 147; [0067] a
calendar module 148; [0068] widget modules 149, which may include
weather widget 149-1, stocks widget 149-2, calculator widget 149-3,
alarm clock widget 149-4, dictionary widget 149-5, and other
widgets obtained by the user, as well as user-created widgets
149-6; [0069] widget creator module 150 for making user-created
widgets 149-6; and/or [0070] search module 151.
[0071] Examples of other applications 136 that may be stored in
memory 102 include memo pad and other word processing applications,
JAVA-enabled applications, encryption, digital rights management,
voice recognition, and voice replication.
[0072] In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller
156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module
134, the contacts module 137 may be used to manage an address book
or contact list, including: adding name(s) to the address book;
deleting name(s) from the address book; associating telephone
number(s), e-mail address(es), physical address(es) or other
information with a name; associating an image with a name;
categorizing and sorting names; providing telephone numbers or
e-mail addresses to initiate and/or facilitate communications by
telephone 138, video conference 139, e-mail 140, or IM 141; and so
forth.
[0073] In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110,
speaker 111, microphone 113, touch screen 112, display controller
156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module
134, the telephone module 138 may be used to enter a sequence of
characters corresponding to a telephone number, access one or more
telephone numbers in the address book 137, modify a telephone
number that has been entered, dial a respective telephone number,
conduct a conversation and disconnect or hang up when the
conversation is completed. As noted above, the wireless
communication may use any of a plurality of communications
standards, protocols and technologies.
[0074] In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110,
speaker 111, microphone 113, touch screen 112, display controller
156, optical sensor 164, optical sensor controller 158, contact
module 130, graphics module 132, text input module 134, contact
list 137, and telephone module 138, the videoconferencing module
139 may be used to initiate, conduct, and terminate a video
conference between a user and one or more other participants.
[0075] In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112,
display controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132,
and text input module 134, the e-mail client module 140 may be used
to create, send, receive, and manage e-mail. In conjunction with
image management module 144, the e-mail module 140 makes it very
easy to create and send e-mails with still or video images taken
with camera module 143.
[0076] In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112,
display controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132,
and text input module 134, the instant messaging module 141 may be
used to enter a sequence of characters corresponding to an instant
message, to modify previously entered characters, to transmit a
respective instant message (for example, using a Short Message
Service (SMS) or Multimedia Message Service (MMS) protocol for
telephony-based instant messages or using XMPP, SIMPLE, or IMPS for
Internet-based instant messages), to receive instant messages and
to view received instant messages. In some embodiments, transmitted
and/or received instant messages may include graphics, photos,
audio files, video files and/or other attachments as are supported
in a MMS and/or an Enhanced Messaging Service (EMS). As used
herein, "instant messaging" refers to both telephony-based messages
(e.g., messages sent using SMS or MMS) and Internet-based messages
(e.g., messages sent using XMPP, SIMPLE, or IMPS).
[0077] In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112,
display controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132,
text input module 134, image management module 144, and browsing
module 147, the blogging module 142 may be used to send text, still
images, video, and/or other graphics to a blog (e.g., the user's
blog).
[0078] In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller
156, optical sensor(s) 164, optical sensor controller 158, contact
module 130, graphics module 132, and image management module 144,
the camera module 143 may be used to capture still images or video
(including a video stream) and store them into memory 102, modify
characteristics of a still image or video, or delete a still image
or video from memory 102.
[0079] In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller
156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, text input module
134, and camera module 143, the image management module 144 may be
used to arrange, modify or otherwise manipulate, label, delete,
present (e.g., in a digital slide show or album), and store still
and/or video images.
[0080] In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller
156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, audio circuitry 110,
and speaker 111, the video player module 145 may be used to
display, present or otherwise play back videos (e.g., on the touch
screen or on an external, connected display via external port
124).
