Rendering Icons Along A Multidimensional Path Having A Terminus Position

• US 20080066013A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pacurariu, Mihnea Calin, Ma, Jeffrey, Brodersen, Rainer, Goldeen, Rachel Clare, Robbin, Jeff, Seymour, Eric Taylor, Madden, Thomas Michael, Jobs, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,743,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/836
• 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

Abstract

Icons are arranged in foreground background positions in an interface environment to define a multidimensional path extending from a terminus. The icons transition between the foreground position and the background positions along the multidimensional path.

Claims

1. A user interface, comprising:

an interface environment; and

a plurality of icons, at least one of the icons arranged in a foreground position and the remaining icons arranged in background positions in the interface environment, the foreground and background positions defining a multidimensional path, and one of the background positions defining a terminus position representative of a terminus of the multidimensional path;

wherein the icons transition between the foreground position and the background positions along the multidimensional path.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein:

one or more of the icons arranged in the background positions are blurred.

3. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising:

a selection menu defining a plurality of menu items;

wherein the plurality of icons correspond to the plurality of menu items.

4. The user interface of claim 3, wherein:

the selection menu is displayed proximate to the plurality of icons.

5. The user interface of claim 3, further comprising:

a highlight indicator configured to highlight a menu item;

wherein a highlighted menu item corresponds to the icon in the foreground position.

6. The user interface of claim 5, wherein:

the plurality of icons correspond to a subset of the plurality of menu items; and

wherein changing the highlight indicator from the highlighted menu item to another menu item to be highlighted causes an icon corresponding to the another menu item to transition from a background position to the foreground position.

7. The user interface of claim 6, wherein:

the terminus of the multidimensional path is at edge of the interface environment, and changing the highlight indicator from the highlighted menu item to the another menu item to be highlighted causes another icon to emerge from the edge of the interface environment into the terminus position.

8. The user interface of claim 5, wherein:

the plurality of icons correspond to a subset of the plurality of menu items; and

changing the highlight indicator in a first direction from the highlighted menu item to another menu item to be highlighted causes an icon corresponding to the another menu item to transition from a background position to the foreground position; and

changing the highlight indicator in a second direction from the highlighted menu item to another menu item to be highlighted causes an icon corresponding to the another menu item not in the background positions to emerge into the foreground position.

9. The user interface of claim 8, wherein:

changing the highlight indicator in the second direction from the highlighted menu item to the another menu item to be highlighted causes the icon corresponding to highlighted menu item to transition into one of the background positions, and causes an icon in the terminus position to transition out of interface environment.

10. The user interface of claim 9, wherein:

an icon in the terminus position transitions off the edge of the interface environment.

11. The user interface of claim 9, wherein:

an icon in the terminus position transitions into a vanishing point.

12. The user interface of claim 1, wherein:

a user input corresponding to a selection of a first icon not in the foreground position causes the first icon to transition along the multidimensional path into the foreground position.

13. The user interface of claim 12, wherein:

the first icon transitions along the multidimensional path into the foreground position from a background position, and one or more icons emerge into the terminus position.

14. The user interface of claim 13, wherein:

the one or more icons emerge into the terminus position from a vanishing point.

15. The user interface of claim 12, wherein:

the first icon emerges into the foreground position and an icon in the foreground position transitions into one of the background positions.

16. The user interface of claim 1, wherein:

the icons are proportionally sealed from a largest size in the foreground position to a smallest size in the terminus position.

17. The user interface of claim 1, wherein:

the multidimensional path defines an arcuate path.

18. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of icon reflections, each icon reflection adjacent an icon.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transitioning an icon in the foreground position into a background position; and

transitioning an icon in the background position nearest the terminus off the edge of the display area.

19. A method, comprising:

arranging a foreground position and one or more background positions in a display area according to a multidimensional path extending from a terminus;

displaying one or more icons in the one or more background positions in a display area;

displaying an icon in the foreground position in the display area;

transitioning icons to and from the foreground position and to and from the one or more background positions along the multidimensional path.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transitioning an icon in the foreground position into a background position; and

transitioning an icon in the background position nearest the terminus into a vanishing point.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

emerging an icon from an edge of the display area into the foreground position.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

blurring one or more icons in the one or more background positions.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

altering the number of icons displayed in the one or more background positions based on a display size of the icon in the foreground position and the display sizes of the icons in the one or more background positions.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating a selection menu defining a plurality of menu items; and

displaying the selection menu proximate to the icons;

wherein the icons correspond to one or more menu items.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

highlighting a menu item; and

transitioning an icon that corresponds to the highlighted menu item into the foreground position.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

transitioning one or more icons from one or more background positions into the foreground position; and

emerging one or more icons into the background positions from the background position nearest the terminus.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

emerging one or more icons from an edge of the display area into the foreground position;

transitioning one or more icons from the foreground position into one or more background positions; and

transitioning one or more icons in the background position nearest the terminus out of the display area.

29. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

proportionally scaling the icons from a largest size in the foreground position to a smallest size in background position nearest the terminus.

30. A system, comprising:

a processing device;

a user interface engine executable by the processing device and configured to;

arrange a foreground position and background positions in a user environment according to a multidimensional path so that the multidimensional path intersects an edge of the user environment;

display icons in background positions;

display an icon in the foreground position;

transitioning icons through the foreground position and background positions along the multidimensional path.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the user interface engine is further configured to:

transition an icon in the foreground position into a background position; and

transitioning an icon in the background position nearest the edge of the user environment out of the user environment.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the user interface engine is further configured to:

emerge an icon from the edge of the user environment into the foreground position.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the user interface engine is further configured to:

emerge an icon from another edge of the user environment into the foreground position.

34. A computer readable medium storing instructions that upon execution by a processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

displaying one or more content type abstractions in one or more background positions in a user interface;

displaying a content type abstraction in a foreground position in the user interface;

arranging the content type abstractions displayed in the foreground position and the one or more background positions according to a multidimensional path extending from a terminus in the user interface; and

transitioning the content type abstractions to and from the foreground position and to and from the one or more background positions along the multidimensional path.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 34, storing further instructions that upon execution by the processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

transitioning a content type abstraction in the foreground position into a background position; and

transitioning a content type abstraction in the background position nearest the terminus out of the user interface.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 34, storing further instructions that upon execution by the processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

transitioning a content type abstraction in the foreground position into a background position; and

transitioning a content type abstraction in the background position nearest the terminus into a vanishing point.

37. The computer readable medium of claim 34, storing further instructions that upon execution by the processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

emerging a content type abstraction from an edge of the user interface into the foreground position.

38. The computer readable medium of claim 34, storing further instructions that upon execution by the processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

proportionally scaling the content type abstractions from a largest size in the foreground position to a smallest size in background position nearest the terminus.

39. The computer readable medium of claim 34, wherein:

the content abstractions comprises icons.