Enhanced accessibility in portable multifunction devices

Abstract

A method, an application launcher, an operating system and a portable multifunction device, in which a long touch of a touch-sensitive display causes the portable multifunction device to (a) briefly vibrate, thereby signaling to the user that the continuous touch has been recognized by the portable multifunction device, and (b) perform an action in a GUI of the portable multifunction device, based on a location of the long touch.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An operating system for a portable multifunction device, the operating system comprised in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by at least one hardware processor of the portable multifunction device for:
 listening for an attempt of an operating system of the portable multifunction device to invoke a click event, wherein the attempt to invoke the click event is caused by a user touching a location on a touch-sensitive display of the portable multifunction device;   temporarily blocking the invocation attempt of the click event;   if, during a predefined period of initiating the temporary blocking, a finger up event is invoked by the operating system, permanently blocking the invocation of the click event, wherein the finger up event indicates that the user ceased to touch the touch-sensitive display;   if, during the entirety of the predefined period, a finger up event has not been invoked by the operating system, then:
 (a) if the user is presently touching the same location on the touch-sensitive display: (i) causing the portable multifunction device to vibrate for 300 ms or less, thereby signaling to the user that the touch has been recognized by the portable multifunction device, and (ii) performing an action in a GUI of the operating system, based on the location of the touch, 
 (b) if the user is presently touching a different location on the touch-sensitive display, permanently blocking the invocation attempt. 
   
     
     
         2 . The operating system of  claim 1 , wherein the operating system is Android, and: (i) the click event is provided by View.OnClickListener, (ii) the finger up event is provided by view.MotionEvent, (iii) the method further comprises utilizing view.MotionEvent for determining if the user is presently touching the same location or a different location on the touch-sensitive display. 
     
     
         3 . The operating system of  claim 1 , wherein the operating system is Android operating in accessibility mode, and: (i) the click event is provided by TYPE_VIEW_HOVER_ENTER, (ii) the finger up event is provided by TYPE_VIEW_HOVER_EXIT, (iii) the method further comprises utilizing View.onTouchEvent(MotionEvent) for determining if the user is presently touching the same location or a different location on the touch-sensitive display. 
     
     
         4 . The operating system of  claim 1 , wherein the predefined period is between 250 and 750 ms. 
     
     
         5 . The operating system according to  claim 1 , wherein the causing of the portable multifunction device to vibrate is for 150 ms or less. 
     
     
         6 . A portable multifunction device comprising:
 a touch-sensitive display;   a vibrator;   at least one CPU (Central Processing Unit); and   a non-transitory memory device having program code of an operating system embodied therewith, the program code executable by said at least one CPU for:   listening for an attempt of an operating system of the portable multifunction device to invoke a click event, wherein the attempt to invoke the click event is caused by a user touching a location on a touch-sensitive display of the portable multifunction device;   temporarily blocking the invocation attempt of the click event;   if, during a predefined period of initiating the temporary blocking, a finger up event is invoked by the operating system, permanently blocking the invocation of the click event, wherein the finger up event indicates that the user ceased to touch the touch-sensitive display;   if, during the entirety of the predefined period, a finger up event has not been invoked by the operating system, then:
 (a) if the user is presently touching the same location on the touch-sensitive display: (i) causing the portable multifunction device to vibrate for 300 ms or less, thereby signaling to the user that the touch has been recognized by the portable multifunction device, and (ii) performing an action in a GUI of the operating system, based on the location of the touch, 
 (b) if the user is presently touching a different location on the touch-sensitive display, permanently blocking the invocation attempt. 
   
     
     
         7 . The portable multifunction device according to  claim 6 , wherein the operating system is Android, and: (i) the click event is provided by View.OnClickListener, (ii) the finger up event is provided by view.MotionEvent, (iii) the method further comprises utilizing view.MotionEvent for determining if the user is presently touching the same location or a different location on the touch-sensitive display. 
     
     
         8 . The portable multifunction device according to  claim 6 , wherein the operating system is Android operating in accessibility mode, and: (i) the click event is provided by TYPE_VIEW_HOVER_ENTER, (ii) the finger up event is provided by TYPE_VIEW_HOVER_EXIT, (iii) the method further comprises utilizing View.onTouchEvent(MotionEvent) for determining if the user is presently touching the same location or a different location on the touch-sensitive display. 
     
     
         9 . The portable multifunction device of  claim 6 , wherein the predefined period is between 250 and 750 ms. 
     
     
         10 . The portable multifunction device of  claim 6 , wherein the causing of the portable multifunction device to vibrate is for 150 ms or less.