[0081] In conjunction with touch screen 112, display system
controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, audio
circuitry 110, speaker 111, RF circuitry 108, and browser module
147, the music player module 146 allows the user to download and
play back recorded music and other sound files stored in one or
more file formats, such as MP3 or AAC files. In some embodiments,
the device 100 may include the functionality of an MP3 player, such
as an iPod (trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.).
[0082] In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112,
display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module
132, and text input module 134, the browser module 147 may be used
to browse the Internet, including searching, linking to, receiving,
and displaying web pages or portions thereof, as well as
attachments and other files linked to web pages.
[0083] In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112,
display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module
132, text input module 134, e-mail module 140, and browser module
147, the calendar module 148 may be used to create, display,
modify, and store calendars and data associated with calendars
(e.g., calendar entries, to do lists, etc.).
[0084] In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112,
display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module
132, text input module 134, and browser module 147, the widget
modules 149 are mini-applications that may be downloaded and used
by a user (e.g., weather widget 149-1, stocks widget 149-2,
calculator widget 149-3, alarm clock widget 149-4, and dictionary
widget 149-5) or created by the user (e.g., user-created widget
149-6). In some embodiments, a widget includes an HTML (Hypertext
Markup Language) file, a CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) file, and a
JavaScript file. In some embodiments, a widget includes an XML
(Extensible Markup Language) file and a JavaScript file (e.g.,
Yahoo! Widgets).
[0085] In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112,
display system controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module
132, text input module 134, and browser module 147, the widget
creator module 150 may be used by a user to create widgets (e.g.,
turning a user-specified portion of a web page into a widget).
[0086] In conjunction with touch screen 112, display system
controller 156, contact module 130, graphics module 132, and text
input module 134, the search module 151 may be used to search for
text, music, sound, image, video, and/or other files in memory 102
that match one or more search criteria (e.g., one or more
user-specified search terms).
[0087] Each of the above identified modules and applications
correspond to a set of instructions for performing one or more
functions described above. These modules (i.e., sets of
instructions) need not be implemented as separate software
programs, procedures or modules, and thus various subsets of these
modules may be combined or otherwise re-arranged in various
embodiments. In some embodiments, memory 102 may store a subset of
the modules and data structures identified above. Furthermore,
memory 102 may store additional modules and data structures not
described above.
[0088] In some embodiments, the device 100 is a device where
operation of a predefined set of functions on the device is
performed exclusively through a touch screen 112 and/or a touchpad.
By using a touch screen and/or a touchpad as the primary
input/control device for operation of the device 100, the number of
physical input/control devices (such as push buttons, dials, and
the like) on the device 100 may be reduced.
[0089] The predefined set of functions that may be performed
exclusively through a touch screen and/or a touchpad include
navigation between user interfaces. In some embodiments, the
touchpad, when touched by the user, navigates the device 100 to a
main, home, or root menu from any user interface that may be
displayed on the device 100. In such embodiments, the touchpad may
be referred to as a "menu button." In some other embodiments, the
menu button may be a physical push button or other physical
input/control device instead of a touchpad.
[0090] FIG. 2 illustrates a portable multifunction device 100
having a touch screen 112 in accordance with some embodiments. The
touch screen may display one or more graphics. In this embodiment,
as well as others described below, a user may select one or more of
the graphics by making contact or touching the graphics, for
example, with one or more fingers 202 (not drawn to scale in the
figure). In some embodiments, selection of one or more graphics
occurs when the user breaks contact with the one or more graphics.
In some embodiments, the contact may include a gesture, such as one
or more taps, one or more swipes (from left to right, right to
left, upward and/or downward) and/or a rolling of a finger (from
right to left, left to right, upward and/or downward) that has made
contact with the device 100. In some embodiments, inadvertent
contact with a graphic may not select the graphic. For example, a
swipe gesture that sweeps over an application icon may not select
the corresponding application when the gesture corresponding to
selection is a tap.
[0091] The device 100 may also include one or more physical
buttons, such as "home" or menu button 204. As described
previously, the menu button 204 may be used to navigate to any
application 136 in a set of applications that may be executed on
the device 100. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the menu button
is implemented as a soft key in a GUI in touch screen 112.
