Account switching

• US 10,572,120 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Persson, Erik Viktor, Lee, Jonathan, Denis, Jean-Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Nunez, Jordany
• Application Number:
  US15/837,253
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/71 to assure secure computing or processing of information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• 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 3/0488 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 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate generally to effortlessly switching between user accounts. For example, a user may access an application on their computing device. Within the application the user may have multiple user accounts. The application may display a plurality of indicators that signify each user account associated with that application. In this regard, the user may perform a swiping or tapping motion to select a particular user account to switch to. A transitional stage may take place that changes a first background and details associated with a first user account to a second background and details associated with a second user account. When the transition is complete, the user is able to access and perform functions associated with the second user account. The user may switch to another user account using a similar swiping or tapping motion.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, on a display interface of a computing device, a home screen including a plurality of indications, each indication representing a different user account, the plurality of indications being simultaneously displayed in a first region of the display interface, each user account including one or more user account details specific to that respective user account, and each user account being associated with a respective background, a first one of the plurality of indications being located at a main position along the first region of the display interface and a second one of the plurality of indications being located at a secondary position along the first region of the display interface;

displaying as a background image for the display interface, using one or more processors of the computing device, a representation of a first background associated with the first indication, the representation of the first background being displayed concurrently with the plurality of indications;

presenting, using the one or more processors of the computing device, first user account details of the first indication, the first user account details being located at a corresponding position along a second region of the display interface relative to the first indication;

receiving, at the display interface, a tap of the second indication, the tap indicating a selection of a second user account associated with the second indication; and

transitioning, using the one or more processors of the computing device in response to the tap, from a first user account associated with the first indication to the second user account associated with the second indication, the transitioning including;

gradually changing from displaying the representation of the first background associated with the first indication to displaying a representation of a second background associated with the second indication, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second backgrounds are simultaneously displayed during the changing, and

presenting second user account details of the second indication, the second user account details being located at a corresponding position along a second region of the display interface relative to the second indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, upon transitioning, the first indication remains in the main position along the first region of the display interface, and the second indication remains in the secondary position along the first region of the display interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the display interface further includes a third region adjacent to the second region and remote from the third region, the third region presenting additional information associated with either the first or the second indication.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

prior to receiving the tap, the additional information is associated with the first indication; and

upon receiving the tap, the additional information is associated with the second indication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein upon receiving the tap, the second indication changes appearance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, in response to the received tap and the transitioning, the first indication is displayed at the secondary position and the second indication is displayed at the main position along the first region of the display interface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing an application according to user account details of the second user account;

receiving, at the display interface, an input; and

in response to the received input, exiting the application and returning to the home screen.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the input includes receiving a selection of a button displayed on the display interface.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the input includes receiving a selection in an options menu.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein upon returning to the home screen, the first indication is displayed at the secondary position and the second indication is displayed at the main position along the first region of the display interface.

11. A personal computing device, comprising:

a display configured to present information to a user of the personal computing device via a display interface;

memory configured to store instructions and data of the personal computing device; and

one or more processors operatively coupled to the display and memory, the one or more processors being configured to use instructions and data stored in the memory to;

display, on the display interface, a home screen including a plurality of indications, each indication representing a different user account, the plurality of indications being simultaneously displayed in a first region of the display interface, each user account including one or more user account details specific to that respective user account, and each user account being associated with a respective background, a first one of the plurality of indications being located at a main position along the first region of the display interface and a second one of the plurality of indications being located at a secondary position along the first region of the display interface;

display, as a background image for the display interface, a representation of a first background associated with the first indication, the representation of the first background being displayed concurrently with the plurality of indications;

present first user account details of the first indication, the first user account details being located at a corresponding position along a second region of the display interface relative to the first indication;

receive, via the display interface, a tap of the second indication, the tap indicating a selection of a second user account associated with the second indication; and

transition, in response to the tap, from a first user account associated with the first indication to the second user account associated with the second indication, the transition including;

a gradual change from displaying the representation of the first background associated with the first indication to displaying a representation of a second background associated with the second indication, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second backgrounds are simultaneously displayed during the gradual change, and

present second user account details of the second indication, the second user account details being located at a corresponding position along a second region of the display interface relative to the second indication.

12. The personal computing device of claim 11, wherein, upon transitioning, the first indication remains in the main position along the first region of the display interface, and the second indication remains in the secondary position along the first region of the display interface.

13. The personal computing device of claim 11, wherein the display interface further includes a third region adjacent to the second region and remote from the third region, the third region presenting additional information associated with either the first or the second indication.

14. The personal computing device of claim 11, wherein, in response to the received tap and the transitioning, the one or more processors are configured to display the first indication at the secondary position and display the second indication at the main position along the first region of the display interface.

15. The personal computing device of claim 11, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

access an application according to user account details of the second user account;

receive, at the display interface, an input; and

in response to the received input, exit the application and return the display interface to the home screen.

16. The personal computing device of claim 15, wherein the input is received by either receiving a selection of a button displayed on the display interface or receiving a selection in an options menu.

17. The personal computing device of claim 15, wherein upon returning to the home screen, the first indication is displayed at the secondary position and the second indication is displayed at the main position along the first region of the display interface.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to implement a method, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display interface of a computing device, a home screen including a plurality of indications, each indication representing a different user account, the plurality of indications being simultaneously displayed in a first region of the display interface, each user account including one or more user account details specific to that respective user account, and each user account being associated with a respective background, a first one of the plurality of indications being located at a main position along the first region of the display interface and a second one of the plurality of indications being located at a secondary position along the first region of the display interface;

displaying, as a background image for the display interface, a representation of a first background associated with the first indication, the representation of the first background being displayed concurrently with the plurality of indications;

presenting first user account details of the first indication, the first user account details being located at a corresponding position along a second region of the display interface relative to the first indication;

receiving, at the display interface, a tap of the second indication, the tap indicating a selection of a second user account associated with the second indication; and

transitioning, in response to the tap, from a first user account associated with the first indication to the second user account associated with the second indication, the transitioning including;

gradually changing from displaying the representation of the first background associated with the first indication to displaying a representation of a second background associated with the second indication, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second backgrounds are simultaneously displayed during the changing, and

presenting second user account details of the second indication, the second user account details being located at a corresponding position along a second region of the display interface relative to the second indication.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein:

prior to receiving the tap, the additional information is associated with the first indication; and

upon receiving the tap, the additional information is associated with the second indication.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

accessing an application according to user account details of the second user account;

receiving, at the display interface, an input; and

in response to the received input, exiting the application and returning to the home screen.