Portable Electronic Device with Interface Reconfiguration Mode

• US 20090138827A1
• Filed: 02/02/2009
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Freddy Allen Anzures, Greg Christie, Imran Chaudhri, Marcel Van Os, Scott Forstall
• Original Assignee: Freddy Allen Anzures, Greg Christie, Imran Chaudhri, Marcel Van Os, Scott Forstall
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Van Os, Marcel, Forstall, Scott, Anzures, Freddy Allen
• Granted Patent: US 9,933,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/846
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

A portable electronic device displays a plurality of icons (e.g., graphical objects) in a region in a touch-sensitive display; detects a predefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, for initiating a predefined user interface reconfiguration process; and varies positions of one or more icons in the plurality of icons in response to detecting the predefined user action. The varying includes varying the positions of the one or more icons about respective average positions.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the programs including;

instructions for displaying a first plurality of icons in a first region on the touch-sensitive display;

instructions for detecting a first predefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, for initiating a predefined user interface reconfiguration process; and

instructions for varying positions of multiple icons of the first plurality of icons in response to detecting the first predefined user action, wherein the varying includes varying the positions of each icon of the multiple icons about a respective average position distinct from the respective average positions of other icons of the multiple icons.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the instructions for varying positions include instructions for animating the multiple icons to simulate floating of the multiple icons on a surface corresponding to a surface of the touch-sensitive display.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein each respective icon of the multiple icons has a time varying position in a region substantially centered on the respective average position of the respective icon.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising

instructions for detecting a user making a point of contact with the touch-sensitive display at a first position corresponding to a first icon in the multiple icons and instructions for detecting movement of the point of contact to a second position of the touch-sensitive display;

and

instructions for responding to detecting the point of contact and detecting movement of the point of contact by displaying movement of the first icon to the second position of the touch-sensitive display and displaying the first icon at the second position.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising instructions for fixing a position of the first icon at the second position in response to detecting a second predefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, for terminating the predefined user interface reconfiguring process.

6. The device of claim 4, further comprising instructions for moving a second icon in the multiple icons from a respective initial position to a respective new position when the second position of the first icon at least partially overlaps with the respective initial position of the second icon.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising

instructions for detecting a user making a first point of contact with the touch-sensitive display at a first position corresponding to a first icon in the multiple icons and instructions for detecting movement of the first point of contact to a second position in a second region on the touch-sensitive display;

and

instructions for responding to detecting the first point of contact and detecting movement of the first point of contact by displaying movement of the first icon to the second position of the touch-sensitive display and displaying the first icon at the second position.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising

instructions for detecting a user making a second point of contact with the touch-sensitive display at a third position corresponding to a second icon in a second plurality of icons in the second region on the touch-sensitive display and instructions for detecting movement of the second point of contact to a fourth position in the first region on the touch-sensitive display;

and

instructions for responding to detecting the second point of contact and detecting movement of the second point of contact by displaying movement of the second icon to the fourth position of the touch-sensitive display and displaying the second icon at the fourth position.

9. The device of claim 8, further comprising instructions for fixing a position of the first icon at the second position and a position of the second icon at the fourth position in response to detecting a second predefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, for terminating the predefined user interface reconfiguration process.

10. The device of claim 7, further comprising instructions for moving a third icon in the second plurality of icons from a respective initial position to a respective new position when the new position of the first icon at least partially overlaps with the respective initial position of the third icon.

11. A computer program product with instructions configured for execution by one or more processors, which when executed by a portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, cause the device to:

display a first plurality of icons in a first region on the touch-sensitive display;

detect a first predefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, for initiating a predefined user interface reconfiguration process; and

vary positions of multiple icons of the first plurality of icons in response to detecting the first predefined user action, wherein the varying includes varying the positions of each icon of the multiple icons about a respective average position distinct from the respective average positions of other icons of the multiple icons.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein varying positions includes animating the multiple icons to simulate floating of the multiple icons on a surface corresponding to a surface of the touch-sensitive display.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein each respective icon of the multiple icons has a time varying position in a region substantially centered on the respective average position of the respective icon.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising instructions configured for execution by the one or more processors, which when executed by the electronic device with the touch-sensitive display, cause the device to:

detect a user making a point of contact with the touch-sensitive display at a first position corresponding to a first icon in the multiple icons and detect movement of the point of contact to a second position of the touch-sensitive display; and

respond to detecting the point of contact and detecting movement of the point of contact by displaying movement of the first icon to the second position of the touch-sensitive display and displaying the first icon at the second position.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions configured for execution by the one or more processors, which when executed by the electronic device with the touch-sensitive display, cause the device to move a second icon in the multiple icons from a respective initial position to a respective new position when the second position of the first icon at least partially overlaps with the respective initial position of the second icon.

16. A graphical user interface on a portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display, comprising:

a first plurality of icons displayed in a first region on the touch-sensitive display,

wherein;

a first predefined user action is detected, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, for initiating a predefined user interface reconfiguration process; and

positions of multiple icons of the first plurality of icons are varied in response to detecting the first predefined user action, wherein the varying includes varying the positions of each icon of the multiple icons about a respective average position distinct from the respective average positions of other icons of the multiple icons.

17. The graphical user interface of claim 16, wherein the varying positions of multiple icons includes animating the multiple icons to simulate floating of the multiple icons on a surface corresponding to a surface of the touch-sensitive display.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 16, wherein each respective icon of the multiple icons has a time varying position in a region substantially centered on the respective average position of the respective icon.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 16, further comprising

a user making a point of contact with the touch-sensitive display is detected at a first position corresponding to a first icon in the multiple icons and movement of the point of contact to a second position of the touch-sensitive display is detected;

and

in response to detecting the point of contact and detecting movement of the point of contact, movement of the first icon to the second position of the touch-sensitive display is displayed and the first icon is displayed at the second position.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 19, further comprising a second icon in the multiple icons is moved from a respective initial position to a respective new position when the second position of the first icon at least partially overlaps with the respective initial position of the second icon.

21. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a portable electronic device with a touch-sensitive display;

displaying a first plurality of icons in a first region on the touch-sensitive display;

detecting a first predefined user action, with respect to the touch-sensitive display, for initiating a predefined user interface reconfiguration process; and

varying positions of multiple icons of the first plurality of icons in response to detecting the first predefined user action, wherein the varying includes varying the positions of each icon of the multiple icons about a respective average position distinct from the respective average positions of other icons of the multiple icons.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein the varying includes animating the multiple icons to simulate floating of the multiple icons on a surface corresponding to a surface of the touch-sensitive display.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein each respective icon of the multiple icons has a time varying position in a region substantially centered on the respective average position of the respective icon.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising

detecting a user making a point of contact with the touch-sensitive display at a first position corresponding to a first icon in the multiple icons and detecting movement of the point of contact to a second position of the touch-sensitive display;

and

responding to detecting the point of contact and detecting movement of the point of contact by displaying movement of the first icon to the second position of the touch-sensitive display and displaying the first icon at the second position.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 24, further comprising moving a second icon in the multiple icons from a respective initial position to a respective new position when the second position of the first icon at least partially overlaps with the respective initial position of the second icon.