[0092] In one embodiment, the device 100 includes a touch screen
112, a menu button 204, a push button 206 for powering the device
on/off and locking the device, and volume adjustment button(s) 208.
The push button 206 may be used to turn the power on/off on the
device by depressing the button and holding the button in the
depressed state for a predefined time interval; to lock the device
by depressing the button and releasing the button before the
predefined time interval has elapsed; and/or to unlock the device
or initiate an unlock process. In an alternative embodiment, the
device 100 also may accept verbal input for activation or
deactivation of some functions through the microphone 113.
[0093] Attention is now directed towards embodiments of user
interfaces ("UI") and associated processes that may be implemented
on a portable multifunction device 100.
[0094] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary user interface for unlocking
a portable electronic device in accordance with some embodiments.
In some embodiments, user interface 300 includes the following
elements, or a subset or superset thereof: [0095] Unlock image 302
that is moved with a finger gesture to unlock the device; [0096]
Arrow 304 that provides a visual cue to the unlock gesture; [0097]
Channel 306 that provides additional cues to the unlock gesture;
[0098] Time 308; [0099] Day 310; [0100] Date 312; and [0101]
Wallpaper image 314.
[0102] In some embodiments, the device detects contact with the
touch-sensitive display (e.g., a user's finger making contact on or
near the unlock image 302) while the device is in a user-interface
lock state. The device moves the unlock image 302 in accordance
with the contact. The device transitions to a user-interface unlock
state if the detected contact corresponds to a predefined gesture,
such as moving the unlock image across channel 306. Conversely, the
device maintains the user-interface lock state if the detected
contact does not correspond to the predefined gesture. As noted
above, processes that use gestures on the touch screen to unlock
the device are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/322,549, "Unlocking a Device by Performing Gestures on an Unlock
Image," filed Dec. 23, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0103] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary user interface for a menu of
applications on a portable multifunction device in accordance with
some embodiments. In some embodiments, user interface 400 includes
the following elements, or a subset or superset thereof: [0104]
Signal strength indicator 402 for wireless communication; [0105]
Time 404; [0106] Battery status indicator 406; [0107] Tray 408 with
icons for frequently used applications, such as one or more of the
following: [0108] Phone 138; [0109] E-mail client 140, which may
include an indicator 410 of the number of unread e-mails; [0110]
Browser 147; and [0111] Music player 146; and [0112] Icons for
other applications, such as one or more of the following: [0113] IM
141; [0114] Image management 144; [0115] Camera 143; [0116] Video
player 145 [0117] Weather 149-1; [0118] Stocks 149-2; [0119] Blog
142; [0120] Calendar 148; [0121] Calculator 149-3; [0122] Alarm
clock 149-4; [0123] Dictionary 149-5; and [0124] User-created
widget 149-6.
[0125] In some embodiments, UI 400 displays all of the available
applications 136 on one screen so that there is no need to scroll
through a list of applications (e.g., via a scroll bar). In some
embodiments, as the number of applications increase, the icons
corresponding to the applications may decrease in size so that all
applications may be displayed on a single screen without scrolling.
In some embodiments, having all applications on one screen and a
menu button enables a user to access any desired application with
at most two inputs, such as activating the menu button 204 and then
activating the desired application (e.g., by a tap or other finger
gesture on the icon corresponding to the application).
[0126] In some embodiments, UI 400 provides integrated access to
both widget-based applications and non-widget-based applications.
In some embodiments, all of the widgets, whether user-created or
not, are displayed in UI 400. In other embodiments, activating the
icon for user-created widget 149-6 may lead to another UI (not
shown) that contains the user-created widgets or icons
corresponding to the user-created widgets.
[0127] In some embodiments, a user may rearrange the icons in UI
400, e.g., using processes described in U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 11/459,602, "Portable Electronic Device With Interface
Reconfiguration Mode," filed Jul. 24, 2006, which is hereby
incorporated by reference. For example, a user may move application
icons in and out of tray 408 using finger gestures.
