Greg Christie

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 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 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 Smartphones Let You Rearrange and Organize Your Home Screen Icons

Apple's patent describes the specific software logic used to let users drag, drop, and rearrange app icons on a touchscreen by entering a special 'jiggle' mode.

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.