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 . An electronic device, comprising:
 a display capable of receiving an input via the display;   a touch-sensitive surface;   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 an application in a first mode, the application displayed with a first height while in the first mode; 
 while the application is displayed in the first mode, detecting a first input; 
 in response to detecting the first input:
 in accordance with a determination that the first input corresponds to a request to display the application in a second mode:
 displaying the application in a second mode by shifting display of the application, wherein in the second mode the application is displayed with a second height that is less than the first height; 
 
 
 while the application is displayed in the second mode and subsequent to detecting an end of the first input, detecting a second input on the touch-sensitive surface; and 
 in response to detecting the second input:
 in accordance with a determination that the second input is a navigation input detected on the touch-sensitive surface corresponding to a location on the display of the application, scrolling within the application without switching back to the first mode; and 
 in accordance with a determination that the second input is an input on the touch-sensitive surface corresponding to a location outside of the application on the display, switching from the second mode back to the first mode. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein in the first mode the application includes a graphical object located at a position on the display that corresponds to distance across the touch-sensitive surface greater than a predefined reach metric indicative that the graphical object is unreachable by a user's finger of a user's hand unless the electronic device is repositioned in the user's hand, and wherein in the second mode the graphical object is located at a position on the display that corresponds to a distance across the touch-sensitive surface less than the predefined reach metric indicative that the graphical object is reachable by the user's finger of the user's hand without the electronic device being repositioned in the user's hand. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the first mode comprises a full screen mode where the application occupies an entirety of the display excluding a region for a status bar of the electronic device and the application is displayed with the first height corresponding to a height of the display and a first width corresponding to a width of the display while in the full screen mode. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the first input comprises:
 detecting a contact on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a position on the display at a first position adjacent to a vertical edge of the display; and   detecting a continuous movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to a second position on the display adjacent to a horizontal edge of the display that intersects the vertical edge without the contact breaking contact with the touch-sensitive surface.   
     
     
         5 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the first input comprises:
 detecting a gesture on a button of the electronic device that corresponds to a request to display the application in the second mode, wherein a single press of the button is associated with performing a different function.   
     
     
         6 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 while in the second mode, detecting a repetition of the first input that corresponds to the request to display the application in the second mode; and   switching from the second mode back to the first mode in accordance with detecting the repetition of the first input while in the second mode.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the application in the second mode comprises:
 displaying a blank area in an area of the display adjacent to the application.   
     
     
         8 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the application in the second mode comprises:
 displaying a notification area of the display adjacent to an area displaying the application, the notification area including a user interface element associated with displaying a notification view including one or more notifications for the user;   detecting a contact on the touch-sensitive surface that corresponds to the user interface element;   detecting continuous movement of the contact moving the user interface element in a direction of the continuous movement, the continuous movement having a vertical component;   in accordance with detecting the vertical component is less than a threshold distance:
 determining a magnitude of the vertical component of the continuous movement; and 
 displaying a portion of the notification view in the notification area of the display adjacent to the area displaying the application in the second mode, wherein a height of the portion of the notification view is proportional to the determined magnitude of the vertical component; and 
   in accordance with the detecting the vertical component is greater than the threshold distance, displaying the notification view in its entirety.   
     
     
         9 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein displaying the application in the second mode comprises:
 while the application is displayed in the second mode, automatically displaying an image of a home screen view of the electronic device in an area of the display adjacent to the application.   
     
     
         10 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the first mode of the application includes a toolbar of the application displayed in an area of the display, the toolbar including a plurality of user interface elements each associated with a functionality of the application, and wherein displaying the application in the second mode comprises:
 determining a view of the application displayed in the first mode with the first height, the view including a first portion displaying content of the application and a second portion displaying the toolbar of the application; and   shifting the view of the application in a vertical direction until the view is displayed with the second height, the shifted view including the first portion displaying the content of the application and not including the second portion displaying the toolbar.   
     
     
         11 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the first mode of the application includes a toolbar of the application displayed in an area of the display, the toolbar including a plurality of user interface elements each associated with a functionality of the application, and wherein displaying the application in the second mode comprises:
 determining a first view of the application associated with the application in the first mode, the first view including a first portion displaying content of the application and a second portion displaying the toolbar of the application; and   determining a second view of the application associated with the application in the second mode, the second view including the first portion displaying content of the application resized in accordance with the second height and the second portion displaying the toolbar of the application resized in accordance with the second height.   
     
     
         12 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 while the application is displayed in the second mode, determining an amount of time since an input to the application was last received; and   in accordance with determining that the amount of time exceeds a threshold, automatically switching from the second mode back to the first mode.   
     
     
         13 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein, after entering the second mode and prior to detecting the second input while in the second mode, the electronic device uses a first time threshold to determine whether to automatically switch back to the first mode, and wherein the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 after detecting the second input, using a second time threshold, different from the first time threshold to determine whether to automatically switch back to the first mode.   
     
     
         14 . The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further including instructions for:
 receiving a request to prevent switching from the second mode back to the first mode,   locking the application in the second mode;   while the application is locked in the second mode, receiving an input to dismiss the application;   dismissing the application in accordance with the input to dismiss the application;   receiving an input to open the application; and   displaying the application in the second mode in accordance with the input to open the application.   
     
     
         15 . 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 and a touch-sensitive surface, the one or more programs including instructions for:
 displaying an application in a first mode, the application displayed with a first height while in the first mode;   while the application is displayed in the first mode, detecting a first input;   in response to detecting the first input:
 in accordance with a determination that the first input corresponds to a request to display the application in a second mode:
 displaying the application in a second mode by shifting display of the application, wherein in the second mode the application is displayed with a second height that is less than the first height; 
 
   while the application is displayed in the second mode and subsequent to detecting an end of the first input, detecting a second input on the touch-sensitive surface; and   in response to detecting the second input:
 in accordance with a determination that the second input is a navigation input detected on the touch-sensitive surface corresponding to a location on the display of the application, scrolling within the application without switching back to the first mode; and 
 in accordance with a determination that the second input is an input on the touch-sensitive surface corresponding to a location outside of the application on the display, switching from the second mode back to the first mode. 
   
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 at an electronic device with a display and a touch-sensitive surface:
 displaying an application in a first mode, the application displayed with a first height while in the first mode; 
 while the application is displayed in the first mode, detecting a first input; 
 in response to detecting the first input:
 in accordance with a determination that the first input corresponds to a request to display the application in a second mode:
 displaying the application in a second mode by shifting display of the application, wherein in the second mode the application is displayed with a second height that is less than the first height; 
 
 
 while the application is displayed in the second mode and subsequent to detecting an end of the first input, detecting a second input on the touch-sensitive surface; and 
 in response to detecting the second input:
 in accordance with a determination that the second input is a navigation input detected on the touch-sensitive surface corresponding to a location on the display of the application, scrolling within the application without switching back to the first mode; and 
 in accordance with a determination that the second input is an input on the touch-sensitive surface corresponding to a location outside of the application on the display, switching from the second mode back to the first mode.