[0128] In some embodiments, UI 400 includes a gauge (not shown)
that displays an updated account usage metric for an account
associated with usage of the device (e.g., a cellular phone
account), as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No.
11/322,552, "Account Information Display For Portable Communication
Device," filed Dec. 23, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by
reference.
[0129] FIGS. 5A-5F illustrate exemplary user interfaces for the
display of communication notifications on a portable multifunction
device in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments,
these user interfaces include the following elements, or a subset
or superset thereof: 302, 304, 306, 308, 310, 312, and 314, as
described above, and communication notification icons 5302.
[0130] FIGS. 8A and 8B are flow diagrams illustrating processes for
displaying communication notifications on a portable multifunction
device in accordance with some embodiments. It will be appreciated
by those of ordinary skill in the art that one or more of the acts
described may be performed by hardware, software, or a combination
thereof, on the portable multifunction device.
[0131] A plurality of communications are received (802, FIG. 8A;
822, FIG. 8B) via a plurality of communication modalities while the
device is in a locked state. In some embodiments, the plurality of
communication modalities include audio telephony, video telephony,
instant messaging, and/or email (822, FIG. 8B).
[0132] In some embodiments, the plurality of communications include
text communications and audio/video communications. In some
embodiments, the text communications include instant messages
and/or email messages. In some embodiments, the audio/video
communications include phone audio messages (sometimes called voice
messages or voice mail messages) and/or video messages.
[0133] In some embodiments, the plurality of communications include
a phone message, an instant message, and/or an email message. In
some embodiments, the plurality of communication modalities include
audio telephony, video telephony, instant messaging, and/or
email.
[0134] In some embodiments, interaction with the device by a user
is detected (804) while the device remains in the locked state.
[0135] In some embodiments, the display is a touch screen display
and detecting the interaction by the user with the device includes
detecting a contact by the user with the touch screen display. In
some embodiments, the contact is a finger contact (824, FIG. 8B).
In some embodiments, the contact is a stylus contact. Furthermore,
in some embodiments, the device is configured to ignore touch
screen contacts that are typically not indicative of user
interaction with the device. For example, a touch screen contact
that covers more than a predefined portion (e.g., 25, 30 or 50
percent) of the touch screen may be ignored by the device, because
such contact is indicative of the device being inside a carrying
case, or a user's pocket, or the like.
[0136] In some embodiments, in response to detecting the
interaction, notification information for each of the plurality of
communication modalities is displayed (806, FIG. 8A; 826 FIG. 8B)
on the display. Exemplary user interfaces with notification
information are shown in FIGS. 5A-5F.
[0137] In some embodiments, displaying notification information
comprises, in response to detecting the interaction, displaying
notification information on the display identifying communications
from a plurality of communication sources received via the
plurality of communication modalities (e.g., FIGS. 5A-5F).
[0138] In some embodiments, the notification information is
displayed as icons, wherein the icons are organized by
communication modality (e.g., FIGS. 5C, 5D, and 5F). In some
embodiments, a single icon is displayed for each communication
modality, wherein the single icon indicates the number of
communications received for the corresponding communication
modality while the device was in the locked state (e.g., FIG.
5D).
[0139] In some embodiments, for a respective communication
modality, a plurality of icons are displayed, each icon
corresponding to a single communication in the respective
communication modality (e.g., FIG. 5F). In some embodiments, for a
respective communication modality: a plurality of icons are
displayed, each icon corresponding to a single communication in the
respective communication modality (e.g., FIG. 5F for a respective
modality), up to a predetermined number of communications; and a
single icon is displayed for the respective communication modality
above the predetermined number (e.g., FIG. 5D for the respective
modality).
[0140] In some embodiments, the notification information is
displayed as icons, wherein the icons are organized by
communication source (e.g., FIG. 5B, where the sources are Percy
and Henry).
