TIME-BASED, NON-CONSTANT TRANSLATION OF USER INTERFACE OBJECTS BETWEEN STATES

• US 20170060393A1
• Filed: 11/14/2016
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ording, Bas
• Application Number:
  US15/351,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20170060393A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for moving objects within the graphical user interface (GUI) of an operating system in a manner that provides a transitional effect between window states, which is pleasing to the user. This transitional effect includes changing the shape of a window while scaling and moving the window between two different sizes and positions. In one embodiment of the present invention, the transitional effect may be employed as a window is minimized into an icon, or restored from an icon. In another embodiment of the present invention, the transitional effect is employed as a window is minimized within its title bar, or restored therefrom. The rate of movement of objects is controlled in a non-linear manner, to further enhance the pleasing effect.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with a display and one or more input devices;

displaying, on the display, a first state of a user interface;

while displaying the first state of the user interface, receiving an input via the one or more input devices that corresponds to a request to transition the user interface to a second state that is different from the first state; and

in response to receiving the input, transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with a non-linear transition, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with the non-linear transition includes;

transitioning the user interface by a first amount of transition over a respective amount of time during a first portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by a second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during a second portion of the non-linear transition that occurs after the first portion of the non-linear transition, wherein the second amount of transition is selected so as to be different from the first amount of transition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second amount of transition is greater than the first amount of transition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the second portion of the non-linear transition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the second portion of the non-linear transition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface by a third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during a third portion of the non-linear transition that occurs after the second portion of the non-linear transition, wherein the third amount of transition is selected so as to be different from the first amount of transition and the second amount of transition.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the third amount of transition is greater than the second amount of transition; and

the second amount of transition is greater than the first amount of transition.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the first portion of the non-linear transition;

transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the second portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the third portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the third portion of the non-linear transition.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein:

transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the second portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the third portion of the non-linear transition includes decelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the third portion of the non-linear transition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes moving a user interface object across the display from a first position in the first state of the user interface to a second position in the second state of the user interface.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes decreasing a size of at least a portion of a user interface object from a first size in the first state of the user interface to a second size in the second state of the user interface.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes changing a shape of a user interface object from a first shape in the first state of the user interface to a second shape in the second state of the user interface.

9. The method of claim wherein the first amount of transition is the same as the third amount of transition.

13. A computer-readable medium containing instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, configure the processor to perform operations comprising:

displaying, on a display, a first state of a user interface;

while displaying the first state of the user interface, receiving an input via one or more input devices that corresponds to a request to transition the user interface to a second state that is different from the first state; and

in response to receiving the input, transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with a non-linear transition, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with the non-linear transition includes;

transitioning the user interface by a first amount of transition over a respective amount of time during a first portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by a second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during a second portion of the non-linear transition that occurs after the first portion of the non-linear transition, wherein the second amount of transition is selected so as to be different from the first amount of transition.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the second amount of transition is greater than the first amount of transition.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the second portion of the non-linear transition.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the second portion of the non-linear transition.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface by a third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during a third portion of the non-linear transition that occurs after the second portion of the non-linear transition, wherein the third amount of transition is selected so as to be different from the first amount of transition and the second amount of transition.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

the third amount of transition is greater than the second amount of transition; and

the second amount of transition is greater than the first amount of transition.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the first portion of the non-linear transition;

transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the second portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the third portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the third portion of the non-linear transition.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the second portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the third amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the third portion of the non-linear transition includes decelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the third portion of the non-linear transition.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first amount of transition is the same as the third amount of transition.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes moving a user interface object across the display from a first position in the first state of the user interface to a second position in the second state of the user interface.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes decreasing a size of at least a portion of a user interface object from a first size in the first state of the user interface to a second size in the second state of the user interface.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes changing a shape of a user interface object from a first shape in the first state of the user interface to a second shape in the second state of the user interface.

25. A computer system comprising:

a display and one or more input devices;

a computer-readable medium containing instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, configure the processor to perform operations comprising;

displaying, on the display, a first state of a user interface;

while displaying the first state of the user interface, receiving an input via the one or more input devices that corresponds to a request to transition the user interface to a second state that is different from the first state; and

in response to receiving the input, transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with a non-linear transition, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state with the non-linear transition includes;

transitioning the user interface by a first amount of transition over a respective amount of time during a first portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by a second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during a second portion of the non-linear transition that occurs after the first portion of the non-linear transition, wherein the second amount of transition is selected so as to be different from the first amount of transition.

26. The computer system of claim 25, wherein the second amount of transition is greater than the first amount of transition.

27. The computer system of claim 25, wherein:

transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes transitioning the user interface at a changing rate during the second portion of the non-linear transition.

28. The computer system of claim 25, wherein:

transitioning the user interface by the first amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the first portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the first portion of the non-linear transition; and

transitioning the user interface by the second amount of transition over the respective amount of time during the second portion of the non-linear transition includes accelerating the rate of transitioning the user interface during the second portion of the non-linear transition.

29. The computer system of claim 25, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes decreasing a size of at least a portion of a user interface object from a first size in the first state of the user interface to a second size in the second state of the user interface.

30. The computer system of claim 25, wherein transitioning the user interface from the first state to the second state includes changing a shape of a user interface object from a first shape in the first state of the user interface to a second shape in the second state of the user interface.