CONTROL CENTER REFINEMENTS

• US 20150346952A1
• Filed: 06/01/2015
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, Lawrence Y., Karunamuni, Chanaka G., Chaudhri, Imran A.
• Application Number:
  US14/727,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346952A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

User-selected application icons can be added into a control center interface. The corresponding applications may be accessed either from the springboard or from the control center interface. Operation of slider controls in the control center interface can temporarily fade out all aspects of the control center interface except for the slider control being operated during that control'"'"'s operation. The temporary fading out of most of the other aspect of the control center interface causes the content that had been at least partially obscured and overlaid by the previously opaque control center interface to become visible during the slider control'"'"'s operation. While the slider control is being actively operated, the control center interface becomes transparent except for the control itself. Consequently, the effects of the slider control'"'"'s operation relative to the value of the parameter to which it pertains are immediately apparent during that operation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, on a touch-sensitive screen, a control interface that includes a plurality of user interface elements operable to modify settings of a plurality of applications accessible on the device, the user interface elements including an application addition element, that when activated, displays an application selection screen;

detecting a first contact on the touch-sensitive screen, the first contact corresponding to the application addition element;

in response to detecting the contact corresponding to the application addition element, displaying the application selection screen, the application selection screen displaying a list of user interface elements, the list of user interface elements corresponding to one or more applications;

detecting a second contact on the touch-sensitive screen, the second contact corresponding to a user interface element corresponding to one of the listed applications; and

in response to detecting the second contact corresponding to the user interface element corresponding to one of the listed applications;

ceasing to display the application selection screen, and

adding an application launch icon corresponding to the user interface element corresponding to one of the listed applications to the control interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the application launch icon in a row of one or more application launch icons in the control interface.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising

determining that a maximum number of application launch icons is presently displayed in the row of one or more application launch icons;

in response to the determining that a maximum number of application launch icons is presently displayed in the row of one or more application launch icons;

displaying, in the control interface, a new row concurrently with the row containing maximum number of application launch icons, and

adding the application launch icon to the new row.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that a maximum number of application launch icons is presently displayed in the row of one or more application launch icons; and

in response to the determining that a maximum number of application launch icons is presently displayed in the row of one or more application launch icons;

creating, in the control interface, a pagination indicator including a separate element for each page of a plurality of pages of the control interface, and

adding the application launch icon to a new row of application launch icons on a second page that is not displayed concurrently with a first page on which the maximum number of application launch icons was displayed;

wherein the first page and the second page are included within the plurality of pages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user interface elements includes a set of toggles, one or more slider controls, and one or more application launch icons operable to launch one or more corresponding applications stored in a memory of the device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while displaying the control interface, detecting a continuous contact on the touch-sensitive screen relative to a location of an application launch icon for at least a specified amount of time;

in response to detecting the continuous user contact;

placing the device into a reconfiguration mode, and

visually distinguishing the one or more displayed application launch icons;

while the device is in the reconfiguration mode, detecting a contact relative to the location of the application launch icon;

in response to detecting the contact while the device is in the reconfiguration mode, removing the application launch icon from the control interface.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein removal of the application launch icon from the control interface does not remove the application from the device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a list of default functions that the application launched by the application launch icon provides;

detecting a third user input on the touch-sensitive screen that selects a particular default function from the list of default functions;

storing a configuration that associates the application with the particular default function;

detecting a fourth input on the touch-sensitive screen, the fourth input corresponding to the application launch icon; and

in response to receiving the fourth input, launching the application and invoking the particular default function associated with the application in the configuration.

9. A method comprising:

displaying, on a touch-sensitive screen of a device, a control interface that includes a plurality of user interface elements operable to modify settings of a plurality of different applications accessible on the device;

detecting, on the touch-sensitive screen, first user input indicative of an intent to add an application launch icon to the control interface;

detecting, on the touch-sensitive screen, second user input that selects an application from the plurality of applications; and

adding, to the control interface, an application launch icon operable to cause the device to launch the application;

wherein the first user input involves a dragging gesture that moves the application launch icon corresponding to the application from a region external to the control interface toward a location that causes the control interface to become revealed after being obscured; and

wherein the second user input involves contact with the application launch icon at a commencement of the dragging gesture.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the addition of the application launch icon to the control interface does not remove the application launch icon from a separate control interface of the device in which the application launch icon was contained prior to the addition.