Abstract: A device, which may have a touchscreen display, and methods for its operation are provided using a graphical user interface and an overlay user input interface such as a virtual keyboard. The graphical user interface may include one or more user interface elements displayed in a first region of the display that are actuatable to invoke a corresponding function. When the virtual keyboard is invoked for display in the same region, the underlying graphical user interface is redrawn with a further user interface element corresponding to at least one of the user interface elements previously displayed in the first region, so that the further user interface element is actuatable to invoke a command to carry out the corresponding function. In another embodiment, the virtual keyboard may be modified instead to provide an action key corresponding to a function related to an application executing on the device.

Abstract: A device, which may have a touchscreen display, and methods for its operation are provided using a graphical user interface and an overlay user input interface such as a virtual keyboard. The graphical user interface may include one or more user interface elements displayed in a first region of the display that are actuatable to invoke a corresponding function. When the virtual keyboard is invoked for display in the same region, the underlying graphical user interface is redrawn with a further user interface element corresponding to at least one of the user interface elements previously displayed in the first region, so that the further user interface element is actuatable to invoke a command to carry out the corresponding function. In another embodiment, the virtual keyboard may be modified instead to provide an action key corresponding to a function related to an application executing on the device.

Abstract: An identifier is displayed on a touch-sensitive display of a portable electronic device. When the touch-sensitive display detects a touch, a size of a contact area is determined. The identifier displayed on the touch-sensitive display is dynamically sized based on the size of the contact area.

Abstract: A mobile electronic device and an associated method provide for the outputting on a touch sensitive display or other display a content page plus an activity bar having one or more shortcut objects that relate to the subject matter of the content page. As different content pages are output, corresponding activity bars are also output, with each activity bar typically including one or more shortcut objects that relate to the subject matter of the content page that is being output.

Abstract: A free-flowing user interface for a touchscreen device of a mobile electronic device provides touch-sensitive application icons and a touch-sensitive hotspot having an optional activation radius surrounding the hotspot. A user can launch a selected application by touching the hotspot and then touching and dragging the application icon corresponding to the selected application onto the hotspot or at least partially into the activation radius surrounding the hotspot. Alternatively, an application can be launched by dragging the hotspot and its surrounding activation zone such that the hotspot or activation zone at least partially overlaps the application icon of the application to be launched. The free-flowing interface can be optionally enhanced by displacing icons onscreen, when dragged or when collisions occur between icons, based on at least one of a virtual inertia parameter, a virtual friction parameter and a virtual collision-elasticity parameter to create more realistic onscreen motion for the icons.