Remote access to layer and user interface elements

• US 7,503,010 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2006
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louch, John, Grignon, Andrew M., Christie, Gregory N., Chaudhri, Imran A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault; Steven B
• Application Number:
  US11/370,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20060156250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 715/765, 715/764, 715/767, 715/768, 715/792, 715/802, 715/808, 715/810, 715/840, 715/866
• US Class Current: 715/764
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A user-activatable dashboard (also referred to as a unified interest layer) contains any number of user interface elements, referred to herein as “widgets,” for quick access by a user. In response to a command from a user, the dashboard is invoked and the widgets are shown on the screen. The user can activate the dashboard at any time, causing the dashboard to temporarily replace the existing user interface display on the user'"'"'s screen. Once the dashboard has been activated, the user can interact with any or all of the widgets, and can configure the dashboard by adding, deleting, moving, or configuring individual widgets as desired. When the user wishes to return to the normal user interface he or she was working with, the user issues a command causing the dashboard to be dismissed. Once the dashboard has been dismissed, the previous user interface state is restored, allowing the user to resume normal interactions with the operating system.

Claims

1. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a layer, comprising:

responsive to a trigger event by a user of the computer system, activating a layer configured for the user in the area displaying the user interface on the display screen of the computer system, thereby providing access to a group of widgets visually contained by the layer, wherein at least one widget in the group of widgets is capable of executing separately from the layer and at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer; and

wherein the layer displayed on the display screen of the computer system may be accessed by the user from a location remote from the computer system display screen.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer is accessible from a remote device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of widgets are accessible from the location remote from the computer system display screen.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to user input at a selected widget comprising a first side and a second side indicating that an auxiliary function should be displayed, displaying the second side of the selected widget, the second side comprising the auxiliary function;

receiving changes to the auxiliary function, wherein the changes are reflected in the appearance of the first side of the selected widget; and

wherein a primary functionality of the selected widget is associated with a front side of the selected widget.

5. The method of claim4, wherein displaying the second side of the selected widget further comprises displaying an animation simulating the selected widget turning over.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a widget selected from the group is capable of being instantiated a plurality times.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one widget comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a calendar widget;

a calculator widget;

a music player widget;

an address book widget;

a notes widget;

a stock quote widget;

a weather widget;

a traffic widget;

a package tracking widget;

a contact manager widget; and

a clock widget.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of widgets are not necessarily part of a single application.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a first application comprises a first widget of the group and a second application comprises a second widget of the group.

10. The method of claim 1,further comprising:

responsive to a second trigger event, dismissing the layer, thereby removing access to the group of widgets.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

responsive to the trigger event, displaying a first transitional animation for activating the layer; and

responsive to a second trigger event, displaying a second transitional animation for dismissing the layer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein each widget in the group is associated with a functionality performed by each widget.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an icon within the layer for launching a configuration bar; and

responsive to user input at the icon, displaying a configuration bar for adding widgets to the layer.

14. In a device including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a layer, comprising:

responsive to a trigger event, activating a user-activatable dashboard layer in the area displaying the user interface of the device display screen , thereby providing access to a group of widgets displayed in the layer, wherein at least one widget in the group of widgets is implemented using a combination of programming languages comprising a markup language, a procedural language, and an arbitrary graphics language and at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer; and

wherein the user-activatable dashboard layer displayed on the device may be accessed by the user via logging into a webpage associated with the layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the layer is accessible via a remote device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the widget is capable of being instantiated a plurality times.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein activating the layer comprises displaying the layer such that it partially obscures the user interface.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein activating the layer comprises displaying the layer such that it replaces the user interface.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein activating the layer comprises displaying the layer such that it overlays the user interface.

20. In a device including an operating system comprising a runtime engine that is part of the operating system and a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a dashboard layer, comprising:

responsive to a trigger event by a user of the device, activating the dashboard layer configured for the user in the area of the device display screen displaying the user interface, the dashboard layer comprising a web view in a development environment and executed by the runtime engine, the activation of the dashboard layer thereby providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer, wherein at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the dashboard layer; and

wherein the layer displayed on the device display screen may be accessed by the user from a location remote from the device.

