Indication of progress towards satisfaction of a user input condition

• US 7,480,870 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chaudhri, Imran, Christie, Greg, Ording, Bas, Lemay, Stephen O., Van Os, Marcel, Forstall, Scott, Anzures, Freddy Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hur; Ece
• Application Number:
  US11/322,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 715/772, 715/863, 345/173
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• 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 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041

Abstract

In some embodiments of the invention, a graphical user interface in an electronic device includes one or more user-interface objects associated with a second user-interface state. While the device is in a first user-interface state, the one or more objects transition in optical intensity to indicate progress towards satisfaction of a user input condition needed to transition to the second user-interface state.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

while an electronic device is in a first user-interface state, detecting progress towards satisfaction of a user input condition needed to transition to a second user-interface state;

wherein the first user-interface state is in a first application and the second user-interface state is in a second application that is different from the first application;

while the device is in the first user-interface state, indicating progress towards satisfaction of the condition by transitioning an optical intensity of one or more user interface objects associated with the second user-interface state, wherein transitioning the optical intensity includes the one or more user interface objects appearing and increasing in optical intensity; and

transitioning the device to the second user-interface state if the condition is satisfied.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a touch-sensitive display, and wherein satisfying the condition comprises detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to a predefined gesture.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a touch-sensitive display, and wherein satisfying the condition comprises:

displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display; and

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to the image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a touch-sensitive display, and wherein satisfying the condition comprises:

displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display; and

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display corresponding to moving the image to a predefined location on the touch-sensitive display.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a touch-sensitive display, and wherein satisfying the condition comprises:

displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display; and

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display corresponding to moving the image along a predefined path on the touch-sensitive display.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a touch-sensitive display, and wherein satisfying the condition comprises:

displaying a plurality of images on the touch-sensitive display; and

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to one of the plurality of images.

7. A graphical user interface in an electronic device, comprising:

one or more user-interface objects associated with a second user-interface state,

wherein while the device is in a first user-interface state, the one or more user-interface objects transition in optical intensity to indicate progress towards satisfaction of a user input condition needed to transition to the second user-interface state, wherein the transition in optical intensity includes the one or more user interface objects appearing and increasing in optical intensity, and

wherein the first user-interface state is in a first application and the second user-interface state is in a second application that is different from the first application.

8. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a touch-sensitive display;

memory;

one or more processors;

and one or more modules stored in memory and configured for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more modules including instructions for;

while the device is in a first user-interface state, detecting progress towards satisfaction of a user input condition needed to transition to a second user-interface state;

wherein the first user-interface state is in a first application and the second user-interface state is in a second application that is different from the first application, while the device is in the first user-interface state, indicating progress towards satisfaction of the condition by transitioning an optical intensity of one or more user interface objects associated with the second user-interface state, wherein transitioning of the optical intensity includes the one or more user interface objects appearing and increasing in optical intensity; and

transitioning the device to the second user-interface state if the condition is satisfied.

9. A portable electronic device, comprising:

means for detecting progress towards satisfaction of a user input condition needed to transition to a second user-interface state while the device is in a first user-interface state;

means for indicating progress towards satisfaction of the condition by transitioning an optical intensity of one or more user interface objects associated with the second user-interface state while the device is in the first user-interface state, wherein transitioning the optical intensity includes the one or more user interface objects appearing and increasing in optical intensity, wherein the first user-interface state is in a first application and the second user-interface state is in a second application that is different from the first application; and

means for transitioning the device to the second user-interface state if the condition is satisfied.

10. A computer readable storage medium having stored therein executable instructions, which when executed by an electronic device, cause the device to:

while the device is in a first user-interface state, detect progress towards satisfaction of a user input condition needed to transition to a second user-interface state, wherein the first user-interface state is in a first application and the second user-interface state is in a second application that is different from the first application;

while the device is in the first user-interface state, indicating progress towards satisfaction of the condition by transitioning an optical intensity of one or more user interface objects associated with the second user-interface state, wherein transitioning the optical intensity includes the one or more user interface objects appearing and increasing in optical intensity; and

transition the device to the second user-interface state if the condition is satisfied.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the device comprises a touch-sensitive display, and wherein detecting progress towards satisfaction of the condition includes detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display corresponding to a predefined gesture.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the device comprises a touch-sensitive display, and wherein detecting progress towards satisfaction of the condition includes:

displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display; and

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display corresponding to a predefined gesture with respect to the image.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the device comprises a touch-sensitive display, and wherein the instructions for detecting progress towards satisfaction of the condition includes:

displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display; and

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display corresponding to moving the image to a predefined location on the touch-sensitive display.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the device comprises a touch-sensitive display, and wherein detecting progress towards satisfaction of the condition includes:

displaying an image on the touch-sensitive display; and

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display corresponding to moving the image along a predefined path on the touch-sensitive display.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the device comprises a touch-sensitive display, and wherein detecting progress towards satisfaction of the condition includes:

displaying a plurality of images on the touch-sensitive display; and

detecting contact with the touch-sensitive display that corresponds to a predefined gesture with respect to one of the plurality of images.