Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a patent application from Apple that relates to electronic devices with displays and touch-sensitive input regions, including but not limited to electronic devices with displays and touch-sensitive input regions at edges and/or corners of the devices.

Apple notes that many electronic devices rely on fixed position buttons, such as mechanical home buttons, volume buttons, and power buttons. However mechanical buttons require user inputs to be at fixed positions and provide little, if any, feedback to a user.

Some devices have solid-state buttons on the front side of the devices to replace the mechanical buttons. However, the solid-state buttons also take up valuable space on the display side of the device, reducing available display area for visual information on a portable electronic device.

Accordingly, there is a need for electronic devices with improved methods and interfaces for facilitating interactions and providing visual, haptic, and/or audio feedback during user interactions, which make the human-machine interface and manipulation of user interfaces more efficient and intuitive for a user.

There is also a need for electronic devices with improved methods and interfaces for providing additional functionality without cluttering up the display with more virtual controls or crowding the surface of the device with more hardware controls. Such methods and interfaces optionally complement or replace conventional methods for providing function controls and providing feedback during interaction with a device.

Such methods and interfaces reduce the number and extent of the inputs required from a user by helping the user to understand the connection between provided inputs and device responses to the inputs and reducing user input mistakes, thereby creating a more efficient human-machine interface.

The above deficiencies and other problems associated with user interfaces for electronic devices are reduced or eliminated by the disclosed devices, which include one or more input regions (e.g., surfaces located on edges and/or peripheral sides of the device). 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 is a personal electronic device (e.g., a wearable electronic device, such as a watch). 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 accordance with some embodiments, a method is performed at an electronic device with a display. The method includes detecting a first input along an edge of the electronic device. The method also includes, in response to detecting the first input and in accordance with a determination that the first input meets one or more criteria and is detected at a first input location, displaying a control user interface at a first display location on the display that corresponds to the first input location.

The method further includes, in response to detecting the first input and in accordance with a determination that the first input meets the one or more criteria and is detected at a second input location that is different from the first input location, displaying the control user interface at a second display location on the display that corresponds to the second input location, the second display location being different than the first display location.

The method further includes, while the control user interface is displayed, detecting a second touch input; and, in response to detecting the second input, adjusting a parameter for a function represented in the control user interface in accordance with the second input.

In Apple’s patent FIGS. 5C-D below we see physical indicator #504 is a textured surface with one or more bumps and/or indentations. In some embodiments, physical indicator is a physically-distinguished portion of the housing of multifunction device. In some embodiments, physical indicator is a textured surface.  

Apple’s patent FIGS. 5G-H below shows user input 530 (e.g., a double tap input) at an edge of multifunction device (iPhone #100) corresponding to input location #524. FIG. 5H illustrates a transition from FIG. 5G. FIG. 5H shows the multifunction device with menu #532 displayed on touch screen #112. The menu in FIG. 5H is displayed in response to user input #530 in FIG. 5G. The menu is displayed at a location in FIG. 5H that is adjacent to input location #524 in FIG. 5G.

The menu in FIG. 5H includes selectable option #534 (e.g., an option to lock the device), selectable option #536 (e.g., an option to use a payment function of the device), selectable option #538 (e.g., an option to turn off the device), and selectable option #540 (e.g., an option to turn on/off the Do Not Disturb mode of the device).

Apple’s patent FIG. 5AG above shows the multifunction device displaying a media playback interface #5108 on the touch screen. FIG. 5AG further shows user input 5106 (e.g., a light press input) at an edge of the multifunction device (e.g., a left edge) corresponding to input location #506. FIG. 5AH illustrates a transition from FIG. 5AG.

FIG. 5AH above shows the multifunction device with volume control element #510 displayed at display location #510-a on the touch screen. The volume control element in FIG. 5AH is displayed in response to user input #5106 in FIG. 5AG. Display location 510-a in FIG. 5AH is adjacent to input location 506 in FIG. 5AG.

FIG. 5AI above shows the multifunction device displaying a device lock indicator #5112 on the touch screen. FIG. 5AI further shows user input #5114 (e.g., a light press input) at an edge of the multifunction device (e.g., a left edge) corresponding to input location #506.

The last three images in the graphic series above shows 8H-J which represent an Apple Watch at various stages of charging. Each phase, with the larger charging bars, the bars change colors from red to blue etc. to assist the user in understanding what phase of charging the watch is in.  

Mystery Device(s) with Multiple Displays

Lastly, Apple provides us with a series of 3D-like devices below with 3D interfaces that could be set on edges or corner of bent display(s). Apple never clearly identifies what this or these devices are.

It should be noted that one of Apple’s engineers on this patent spent 4 years at Volkswagen Group of America. So the mystery device(s) could be in context with a 3D display on a vehicle. Of course, that’s a shot in the dark, so we have to keep an open mind as to what these 3D displays could actually relate to.

Apple’s patent FIG. 6O below shows control element #654 displayed at position #654-a with media playback portion #655 on display #602 and volume control portion #660 on display #606. FIG. 6O further shows user input #686 detected at position #686-a corresponding to control element #654 and moving to position #686-b (e.g., a swipe or drag gesture).

Apple’s patent application was filed in February 2024 and published today, September 05, 2024.