Device, method, and graphical user interface for manipulating user interface objects

• US 10,282,070 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Victor, B. Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Agustin, Peter Vincent
• Application Number:
  US15/088,450
• Publication Number:
  US 20160216868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04806 Zoom, i.e. interaction techniques or interactors for controlling the zooming operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• 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 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A computing device with a touch screen display simultaneously displays on the touch screen display one or more menu category icons and at least a subset of a plurality of arrays of user interface objects. The computing device detects activation of a menu category icon of the one or more menu category icons, and in response to detecting activation of the menu category icon, displays a plurality of representative user interface objects for respective arrays in a menu category that corresponds to the menu category icon.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions, which when executed by a computing device with a touch screen display, cause the computing device to:

simultaneously display on the touch screen display;

one or more menu category icons, and

at least a subset of a plurality of arrays of user interface objects;

detect activation of a menu category icon of the one or more menu category icons;

in response to detecting activation of the menu category icon, display a plurality of representative user interface objects for respective arrays in a menu category that corresponds to the menu category icon;

detect an input by the user on a first representative user interface object of the plurality of representative user interface objects for respective arrays in the menu category that corresponds to the activated menu category icon; and

in response to detecting the input by the user on the first representative user interface object;

cease to display the plurality of representative user interface objects, and

display an array of user interface objects that corresponds to the first representative user interface object.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of representative user interface objects includes overlaying the plurality of representative user interface objects on user interface objects displayed on the touch screen display immediately prior to detecting activation of the menu category icon.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein displaying the plurality of representative user interface objects includes ceasing to display user interface objects displayed on the touch screen display immediately prior to detecting activation of the menu category icon.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 3, wherein only the plurality of representative user interface objects for respective arrays in the menu category that corresponds to the activated menu category icon are displayed on the touch screen display.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the computing device with the touch screen display, cause the computing device to:

in response to detecting the input by the user on the first representative user interface object, display the first representative user interface object adjacent to the array of user interface objects that corresponds to the first representative user interface object.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, further comprising instructions, which when executed by the computing device with the touch screen display, cause the computing device to:

in response to detecting the input by the user on the first representative user interface object, display arrays of user interface objects that do not correspond to the first representative user interface object.

7. A method, comprising:

at a computing device with a touch screen display;

simultaneously displaying on the touch screen display;

one or more menu category icons, and

at least a subset of a plurality of arrays of user interface objects;

detecting activation of a menu category icon of the one or more menu category icons;

in response to detecting activation of the menu category icon, displaying a plurality of representative user interface objects for respective arrays in a menu category that corresponds to the menu category icon;

detecting an input by the user on a first representative user interface object of the plurality of representative user interface objects for respective arrays in the menu category that corresponds to the activated menu category icon; and

in response to detecting the input by the user on the first representative user interface object;

ceasing to display the plurality of representative user interface objects, and

displaying an array of user interface objects that corresponds to the first representative user interface object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying the plurality of representative user interface objects includes overlaying the plurality of representative user interface objects on user interface objects displayed on the touch screen display immediately prior to detecting activation of the menu category icon.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein displaying the plurality of representative user interface objects includes ceasing to display user interface objects displayed on the touch screen display immediately prior to detecting activation of the menu category icon.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein only the plurality of representative user interface objects for respective arrays in the menu category that corresponds to the activated menu category icon are displayed on the touch screen display.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

in response to detecting the input by the user on the first representative user interface object, displaying the first representative user interface object adjacent to the array of user interface objects that corresponds to the first representative user interface object.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

in response to detecting the input by the user on the first representative user interface object, displaying arrays of user interface objects that do not correspond to the first representative user interface object.

13. A computing device, comprising:

a touch screen display;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

simultaneously displaying on the touch screen display;

one or more menu category icons, and

at least a subset of a plurality of arrays of user interface objects;

detecting activation of a menu category icon of the one or more menu category icons;

in response to detecting activation of the menu category icon, displaying a plurality of representative user interface objects for respective arrays in a menu category that corresponds to the menu category icon;

detecting an input by the user on a first representative user interface object of the plurality of representative user interface objects for respective arrays in the menu category that corresponds to the activated menu category icon; and

in response to detecting the input by the user on the first representative user interface object;

ceasing to display the plurality of representative user interface objects, and

displaying an array of user interface objects that corresponds to the first representative user interface object.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the one or more instructions further include instructions for:

displaying the plurality of representative user interface objects by overlaying the plurality of representative user interface objects on user interface objects displayed on the touch screen display immediately prior to detecting activation of the menu category icon.

15. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the one or more instructions further include instructions for:

displaying the plurality of representative user interface objects by ceasing to display user interface objects displayed on the touch screen display immediately prior to detecting activation of the menu category icon.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein only the plurality of representative user interface objects for respective arrays in the menu category that corresponds to the activated menu category icon are displayed on the touch screen display.

17. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the one or more instructions further include instructions for:

in response to detecting the input by the user on the first representative user interface object, displaying the first representative user interface object adjacent to the array of user interface objects that corresponds to the first representative user interface object.

18. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the one or more instructions further include instructions for:

in response to detecting the input by the user on the first representative user interface object, displaying arrays of user interface objects that do not correspond to the first representative user interface object.