Interactive user interface including layered sub-pages

• US 10,114,540 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2014
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Elings, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Shiberou, Mahelet
• Application Number:
  US14/303,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20140372922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a user interface that includes a top page having an x-axis and a y-axis that extend at least partially along horizontal and vertical directions, and an imaginary z-axis that extends into the depth of the top page. The user interface of some embodiments includes a first subpage that is accessible from a top page and a second subpage, which is further in depth along the z-axis than the first subpage, that is accessible from the first subpage. The top page may change in appearance throughout the duration of time when at least the first subpage is shown to place focus away from the top page.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a program that comprises computer instructions for:

presenting a user interface (UI) comprising a page having an x-axis and a y-axis that extend at least partially along horizontal and vertical directions, and an imaginary z-axis that extends into the depth of the page;

presenting a first subpage of a plurality of subpages on the page positioned along the z-axis at a first depth, wherein the first subpage is accessible from the page;

in response to receiving a first selection of the first subpage, generating one or more selectable items on the first subpage;

in response to receiving a second selection of a selectable item of the one or more selectable items, presenting a second subpage of the plurality of subpages on the page positioned along the z-axis at a second depth greater than the first depth, causing the second subpage to appear to extend further into the page than the first subpage by changing in appearance the first subpage to appear lighter or faded relative to the second subpage, wherein the second subpage is accessible from the first subpage; and

in response to receiving an indication that the first selection of the first subpage is discontinued, removing presentation of the second subpage from the page.

2. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the page changes in appearance with a set of elements on the page disappearing, appearing lighter, or appearing faded when the first subpage is presented.

3. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the set of elements includes at least one of an image and a text element.

4. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the UI is implemented with a touch-screen display, wherein a single touch-based gesture on the touch-screen display over the first subpage and the selectable item provides the first selection and the second selection.

5. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 4, wherein the first subpage and the second subpage are concurrently presented on the touch screen display throughout at least a portion of the duration of the single touch-based gesture, and wherein removing the presentation of the second subpage occurs upon completion of the single touch-based gesture.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein the single touch-based gesture includes a touch and hold operation on the touch screen display over the first subpage and a slide operation to the selectable item without releasing the hold on the touch screen display.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein each selectable item of the one or more selectable items comprises at least one of a hot spot, a highlighted region, and a marked region on the first subpage.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein a user'"'"'s selection of one of the first subpage and the selectable item causes a video clip, a 3D animation presentation, or a slide show presentation to played.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the page is a top page, wherein the plurality of subpages are transparent and superimposed at least partially on top of one another of according to the z-axis positioning to form the top page.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, comprising, in response to receiving the first selection of the first subpage, enlarging the first subpage.

11. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, comprising, in response to receiving the first selection of the first subpage, presenting text outside of the first subpage associated with the first subpage.

12. A method comprising:

providing a user interface (UI) comprising a page having an x-axis and a y-axis that extend at least partially along horizontal and vertical directions, and an imaginary z-axis that extends into the depth of the page;

presenting a first subpage of a plurality of subpages on the page positioned along the z-axis at a first depth, wherein the first subpage is accessible from the page;

in response to receiving a selection of at least a portion of the first subpage, presenting a second subpage of the plurality of subpages on the page positioned at a second depth greater than the first depth along the z-axis, causing the second subpage to appear to extend further into the page than the first subpage by changing in appearance the first subpage to appear lighter or faded relative to the second subpage, wherein the second subpage is accessible only from the first subpage; and

in response to receiving an indication that the selection of at least the portion of the first subpage is discontinued, removing presentation of the second subpage from the page.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the page changes in appearance with a set of elements on the page disappearing, appearing lighter, or appearing faded when the first subpage is presented.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of elements includes at least one of an image and a text element.

15. The method of claim 12, comprising receiving the selection of at least the portion of the first subpage via a selectable item of the first subpage.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the UI is implemented with a touch-screen display, wherein a single touch-based gesture on the touch-screen display over the first subpage and the selectable item provides the selection of at least the portion of the first subpage.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first subpage and the second subpage are concurrently presented on the touch screen display throughout at least a portion of the duration of the single touch-based gesture, and wherein removing the presentation of the second subpage occurs upon completion of the single touch-based gesture.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the single touch-based gesture includes a touch and hold operation on the touch screen display over the first subpage and a slide operation to the selectable item without releasing the hold on the touch screen display.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the selectable item comprises at least one of a hot spot, a highlighted region, and a marked region on the first subpage.

20. The method of claim 12, comprising, in response to receiving a selection of at least the portion of the first subpage, enlarging the first subpage and presenting text outside of the first subpage associated with the first subpage.