Browsing or Searching User Interfaces and Other Aspects

• US 20080307363A1
• Filed: 06/09/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Robert, Julien, Jalon, Julien, Paterson, Toby
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/835
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/976 3-D Icon

Abstract

User interfaces for browsing and/or searching are described. In one embodiment, a method includes displaying a first display area for display representations of documents matching a search query, the first display area configured to display content of the documents which can have a plurality of different types of content including at least one of text-based content and a folder, and displaying a second display area for selecting a selected document to be displayed in the first display area. Other embodiments are also described, and computer readable media and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising:

displaying an icon of a folder, wherein the icon of the folder is at least partially transparent to show icons at least partially within the folder;

displaying a set of icons at least partially within the icon of the folder.

2. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the set of icons rotate within the icon of the folder to display, after a sufficient amount of rotating, all viewable files in the folder, and wherein the folder represents a subdirectory in a hierarchical file system.

3. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the set of icons are animated to display at least a subset of the icons over a period of time.

4. The medium as in claim 2 wherein a transparency of the folder is user selectable to be one of on, to be at least partially transparent, or off, to not be transparent, and wherein the rotating of the set of icons is user selectable to be on or off.

5. The medium as in claim 3 wherein the set of icons are animated by at least one of:

(a) rotating, over time, the icons in the set of icons;

(b) shuffling, over time, the icons in the set of icons;

(c) displaying momentarily and sequentially each of the icons in the set of icons;

(d) displaying momentarily and sequentially a group of the icons in the set of icons;

(e) rearranging, over time, the icons in the set of icons; and

wherein all of the icons in the set of icons in the folder are displayed after a sufficient period of time and wherein the icons are at least one of (i) graphical images and (ii) thumbnails showing content of files represented by the icons.

6. The medium as in claim 5 wherein the set of icons are animated automatically without user interaction with the icon of the folder and without user interaction with the icons in the set of icons.

7. The medium of claim 5 wherein the set of icons are animated in response to a user interaction with either (a) the icon of the folder or (b) an icon in the set of icons.

21. The medium as in claim 5 wherein the set of icons are animated in a sequence determined by an order of sorting, which is user selectable through at least one sorting user interface object.

8. A machine implemented method comprising:

displaying an icon of a folder, wherein the icon of the folder is at least partially transparent to show icons at least partially within the folder;

displaying a set of icons at least partially within the icon of the folder.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the set of icons rotate within the icon of the folder to display, after a sufficient amount of rotating, all viewable files in the folder, and wherein the folder represents a subdirectory in a hierarchical file system.

10. The method as in claim 8 wherein the set of icons are animated to display at least a subset of the icons over a period of time.

11. The method as in claim 9 wherein a transparency of the folder is user selectable to be one of on, to be at least partially transparent, or off, to not be transparent, and wherein the rotating of the set of icons is user selectable to be on or off.

12. The method as in claim 10 wherein the set of icons are animated by at least one of:

(a) rotating, over time, the icons in the set of icons;

(b) shuffling, over time, the icons in the set of icons;

(c) displaying momentarily and sequentially each of the icons in the set of icons;

(d) displaying momentarily and sequentially a group of the icons in the set of icons;

(e) rearranging, over time, the icons in the set of icons; and

wherein all of the icons in the set of icons in the folder are displayed after a sufficient period of time and wherein the icons are at least one of (i) graphical images and (ii) thumbnails showing content of files represented by the icons.

13. The method as in claim 12 wherein the set of icons are animated automatically without user interaction with the icon of the folder and without user interaction with the icons in the set of icons.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the set of icons are animated in response to a user interaction with either (a) the icon of the folder or (b) an icon in the set of icons.

27. The method as in claim 12 wherein the set of icons are animated in a sequence determined by an order of sorting, which is user selectable through at least one sorting user interface object.

15. A data processing system comprising:

means for displaying an icon of a folder, wherein the icon of the folder is at least partially transparent to show icons at least partially within the folder;

means for displaying a set of icons at least partially within the icon of the folder.

16. A computer readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method comprising:

displaying an icon of a folder which includes files represented by icons, the files being in a hierarchical file system;

displaying automatically, without user interaction with the icon of the folder, an animation presenting a content or representation of each of the files, wherein a subset of the files are shown after a sufficient period of time.

17. The medium as in claim 16 wherein the animation presents the content or representation at least partially within the icon of the folder.

18. The medium as in claim 16 wherein the icon of the folder is not transparent and wherein the animation presents the content or representation on the face of the icon of the folder.

19. The medium as in claim 16 wherein the animation is at least one of:

(a) rotating, over time, the content or representation of each of the files;

(b) shuffling, over time, the content or representation of each of the files;

(c) displaying momentarily and sequentially the content or representation of each of the files;

(d) displaying momentarily and sequentially a group of content or representations of the files;

(e) rearranging, over time, the content or representations of each of the files and wherein the representations are icons showing graphical images and the content are thumbnails showing content of the files.

20. The medium as in claim 16 wherein the animation presents the content or representation in a sequence determined by an order of sorting, which is user selectable through at least one sorting user interface object.

22. A machine implemented method comprising:

displaying an icon of a folder which includes files represented by icons, the files being in a hierarchical file system;

displaying automatically, without user interaction with the icon of the folder, an animation presenting a content or representation of each of the files, wherein a subset of the files are shown after a sufficient period of time.

23. The method as in claim 22 wherein the animation presents the content or representation at least partially within the icon of the folder.

24. The method as in claim 22 wherein the icon of the folder is not transparent and wherein the animation presents the content or representation on the face of the icon of the folder.

25. The method as in claim 22 wherein the animation is at least one of:

(a) rotating, over time, the content or representation of each of the files;

(b) shuffling, over time, the content or representation of each of the files;

(c) displaying momentarily and sequentially the content or representation of each of the files;

(d) displaying momentarily and sequentially a group of content or representations of the files;

(e) rearranging, over time, the content or representations of each of the files and wherein the representations are icons showing graphical images and the content are thumbnails showing content of the files.

26. The method as in claim 22 wherein the animation presents the content or representation in a sequence determined by an order of sorting, which is user selectable through at least one sorting user interface object.

28. A data processing system comprising:

means for displaying an icon of a folder which includes files represented by icons, the files being in a hierarchical file system;

means for displaying automatically, without user interaction with the icon of the folder, an animation presenting a content or representation of each of the files, wherein a subset of the files are shown after a sufficient period of time.