Content feed user interface

• US 8,230,361 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Goldberg, Steven L., Wetherell, Christopher Jason, Parparita, Mihai, Fox, Kevin David
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Basom, Blaine T.
• Application Number:
  US11/863,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,762 Days
• Field of Search: 715/815, 715/823, 715/830, 715/784, 715/207, 715/739, 715/744, 715/785, 715/817
• US Class Current: 715/815
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning

Abstract

A content feed aggregator displays an ordered list of content items, including a selected item and a set of other items. The selected item is displayed in an expanded format while the other items are simultaneously displayed in a compact format. At least one respective item in compact format is displayed above the selected item and at least one respective item in compact format displayed below the selected item. In response to a user action for selecting a second item in the displayed list, the ordered list of content items is redisplayed with the second item displayed in the expanded format and the other items, including the first item, displayed in the compact format.

Claims

1. A method of presenting content, comprising:

at a client computer distinct from a server computer;

receiving an ordered list of content items from the server computer, each of the content items having an associated read state with respect to a user of the client computer, where the read state is stored at the server computer, wherein the items in the ordered list comprise content feed items from one or more content feeds;

displaying the ordered list of content items, including displaying a selected first item in an expanded format and a set of other items in a compact format,

responding to a user action for reading a second item by selecting the second item in the displayed list of content items, the selected second item being distinct from the first item, and redisplaying the ordered list of content items, including displaying the second item in the expanded format,

wherein the responding includes scrolling the displayed list such that an item displayed at a top of the list when the first item was the selected item is no longer displayed after the second item is selected and the ordered list of content items is redisplayed;

marking a previously selected content item as read in response to the previously selected item being scrolled off the top of the list, including transmitting information to the server indicating that the previously selected item has been read, so as to update a read state of the previously selected item with respect to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein all items displayed in the compact format have a consistent display size.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the items in the ordered list comprise content feed items from one or more content feeds.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein redisplaying the ordered list of content items comprises displaying the second item in the expanded format and displaying the first item in the compact format.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein redisplaying the ordered list decreases a number of displayed items when the second item displayed in the expanded format is larger than the first item displayed in the expanded format.

6. The method of claim 4, the method further including:

responding to a user action for reading a third item in the displayed list by redisplaying the ordered list of content items, including displaying the third item in the expanded format and displaying the first and second items in the compact format.

7. The method of claim 4, the method further including:

responding to a user action for reading a third item in the displayed list by redisplaying the ordered list of content items, including displaying the third item in the expanded format and displaying the second item in the compact format.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein a display size of a respective item when displayed in the expanded format corresponds to an amount of content in the respective item.

9. A client computer system for presenting content, comprising:

memory;

one or more processors; and

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

instructions to receive an ordered list of content items from the server computer, each of the content items having an associated read state with respect to a user of the client computer, where the read state is stored at the server computer, wherein the items in the ordered list comprise content feed items from one or more content feeds;

instructions to display the ordered list of content items, including instructions to display a selected first item in an expanded format and a set of other items in a compact format,

instructions to respond to a user action for reading a second item by selecting the second item in the displayed list of content items, the selected second item being distinct from the first item, and instructions to redisplay the ordered list of content items, including displaying the second item in the expanded format,

wherein the instructions to respond include instructions to scroll the displayed list such that an item displayed at a top of the list when the first item was the selected item is no longer displayed after the second item is selected and the ordered list of content items is redisplayed; and

instructions to mark a previously selected content item as read in response to the previously selected item being scrolled off the top of the list, including instructions to transmit information to the server indicating that the previously selected item has been read, so as to update a read state of the previously selected item with respect to the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of content items comprise feed content items from one or more content feeds.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein all items displayed in the compact format have a consistent display size.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the instructions to redisplay the ordered list of content items include instructions to display the second item in the expanded format and display the first item in the compact format.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a display size of a respective item when displayed in the expanded format corresponds to an amount of content in the respective item.

14. The computer system of claim 12, further including:

instructions to respond to a user action for reading a third item in the displayed list by redisplaying the ordered list of content items, including displaying the third item in the expanded format and displaying the first and second items in the compact format.

15. The computer system of claim 12, further including:

instructions to respond to a user action for reading a third item in the displayed list by redisplaying the ordered list of content items, including displaying the third item in the expanded format and displaying the second item in the compact format.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured to be executed by a client computer system, the one or more programs comprising:

instructions to receive an ordered list of content items from the server computer, each of the content items having an associated read state with respect to a user of the client computer, where the read state is stored at the server computer, wherein the items in the ordered list comprise content feed items from one or more content feeds;

instructions to display the ordered list of content items, including instructions to display a selected first item in an expanded format and a set of other items in a compact format,

instructions to respond to a user action for reading a second item by selecting the second item in the displayed list of content items, the selected second item being distinct from the first item, and instructions to redisplay the ordered list of content items, including displaying the second item in the expanded format,

wherein the instructions to respond include instructions to scroll the displayed list such that an item displayed at a top of the list when the first item was the selected item is no longer displayed after the second item is selected and the ordered list of content items is redisplayed; and

instructions to mark a previously selected content item as read in response to the previously selected item being scrolled off the top of the list, including instructions to transmit information to the server indicating that the previously selected item has been read, so as to update a read state of the previously selected item with respect to the user.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of content items comprise feed content items from one or more content feeds.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein all items displayed in the compact format have a consistent display size.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions to redisplay the ordered list of content items include instructions to display the second item in the expanded format and display the first item in the compact format.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein a display size of a respective item when displayed in the expanded format corresponds to an amount of content in the respective item.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further including:

instructions to respond to a user action for reading a third item in the displayed list by redisplaying the ordered list of content items, including displaying the third item in the expanded format and displaying the first and second items in the compact format.

22. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further including:

instructions to respond to a user action for reading a third item in the displayed list by redisplaying the ordered list of content items, including displaying the third item in the expanded format and displaying the second item in the compact format.