[0141] An unlock interaction by the user is detected (808, FIG. 8A;
828 FIG. 8B) on the device. An exemplary unlock interaction is
described above in the description for FIG. 3. In some embodiments,
detecting the unlock interaction includes detecting a finger
gesture on or near the touch screen display (828, FIG. 8B).
[0142] In response to detecting the unlock interaction, the device
is unlocked (810 FIG. 8A; 830 FIG. 8B)
[0143] In response to detecting the unlock interaction, a
communication in the plurality of communications that was received
while the device was in the locked state is presented or
information about the communication is presented (812, FIG. 8A; 832
FIG. 8B). The presented communication or information is presented
in accordance with the corresponding communication modality. For
example, for a missed call, information about the missed call is
presented in a missed call UI (e.g., UI 2800B, FIG. 6B) or a recent
calls UI (e.g., UI 2800A, FIG. 6A) in the phone application 138. As
another example, for a voicemail, the voicemail is presented (e.g.,
played) in a voicemail UI (e.g., UI 3200A, FIG. 7A) in the phone
application 138. Alternatively, for a voicemail, information about
the voice mail (e.g., the name 3210 of the person who left the
voicemail and the date/time 3212 of the voicemail, FIG. 7A) is
presented (e.g., displayed) in the voicemail UI (e.g., UI 3200A,
FIG. 7A). As another example, for an instant message, the instant
message is displayed in the instant messaging application 141. As
another example, for an email, the email is presented in the email
application 140. Alternatively, for an email, information about the
email is displayed in an inbox in the email application 140.
[0144] In some embodiments, the communication in the plurality of
communications (or information about the communication) that is
presented corresponds to the most recent communication received by
the device. In some embodiments, the communication in the plurality
of communications (or information about the communication) that is
presented corresponds to a communication selected by the user
(e.g., by a gesture on an icon corresponding to the communication
prior to the unlock interaction).
[0145] In some embodiments, the notification information is
displayed as icons and the unlock interaction is performed on one
of the icons (e.g., FIG. 5E). In some embodiments, the presented
communication or information is presented in an application
associated with the icon on which the unlock interaction is
performed. For example, in FIG. 5E, each notification icon 5302
includes an unlock image. Performing the unlock interaction on the
unlock image 302 in notification icon 5302S will unlock the device
and present the voicemail left by Bob in the phone voicemail
application. Similarly, in FIG. 5E, performing the unlock
interaction on the unlock image 302 in notification icon 5302T will
unlock the device and present the SMS left by Percy in the IM
application.
[0146] In some embodiments, the communication notification icon
5302 does not include an unlock image 302. In such embodiments, the
user may still perform an unlock gesture on the communication
notification icon 5302. The presented communication or information
may be presented in an application associated with the icon on
which the unlock interaction is performed.
[0147] For example, if a user performs an unlock gesture on
communication notification icon 5302U (FIG. 5F), then a recent
calls UI 2800A, as shown in FIG. 6A, may be displayed, showing the
recent call log in the phone application. The recent calls UI 2800A
presents information about the missed phone call communication
(e.g., "Bruce Walker (2) January 26 12:00 PM" in FIG. 6A).
Alternately, if a user performs an unlocking gesture on
communication notification icon 5302U (FIG. 5F), then a missed
calls UI 2800B, as shown in FIG. 6B, may be displayed, showing the
user's missed calls in the phone application. The missed calls UI
2800B presents information about the missed phone call
communication (e.g., "Bruce Walker (2) January 26 12:00 PM" in FIG.
6B).
