Opaque views for graphical user interfaces

• US 20090064013A1
• Filed: 09/04/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Jeffery Theodore, Boettcher, Jesse William, Huang, Szu-Wen
• Granted Patent: US 8,201,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system and method of rendering a graphical user interface for a media based device which employs techniques for layering graphical elements. The method includes providing a background layer for the graphical user interface and graphical layers over the background layer. The method also superimposing an opaque view over a portion of the translucent graphic layer and marking the opaque view as opaque so that the portion of the translucent layer is not redrawn when the content in the opaque view is altered.

Claims

1. A method for rendering a graphical user interface comprising:

providing a background layer;

providing a translucent graphics layer over a portion of the background layer;

superimposing an opaque view over a portion of the translucent graphics layer; and

marking the opaque view as opaque so that the portion of the translucent graphics layer is not redrawn when content in the opaque view is altered.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising subdividing the graphical user interface into rectangular tiles, wherein unique tiles are defined by pixels having common layers and views.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein an area of the background layer is not redrawn when content in the opaque view is altered.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising transitioning the opaque view from a first graphic to a second graphic.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the opaque layer comprises providing a picture.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the opaque layer comprises providing a video.

7. A portable electronic device comprising:

a display configured to display a graphical user interface;

a processor configured to generate the graphical user interface by superimposing a plurality of graphic layers over a background layer, wherein at least one of the plurality of graphic layers comprises an opaque view and portions of the plurality of graphic layers under the opaque view are not redrawn when an overlying opaque layer is redrawn.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the portable electronic device is configured to output for audio content and the opaque layer is redrawn in response to a change in the audio content being output.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 7 comprising a user interface to allow a user to provide input to the device.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 9, wherein the user interface is integrated into the graphical user interface.

11. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the display comprises an LCD.

12. The portable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the processor executes code to subdivide the graphical user interface into rectangular blocks according to pixels defined by common layers.

13. The portable electronic device of claim 12, wherein the changing of the opaque layer is a transition from a first image to a subsequent image corresponding to a change in media content being provided to a user by the portable electronic device.

14. The portable electronic device of claim 12, wherein the changing of the opaque layer results from input from a user.

15. A tangible machine readable medium comprising code configured to:

generate a graphical user interface comprising multiple layers and views superimposed over a background layer, wherein at least one of the views is opaque; and

changing the opaque view without redrawing portions of layers superimposed by the opaque view.

16. The tangible machine readable medium of claim 15 comprising code configured to redraw layers underneath the opaque view without redrawing the portions of the layers superimposed by the opaque view.

17. The tangible machine readable medium of claim 15 comprising code configured to subdivide the graphical user interface into rectangular tiles according to common pixel attributes.

18. A method for marking opaque views in a graphical user interface comprising:

providing a graphical interface for an electronic device, wherein the graphical interface comprises graphics layers superimposed over a background layer;

subdividing the graphical user interface into tiles based on pixels sharing common layers;

determining whether a tile is opaque; and

marking the tile as opaque so that portions of layers under the opaque tile are not redrawn.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the opaque tile comprises album art.

20. The method of claim 18 comprising redrawing the graphical user interface without redrawing the portions of layers under the opaque tile.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein determining whether a tile is opaque comprises determining an opacity value of the tile.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the opaque tile is redrawn by a fade in/out technique.