Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a content information viewing mode in electronic devices. In an embodiment, in response to a gesture performed on an electronic touch sensitive device, a content icon may be moved from its original location and information about that item of digital content may be displayed to the user. The information may be displayed on the portion of the screen previously occupied by the content icon. Releasing contact with the touch screen allows the icon to return to its original location. Moving the content icon past a certain point, may allow the user to edit the newly displayed content information. An audio and/or visual indicator may be output by the electronic device alerting the user that the newly visible information may now be edited. Movement that extends further may indicate that icon movement is desired, not the information viewing/editing mode.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing active applications on a mobile computing device, referred to collectively herein as a manage active apps mode. The manage active apps mode may be invoked by shaking the device while pressing the device's power button (or while manipulating one or more other user interface control features). The device may include one or more accelerometers, for example, to detect when (and possibly how) the device is being shaken. When invoked, the manage active apps mode may be configured to perform the function of closing, stopping, force stopping, quitting, or deleting of one or more of the device's active applications, for example. In some cases, the mode function performed may be determined by the direction the device is being shaken, such as if the device is being shaken from side-to-side or up-and-down.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for interacting with a computing device using a stylus. The stylus is configured with a touch-sensitive control feature that can be activated to perform various actions while the stylus is touching or otherwise sufficiently proximate to a stylus detection surface of the device. The swipe function can be associated with a variety of tasks on the computing device such as: adjusting variables, executing a particular command, switching between tools, modifying a particular tool's settings, and launching an application. In some embodiments, the stylus-based touch-sensitive control feature is configured to allow for both forward and backward swiping actions, tapping actions, and various combinations of such touch-types on the touch-sensitive control feature to uniquely identify a corresponding function to be carried out on the computing device.

Abstract: A stylus-based data storage and access system is disclosed. In some example embodiments, a stylus configured as described herein includes storage for storing a user's access data, profile (e.g., device settings and preferences), and/or content and can wirelessly communicate with an electronic device that is paired therewith. Upon pairing, the user of the stylus can access his or her user data (stored locally on the stylus) and/or other data on the paired device or in the cloud. If desired, additional users having styluses of their own can use the same device in like fashion. Once a new user is logged into the device, any previous user can be logged out. A given user can utilize the user interface provided by the device to setup stylus-based access to the device by providing access information, which can be saved to the stylus. Subsequently, the user may review/alter that stylus-based information, as desired.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a duplicate content mode in touch sensitive computing devices. The duplicate content mode can be used to copy content or objects to a target location using a multiple contact point drag and drop gesture. For example, the duplicate content mode may be used to copy files from a first folder to a second folder. In some cases, the duplicate content mode drag and drop gesture is initiated using multiple contact points, such as two or more fingers, but may transition to a smaller number of contact points, such as one finger, once initiated. In some cases, the user may be able to select additional content after initiating the drag and drop gesture. Once the content has been copied to the target location, the user can then share or organize the content to the users liking.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a multidirectional swipe key for a virtual keyboard of a touch sensitive computing device. The multidirectional swipe key can be used to translate one or more swipe gestures started from the key into cursor movement (or directional input). The characteristics of the multidirectional swipe key gestures, such as the swipe direction and/or swipe length, may affect the resulting cursor movement (or directional input). The multidirectional swipe key may be configured such that held swipe gestures cause continual cursor movement (or directional input). The multidirectional swipe key may also be configured such that dragging the gesture to make a longer swipe accelerates cursor movement (or directional input) and vice versa.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a content selecting mode in electronic touch sensitive devices. The content may be, for instance, text, photos, and/or other consumable content. The user can engage the mode with a gesture that includes a combination of contact points on the touch sensitive surface that identifies the content selecting mode is desired. The combination may include, for example, a first contact point at a starting location in the content, and a second contact point at an end location in the content to be selected. Upon receiving the second contact point, the content between the first and second contact points is selected. The selection may be traverse section breaks, column breaks, and page breaks as needed, depending on the placement of the contact points. Intervening navigation gestures such as scrolling or paging swipes between the two contact points can be used to locate the desired end location.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a content selecting mode in electronic touch screen devices. The content may be, for instance, text, graphics, images, files, and/or other consumable content. The user can engage the mode with a combination of gestures and touch points on the touch screen. The combination may include, for example, multiple initial touch points within a given content block, followed by a dragging gesture that moves the touch points into or otherwise within the given content block, wherein the entire content block is then highlighted/selected. The initial touch points may touch, for instance, any piece of content within that block and the subsequent dragging gesture moves those initial touch points toward another piece of content within that block. As the drag continues into other blocks, so does selecting. The techniques can be used, for example, to select entire sentences or paragraphs or other content blocks.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for providing a content selecting mode in electronic touch screen devices. The content may be, for instance, text, graphics, images, files, and/or other consumable content. The user can engage the mode with a combination of gestures and touch points on the touch screen. The combination may include, for example, one or two initial touch points at a desired starting location of the target content, followed by a dragging gesture with two or more touch points moving from that location to the desired end location of the target content, wherein content between the starting and end locations is highlighted or otherwise selected. In one example case, if the initial touch includes multiple touch points then selecting of the target content may commence immediately, while a single initial touch point causes selecting to commence after a brief hold or the addition of another touch point at the starting location.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for recording secure notes from the lock screen of a computing device. A note recording user interface may be accessed from the lock screen to allow a user to leave a note, such as a text, video, audio, or drawn note, or some combination thereof. The notes left using the note recording user interface may be saved such that only the intended recipient can access them, for example, after unlocking the computing device, thereby preventing others from seeing previously saved notes. The secure note system may include a retrieve notes function that allows users and/or recipients to retrieve the recorded notes directly from the lock screen of the computing device used to record them. The secure note system may also be configured to send notifications to inform the recipient when a secure note has been recorded (e.g., email or text message including copy of note).

Abstract: A user interface is disclosed that is configured to provide a multi-user, multi-application experience for users of a given computing device, where each user account of the device is configurable with applications suitable for that user and each application has a usage timer associated therewith. Thus, each user may have access to applications that are different from another user of that device, and each user can be allocated application usage time independent from other users. The usage timers can be configured to reset once a usage period has lapsed. In some cases, the size of icons displayed for a given user account are automatically sized based on the age range of that user. A reward program may automatically increase the time allotted for given applications/content upon successful usage/consumption of educational applications/content. In a classroom/group setting, multiple computing devices may be simultaneously set into Kid Mode by a master computing device.