Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for Navigating Through a Hierarchy

• US 20120023453A1
• Filed: 07/26/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wagner, Oliver P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,483,175 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/848
• 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

Abstract

A multifunction device displays a view of a top level of a hierarchical user interface. The hierarchical user interface has a plurality of levels including the top level and one or more lower levels. In response to detecting a first input, the device displays a view of at least one of the lower levels and at least a predefined portion of the view of the top level. While displaying a view of a respective lower level and concurrently displaying at least the predefined portion of the view of the top level, the device detects a second input. When the second input corresponds to a request to enter a content modification mode for the respective lower level, the device enters the content modification mode for the respective lower level and ceases to display the predefined portion of the view of the top level.

Claims

1. A multifunction device, comprising:

a 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;

displaying a view of a top level of a hierarchical user interface on the display, the hierarchical user interface having a plurality of levels including the top level and one or more lower levels;

detecting a first input;

in response to detecting the first input, displaying a view of at least one of the lower levels while concurrently displaying at least a predefined portion of the view of the top level;

while displaying a view of a respective lower level and concurrently displaying at least the predefined portion of the view of the top level, detecting a second input; and

when the second input corresponds to a request to enter a content modification mode for the respective lower level;

entering the content modification mode for the respective lower level and

ceasing to display the predefined portion of the view of the top level.

2. The device of claim 1, including instructions for, when the second input corresponds to a selection of the predefined portion of the view of the top level:

ceasing to display view of the respective lower level and

redisplaying the view of the top level.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein displaying the view of at least one of the lower levels includes:

displaying an animation of the view of the top level moving backwards into the display; and

displaying the view of at least one of the lower levels in front of the view of the top level so as to partially cover the view of the top level while still displaying an edge of the view of the top level.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the edge of the view of the top level is displayed in accordance with:

a simulated three-dimensional arrangement of the views of the hierarchical user interface along a simulated z-axis of the display; and

a simulated viewpoint from which the simulated three-dimensional arrangement is viewed.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein ceasing to display the predefined portion of the view of the top level includes shifting the simulated viewpoint in a predefined direction so as to cease to display the predefined portion of the view of the top level in accordance with simulated parallax.

6. The device of claim 1, including instructions for, after detecting the first input and while displaying at least a portion of the view of the top level:

detecting one or more intermediate inputs; and

in response to detecting the one or more intermediate inputs, navigating through a plurality of intermediate lower levels to reach the respective lower level.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein navigating through the plurality of intermediate lower levels includes displaying animated transitions between subsequent intermediate levels while maintaining display of the predefined portion of the view of the top level.

8. The device of claim 6, including instructions for, after navigating through the plurality of intermediate lower levels, displaying a predefined portion of a view of one or more of the intermediate lower levels in addition to displaying the predefined portion of the view of the top level.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein entering the content modification mode includes displaying a content modification interface.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein ceasing to display the predefined portion of the view of the top level includes concurrently:

displaying an animation of the view of the respective lower level moving in a predefined direction on the display so as to cover the predefined portion of the view of the top level; and

displaying an animation of the content modification interface moving into a region of the display that was previously occupied by the view of the respective lower level.

11. The device of claim 1, including instructions for, after entering the content modification mode:

detecting a third input that corresponds to a request to leave the content modification mode; and

,

in response to detecting the third input;

leaving the content modification mode and

redisplaying the predefined portion of the view of the top level.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein:

entering the content modification mode includes displaying a content modification interface; and

leaving the content modification mode includes concurrently;

displaying an animation of the content modification interface moving in a predefined direction on the display; and

displaying an animation of the view of the respective lower level moving into a region of the display that was previously occupied by the content modification interface so as to reveal the predefined portion of the view of the top level.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein:

the views of the hierarchical user interface are displayed in a simulated three-dimensional arrangement of the views of the hierarchical user interface along a simulated z-axis of the display;

ceasing to display the predefined portion of the view of the top level includes shifting a simulated viewpoint of the simulated three-dimensional arrangement in a predefined direction so as to cease to display the predefined portion of the view of the top level in accordance with simulated parallax; and

redisplaying the predefined portion of the view of the top level includes shifting the simulated viewpoint of the simulated three-dimensional arrangement in a direction that is substantially opposite to the predefined direction so as to display the predefined portion of the view of the top level via the simulated parallax.

14. The device of claim 11, including instructions for, after leaving the content modification mode:

detecting a fourth input that corresponds to a selection of the predefined portion of the view of the top level; and

,

in response to detecting the fourth input;

ceasing to display view of the respective lower level; and

redisplaying the view of the top level.

15. A method, comprising:

at a multifunction device with a display;

displaying a view of a top level of a hierarchical user interface on the display, the hierarchical user interface having a plurality of levels including the top level and one or more lower levels;

detecting a first input;

in response to detecting the first input, displaying a view of at least one of the lower levels while concurrently displaying at least a predefined portion of the view of the top level;

while displaying a view of a respective lower level and concurrently displaying at least the predefined portion of the view of the top level, detecting a second input; and

when the second input corresponds to a request to enter a content modification mode for the respective lower level;

entering the content modification mode for the respective lower level and

ceasing to display the predefined portion of the view of the top level.

16. The method of claim 15, including, when the second input corresponds to a selection of the predefined portion of the view of the top level:

ceasing to display view of the respective lower level and

redisplaying the view of the top level.

17. The method of claim 15, including, after entering the content modification mode:

detecting a third input that corresponds to a request to leave the content modification mode; and

,

in response to detecting the third input;

leaving the content modification mode and

redisplaying the predefined portion of the view of the top level.

18. A computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a multifunction device with a display, cause the device to:

display a view of a top level of a hierarchical user interface on the display, the hierarchical user interface having a plurality of levels including the top level and one or more lower levels;

detect a first input;

in response to detecting the first input, display a view of at least one of the lower levels while concurrently displaying at least a predefined portion of the view of the top level;

while displaying a view of a respective lower level and concurrently displaying at least the predefined portion of the view of the top level, detect a second input; and

,

when the second input corresponds to a request to enter a content modification mode for the respective lower level;

enter the content modification mode for the respective lower level and

cease to display the predefined portion of the view of the top level.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, including instructions which, when executed by the device cause the device to, when the second input corresponds to a selection of the predefined portion of the view of the top level:

cease to display view of the respective lower level and

redisplay the view of the top level.

20. A graphical user interface on a multifunction device with a display, a memory, and one or more processors to execute one or more programs stored in the memory, the graphical user interface comprising:

a hierarchical user interface having a plurality of levels including a top level and one or more lower levels;

wherein;

a view of a top level of the hierarchical user interface is displayed;

in response to detecting a first input, a view of at least one of the lower levels is displayed while concurrently displaying at least a predefined portion of the view of the top level;

while displaying a view of a respective lower level and concurrently displaying at least the predefined portion of the view of the top level, a second input is detected; and

when the second input corresponds to a request to enter a content modification mode for the respective lower level;

the content modification mode is entered for the respective lower level and

the predefined portion of the view of the top level ceases to be displayed.