Layer For Accessing User Interface Elements
First Claim
1. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a user-activatable dashboard layer, comprising:
- responsive to a trigger event, activating a user-activatable dashboard layer in the area displaying the user interface such that the dashboard layer becomes visible to the user, thereby providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer, wherein at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer; and
wherein at least one widget in the group of widgets is a separate process executing regardless of whether the dashboard layer is visible to the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A user-activatable dashboard (also referred to as a unified interest layer) contains any number of user interface elements, referred to herein as “widgets,” for quick access by a user. In response to a command from a user, the dashboard is invoked and the widgets are shown on the screen. The user can activate the dashboard at any time, causing the dashboard to temporarily replace the existing user interface display on the user'"'"'s screen. Once the dashboard has been activated, the user can interact with any or all of the widgets, and can configure the dashboard by adding, deleting, moving, or configuring individual widgets as desired. When the user wishes to return to the normal user interface he or she was working with, the user issues a command causing the dashboard to be dismissed. Once the dashboard has been dismissed, the previous user interface state is restored, allowing the user to resume normal interactions with the operating system.
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Citations
68 Claims
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1. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a user-activatable dashboard layer, comprising:
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responsive to a trigger event, activating a user-activatable dashboard layer in the area displaying the user interface such that the dashboard layer becomes visible to the user, thereby providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer, wherein at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer; and wherein at least one widget in the group of widgets is a separate process executing regardless of whether the dashboard layer is visible to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a user-activatable dashboard layer, comprising:
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responsive to a trigger event, activating a user-activatable dashboard layer in the area displaying the user interface such that the dashboard layer becomes visible to the user, the layer occupying a portion of the user interface, thereby providing access to a group of widgets contained by the user-activatable dashboard layer, wherein at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the user-activatable dashboard layer; wherein each widget in the group of widgets is a separate process executing regardless of whether the dashboard layer is visible to the user; and wherein a first application comprises a first widget of the group and a second application comprises a second widget of the group. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a user-activatable dashboard layer, comprising:
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responsive to a trigger event, activating a user-activatable dashboard layer in the area displaying the user interface such that the dashboard layer becomes visible to the user, wherein the user-activatable dashboard layer functions as an area for placement of widgets; wherein the widgets contained by the user-activatable dashboard layer are accessible as a group upon activation of the user-activatable dashboard layer; wherein each widget in the group of widgets is a separate process executing regardless of whether the dashboard layer is visible to the user; wherein at least one of the widgets in the group was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the user-activatable dashboard layer; and wherein each widget is associated with a functionality performed by the widget. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface with an existing user interface display, a method for presenting a user-activatable dashboard layer, comprising:
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responsive to a trigger event, activating a user-activatable dashboard layer in the area displaying the user interface such that the dashboard layer becomes visible to the user, thereby providing access to a group of widgets contained by the user-activatable dashboard layer, wherein at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the user-activatable dashboard layer; wherein each widget in the group of widgets is a separate process executing regardless of whether the dashboard layer is visible to the user; wherein the user-activatable dashboard layer at least partially obscures the existing user interface display; and wherein a first application comprises a first widget of the group and a second application comprises a second widget of the group. - View Dependent Claims (50)
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51. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface with an existing user interface display, a method for presenting a user-activatable dashboard layer, comprising:
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responsive to a trigger event, activating a user-activatable dashboard layer in the area displaying the user interface such that the dashboard layer becomes visible to the user, thereby providing access to a group of widgets contained by the user-activatable dashboard layer, wherein at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the user-activatable dashboard layer; wherein each widget in the group of widgets is a separate process executing regardless of whether the dashboard layer is visible to the user; wherein the user-activatable dashboard layer overlays the existing user interface display; and wherein a first application comprises a first widget of the group and a second application comprises a second widget of the group. - View Dependent Claims (52)
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53. A computer readable memory storing a computer program executable by a processor, the computer program producing a user interface, the user interface comprising:
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a user-activatable dashboard layer configured for placement of widgets; a group of widgets, the group contained by the user-activatable dashboard layer and accessible upon activation of the user-activatable dashboard layer, wherein the dashboard layer becomes visible to the user upon activation, wherein at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the user-activatable dashboard layer; wherein each widget in the group of widgets is a separate process executing regardless of whether the dashboard layer is visible to the user; and wherein a single application does not comprise all widgets in the group.
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54. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a music player user interface element, comprising:
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responsive to a trigger event, displaying a music player user interface element within a user-activatable dashboard layer, the layer providing access to the music player user interface element in conjunction with a group of user interface elements contained by the user-activatable dashboard layer, wherein at least one of the user interface elements in the group of user interface elements was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the user-activatable dashboard layer; and wherein the music player user interface element displays a circular area within the music player user interface element comprising a set of playback controls and an area comprising currently playing music that is distinct from the circular area. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a user-activatable dashboard layer, comprising:
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responsive to a trigger event, activating a user-activatable dashboard layer in the area displaying the user interface such that the dashboard layer becomes visible to the user, thereby providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer, wherein at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer; wherein each widget in the group of widgets is a separate process executing regardless of whether the dashboard layer is visible to the user; and wherein at least one of the group of is associated with a fully functional application.
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60. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a user-activatable dashboard layer, comprising:
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responsive to a trigger event, activating a user-activatable dashboard layer in the area displaying the user interface such that the dashboard layer becomes visible to the user, thereby providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer, wherein the user-activatable dashboard layer is sized such that the widgets user interface elements can be usably presented within the user-activatable dashboard layer; wherein each widget in the group of widgets is a separate process executing regardless of whether the dashboard layer is visible to the user; wherein at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer and the group of widgets are not necessarily part of a single application.
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61. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a calendar user interface element, the method comprising:
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responsive to a trigger event, displaying a calendar user interface element within a user-activatable dashboard layer, the layer providing access to the calendar user interface element in conjunction with a group of user interface elements contained by the user-activatable dashboard layer, wherein at least one of the user interface elements in the group of user interface elements was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer; and wherein the calendar user interface element displays a current day of the week and a current date. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63)
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64. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a stock quote user interface element, the method comprising:
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responsive to a trigger event, displaying a stock quote user interface element within a user-activatable dashboard layer, the layer providing access to the stock quote user interface element in conjunction with a group of user interface elements contained by the user-activatable dashboard layer, wherein at least one of the user interface elements in the group of user interface elements was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer; and wherein the stock quote user interface element displays at least one stock symbol, a stock quote associated with the at least one stock symbol and a graph associated with a selected stock symbol indicating changes in closing price over time. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66)
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67. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting an address book user interface element, the method comprising:
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responsive to a trigger event, displaying an address book user interface element within a user-activatable dashboard layer, the layer providing access to the address book user interface element in conjunction with a group of user interface elements contained by the user-activatable dashboard layer, wherein at least one of the user interface elements in the group of user interface elements was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer; and wherein the address book user interface element displays one or more entries, wherein each entry comprises a name of an entity, contact information associated with the entity, and a graphical image associated with the entity. - View Dependent Claims (68)
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Specification