System for managing data objects

• US 10,055,089 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tessera Advanced Technologies Inc (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tessera Advanced Technologies Inc (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Sciammarella, Eduardo Agusto, Hayashi, Masakazu, Imamura, Makoto, Kuninori, Masato, Oba, Haruo, Rekimoto, Junichi, Agata, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shih, Haoshian
• Application Number:
  US15/191,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20160334965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/904 Browsing; Visualisation therefor for navigating the web G06F16/954; browsing optimisation for the web G06F16/957
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A device for managing image and audio files displays thumbnails, which are representative of the files, on a screen in different arrangements, depending on the selected layout and order. When the user enters input to indicates that he or she wishes to browse through the thumbnails, the thumbnails move across the screen in sequence, following a path through a focus outline in the center of the screen. The path followed by the thumbnails depends on the selected layout.

Claims

1. A device for managing visual items that represent content files, each content file having a respective file name associated therewith, the device comprising:

a program processor;

a display;

a selection module which, when executed by the program processor, receives selection of a particular visual item from among a plurality of visual items displayed within a non-linear arrangement on the display, each of the plurality of visual items displayed at a respective position within the non-linear arrangement;

wherein the selecting of the particular visual item from among the plurality of visual items indicates that the particular visual item is selected to be re-positioned from an out-of-focus position within the non-linear arrangement to an in-focus position within the non-linear arrangement; and

wherein the out-of-focus position and the in-focus position are not adjacent to each other; and

a movement module which, when executed by the program processor, responds to the selection of the particular visual item by automatically causing the plurality of visual items to shift positions within the non-linear arrangement, without changing positions relative to each other, until the particular visual item is in the in-focus position.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a control module which, when executed by the program processor, allows, in response to detecting that the particular visual item is in the in-focus position, performing one or more operations on the content file corresponding to the particular visual item.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the control module further causes playing, in response to detecting that the particular visual item is in the in-focus position, content included in the content file corresponding to the particular visual item.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the control module further causes displaying, during playing of the content corresponding to the particular visual item, the particular visual item as larger than other visual items from among the plurality of visual items in the non-linear arrangement.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the content file corresponding to the particular visual item from among the plurality of visual items comprises an audio file.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the content file corresponding to the particular visual item from among the plurality of visual items comprises an image file.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the content file corresponding to the particular visual item from among the plurality of visual items depicts an album jacket image for a musical album.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of visual items partially overlaps its adjacent visual items in the non-linear arrangement.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein a file name associated with the particular visual item is displayed adjacent to the in-focus position.

10. A method for managing visual items that represent content files, each content file having a respective file name associated therewith, the method comprising:

selecting a particular visual item from among a plurality of visual items displayed within a non-linear arrangement, each of the plurality of visual items displayed at a respective position within the non-linear arrangement;

wherein the selecting of the particular visual item from among the plurality of visual items indicates that the particular visual item is selected to be re-positioned from an out-of-focus position within the non-linear arrangement to an in-focus position within the non-linear arrangement; and

wherein the out-of-focus position and the in-focus position are not adjacent to each other; and

in response to selecting the particular visual item, automatically causing the plurality of visual items to shift positions within the non-linear arrangement without changing positions relative to each other until the particular visual item is in the in-focus position.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to detecting that the particular visual item is in the in-focus position, performing one or more operations on the content file corresponding to the particular visual item.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to detecting that the particular visual item is in the in-focus position, playing content included in the content file corresponding to the particular visual item.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, during playing of the content corresponding to the particular visual item, the particular visual item is displayed as larger than other visual items from among the plurality of visual items in the non-linear arrangement.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the content file corresponding to the particular visual item from among the plurality of visual items comprises an audio file.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the content file corresponding to the particular visual item from among the plurality of visual items comprises an image file.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more instructions for managing visual items that represent content files, each content file having a respective file name associated therewith, the one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:

selecting a particular visual item from among a plurality of visual items displayed within a non-linear arrangement, each of the plurality of visual items displayed at a respective position within the non-linear arrangement;

wherein the selecting of the particular visual item from among the plurality of visual items indicates that the particular visual item is selected to be re-positioned from an out-of-focus position within the non-linear arrangement to an in-focus position within the non-linear arrangement; and

wherein the out-of-focus position and the in-focus position are not adjacent to each other; and

in response to selecting the particular visual item, automatically causing the plurality of visual items to shift positions within the non-linear arrangement without changing positions relative to each other until the particular visual item is in the in-focus position.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, storing additional instructions which, when executed, cause:

in response to detecting that the particular visual item is in the in-focus position, performing one or more operations on the content file corresponding to the particular visual item.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, storing additional instructions which, when executed, cause:

in response to detecting that the particular visual item is in the in-focus position, playing content included in the content file corresponding to the particular visual item.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, storing additional instructions which, when executed, cause:

displaying, during playing of the content corresponding to the particular visual item, the particular visual item as larger than other visual items from among the plurality of visual items in the non-linear arrangement.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the content file corresponding to the particular visual item from among the plurality of visual items comprises an audio file.