USER INTERFACE FOR ELECTRONIC BACKUP

• US 20110302502A1
• Filed: 08/16/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hart, David, Matas, Mike, Cisler, Pavel, Tiene, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 9,360,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1448 Management of the data involved in backup or backup restore
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1469 Backup restoration techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/84 Using snapshots, i.e. a logical point-in-time copy of the data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04805 Virtual magnifying lens, i.e. window or frame movable on top of displayed information to enlarge it for better reading or selection
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for storing and restoring digital data. A method includes receiving, a first user input requesting that a backup interface be displayed, displaying the backup interface, the backup interface including a display area for presenting at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of a current view and a visual representation of the current view, the earlier version including a first element, receiving, while the backup interface is displayed, a second user input requesting that the current view be modified according to the earlier version, at least with regard to the first element, animating the modification of the first element as moving from the visual representation of the earlier version to the visual representation of the current view, and modifying, in response to the second user input, the current view according to the earlier version, at least with regard to the first element.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying the backup interface, the backup interface including a display area for presenting at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of a user interface window and a visual representation of a current view of the user interface window, the earlier versions of the user interface window including a first file;

receiving, while the backup interface is displayed, a second user input requesting that the current view of the user interface window be modified according to the earlier version of the user interface window, at least with regard to the first file;

animating the modification of the first file as moving from the first visual representation of the earlier version of the user interface window to the visual representation of the current view of the user interface window; and

modifying, in response to the second user input, the current view of the user interface window according to the earlier version of the user interface window, at least with regard to the first file including restoring data associated with the first visual representation of the user interface window corresponding to the first file.

2. The method of claim 1, where animating the modification further comprises:

lifting a copy of the first file from the visual representation of the earlier version of the user interface window;

maintaining the position of the copy of the first file while animating the visual representations such that the visual representation of the earlier version of the user interface window falls away and the visual representation of the current view of the user interface window is presented; and

adding the copy of the first file to the visual representation of the current view of the user interface window.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the current view in the user interface including the user interface window, where the user interface window includes the modification of the first file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the backup interface is closed after modifying the current view of the user interface window.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying includes replacing a version of the first file in the current view of the user interface window with data from a version of the first file from the first visual representation of the user interface window.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying includes copying data from a version of the first file from the first visual representation of the user interface window to the current view of the user interface window.

7. A method comprising:

displaying a backup interface, the backup interface being different from a user interface window and including a display area for presenting at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of the user interface window and a visual representation of the current view of the user interface window, the backup interface further including a timeline, where the timeline represents a plurality of visual representations of earlier versions of the user interface window each representing a particular point in time, and where the timeline is a condensed timeline that includes a plurality of condensed tick marks, where each condensed tick mark represents multiple individual tick marks,

wherein the timeline animates in response to user input based on cursor position including determining an identified tick mark, the identified tick mark having a shortest distance from a cursor position; and

expanding the timeline to display individual tick marks relative to the identified tick mark.

8. The method of claim 7, where displaying the backup interface including the timeline includes displaying the timeline as a vertical column of tick marks.

9. The method of claim 7, where displaying the individual tick marks includes magnifying the identified tick mark.

10. The method of claim 7, where a date is displayed corresponding to the earlier version of the user interface window represented by the identified tick mark.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that the cursor position has moved;

determining a next identified tick mark relative to the cursor position; and

magnifying the next identified tick mark.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an input selecting the identified tick mark;

displaying the visual representation of an earlier version of the user interface window corresponding to the identified tick mark; and

compressing the timeline to the condensed timeline.

13. A system comprising:

one or more processors operable to interact with a computer-readable storage medium in order to perform operations comprising;

displaying the backup interface, the backup interface including a display area for presenting at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of a user interface window and a visual representation of a current view of the user interface window, the earlier versions of the user interface window including a first file;

receiving, while the backup interface is displayed, a second user input requesting that the current view of the user interface window be modified according to the earlier version of the user interface window, at least with regard to the first file;

animating the modification of the first file as moving from the first visual representation of the earlier version of the user interface window to the visual representation of the current view of the user interface window; and

modifying, in response to the second user input, the current view of the user interface window according to the earlier version of the user interface window, at least with regard to the first file including restoring data associated with the first visual representation of the user interface window corresponding to the first file.

14. A system comprising:

one or more processors operable to interact with a computer-readable storage medium in order to perform operations comprising;

displaying a backup interface, the backup interface being different from a user interface window and including a display area for presenting at least a first visual representation of an earlier version of the user interface window and a visual representation of the current view of the user interface window, the backup interface further including a timeline, where the timeline represents a plurality of visual representations of earlier versions of the user interface window each representing a particular point in time, and where the timeline is a condensed timeline that includes a plurality of condensed tick marks, where each condensed tick mark represents multiple individual tick marks,

wherein the timeline animates in response to user input based on cursor position including determining an identified tick mark, the identified tick mark having a shortest distance from a cursor position; and

expanding the timeline to display individual tick marks relative to the identified tick mark.