User interfaces for improving single-handed operation of devices

Abstract

The embodiments herein describe a mode of applications on the portable electronic device that improves single-handed operation of the devices. For example, the embodiments herein describe an ergonomic mode of an application that displays the graphical user interface (GUI) of the application in a bottom area of the display screen of the electronic device to allow the user to more easily interact with objects. The embodiments herein also describe an ergonomic mode of a keyboard displayed on the display screen of the portable electronic device. During the ergonomic mode of the keyboard, the keyboard is shifted towards a vertical edge of the display screen to allow a user to more easily reach keys of the keyboard that were previously unreachable without the user switching to two handed operation of the device or repositioning the electronic device in the user's hand.

1 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a display capable of receiving an input via the display, the one or more programs including instructions for:
 displaying a view of a first application:   displaying a keyboard including a first set of keys while displaying the first application, the first set of keys displayed at a first position on the display;   detecting, at the display, a set of inputs; and   responsive to the detection, resizing and shifting the first set of keys to a second position on the display without shifting the view of the application.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 switching from displaying the view of the first application to displaying a view of a second application; and   displaying the keyboard including the first set of keys while displaying the view of the second application, wherein the first set of keys is automatically resized and displayed at the second position on the display.   
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 while the first set of keys is displayed at the second position, determining an amount of time elapsed since an input to the first application was last received;   in accordance with determining that the elapsed time exceeds a threshold, shifting the first set of keys back to the first position and resizing the first set of keys back to an initial size of the first set of keys prior to the first set of keys being resized and shifted to the second position.   
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 displaying a second set of keys in a portion of the display previously displaying a portion of the first set of keys responsive to the detection of the set of inputs.   
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , wherein the set of inputs are on a portion of the keyboard and the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 detecting a gesture on the view of the first application; and   responsive to detecting the gesture on the view of the first application, scrolling through the view of the first application.   
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 after resizing and shifting the first set of keys while displaying the first application, switching from the first application to a second application;   while displaying the second application, receiving a request to display the keyboard; and in response to receiving the request to display the keyboard, displaying the keyboard with the first set of keys resized and shifted.   
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 4 , wherein the second set of keys includes a plurality of foreign language keyboard keys, each foreign language keyboard key associated with displaying a corresponding foreign language keyboard. 
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 detecting a plurality of incorrect selections of one or more keys from the first set of keys; and   automatically resizing and shifting the first set of keys in a direction based at least in part on a directional bias of the plurality of incorrect selections.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 4 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 detecting that the electronic device is in an orientation associated with a landscape mode; and   in response to detecting that the electronic device is in an orientation associated with a landscape mode, displaying the keyboard in the landscape mode, the landscape mode of the keyboard including the first set of keys substantially centered on the display and a first portion of the second set of keys displayed to a first side of the first set of keys.   
     
     
         10 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a display capable of receiving an input via the display;   one or more processors; and   memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
 displaying a view of a first application; 
 displaying a keyboard including a first set of keys while displaying the first application, the first set of keys displayed at a first position on the display; 
 detecting, at the display, a set of inputs; and 
 responsive to the detection, resizing and shifting the first set of keys to a second position on the display without shifting the view of the application. 
   
     
     
         11 . The electronic device of  claim 10 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 switching from displaying the view of the first application to displaying a view of a second application; and   displaying the keyboard including the first set of keys while displaying the view of the second application, wherein the first set of keys is automatically resized and displayed at the second position on the display.   
     
     
         12 . The electronic device of  claim 10 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 while the first set of keys is displayed at the second position, determining an amount of time elapsed since an input to the first application was last received;   in accordance with determining that the elapsed time exceeds a threshold, shifting the first set of keys back to the first position and resizing the first set of keys back to an initial size of the first set of keys prior to the first set of keys being resized and shifted to the second position.   
     
     
         13 . The electronic device of  claim 10 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 displaying a second set of keys in a portion of the display previously displaying a portion of the first set of keys responsive to the detection of the set of inputs.   
     
     
         14 . The electronic device of  claim 10 , wherein the set of inputs are on a portion of the keyboard and the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 detecting a gesture on the view of the first application; and   responsive to detecting the gesture on the view of the first application, scrolling through the view of the first application.   
     
     
         15 . The electronic device of  claim 10 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 after resizing and shifting the first set of keys while displaying the first application, switching from the first application to a second application;   while displaying the second application, receiving a request to display the keyboard; and in response to receiving the request to display the keyboard, displaying the keyboard with the first set of keys resized and shifted.   
     
     
         16 . The electronic device of  claim 13 , wherein the second set of keys includes a plurality of foreign language keyboard keys, each foreign language keyboard key associated with displaying a corresponding foreign language keyboard. 
     
     
         17 . The electronic device of  claim 10 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 detecting a plurality of incorrect selections of one or more keys from the first set of keys; and   automatically resizing and shifting the first set of keys in a direction based at least in part on a directional bias of the plurality of incorrect selections.   
     
     
         18 . The electronic device of  claim 13 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 detecting that the electronic device is in an orientation associated with a landscape mode; and   in response to detecting that the electronic device is in an orientation associated with a landscape mode, displaying the keyboard in the landscape mode, the landscape mode of the keyboard including the first set of keys substantially centered on the display and a first portion of the second set of keys displayed to a first side of the first set of keys.   
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 at an electronic device with a display capable of receiving an input via the display: displaying a view of a first application;   displaying a keyboard including a first set of keys while displaying the first application, the first set of keys displayed at a first position on the display;   detecting, at the display, a set of inputs; and   responsive to the detection, resizing and shifting the first set of keys to a second position on the display without shifting the view of the application.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 switching from displaying the view of the first application to displaying a view of a second application; and   displaying the keyboard including the first set of keys while displaying the view of the second application, wherein the first set of keys is automatically resized and displayed at the second position on the display.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 while the first set of keys is displayed at the second position, determining an amount of time elapsed since an input to the first application was last received;   in accordance with determining that the elapsed time exceeds a threshold, shifting the first set of keys back to the first position and resizing the first set of keys back to an initial size of the first set of keys prior to the first set of keys being resized and shifted to the second position.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 displaying a second set of keys in a portion of the display previously displaying a portion of the first set of keys responsive to the detection of the set of inputs.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the set of inputs are on a portion of the keyboard and the method further comprising:
 detecting a gesture on the view of the first application; and   responsive to detecting the gesture on the view of the first application, scrolling through the view of the first application.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 after resizing and shifting the first set of keys while displaying the first application, switching from the first application to a second application;   while displaying the second application, receiving a request to display the keyboard; and in response to receiving the request to display the keyboard, displaying the keyboard with the first set of keys resized and shifted.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the second set of keys includes a plurality of foreign language keyboard keys, each foreign language keyboard key associated with displaying a corresponding foreign language keyboard. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 detecting a plurality of incorrect selections of one or more keys from the first set of keys; and   automatically resizing and shifting the first set of keys in a direction based at least in part on a directional bias of the plurality of incorrect selections.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 detecting that the electronic device is in an orientation associated with a landscape mode; and   in response to detecting that the electronic device is in an orientation associated with a landscape mode, displaying the keyboard in the landscape mode, the landscape mode of the keyboard including the first set of keys substantially centered on the display and a first portion of the second set of keys displayed to a first side of the first set of keys.