[0148] As another example, if a user performs an unlocking gesture
on the communication notification icon 53025 (FIG. 5E) or on
communication notification icon 5302X (FIG. 5F), then voicemail UI
3200A in the phone application, as illustrated in FIG. 7A, may be
displayed. The voicemail UI 3200A presents information about the
voicemail communication (e.g., the name 3210 of the person who left
the voicemail and the date/time 3212 of the voicemail, FIG. 7A). If
the communication notification icon corresponds to a single
communication (e.g., a single voicemail), then the communication
may be presented in the application associated with the icon on
which the unlock interaction is performed (e.g., Bob's voicemail,
which corresponds to icon 5302S, may start playing in the voicemail
UI in the phone application when the device is unlocked). If the
communication notification icon corresponds to more than one
communication (e.g., two or more voicemails), then information
about the communications may be presented in the application
associated with the icon on which the unlock interaction is
performed (e.g., a voicemail UI that presents information about the
two or more voicemails may be shown when the device is
unlocked).
[0149] The above figures illustrate exemplary communication
notifications in accordance with some embodiments. In some
embodiments, other types of notifications may also be presented,
such as calendar event reminders showing missed appointments, alarm
clock alerts, stock price notifications, or other types of
user-specified event notifications.
[0150] The discussion below of FIGS. 6A-6D, 7A, and 7B provides
additional details of user interfaces in the phone application that
may appear when the device is unlocked. Additional details of other
user interfaces that may appear when the device is unlocked (e.g.,
user interfaces for instant messaging) are described in U.S.
Provisional Patent Application No. 60/879,469, filed Jan. 8, 2007,
entitled "Portable Multifunction Device," which is incorporated by
referenced herein in its entirety.
[0151] FIGS. 6A-6D illustrate an exemplary user interface for
displaying and managing recent calls in accordance with some
embodiments.
[0152] In some embodiments, in response to the user activating All
icon 2810, the touch screen displays a list of all recent calls
(e.g., UI 2800A, FIG. 6A). In some embodiments, in response to the
user activating Missed icon 2812, the touch screen displays a list
of recent missed calls (e.g., UI 2800B, FIG. 6B).
[0153] In some embodiments, each row in a list corresponds to a
call or a consecutive sequence of calls involving the same person
or the same number (without an intervening call involving another
person or another phone number). In some embodiments, each row
includes: the name 2802 of the other party (if available via the
contact module) or the phone number (if the name of the other party
is not available); the number 2804 of consecutive calls (in an
exemplary embodiment, number 2804 is not displayed if the number of
consecutive calls is equal to one); the date and/or time 2806 of
the last call; and an additional information icon 2808. In some
embodiments, in response to the user activating icon 2808 for a
particular row (e.g., by a finger tap on the icon), the touch
screen displays the corresponding contact list entry for the other
party (e.g., UI 2800C, FIG. 6C) or UI 2800D (FIG. 6D) if the phone
number cannot be associated with an entry in the user's contact
list. In some embodiments, in response to a user tap or other
predefined gesture elsewhere (i.e., a tap or gesture other than on
icon 2808) in a given row, the phone module dials the corresponding
phone number for that row.
[0154] In some embodiments, some rows may include icons indicating
whether the last call associated with the row was missed or
answered.
[0155] If the list of recent calls fills more than the screen area,
the user may scroll through the list using vertically upward and/or
vertically downward gestures 2814 on the touch screen.
[0156] In some embodiments, UI 2800C highlights (e.g., with color,
shading, and/or bolding) the phone number associated with the
recent call (e.g., the two recent incoming calls from Bruce Walker
in UI 2800A came from Bruce Walker's work number 2816). In some
embodiments, in response to a user tap or other predefined gesture
on the highlighted number 2816, the phone module dials the
highlighted number (e.g., 2816). In some embodiments, in response
to a user tap or other predefined gesture on another number in the
contact list entry (e.g., home number 2818), the phone module dials
the corresponding number. In some embodiments, in response to a
user tap or other predefined gesture on an email address in the
contact list entry (e.g., either work email 2820 or home email
2822), the mail module prepares an email message with the selected
email address, ready for text input by the user. Thus, by selecting
icon 2808, the user may then easily respond to a caller using the
same number involved in the previous call (e.g., 2816), another
number associated with the same caller (e.g., 2818), or another
mode of communication besides the phone (e.g., an email to the
caller's work 2820 or home 2822 email address).
