User inputs of a touch-sensitive device

Abstract

Various aspects of this disclosure are directed to displaying, by a touch-sensitive display of a computing device, at least one selectable object, and receiving, by the computing device, a user input comprising a gesture at a location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object. The computing device may determine a time duration of the gesture. When the time duration of the gesture is greater than or equal to a minimum timeout value and less than or equal to a maximum timeout value, the computing device may select as user input the at least one selectable object.

1 . A method comprising:
 displaying, by a touch-sensitive display of a computing device, at least one selectable object;   receiving, by the computing device, a user input comprising a gesture at a location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object;   determining, by the computing device, a time duration of the gesture; and   when the time duration of the gesture is greater than or equal to a minimum timeout value and less than or equal to a maximum timeout value, selecting as user input, by the computing device, the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 when the time duration is less than the minimum timeout value, refraining from selecting as user input, by the computing device, the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 when the time duration is greater than the maximum timeout value, refraining from selecting as user input, by the computing device, the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gesture comprises a motion of an input unit. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the time duration of the gesture comprises a time period from the start of the motion of the input unit to the end of the motion of the input unit. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gesture comprises a tap gesture including:
 touching, with an input unit, the touch-sensitive display at the location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object to select the at least one selectable object; and   releasing the at least one selectable object by removing the input unit from the touch-sensitive display.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein touching the touch-sensitive display at the location of the touch-sensitive display that displays that at least one selectable object starts the tap gesture, and wherein releasing the at least one selectable object by removing the input unit from the touch-sensitive display ends the tap gesture. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein a duration of the tap gesture comprises a time period from the start of the tap gesture to the end of the tap gesture. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gesture comprises a sliding gesture including:
 touching, with an input unit, the touch-sensitive display at the location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object to select the at least one selectable object; and   releasing the at least one selectable object by removing the input unit from the location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object and maintaining contact between the input unit and the touch-sensitive display.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein touching the touch-sensitive display at the location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object starts the sliding gesture, and wherein releasing the at least one selectable object by removing the input unit from the location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object and maintaining contact between the input unit and the touch-sensitive display ends the sliding gesture. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a duration of the sliding gesture comprises a time period from the start of the sliding gesture to the end of the sliding gesture. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one object is included in a graphical keyboard. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one object comprises at least one of a character key or a hyperlink. 
     
     
         14 . A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that cause one or more processors of a computing device to:
 display, by a touch-sensitive display of the computing device, at least one selectable object;   receive a user input comprising a gesture at a location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object;   determine a time duration of the gesture; and   when the time duration of the gesture is greater than or equal to a minimum timeout value and less than or equal to a maximum timeout value, select as user input the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         15 . A computing device, comprising:
 one or more processors;   a touch-sensitive display to display at least one selectable object and receive a user input comprising a gesture at a location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object; and   an application installed on the computing device and operable by the one or more processors to determine a time duration of the gesture, and when the time duration of the gesture is greater than or equal to a minimum timeout value and less than or equal to a maximum timeout value, select as user input the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 displaying, by a touch-sensitive display of a computing device, at least one selectable object;   receiving, by the computing device, a user input comprising a gesture at a location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object, wherein the gesture comprises motion of an input unit;   detecting, by the computing device, a surface area of a portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit;   detecting, by the computing device, a change in the surface area of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit; and   when the change in the surface area is greater than or equal to a minimum value and less than or equal to a maximum value, selecting as user input, by the computing device, the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 when the change in the surface area is less than the minimum value, refraining from selecting as user input, by the computing device, the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 when the change in the surface area is greater than the maximum value, refraining from selecting as user input, by the computing device, the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of the minimum value or maximum value comprises a surface area value. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving a radius of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit; and   determining the surface area of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit based on the radius.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein detecting the change in the surface area of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit further comprises determining a time duration of the change in the surface area. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein determining the time duration of the change in the surface area further comprises:
 determining a first time indicating a start of the change in the surface area;   determining a second time indicating an end of the change in the surface area; and   comparing the first time and the second time to determine the time duration.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 when the time duration of the change in the surface area of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit is greater than or equal to a minimum timeout value and less than or equal to a maximum timeout value, selecting as user input the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 when the time duration of the change in the surface area of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit is less than the minimum timeout value, refraining from selecting as user input the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 when the time duration of the change in the surface area of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit is greater than the maximum timeout value, refraining from selecting as user input the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein detecting the change in the surface area of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit comprises detecting an increase in the surface area of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit, and wherein the method further comprises:
 detecting a subsequent decrease in the surface area of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit.   
     
     
         27 . A computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that cause one or more processors of a computing device to:
 display, by a touch-sensitive display of the computing device, at least one selectable object;   receive a user input comprising a gesture at a location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object, wherein the gesture comprises motion of an input unit;   detect a surface area of a portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit;   detect a change in the surface area of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit; and   when the change in the surface area is greater than or equal to a minimum value and less than or equal to a maximum value, select as user input the at least one selectable object.   
     
     
         28 . A computing device, comprising:
 one or more processors;   a touch-sensitive display to display at least one selectable object and receive a user input comprising a gesture at a location of the touch-sensitive display that displays the at least one selectable object, wherein the gesture comprises motion of an input unit; and   an application installed on the computing device and operable by the one or more processors to detect a surface area of a portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit, detect a change in the surface area of the portion of the touch-sensitive display that is in contact with the input unit, and when the change in the surface area is greater than or equal to a minimum value and less than or equal to a maximum value, select as user input the at least one selectable object.