OBJECT TRANSITIONS

• US 20080307365A1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran A., Louch, John O., Peyton, Eric Steven, Bumgarner, Timothy Wayne, Hynes, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/838
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

Object transitions can include providing a graphical transition of an object item that retains an aspect ratio associated with the object item while transitioning the object item into an instance of an executing object associated with the object item.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable media storing instructions that are executable by a processing device, and upon such execution cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

providing a display environment including one or more object items;

receiving a user selection of at least one of the object items; and

graphically transitioning the object item into an instance of an executing object within the display environment while retaining an aspect ratio associated with the object item.

2. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the object item comprises a scaled version of a file represented by the object item.

3. The computer readable media of claim 2, wherein graphically transitioning the object item comprises scaling a copy of the object item through one or more intermediate successive transition states.

4. The computer readable media of claim 3, wherein each successive transition state comprises a larger version of the copied object item than previous transition states.

5. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the graphical transitioning is provided by scaling the instance of an object associated with the object item to the size of the object item, and providing the appearance that the instance of the object grows into a full size instance of the object.

6. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the object item comprises one or more of an object icon, a customized icon, or a dock item.

7. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein a rate associated with graphically transitioning the object item into the instance of the executing object is adjustable based upon user input.

8. The computer readable media of claim 7, wherein the rate can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing a number of transitions between the object item and a full-size instance of the executing object.

9. The computer readable media of claim 8, wherein the rate can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing a period between successive transitions between the object item and a full-size instance of the executing object.

10. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the object item comprises a stacked items representation.

11. The computer readable media of claim 10, further comprising transitioning the object item represented by the top item in the stacked items representation into the instance of the object item.

12. The computer readable media of claim 10, further comprising transitioning the stacked items representation is graphically into a matrix representation;

and transitioning a selected object item from the matrix representation into the instance of the executing object.

13. The computer readable media of claim 10, further comprising graphically transitioning the stacked items representation is into a list representation;

and graphically transitioning a selected object item from the list representation into the instance of the executing object.

14. The computer readable media of claim 10, further comprising rotationally transitioning the stacked items representation through the object items comprising the stack;

and graphically transitioning a selected object item from the rotational transition into the instance of the executing object.

15. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein graphically transitioning the object item comprises:

rotationally transitioning the object item from, a first perspective view to a second perspective view; and

growing the object item from the second perspective into an instance of the executing object item within the display environment.

16. The computer readable media of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an animation, to notify a user if the data associated with the object item is transformed prior to the execution of the instance of the object item.

17. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the animation indicates that data associated with the object item is being decrypted.

18. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the animation indicates that data associated with the object item is being converted from a first format to a second format.

19. The computer readable media of claim 16, wherein the animation indicates that data associated with the object, is being interpreted.

20. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the step of graphically transitioning the object item is performed on multiple platforms.

21. An operating system for a computing device, the operating system comprising:

a display environment engine operable to generate a display environment for a user comprising one or more application items disposed within the display environment;

an interface engine operable to receive input from the user, the input at least comprising a selection of the one or more application items from the display environment; and

a transition engine operable to provide a graphical transition of the selected application item to an instance of an executing application associated with the selected application item, the transition retaining the aspect ratio of the application item through one or more successive transition states between a first transition state and a final transition state.

22. The operating system of claim 21, wherein the application item comprises a sealed version of a file represented by the application item.

23. The operating system of claim 22, wherein the graphically transition of the application item comprises generating a scaled a copy of the application item for one or more intermediate successive transition states.

24. The operating system of claim 23, wherein each successive transition state comprises a larger version of the copied application item than previous transition states.

25. The operating system of claim 21, wherein the graphical transition is provided by scaling the instance of an application associated with the application item to the size of the application item, and providing the appearance that the instance of the application grows to a preset size associated with the application.

26. The operating system of claim 21, wherein the application item comprises one or more of an application icon, a customized icon, or a dock item.

27. The operating system of claim 21, wherein a rate associated with the graphical, transition of the application item into the instance of the executing application is adjustable based upon user input.

28. The operating system of claim 27, wherein the rate is adjusted by increasing or decreasing a number of intermediate transitions between the first transition state and the final transition state.

29. The operating system of claim 27, wherein the rate can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing a period between successive transitions.

30. A user interface comprising:

an interface environment; and

one or more object items distributed within the interface environment;

wherein the interface environment is configured to graphically transition a selected object item from the one or more object items to form an object instance based upon user input, the graphical transition comprising successive transition states which retain an aspect ratio associated with the object item.

31. The user interface of claim 30;

wherein graphically transitioning a selected object item comprises generating one or more scaled copies of the object item, for each of the successive transition states, displaying a first scaled copy of the object item in a first transition state, and any more scaled copies in their respective transition state, and showing a full size instance of the object instance in a final transition state.

32. The user interface of claim 30, wherein graphically transitioning a selected application item comprises:

generating a first scaled instance of the application instance, the first scaled instance of the application instance being about the same size as the application item;

displaying the first, scaled instance during a first transition state;

generating one or more intermediate scaled instances of the application instance, the intermediate sealed instances of the application instance being between the size of the application item and a preset application size;

successively displaying the one or more intermediate scaled instances of die application instance to provide the appearance that the application item is growing;

displaying the application instance at the preset application size after successively displaying the one or more intermediate scaled instances of foe application instance.