Apparatus and Method for Influencing Application Window Functionality Based on Characteristics of Touch Initiated User Interface Manipulations

A user interface, comprising:

• a touch sensitive screen;
• a touch detection module coupled to the touch sensitive screen and configured to detect a touch applied to the touch sensitive screen and determine a location of the touch the touch sensitive screen, the touch detection module configured to detect a first long tap within an application window of the touch sensitive screen having a first predetermined duration and detect, at a touch sensitive screen location other than a location within the application window, a second long tap having a second predetermined duration;
• and
• a processor coupled to the user interface and the touch detection module, the processor configured to:
• display a plurality of touch activatable items associated with a processor controlled application in a predetermined manner within the application window;
• activate, in response to the touch detection module detecting the first long tap, a first mode of the application window that enables a first type of behavior of one or more of the touch activatable items;
• and
• activate, in response to the touch detection module detecting the second long tap, a second mode that influences behavior of one or more of the touch activatable items within the application window.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for presenting an application window on a touch sensitive screen, the application window configured to facilitate user interaction with an application and with a plurality of touch activatable items displayable in a predetermined manner within the application window;
• means for detecting a first long tap having a first predetermined duration within the application window;
• means for invoking, in response to detecting the first long tap, a first mode of the application window that enables a first type of behavior of one or more of the touch activatable items;
• means for detecting, at a touch sensitive screen location other than a location within the application window, a second long tap having a second predetermined duration;
• and means for invoking, in response to the second long tap, a second mode that influences behavior of one or more of the touch activatable items within the application window.

A computer-readable storage medium having instructions executable by a processor for performing steps comprising:

• presenting an application window on a touch sensitive screen provided on a mobile device, the application window configured to facilitate user interaction with an application and with a plurality of touch activatable items displayable in a predetermined manner within the application window;
• detecting a first long tap having a first predetermined duration within the application window;
• invoking, in response to detecting the first long tap, a first mode of the application window that enables a first type of behavior of one or more of the touch activatable items;
• detecting, at a touch sensitive screen location other than a location within the application window, a second long tap having a second predetermined duration;
• and
• invoking, in response to the second long tap, a second mode that influences behavior of one or more of the touch activatable items within the application window.