Scrolling list with floating adjacent index symbols

• US 10,732,814 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ording, Bas, Lemay, Stephen O., Christie, Gregory N., Chaudhri, Imran
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tan, David
• Application Number:
  US15/167,532
• Publication Number:
  US 20160274757A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• 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 3/0481 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 3/0488 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

Abstract

Movement of a user'"'"'s point of contact with a touch-sensitive display is determined. In response to the movement, a list of information items on the touch-sensitive display is scrolled. The list of information items may include a sequence of information item subsets corresponding to a sequence of index items. While scrolling through respective information subsets, an index symbol is displayed in conjunction with each respective information item subset.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors;

a memory; and

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

displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, a user interface that includes;

a sequence of index items that includes a first index item and a second index item;

a list of information items that includes a first information item subset that corresponds to the first index item; and

a first index symbol that corresponds to the first information item subset and is a representation of the first index item;

while concurrently displaying the first information item subset, the sequence of index items that includes the first index item and the second index item, and the first index symbol, detecting movement of a first point of contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting movement of the first point of contact on the touch-sensitive display, scrolling through the list of information items on the touch-sensitive display, including while scrolling through the list of information items on the touch-sensitive display and while maintaining display of the sequence of index items that includes the first index item item and the second index item;

displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, a second information item subset and a second index symbol that were not displayed before scrolling through the list of information items, wherein the second information item subset corresponds to the second index item, and wherein the second index symbol corresponds to the second information item subset and is a representation of the second index item; and

ceasing to display the first information item subset and the first index symbol.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the corresponding index symbol remains adjacent to a first displayed item of a respective information item subset.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein displaying the first index symbol includes displaying the first index symbol in a banner at or near an upper edge of the window.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first index symbol is displayed adjacent to displayed text of the first information item subset.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

detecting a third point of contact with the touch-sensitive display corresponding to user selection of a respective information item in the list of information items and displaying on the touch-sensitive display information corresponding to the respective information item.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein scrolling through the list of information items accelerates in response to accelerated movement of a fourth point of contact on the touch-sensitive display following breaking of the first point of contact.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the index symbols include alphabetical index symbols.

8. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display;

displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, a user interface that includes;

a sequence of index items that includes a first index item and a second index item;

a list of information items that includes a first information item subset that corresponds to the first index item; and

a first index symbol that corresponds to the first information item subset and is a representation of the first index item;

while concurrently displaying the first information item subset, the sequence of index items that includes the first index item and the second index item, and the first index symbol, detecting movement of a first point of contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting movement of the first point of contact on the touch-sensitive display, scrolling through the list of information items on the touch-sensitive display, including while scrolling through the list of information items on the touch-sensitive display and while maintaining display of the sequence of index items that includes the first index item item and the second index item;

displaying, on the touch-sensitive display, a second information item subset and a second index symbol that were not displayed before scrolling through the list of information items, wherein the second information item subset corresponds to the second index item, and wherein the second index symbol corresponds to the second information item subset and is a representation of the second index item; and

ceasing to display the first information item subset and the first index symbol.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first index symbol remains adjacent to a first displayed item of the first information item subset.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying the first index symbol includes displaying the first index symbol in a banner at or near an upper edge of the window.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first index symbol is displayed adjacent to displayed text of the first information item subset.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

detecting a third point of contact with the touch-sensitive display corresponding to user selection of a respective information item in the list of information items and displaying on the touch-sensitive display information corresponding to the respective information item.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein scrolling through the list of information items accelerates in response to accelerated movement of a fourth point of contact on the touch-sensitive display following breaking of the first point of contact.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the index symbols include alphabetical index symbols.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, cause the device to:

display, on the touch-sensitive display, a user interface that includes;

a sequence of index items that includes a first index item and a second index item;

a list of information items that includes a first information item subset that corresponds to the first index item; and

a first index symbol that corresponds to the first information item subset and is a representation of the first index item;

while concurrently displaying the first information item subset, the sequence of index items that includes the first index item and the second index item, and the first index symbol, detect movement of a first point of contact on the touch-sensitive display; and

in response to detecting movement of the first point of contact on the touch-sensitive display, scroll through the list of information items on the touch-sensitive display, including while scrolling through the list of information items on the touch-sensitive display and while maintaining display of the sequence of index items that includes the first index item item and the second index item;

display, on the touch-sensitive display, a second information item subset and a second index symbol that were not displayed before scrolling through the list of information items, wherein the second information item subset corresponds to the second index item, and wherein the second index symbol corresponds to the second information item subset and is a representation of the second index item; and

cease to display the first information item subset and the first index symbol.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the corresponding index symbol remains adjacent to a first displayed item of a respective information item subset.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein displaying the first index symbol includes displaying the first index symbol in a banner at or near an upper edge of the window.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the first index symbol is displayed adjacent to displayed text of the first information item subset.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:

detecting a third point of contact with the touch-sensitive display corresponding to user selection of a respective information item in the list of information items and displaying on the touch-sensitive display information corresponding to the respective information item.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein scrolling through the list of information items accelerates in response to accelerated movement of a fourth point of contact on the touch-sensitive display following breaking of the first point of contact.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the index symbols include alphabetical index symbols.