Multi-dimensional application environment

• US 8,381,122 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Louch, John O., Chaudhri, Imran A., Hynes, Christopher, Bumgarner, Timothy Wayne, Peyton, Eric Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US11/760,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20080307351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 715/836, 715/837, 715/848, 715/849, 715/851, 715784-787, 715/790, 463/5, 463/6, 463/17, 463/20, 463/22, 463/31, 463/32, 463/37, 463 59- 69
• US Class Current: 715/784
• 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 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A back surface is axially disposed from a viewing surface, and one or more side surfaces extend from the back surface to the viewing surface. An application content frame for an executing application is generated on the back surface. One or more application control elements for the execution application are generating on the one or more side surfaces.

Claims

1. A method executed by one or more processing devices, the method comprising:

causing to be displayed a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and second surface intersecting at an edge and defining a three-dimensional display environment;

causing to be displayed on the second surface visualization objects;

receiving an input to scroll the second surface; and

in response to the input, scrolling the second surface, including;

scrolling the visualization objects with the second surface; and

when the visualization objects are at the edge, moving the visualization objects into an anchor stack at the edge while the second surface continues scrolling.

2. The method of claim 1, where:

the first surface includes a back surface;

the second surface includes a side surface; and

the edge is formed by an angled intersection between the side surface and the back surface.

3. The method of claim 1, where the edge includes an egress.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displacing at least one of the one or more visualization objects at the egress.

5. The method of claim 4, where displacing the visualization object includes fading the visualization object from view at the egress.

6. The method of claim 5, where fading the visualization object from view includes fading the visualization object from view at the egress using at least one of an atomizing effect or a falling effect.

7. The method of claim 1, where the visualization objects include an icon.

8. The method of claim 1, where scrolling the visualization objects with the second surface includes scrolling the one or more visualization objects with the second surface towards the edge.

9. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a storage device, the product operable to cause one or more processing device to perform operations comprising:

causing to be displayed a first surface and a second surface, the first surface and second surface intersecting at an edge and defining a three-dimensional display environment;

causing to be displayed on the second surface visualization objects;

receiving an input to scroll the second surface; and

in response to the input, scrolling the second surface, including;

scrolling the visualization objects with the second surface; and

when the visualization objects are at the edge, moving the visualization objects into an anchor stack at the edge while the second surface continues scrolling.

10. The product of claim 9, where the one or more visualization objects include an icon.

11. The product of claim 9, where each of the first surface and second surface is one of a side surface or a back surface.

12. The product of claim 11, where the edge is formed by an angled intersection between a first side surface and a second side surface.

13. A method executed by one or more processing devices, the method comprising:

causing to be displayed a viewing surface, a back surface axially disposed from the viewing surface to define a depth, a first side surface extending from the back surface to the viewing surface, in which the first side surface and the back surface intersect at an edge;

causing to be displayed on the back surface an application window;

causing to be displayed on the first side surface visualization objects;

receiving an input to scroll the first side surface; and

in response to the input, scrolling the first side surface, including scrolling the visualization objects with the first side surface, and when the visualization objects are at the edge, moving the visualization objects into an anchor stack at the edge while the first side surface continues scrolling.

14. The method of claim 13, in which the visualization objects comprise application toolbars.

15. The method of claim 13, in which the visualization objects comprise three-dimensional function icons.

16. The method of claim 13, in which the visualization objects comprise stacks.