User interface for a computing device

• US 10,122,838 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canonical Group Limited
• Original Assignee: Canonical Group Limited
• Inventors: Shuttleworth, Mark, Weevers, Ivo, Meskanen, Mika, Horev, Oren, Pringle, Calum, Lea, John, Greenslade, Otto, Haslam, Marcus, Majic, Ivanka, Zhu, Xi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Sang H
• Application Number:
  US14/138,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20140189588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,779 Days
• Field of Search: 715810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• 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 3/04817 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

There is disclosed a smartphone, tablet or other computing device comprising: (a) a touch sensitive display; (b) one or more processors; (c) computer memory; (d) one or more computer programs stored in the computer memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors and including instructions for detecting a swipe in from an edge of the display, and in response to the detected swipe causing a home screen to be displayed, the home screen listing running apps and user notifications, such as missed calls, irrespective of which screen the device was displaying immediately prior to the swipe in from the edge.

Claims

1. A smartphone, tablet or other computing device comprising:

(a) a touch sensitive display;

(b) one or more processors;

(c) computer memory;

(d) one or more computer programs stored in the computer memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors and including instructions for

detecting a swipe in from an edge of the display, and in response to the detected swipe causing a home screen to be displayed, irrespective of which screen the device was displaying immediately prior to the swipe in from the edge, the home screen listing running apps and user notifications, such as missed calls;

wherein when the detected swipe comprises a short swipe from the left edge and the displayed screen is a welcome screen, an app launcher is displayed and when the short swipe continues to a long swipe and the displayed screen is a welcome screen, an apps page of the home screen is displayed, the welcome screen being a lock screen comprising a circular arrangement of thirty small dots, each dot representing an activity or state, the activity or state being indicated by the size of a semi-translucent circle adjacent to each dot;

wherein when a direction of the detected swipe is reversed back to the edge of the display before the home screen is fully displayed, the home screen is progressively removed as the detected swipe continues in the reversed direction; and

detecting a sideways swipe while the home screen is being displayed, and in response to the detected sideways swipe, causing the home screen to display contacts based on frequency of communication.

2. The device of claim 1 in which the swipe in from the edge brings up the home screen and requires only a single gesture to be detected.

3. The device of claim 1 in which the swipe in from the edge brings up the home screen and requires a single gesture and a commit or select action to be detected.

4. The device of claim 1 in which the swipe is a long swipe in from the left edge.

5. The device of claim 1 in which home screen content is user customizable.

6. The device of claim 1 in which the home screen includes one or more of:

recently added music, new film releases, on-line stores.

7. The device of claim 1 in which the home screen includes missed call notifications and enables the user to return the call without tasking away to a phone app.

8. The device of claim 1 in which the device has no dedicated physical ‘

home’

button.

9. The device of claim 1 in which the home screen includes apps sections listing all installed apps and also apps available for download.

10. The device of claim 1 in which swiping right from the home screen takes you to the home screen Apps page;

a further swipe right takes you to Videos.

11. The device of claim 1 in which swiping left takes you to People (contacts) and a further swipe right takes you to Music.

12. The device of claim 1 in which a short swipe in from the left edge brings up a launcher bar, including icons for various apps, plus an icon for the home screen.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein when the detected swipe ends with a commit gesture before the home screen is displayed or removed, the home screen is displayed.

14. A method comprising the following steps, performed at a computing device with a touch sensitive display:

detecting a swipe in from an edge of the display, and in response to the detected swipe causing a home screen to be displayed, irrespective of which screen the device was displaying immediately prior to the swipe in from the edge, the home screen listing running apps and user notifications, such as missed calls,

wherein when the detected swipe comprises a short swipe from the left edge and the displayed screen is a welcome screen, an app launcher is displayed and when the short swipe continues to a long swipe and the displayed screen is a welcome screen, an apps page of the home screen is displayed, the welcome screen being a lock screen comprising a circular arrangement of thirty small dots, each dot representing an activity or state, the activity or state being indicated by the size of a semi-translucent circle adjacent to each dot;

wherein when a direction of the detected swipe is reversed back to the edge of the display before the home screen is fully displayed, the home screen is progressively removed as the detected swipe continues in the reversed direction; and

detecting a sideways swipe while the home screen is displayed, and in response to the detected sideways swipe, causing the home screen to display frequently used contacts based on user usage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein when the detected swipe ends with a commit gesture before the home screen is displayed or removed, the home screen is displayed.