Progressively Indicating New Content in an Application-Selectable User Interface

• US 20130063490A1
• Filed: 10/18/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Zaman, Nazia, Donahue, Tyler J., Ray, Ethan Nelson, Velasco, Maverick J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,830,270 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/649
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/156 Query results presentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/168 Details of user interfaces specifically adapted to file systems, e.g. browsing and visualisation, 2d or 3d GUIs query results presentation G06F16/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

This document describes techniques for progressively indicating new content in an application-selectable user interface. These techniques permit a user to view indications of new content for applications progressively, rather than all at one time. By so doing, the techniques may avoid mentally or visually overloading or over-stimulating a user viewing the indications.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting, in a visible region of an application-selectable user interface, a set of tiles associated with a set of applications;

determining a subset of the set of tiles associated with a subset of applications for which new content is available, at least one tile of the subset of the set of tiles for which new content is available being associated with an application of the subset of applications that is not executing;

determining that a number of tiles of the subset or a fraction of the subset relative to the set exceeds a pre-determined threshold; and

progressively indicating in each of the tiles of the subset that new content is available.

2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein progressively indicating that new content is available presents new content in the one tile of the subset while the application associated with the one tile is not executing.

3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 2, further comprising receiving selection of the one tile of the subset through the application-selectable user interface and, responsive to the selection, executing the application associated with the one tile of the subset.

4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein progressively indicating that new content is available cascades, from one side of the visible region to another side of the visible region, animations across each of the tiles of the subset.

5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein progressively indicating that new content is available cascades, from one corner of the visible region to an opposite-most corner of the visible region, animations across each of the tiles of the subset.

6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein progressively indicating that new content is available alters an appearance of each of the tiles of the subset in two or more stages.

7. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 6, wherein progressively indicating alters the appearance of each of the tiles of the subset by presenting new content or an indicator indicating that new content is available.

8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein progressively indicating that new content is available animates each of the tiles of the subset in two or more stages.

9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein progressively indicating animates a tile of the subset by presenting a rotation of portions of new content within the tile of the subset.

10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 9, wherein presenting the rotation of portions of the new content rotates text and an image within the tile of the subset.

11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein progressively indicating animates a tile of the subset by cycling presentation of multiple portions of new content within the tile of the subset.

12. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising determining, prior to determining the subset of the set of tiles associated with the subset of applications for which new content is available, the pre-determined threshold based on a number of tiles in the set and a size of the visible region of the application-selectable user interface.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving reports associated with multiple applications and indicating new contents or updates to the multiple applications, the multiple applications having associated tiles of an interface through which the new contents or the updates can be indicated;

determining which of the associated tiles are in a region of the interface;

determining an order in which to indicate the new contents or the updates, the order including a delay prior to indicating at least one of the new contents or the updates in the region of the interface; and

indicating the new contents or the updates in the region of the interface and according to the order.

14. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein one or more of the multiple applications is not executing during the receiving reports, the determining which of the associated tiles are in the region, the determining the order, and the indicating.

15. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 14, further comprising receiving selection, after the indicating the new contents or the updates, of a tile associated with one of the one or more of the multiple applications that is not executing and, responsive to the selection, executing the application associated with the selected tile.

16. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein determining the order is based on a layout of the associated tiles in the region.

17. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein determining the order is based on a number of reports or notifications received for each of the multiple applications.

18. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein the delay is determined based on:

an amount of time to complete an animation that indicates the new contents or the updates;

a number of the associated tiles in the region;

or

a fraction of the associated tiles in the region relative to a total number of tiles in the region.

19. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein indicating the new contents or the updates presents the new contents or a portion thereof within the associated tiles.

20. One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

determining, for an interface having a visible region in which visible, selectable tiles associated with applications are presented and a non-visible region in which tiles associated with applications are included but not currently presented, a pre-render portion of the non-visible region;

pre-rendering animations for tiles in the pre-render portion and for which reports indicating new content have been received;

receiving an input selecting to view the pre-render portion of the non-visible region;

determining that a number of the tiles in the pre-render portion for which reports indicating new content have been received or a fraction of the number of the tiles in the pre-render portion relative to a total number of tiles in the pre-render portion exceeds a pre-determined threshold; and

progressively animating the pre-rendered animations in the pre-render portion responsive to the non-visible region being made visible.