Directory Management on a Portable Multifunction Device

• US 20110010672A1
• Filed: 07/13/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hope, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

In some embodiments, a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display concurrently displays on the touch screen display a plurality of predefined regions, the predefined regions including: a source region, a command region, and a destination region. In response to detecting a first command association input by a user on the touch screen display, the device associates a first icon from the source region with a first directory management command icon in the command region. In response to detecting a first command performance input that includes selecting a first folder icon in the destination region, the device performs a directory management operation on a folder or file that corresponds to the first icon. The directory management operation is in accordance with the first directory management command icon and the selected first folder in the destination region.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display;

concurrently displaying on the touch screen display a plurality of predefined regions, the predefined regions including;

a source region that includes a first plurality of icons, wherein a respective icon in the first plurality of icons represents a folder or a file in a hierarchical level in a first hierarchical directory,

a command region that includes a plurality of directory management command icons, and

a destination region that includes a plurality of folder icons that represent folders in a hierarchical level in a second hierarchical directory;

detecting a first command association input by a user on the touch screen display;

in response to detecting the first command association input by the user on the touch screen display, associating a first icon in the first plurality of icons in the source region with a first directory management command icon in the plurality of directory management command icons;

detecting a first command performance input by the user on the touch screen display, wherein the first command performance input includes selection of a first folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region; and

,

in response to detecting the first command performance input by the user on the touch screen display, performing a directory management operation on a folder or file that corresponds to the first icon in the first plurality of icons, wherein the directory management operation is in accordance with the first directory management command icon and the selected first folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hierarchical directory is located in memory on the portable multifunction device and the second hierarchical directory is the same as the first hierarchical directory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first command association input by the user on the touch screen display includes:

detecting a contact on the first icon in the first plurality of icons in the source region; and

detecting movement of the contact to the first directory management command icon in the plurality of directory management command icons.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the first command association input by the user on the touch screen display includes:

detecting a gesture on the first icon in the first plurality of icons in the source region followed by detecting a gesture on the first directory management command icon in the plurality of directory management command icons without detecting an intervening gesture.

5. The method of claim 1, including:

displaying the first icon in the command region when the first icon is associated with the first directory management command icon.

6. The method of claim 1, including, after detecting the first command association input and prior to detecting the first command performance input:

detecting one or more additional command association inputs by the user on the touch screen display; and

,

in response to detecting the one or more additional command association inputs by the user on the touch screen display, associating icons in the first plurality of icons in the source region that correspond to the one or more additional command association inputs with the first directory management command icon.

7. The method of claim 6, including:

displaying the icons in the first plurality of icons in the source region that correspond to the one or more additional command association inputs in the command region when the icons in the source region that correspond to the one or more additional command association inputs are associated with the first directory management command icon.

8. The method of claim 1, including:

in response to detecting the first command association input by the user on the touch screen display, ceasing to display directory management commands in the command region other than the first directory management command icon.

9. The method of claim 1, including:

detecting a command association input by a user on the touch screen display;

in response to detecting the command association input by the user on the touch screen display, associating an icon in the first plurality of icons in the source region with a copy command icon in the plurality of directory management command icons;

detecting a command performance input by the user on the touch screen display, wherein the command performance input includes selection of a folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region; and

,

in response to detecting the command performance input by the user on the touch screen display, copying a folder or file that corresponds to the icon in the first plurality of icons to the selected folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region.

10. The method of claim 1, including:

detecting a command association input by a user on the touch screen display;

in response to detecting the command association input by the user on the touch screen display, associating an icon in the first plurality of icons in the source region with a move command icon in the plurality of directory management command icons;

detecting a command performance input by the user on the touch screen display, wherein the command performance input includes selection of a folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region; and

,

in response to detecting the command performance input by the user on the touch screen display, moving a folder or file that corresponds to the icon in the first plurality of icons to the selected folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting the first command performance input by the user on the touch screen display includes:

detecting movement of the contact from the first directory management command icon to the first folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein detecting the first command performance input by the user on the touch screen display includes:

detecting a gesture on the first folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region after detecting the gesture on the first directory management command icon in the plurality of directory management command icons.

