UI TECHNIQUES FOR NAVIGATING A FILE MANAGER OF AN ELECTRONIC COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20150186397A1
• Filed: 12/31/2013
• Published: 07/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barnes & Noble College Booksellers LLC (Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nook Digital, LLC (f/k/a Barnesandnoble.com LLC) (Bahwan CyberTek Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Cueto, Gerald B., Brewer, Dale J., Wilson, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,588,979 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for a swipe based file manager navigation mode in electronic computing devices, such as a touch screen device. Digital files may be organized in a hierarchical or treelike file manager capable of having multiple directory or folder levels. Folders (or directories) may allow a user to group files into separate collections, and folders may be organized within other folders. In some embodiments, the navigation mode may allow a user to navigate through or access the directory levels of the file manager using vertical swipe gestures. In some such embodiments, a vertical gesture performed to access a child (lower) directory level may have to be performed over the directory or folder to be accessed. As the user navigates through the directory levels, the navigation mode may be configured, in some embodiments, to provide animations.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a display for presenting a hierarchical digital content directory to a user; and

a user interface including a file manager navigation mode configured to allow a user to access higher directory levels in response to a higher level navigation gesture and access lower directory levels in response to a lower level navigation gesture;

wherein the navigation mode is further configured to provide an animation showing directory content collapsing into a source folder in response to a higher level navigation gesture and provide an animation showing a folder expanding to present its contents in response to a lower level navigation gesture.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the higher level navigation gesture and/or the lower level navigation gesture is user configurable.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the animations are user configurable.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the lower level navigation gesture and higher level navigation gesture are swipe gestures oriented in substantially opposite directions.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the navigation mode is further configured to present multiple directory levels at the same time.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the number of directory levels presented is user configurable.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein separate directory levels are separated by a level division.

8. The device of claim 5 wherein higher directory levels of the file manager are configured to present only source folders for the lower directory levels.

9. The device of claim 5 wherein higher directory levels include source folders for lower directory levels and the source folders are shaded and/or highlighted.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the lower level navigation gesture is a continuous swipe gesture configured to access multiple directory levels of the file manager.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the lower level navigation gesture is performed over a folder intended to be accessed.

12. A mobile computing system, comprising:

a processor;

a touch screen display for displaying a hierarchical digital content directory to a user; and

a user interface executable on the processor and including a swipe based file manager navigation mode configured to display an animation showing directory content collapsing into a source folder in response to a substantially vertical higher level swipe gesture, and display an animation showing directory content expanding into a lower directory level in response to a lower level swipe gesture oriented in a direction opposite the higher level swipe gesture.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the navigation mode is further configured to display multiple directory levels at the same time.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein a higher directory level includes a source folder for a lower directory level and the source folder is shaded and/or highlighted.

15. The device of claim 12 wherein the animations are accompanied by a sound effect and/or graphic.

16. A computer program product comprising a plurality of instructions non-transiently encoded thereon and executable by one or more processors to carry out the following process, the process comprising:

present via an electronic device a current level of a hierarchical digital content directory;

present via the electronic device, an animation showing directory content collapsing into a higher directory level in response to a higher level navigation gesture; and

present via the electronic device, an animation showing directory content expanding into a lower directory level in response to a lower level navigation gesture.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the process further comprises:

present via the electronic device multiple directory levels at the same time.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the number of directory levels presented is user configurable.

19. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the lower level navigation gesture is performed over a folder intended to be accessed.

20. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the lower level navigation gesture is a swipe gesture performed in a direction opposite the higher level swipe gesture.