Web view layer for accessing user interface elements

• US 7,984,384 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• 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): Huynh; Ba
• Application Number:
  US12/368,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 715/802, 715/764, 715/765, 715/767, 715/768, 715/779, 715/847
• US Class Current: 715/779
• 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 desktop user interface, a computer-implemented method for presenting a dashboard layer on the display screen, the method comprising:

responsive to a trigger event, displaying the dashboard layer in the area displaying the desktop user interface, the dashboard layer comprising a web view, the display of the dashboard layer providing access to a group of desktop widgets rendered within the web view of the dashboard layer; and

for each of the desktop widgets from the group, displaying in the dashboard layer a borderless web page that represents the desktop widget in the web view of the dashboard layer.

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

a calendar desktop widget;

a calculator desktop widget;

a music player desktop widget;

an address book desktop widget;

a notes desktop widget;

a stock quote desktop widget;

a weather desktop widget;

a traffic desktop widget;

a package tracking desktop widget;

a contact manager desktop widget; and

a clock desktop widget.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the desktop widgets from the group is associated with an application, the method further comprising:

in response to a second trigger event comprising a user command to launch an application associated with a selected desktop widget, launching the application associated with the desktop widget.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the dashboard layer at least partially obscures the desktop user interface while the dashboard layer is active.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dashboard layer replaces the desktop user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the desktop widgets from the group is associated with a fully functional application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the dashboard layer comprises:

displaying an animation for activating the dashboard layer in the area displaying the desktop user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one desktop widget from the group of desktop widgets is capable of executing separately from the dashboard layer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dashboard layer is sized such that the group of desktop widgets contained by the dashboard layer can be usably presented within the dashboard layer upon activation of the dashboard layer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one desktop widget from the group is a separate process executing regardless of whether the dashboard layer is visible to the user.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying an animation associated with a desktop widget responsive to selection of the desktop widget.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one desktop widget from the group of desktop widgets is configured to execute regardless of whether the desktop widget is visible.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each desktop widget has a functionality that is performed by the desktop widget.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a configuration bar for adding additional desktop widgets to the group of desktop widgets contained by the dashboard layer, wherein the configuration bar displays at least one selectable desktop widget to add to the group.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein a selected desktop widget is capable of being instantiated a plurality of times within the dashboard layer.

16. A computer-readable storage medium configured to store executable computer instructions for presenting a unified interest layer in a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a desktop user interface, the instructions when executed by a computer processor cause the processor to:

display a unified interest layer in the area displaying the desktop user interface responsive to a trigger event, the unified interest layer comprising a web view, the display of the unified interest layer providing access to a group of desktop widgets rendered within the web view of the unified interest layer;

for each of the desktop widgets from the group, displaying in the dashboard layer a borderless web page that represents the desktop widget in the web view of the dashboard layer.

17. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a desktop user interface, a computer-implemented method for presenting a unified interest layer on the display screen, the method comprising:

displaying a unified interest layer in the area displaying the user interface responsive to a trigger event, the unified interest layer comprising a web view, the display of the unified interest layer providing access to a group of desktop widgets rendered within the web view of the unified interest layer, wherein at least one of the desktop widgets in the group of desktop widgets was not visible on the display screen prior to activation of the unified interest layer;

for each of the desktop widgets from the group, displaying in the dashboard layer a borderless web page that represents the desktop widget in the web view of the dashboard layer.

18. In a computer system including a display screen comprising an area displaying a desktop user interface, a computer-implemented method for presenting a unified interest layer on the display screen, the method comprising:

displaying a unified interest layer in the area displaying the desktop user interface responsive to a trigger event, the unified interest layer comprising a web view, the display of the unified interest layer providing access to a group of desktop widgets contained by the unified interest layer, wherein at least one of the desktop widgets in the group of desktop widgets is implemented in a web technology programming language;

for each of the desktop widgets from the group, displaying in the unified interest layer a borderless web page that represents the desktop widget in the web view of the unified interest layer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the web technology programming language is a hypertext markup language.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the web technology programming language is Java script.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one of the desktop widgets is implemented in a combination of web technology programming languages including a hypertext markup language and Java script.

22. A system for presenting a dashboard layer, the system comprising:

a dashboard layer comprising a web view;

a computer-processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable code for controlling the computer processor to perform a method comprising;

responsive to a trigger event, displaying the dashboard layer in an area displaying a desktop user interface, the display of the dashboard layer providing access to a group of desktop widgets rendered within the web view of the dashboard layer; and

for each of the desktop widgets from the group, displaying in the dashboard layer a borderless web page that represents the desktop widget in the web view of the dashboard layer.