DYNAMIC BAR ORIENTED USER INTERFACE

• US 20160210002A1
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Scott, Sherryl Lee Lorraine
• Granted Patent: US 11,126,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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

Abstract

Method and user interface for controlling an apparatus are provided. In accordance with one embodiment, the method comprises: displaying a dynamic bar on a display of a mobile electronic device, the dynamic bar having an appearance that updates dynamically to reflect a change to information managed by an executable running on the mobile electronic device, wherein the dynamic bar includes a label portion and an icon menu comprising a plurality of icons, each icon in the plurality of icons being associated with a respective application or function; and displaying a dialog for configuring options associated with a particular application or function, the dialog displayed in response to selection of a respective icon of the plurality of icons in the icon menu associated with the particular application or function.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a dynamic bar on a display of a mobile electronic device, the dynamic bar having an appearance that updates dynamically to reflect a change to information managed by an executable running on the mobile electronic device, wherein the dynamic bar includes a label portion and an icon menu comprising a plurality of icons, each icon in the plurality of icons being associated with a respective application or function; and

displaying a dialog for configuring options associated with a particular application or function, the dialog displayed in response to selection of a respective icon of the plurality of icons in the icon menu associated with the particular application or function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dialog is positioned over at least a portion of the dynamic bar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dialog is displayed in association with its respective icon.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective icon is located at a margin of the dialog.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating an appearance of the respective icon to reflect a change in a value of an option associated with the particular application or function.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving an input changing the value of the option associated with the particular application or function.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing the value the option associated with the particular application or function in response to the input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the icon menu of the dynamic bar is an expansion interface of the dynamic bar.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

expanding the dynamic bar to display the icon menu as an expansion interface in response to an input.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic bar has an expanded state and an unexpanded state.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

expanding the dynamic bar from the unexpanded state in which the dynamic bar consists of the label portion to the expanded state in which the dynamic bar consists of the label portion and the icon menu as an expansion interface in response to input.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the dynamic bar is part of a main screen of a graphical user interface (GUI) for controlling the mobile electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the dynamic bar is one of a plurality of dynamic bars on the main screen.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein each icon in the icon menu has a text label.

15. A device comprising:

a display device;

a hardware processor coupled to the display device and configured to;

display a dynamic bar on a display of a mobile electronic device, the dynamic bar having an appearance that updates dynamically to reflect a change to information managed by an executable running on the mobile electronic device, wherein the dynamic bar includes a label portion and an icon menu comprising a plurality of icons, each icon in the plurality of icons being associated with a respective application or function; and

display a dialog for configuring options associated with a particular application or function, the dialog displayed in response to selection of a respective icon of the plurality of icons in the icon menu associated with the particular application or function.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

update an appearance of the respective icon to reflect a change in a value of an option associated with the particular application or function.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

expand the dynamic bar to display the icon menu as an expansion interface in response to an input.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the dynamic bar has an expanded state and an unexpanded state.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:

expand the dynamic bar from the unexpanded state in which the dynamic bar consists of the label portion to the expanded state in which the dynamic bar consists of the label portion and the icon menu as an expansion interface in response to input.

20. A non-transitory, machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by a processor of a mobile electronic device, cause the processor to:

display a dynamic bar on a display of a mobile electronic device, the dynamic bar having an appearance that updates dynamically to reflect a change to information managed by an executable running on the mobile electronic device, wherein the dynamic bar includes a label portion and an icon menu comprising a plurality of icons, each icon in the plurality of icons being associated with a respective application or function; and

display a dialog for configuring options associated with a particular application or function, the dialog displayed in response to selection of a respective icon of the plurality of icons in the icon menu associated with the particular application or function.