# US 2014/0194163 A1 · Fine-Tuning an Operation Based on Tapping > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194163 A1 - Document ID: US20140194163A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/734,852 - Filed: 2013-01-04 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-04 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Maxim Tsudik - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194163A1 ## CPC - G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures - G06F 1/1694: {the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer} - G06F 2200/1636: Sensing arrangement for detection of a tap gesture on the housing - G06F 2200/1637: Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A mobile device enables the performance of an operation, which can be performed with only coarse granularity using a touchscreen, to be performed with finer granularity in response to detection of stimulus via mechanisms other than the touchscreen. For example, the mobile device can use its sensors (e.g., accelerometer, gyroscope, etc.) to detect a tapping motion against a non-touchscreen surface of that mobile device. In response to detecting such physical interaction, the mobile device can perform the operation with a level of precision that cannot be achieved when the performance of the operation is attempted via interaction with the touchscreen. The level of granularity of performance can vary with the interaction's force. For example, a tap performed with lesser force can cause a displayed object to move one pixel, while a tap performed with greater force can cause that displayed object to move five pixels. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving tap input that is associated with a physical force applied to at least one side of a mobile device; determining a magnitude and direction of the tap input; controlling an operation on the mobile device at a first granularity that is based on the magnitude and direction of the tap input; wherein the operation is controllable, via input other than tap input, on the mobile device at a second granularity exceeds the first granularity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the operation is controllable at the second granularity using a touchscreen of the mobile device, but wherein the operation is not controllable at the first granularity using the touchscreen of the mobile device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the operation involves moving an object displayed by the mobile device from one position on the display to another position on the display. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the operation involves modifying a scope of currently selected data on the mobile device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the operation involves one of: modifying a user-specified image-clipping boundary, adjusting a volume setting, adjusting a brightness setting of a display, scrolling content presented on a display, changing a numerical value presented on a display, or selecting a temporal position within a playback of audio data or video data. ### Claim 6 A computer-readable memory comprising particular instructions that are executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the particular instructions comprising: instructions to cause an accelerometer of a mobile device to detect motion of the mobile device in a particular direction and at a particular velocity; and instructions to cause the one or more processors to control a first performance of an operation based on the particular direction and the particular velocity and with a first degree of precision; instructions to cause the one or more processor to detect user input through a touchscreen of the mobile device; and instructions to cause the one or more processors to control a second performance of the operation based on the user input and with a second degree of precision; wherein the maximum degree of precision with which the operation is controllable by user input detected through the touchscreen is less than the first degree of precision. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computer-readable memory of claim 6, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to control the first performance of the operation based on the particular direction and the particular velocity comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to move a displayed item in the particular direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The computer-readable memory of claim 6, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to control the first performance of the operation based on the particular direction and the particular velocity comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to move a displayed item by a single pixel. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The computer-readable memory of claim 6, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to control the first performance of the operation based on the particular direction and the particular velocity comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to move a currently user-selected item in the particular direction without moving any other items concurrently displayed with the currently user-selected item. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The computer-readable memory of claim 6, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to control the first performance of the operation based on the particular direction and the particular velocity comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to move a displayed item by a quantity of pixels that is based on the particular velocity. ### Claim 11 A computer-readable memory comprising particular instructions that are executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the particular instructions comprising: instructions to cause detection of contact against a non-display surface of a mobile device comprising a plurality of non-display surfaces; and instructions to cause the mobile device to control performance of an operation on the mobile device based on which particular non-display surface of the plurality of non-display surfaces was contacted and with a degree of precision that is undetectable by a touchscreen of the mobile device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the instructions to cause the mobile device to control performance of the operation on the mobile device based on which particular non-display surface of the plurality of non-display surfaces was contacted comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to modify a visual component of the performance of the operation based on which particular non-display surface of the plurality of non-display surfaces was contacted. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the performance of the operation is indicative of which of the particular non-display surfaces was contacted. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The computer-readable memory of claim 11, wherein the performance of the operation is indicative of a magnitude of a force with which the particular non-display surface was contacted. ### Claim 15 A computer-readable memory comprising particular instructions that are executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the particular instructions comprising: instructions to cause a computing device to detect contact that moves the computing device; and instructions to cause the one or more processors to detect a duration of the contact; and instructions to cause the one or more processors to control performance of an operation with a degree of precision that is based on the duration of the contact and the movement of the computing device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein instructions to cause the one or more processors to control performance of the operation with the degree of precision that is based on the duration of the contact and the movement of the computing device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to determine whether the duration is less than a specified threshold, and to perform the operation in response to a determination that the duration is less than the specified threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein instructions to cause the one or more processors to control performance of the operation with the degree of precision that is based on the duration of the contact and the movement of the computing device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to determine whether the duration is less than a specified threshold, and to modify a parameter with the degree of precision in response to a determination that the duration is less than the specified threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein instructions to cause the one or more processors to control performance of the operation with the degree of precision that is based on the duration of the contact and the movement of the computing device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to modify a user-specified image-clipping boundary with a degree of precision that is based on the movement of the computing device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein instructions to cause the one or more processors to control performance of the operation with the degree of precision that is based on the duration of the contact and the movement of the computing device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to adjust a volume setting of the computing device with a degree of precision that is based on the movement of the computing device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein instructions to cause the one or more processors to control performance of the operation with the degree of precision that is based on the duration of the contact and the movement of the computing device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to adjust a brightness setting of a display of the computing device with a degree of precision that is based on the movement of the computing device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein instructions to cause the one or more processors to control performance of the operation with the degree of precision that is based on the duration of the contact and the movement of the computing device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to scroll content presented on a display of the computing device with a degree of precision that is based on the movement of the computing device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein instructions to cause the one or more processors to control performance of the operation with the degree of precision that is based on the duration of the contact and the movement of the computing device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to increase or decrease a numerical value presented on a display of the computing device with a degree of precision that is based on the movement of the computing device. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The computer-readable memory of claim 15, wherein instructions to cause the one or more processors to control performance of the operation with the degree of precision that is based on the duration of the contact and the movement of the computing device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to select a temporal position within a playback of audio data or video data with a degree of precision that is based on the movement of the computing device. ### Claim 24 A mobile device comprising: means for detecting a user tap against a part of the mobile device other than a touchscreen of the mobile device; means for detecting a magnitude of a force with which the user tap was administered; and means for controlling performance of an operation by the mobile device with a degree of precision that is based on the magnitude. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The mobile device of claim 24, further comprising: means for detecting a direction of the user tap; and means for controlling performance of the operation by the mobile device based on the direction.