[0157] In some embodiments, UI 2800D provides one or more options
for a user to make use of a phone number in a recent call that is
not associated with an entry in the user's contact list. In some
embodiments, in response to a tap or other predefined user gesture,
the device may: call the phone number (e.g., if the gesture is
applied to icon 2824); create a new contact with the phone number
(e.g., if the gesture is applied to icon 2826); add the phone
number to an existing contact (e.g., if the gesture is applied to
icon 2828); or check the call history associated with the number
(e.g., if the gesture is applied to icon 2830).
[0158] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate an exemplary user interface for
voicemail in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments,
user interfaces 3200A and 3200B include the following elements, or
a subset or superset thereof: [0159] 402, 404, and 406, as
described above; [0160] backup icon 3202 that when activated (e.g.,
by a finger tap on the icon) initiates a process that backs up and
replays the preceding few seconds of the voicemail message; [0161]
Progress bar 3204 that indicates what fraction of a voicemail
message has been played and that may be used to help scroll through
the message in response to a user gesture 3206; [0162] Speed up
icon 3208 that when activated (e.g., by a finger tap on the icon)
initiates a process that speeds up playback of the voicemail
message, which may also adjust the sound frequency or pitch of the
fast playback so that the words, although spoken quickly, are still
easy to understand: [0163] Names 3210 of the people (associated
with incoming phone numbers via the user's contact list) who have
left voicemail messages (e.g., Aaron Jones 3210-1) or the phone
number if the person's name is not available (e.g., 408-246-8101
3210-2); [0164] Date 3212 and/or time of the voicemail; [0165]
Additional information icon 3214 that when activated (e.g., by a
finger tap on the icon) initiates transition to the corresponding
contact list entry (e.g., UI 2800C, FIG. 6C) or to a UI for unknown
phone numbers (e.g., UI 2800D, FIG. 6D); [0166] Speaker icon 3216
that when activated (e.g., by a finger tap on the icon) initiates
playback of the voicemail through a speaker; [0167] Options icon
3218 that when activated (e.g., by a finger tap on the icon)
initiates display of a menu of additional voicemail options; [0168]
Pause icon 3220 that when activated (e.g., by a finger tap on the
icon) initiates pausing of the voicemail; [0169] Delete symbol icon
3222 that when activated (e.g., by a finger tap on the icon)
initiates display of a UI to confirm that the user wants to delete
the corresponding voicemail (e.g. UI 3200B, FIG. 7B). [0170] Cancel
icon 3226 that when activated (e.g., by a finger tap on the icon)
changes the display from UI 3200B to UI 3200A without deleting the
corresponding voicemail; [0171] Delete icon 3228 that when
activated (e.g., by a finger tap on the icon) deletes the
corresponding voicemail and changes the display from UI 3200B to UI
3200A; and [0172] Play icon 3230 that when activated (e.g., by a
finger tap on the icon) initiates or continues playback of the
voicemail.
[0173] If the list of voicemail messages fills more than the screen
area, the user may scroll through the list using vertically upward
and/or vertically downward gestures 3224 on the touch screen.
[0174] In some embodiments, in response to a user tap or other
predefined gesture in the row corresponding to a particular
voicemail message (but other than a tap or gesture on icon 3214),
the phone module initiates playback of the corresponding voicemail
message. Thus, there is random access to the voicemail messages and
the voicemail messages may be heard in any order.
[0175] In some embodiments, in response to a user gesture, the
playback position in the voicemail message can be modified. For
example, in response to the user's finger touching 3206 at or near
a currently playback position in the progress bar and then sliding
along the progress bar, the playback position may be altered to
correspond to the position of the user's finger along the progress
bar. This user gesture on the progress bar makes it easy for a user
to skip to and/or replay portions of interest in the voicemail
message.
[0176] The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has
been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the
illustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or
to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many
modifications and variations are possible in view of the above
teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to
best explain the principles of the invention and its practical
applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best
utilize the invention and various embodiments with various
modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
* * * * *