Bas Ording

How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works

Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.

How Touchscreens Understand Your Finger Swipes and Scrolls

This patent describes how touchscreens use smart rules, called heuristics, to figure out if your finger movement means scrolling up, moving around a map, or flipping to the next photo, especially by looking at how you start your swipe.

How Touchscreens Show and Snap Back When You Scroll Past an Edge

Apple's 2008 patent describes how a touchscreen device displays a blank area when a user scrolls past the edge of a document, then smoothly snaps the document back into place when the user lifts their finger.

How Phones Sense Your Finger Hovering Without Touching the Screen

This patent describes a system for electronic devices, like phones, to detect a finger hovering just above the screen, display a specific interactive element below it, and then let you control that element with gestures without ever making contact.

How the Apple Mac Dock Magnifies Icons

Apple's 1999 patent on the macOS Dock, which shrinks a row of app icons to save screen space and smoothly magnifies them as your mouse pointer glides over them.

How Multi-Touch Gestures Like Pinch-to-Zoom Work on Smartphones

Apple's patent on using two-finger gestures to manipulate images and objects on a touchscreen, allowing for smooth zooming and rotation even if you lift your fingers briefly.

How Smartphones Suggest and Correct Words While You Type

Apple's patent on a system that displays word suggestions above a touchscreen keyboard, allowing users to accept or reject them with simple taps or keystrokes.

How the iPhone's Jiggling App Icons Work

This patent describes the 'jiggle mode' on iPhones, where app icons shake to show they can be moved or deleted.

How Apple's Navigation Bar Manages App Screens

A method for navigating between different screens in a music app using a fixed bar that shows where you are, where you came from, and a shortcut to the player.

How Computers Automatically Manage Temporary Pop-up Windows

A method for computer systems to automatically display, fade out, and close temporary windows based on timers or system events without requiring user interaction.

How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works

Apple's 2011 patent describes a method for unlocking a touchscreen device by dragging a specific graphical icon from a starting point to a designated end point.