Content Abstraction Presentation Along A Multidimensional Path

• US 20080122870A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• 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, Seymour, Eric Taylor, Madden, Thomas Michael, Jobs, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/634
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• 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: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

Content abstractions are emerged in to an ingress terminus of a multidimensional path and depth transitioned through the multidimensional path to an egress terminus. The content abstractions are eliminated at the egress terminus.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating content abstractions for a plurality of content items;

defining a multidimensional path having an ingress terminus and an egress terminus;

emerging the content abstractions into the multidimensional path at the ingress terminus;

eliminating the content abstractions from the multidimensional path at the egress terminus;

generating depth transitions of the content abstractions through the multidimensional path from the ingress terminus to the egress terminus; and

reemerging the content abstractions into the multidimensional path at the ingress terminus.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

reemerging the content abstractions after the content abstractions are eliminated from the multidimensional path at the egress terminus.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

generating overlapping depth transitions of the content abstractions through the multidimensional path from the ingress terminus to the egress terminus.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of content items comprises movie titles; and

the content abstractions comprise movie art related to the movie titles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of content items comprises song titles; and

the content abstraction comprise album art related tot he song titles.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

the plurality of content items comprises video items;

and

the content abstractions comprise images related to the video items.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

generating the content abstractions in multidimensional shapes; and

generating a rotational effect of the content abstractions during the depth transitions.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

defining one of the ingress terminus or egress terminus as an edge of a display environment; and

defining an other of the ingress terminus or egress terminus as a position within the display environment.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising:

defining the position within the display environment as being beneath a plurality of content abstractions.

10. The method of claim 7, comprising:

receiving a selection for a content type; and

generating content abstractions for the plurality of content items based on the content type.

11. A method, comprising:

generating content menu items related to content;

highlighting one of the content menu items;

generating a set of content abstractions for the content related to the highlighted content menu item;

defining a multidimensional path; and

generating overlapping depth transitions of the content abstractions.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising:

emerging the content abstractions into the multidimensional path; and

eliminating the content abstractions from the multidimensional path.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising:

emerging a content abstraction into the multidimensional path after the content abstraction is eliminated from the multidimensional path.

14. The method of claim 12, comprising:

defining a first subset of comment menu items; and

associating corresponding sets of content abstractions with each of the content menu items defined in the first subset; and

displaying a corresponding set of content abstractions upon selection of a content menu item defined in the first subset.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising:

defining a second set of content menu items;

associated a corresponding set of content abstractions with the set of content menu items; and

displaying the corresponding set of content abstractions associated with the set of content menu items upon selection of any of the content menu items defined in the second subset.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising:

generating a sales content menu item associated with content offered for sale; and

including the sales content menu item in the first subset.

17. The method of claim 15, comprising:

generating user library content menu items associated with content stored in a user library; and

including the user library content menu items in the second subset.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the content comprises movie titles; and

the content abstractions comprise video clips related to the movie titles.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the content comprises song titles; and

the content abstractions comprise video clips related to the song titles.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein

the content comprises video items;

and

the content abstractions comprise images related tot he video items.

21. The method of claim 12, comprising:

generating the content abstractions in multidimensional shapes; and

generating a rotational effect of the content abstractions during the depth transitions.

22. The method of claim 12, comprising:

defining an ingress terminus at a first end of the multidimensional path;

defining an egress terminus at a second end of the multidimensional path;

emerging the content abstractions into the multidimensional path at the ingress terminus; and

eliminating the content abstractions from the multidimensional path at the egress terminus.

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

generating content menu items related to content items;

highlighting one of the content menu items;

generating a set of content abstractions for the content related to the highlighted content menu item;

defining a multidimensional path having an ingress terminus and an egress terminus;

emerging the content abstractions into the multidimensional path at the ingress terminus;

eliminating the content abstractions from the multidimensional path at the egress terminus; and

generating depth transitions of the content abstractions through the multidimensional path from the ingress terminus to the egress terminus.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, storing further instructions that upon execution by a processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

emerging a content abstraction into the multidimensional path at the ingress terminus after the content abstraction is eliminated from the multidimensional path at the egress terminus.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 23, storing further instructions that upon execution by a processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

defining a first subset of content menu items;

associating corresponding sets of content abstractions with each of the content menu items defined in the first subset; and

displaying a corresponding set of content abstractions upon selection of an associated content menu item defined in the first subset.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 25, storing further instructions that upon execution by a processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

defining a second set of content menu items;

associated a corresponding set of content abstractions with the set of content menu items; and

displaying the corresponding set of content abstractions associated with the set of content menu items upon selection of any of the content menu items defined in the second subset.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, storing further instructions that upon execution by a processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

generating a sales content menu item associated with content offered for sale; and

including the sales content menu item in the first subset.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26, storing further instructions that upon execution by a processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

generating user library content menu items associated with content stored in a user library; and

including the user library content menu items in the second subset.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein:

the plurality of content items comprises video items; and

the content abstractions comprise images related to the video items.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 23, storing further instructions that upon execution by a processing device cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

generating the content abstractions in multidimensional shapes; and

generating a rotational effect of the content abstractions during the depth transitions.