13. The method of claim 1, including:

displaying the first icon in the destination region during detection of the first command performance input.

14. The method of claim 7, including:

displaying icons in the first plurality of icons in the source region that correspond to the one or more additional command association inputs in the destination region during detection of the first command performance input.

15. The method of claim 14, including:

displaying an animation of icons in the first plurality of icons in the source region that correspond to the one or more additional command association inputs moving from the command region to the destination region during detection of the first command performance input.

16. The method of claim 7, including:

displaying icons in the first plurality of icons in the source region that correspond to the one or more additional command association inputs on the first folder icon in the destination region during detection of the first command performance input.

17. The method of claim 16, including:

displaying an animation of icons in the first plurality of icons in the source region that correspond to the one or more additional command association inputs moving from the command region to the first folder icon in the destination region during detection of the first command performance input.

18. A graphical user interface on a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display and a hierarchical directory that contains folders and files, the graphical user interface comprising:

a plurality of predefined regions, the predefined regions including;

a source region that includes a first plurality of icons, wherein a respective icon in the first plurality of icons represents a folder or a file in a hierarchical level in a first hierarchical directory,

a command region that includes a plurality of directory management command icons, and

a destination region that includes a plurality of folder icons that represent folders in a hierarchical level in a second hierarchical directory;

wherein;

in response to detecting a first command association input by a user on the touch screen display, a first icon in the first plurality of icons in the source region is associated with a first directory management command icon in the plurality of directory management command icons;

a first command performance input by the user is detected on the touch screen display, wherein the first command performance input includes selection of a first folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region; and

,

in response to detection of the first command performance input by the user on the touch screen display, a directory management operation is performed on a folder or file that corresponds to the first icon in the first plurality of icons, wherein the directory management operation is in accordance with the first directory management command icon and the selected first folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region.

19. A portable multifunction device, comprising:

a touch screen 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 one or more programs including instructions for;

concurrently displaying on the touch screen display a plurality of predefined regions, the predefined regions including;

a source region that includes a first plurality of icons, wherein a respective icon in the first plurality of icons represents a folder or a file in a hierarchical level in a first hierarchical directory,

a command region that includes a plurality of directory management command icons, and

a destination region that includes a plurality of folder icons that represent folders in a hierarchical level in a second hierarchical directory;

detecting a first command association input by a user on the touch screen display;

responding to detection of the first command association input by the user on the touch screen display by associating a first icon in the first plurality of icons in the source region with a first directory management command icon in the plurality of directory management command icons;

detecting a first command performance input by the user on the touch screen display, wherein the first command performance input includes selection of a first folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region; and

,

responding to detection of the first command performance input by the user on the touch screen display by performing a directory management operation on a folder or file that corresponds to the first icon in the first plurality of icons, wherein the directory management operation is in accordance with the first directory management command icon and the selected first folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region.

20. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a portable multifunction device with a touch screen display and a hierarchical directory that contains folders and files, cause the device to:

concurrently display on the touch screen display a plurality of predefined regions, the predefined regions including;

a source region that includes a first plurality of icons, wherein a respective icon in the first plurality of icons represents a folder or a file in a hierarchical level in a first hierarchical directory,

a command region that includes a plurality of directory management command icons, and

a destination region that includes a plurality of folder icons that represent folders in a hierarchical level in a second hierarchical directory;

detect a first command association input by a user on the touch screen display;

respond to detection of the first command association input by the user on the touch screen display by associating a first icon in the first plurality of icons in the source region with a first directory management command icon in the plurality of directory management command icons;

detect a first command performance input by the user on the touch screen display, wherein the first command performance input includes selection of a first folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region; and

,

respond to detection of the first command performance input by the user on the touch screen display by performing a directory management operation on a folder or file that corresponds to the first icon in the first plurality of icons, wherein the directory management operation is in accordance with the first directory management command icon and the selected first folder icon in the plurality of folder icons in the destination region.