Apple's Patent Covers Virtual Knobs & Multi-Modal Inputs

The first patent application in this report relates to user interfaces and more specifically to making touch-based interfaces more user friendly. In particular, the invention relates to a system configured to practice a user interface element such as a virtual on-screen knob. Yet in the bigger picture, the input could be a touch, a tap, a swipe, a multi-finger gesture, a flick, a drag, and/or a press-and-hold, for example.

The system matches the input to an input category selected from a group of predefined input categories for the user interface element. The input could also be multi-modal, such as a combination of a touch gesture and a speech command. In this scenario, the system could match only a portion, such as the touch gesture, of the multi-modal input to the input category.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 illustrates an example mobile device 200, such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer, with a touch-screen interface 202 and exemplary virtual knobs 204, 206, 208, 210, 212 on the touch-screen interface. The knobs could be images, three-dimensional representations or approximations of real knobs, simple geometric shapes, and/or any other graphical representation.

Apple's patent FIG. 3 illustrates a rotational gesture in relation to a virtual knob; FIG. 4 illustrates horizontal and vertical gestures in relation to a virtual knob; FIG. 5 illustrates point gestures in relation to a virtual knob; FIG. 6 illustrates a multi-finger rotational gesture in relation to a virtual knob; FIG. 7 illustrates a multi-finger directional gesture in relation to a virtual knob; FIG. 8 illustrates pinch and zoom gestures in relation to a virtual knob; and FIG. 9 illustrates a menu gesture in relation to a virtual knob.

Apple's patent application was originally filed in Q1 2011 by inventors Gerhard Lengeling and Marko Junghanns and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

A Tiny Peek into a Future Version of GarageBand

The second patent application covered in this report somewhat relates to the previous patent. In this application, Apple appears to provide us with a tiny peek into a future version of GarageBand which covers a virtual sustain pedal, dial or lock and sliders. The virtual knob presented as element # 210 in the previous patent figure shows up again in this current application.

Apple's patent FIG. 6 illustrates an example application 602 on a touch-screen mobile device such as an iPad, smartphone, or desktop computer, integrating a virtual sustain pedal 604. The example application presents a piano keyboard for producing audio output, and a slider as a virtual sustain pedal for the user to toggle and lock or temporarily toggle the sustain pedal functionality.

In place of or in conjunction with the piano keyboard, the application (GarageBand) could provide any other on-screen input, such as an on-screen guitar or a virtual on-screen Theremin.

According to Apple, two devices could communicate with each in a wired or wireless manner, such as via a USB cable, near-field communications, Bluetooth, ZigBee, 802.11x WiFi, or other IP-based communication mechanism.

Yet another GarageBand related patent application was published by the U.S. Patent Office today which covers different modes of touch gesturing in context with iPad's version of GarageBand. For more on this, see "Electronic Percussion Gestures for Touchscreens."

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