21. The method of claim 20,wherein the group of widgets are accessible from the location remote from the computer system display screen.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

responsive to a second trigger event, dismissing the dashboard layer, thereby removing access to the group of widgets.

23. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a layer, comprising:

responsive to a trigger event, activating a user-activatable dashboard layer in the area displaying the user interface, thereby providing access to a group of widgets displayed in by the user-activatable dashboard layer, wherein at least one widget in the group of widgets is implemented using a combination of programming languages comprising a markup language, a procedural language, and an arbitrary graphics language and at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the user-activatable dashboard layer; and

wherein the user-activatable dashboard layer is accessible from a remote location.

24. A method for remotely accessing a layer, comprising:

accessing a user-activatable dashboard layer associated with a remote computer system, the layer providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer, wherein the accessing is from a location remote from the computer system; and

wherein the remote computer system includes a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, the user-activatable dashboard layer is activated in the area displaying the user interface responsive to a trigger event, wherein at least one widget in the group of widgets is a separately executing process from the layer and at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to the user-activatable dashboard layer being activated.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the accessing displays at the location a duplicate of the user-activatable dashboard layer associated with the remote computer system.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the group of widgets are accessible from the location remote from the computer system display screen.

27. A computer-readable storage medium having computer program instructions embodied therein for presenting a layer on a device display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, comprising:

a layer module configured to activate a layer configured for a user in the area of the device display screen displaying the user interface, thereby providing access to a group of widgets visually contained by the layer, wherein at least one widget in the group of widgets is capable of executing separately from the layer and at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer by the user; and

a remote access module configured to enable access by the user to the layer displayed on the device display from a location remote from the device.

28. A computer-readable storage medium having computer program instructions embodied therein for remotely accessing a layer, comprising:

an access module configured to access a user-activatable dashboard layer associated with a remote computer system, the layer providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer, wherein the remotely accessing is from a location remote from the computer system; and

wherein the remote computer system includes a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, the user-activatable dashboard layer is activated in the area displaying the user interface responsive to a trigger event, wherein at least one widget in the group of widgets is a separately executing process from the layer and at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to the user-activatable dashboard layer being activated.

29. A system for presenting a dashboard layer on a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, comprising:

a processor;

an operating system comprising a runtime engine that is part of the operating system;

a layer activation means for responsive to a trigger event by a user of the device, activating the dashboard layer configured for the user in the area of the device display screen displaying the user interface, the dashboard layer comprising a web view in a development environment and executed by the runtime engine, the activation of the dashboard layer thereby providing access to a group of widgets contained by the dashboard layer, wherein at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the dashboard layer; and

a remote access means for enabling access by the user to the dashboard layer displayed on the device display from a location remote from the device.

30. A system for remotely accessing a layer, comprising:

a layer remote access means for accessing a user-activatable dashboard layer associated with a remote computer system, the layer providing access to a group of widgets contained by the layer, wherein the remotely accessing is from a location remote from the computer system; and

wherein the remote computer system includes a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, the user-activatable dashboard layer is activated in the area displaying the user interface responsive to a trigger event, wherein at least one widget in the group of widgets is a separately executing process from the layer and at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to the user-activatable dashboard layer being activated.

31. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, a method for presenting a layer, comprising:

responsive to a trigger event by a user of the computer system, activating a dashboard layer configured for the user in the area displaying the user interface on the display screen of the computer system such that the dashboard layer becomes visible to the user, thereby providing access to a group of widgets visually contained by the layer, wherein at least one widget in the group of widgets is a separate process executing regardless of whether the layer is visible to the user and at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer; and

wherein the layer displayed on the display screen of the computer system may be accessed by the user from a location remote from the computer system display screen.

32. A computer-readable storage medium having computer program instructions embodied therein for presenting a layer on a device display screen comprising an area displaying a user interface, comprising:

a layer module configured to activate a layer configured for a user in the area of the device display screen displaying the user interface such that the layer becomes visible to the user responsive to a trigger event by the user, thereby providing access to a group of widgets visually contained by the layer, wherein at least one widget in the group of widgets is a separate process executing regardless of whether the layer is visible to the user and at least one of the widgets in the group of widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the layer by the user; and

a remote access module configured to enable access by the user to the layer displayed on the device display from a location remote from the device.