Mobile communications device user interface

• US 8,385,952 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Friedman, Jonathan D., Kruzeniski, Michael J., Wilson, Brian M., Smuga, Michael A., Apfel, Darren A., Hoffman, Nell H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arevalo, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/484,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20100159966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/556.2, 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/418, 455/405, 455/406, 715/863, 715/702, 715/723, 715/764, 715/846, 715/733, 715/469, 715/26.5, 715/854, 715/837, 715/810, 715/784
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04807 Pen manipulated menu
• 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 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text

Abstract

A mobile communications device user interface is described. In an implementation, a method is implemented by a mobile communications device that includes outputting a user interface having a portion that is configured to accept content. When an option is selected in relation to the portion to initiate a communication and the content includes one or more contacts, the communication is formed that includes the content and is automatically addressed to the one or more contacts.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a device, the method comprising:

outputting a user interface having a portion that is configured to accept content via a drag-and-drop operation involving a gesture that gives an appearance of a thumbnail image detected through interaction with a display device of the mobile communications device using touchscreen functionality, the content accepted by the portion remaining hidden from view;

presenting an indication during the drag-and-drop operation indicating that the content is being input into the portion;

in response to a selection of the portion, displaying the content accepted by the portion; and

when an option is selected in relation to the portion to initiate a communication, and a first item of content includes one or more contacts and a second item of content does not include one or more contacts, forming the communication to be automatically addressed to the one or more contacts of the first item and that is configured to communicate the second item of content included in the portion over a network by the device.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the communication is an email and the one or more contacts include at least one email address that is used to automatically address the communication.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the communication is a multimedia messaging service (MMS) communication and the one or more contacts include at least one telephone number that is used to automatically address the communication.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the communication is an upload to a social network service and the one or more contacts include at least one network address that is used to automatically address the communication.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the portion is provided by an operating system and exposed to a plurality of applications such that the content accepted by the portion persists during navigation between the applications.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the thumbnail image of the content is displayed in the user interface as following the gesture; and

when the thumbnail image is displayed proximally to the portion, an animation is displayed in the user interface to show acceptance of the thumbnail image by the portion.

7. A method as described in claim 6, wherein the animation involves rotation and scaling of the thumbnail image.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein a display state of the portion changes when the content has been accepted by the portion to indicate the acceptance.

9. One or more tangible computer-readable storage media devices comprising instructions that are executable by a mobile communications device to configure a user interface to:

include a portion that is configured to accept a plurality of contacts via a drag-and-drop operation involving a gesture that gives an appearance of a thumbnail image detected through interaction with a display device of the mobile communications device using touchscreen functionality;

present an indication during the drag-and-drop operation indicating that at least one of the plurality of contacts is being input into the portion;

receive, by the portion, content that is not displayed in the portion;

in response to a selection of the portion, display the received content and at least one of the accepted plurality of contacts; and

provide an option that is selectable to initiate a communication to a network location specified by each of the displayed plurality of contacts, the communication including the received content.

10. One or more tangible computer-readable media devices as described in claim 9, wherein the communication is a single email that is addressed to each of the plurality of contacts.

11. One or more tangible computer-readable media devices as described in claim 9, wherein the communication is a single multimedia messaging service (MMS) communication that is addressed to each of the plurality of contacts using respective telephone numbers.

12. One or more tangible computer-readable media devices as described in claim 9, wherein the communication is an upload to be performed to a plurality of members of one or more social network services.

13. One or more tangible computer-readable media devices as described in claim 9, wherein the option is selectable to output a plurality of additional options, each of the plurality of additional options indicating a different communication technique.

14. One or more tangible computer-readable media devices as described in claim 9, wherein the portion is provided by an operating system and exposed to a plurality of applications such that the content accepted by the portion persists during navigation between the applications.

15. One or more tangible computer-readable media devices as described in claim 9, wherein:

the thumbnail image of the content is displayed in the user interface as following the gesture; and

when the thumbnail image is displayed proximally to the portion, an animation is displayed in the user interface to show acceptance of the thumbnail image by the portion.

16. A mobile communications device comprising:

a display device;

a processor; and

memory configured to maintain a plurality of applications and an operating system that are executable on the processor, wherein the operating system is configured to expose a feature to the plurality of applications to output in a user interface for display, on the display device, a portion that is selectable in the user interface to;

accept content via a drag-and-drop operation involving a gesture that gives an appearance of a thumbnail image detected through interaction with the display device of the mobile communications device using touchscreen functionality;

hide the accepted content from view on the display device until a selection of the portion is received; and

output one or more indications of actions that are performable on each of the content accepted in the portion; and

wherein the user interface is configured to present an indication during the drag-and-drop operation indicating that the content is being input into the portion.

17. A mobile communications device as described in claim 16, wherein the actions include creation of a playlist and initiation of a slide show.

18. A mobile communications device as described in claim 16, wherein the portion provided by the operating system and exposed to the plurality of applications is configured such that the content accepted by the portion persists during navigation between the applications.

19. A mobile communications as described in claim 16, wherein the content includes an image, video, or a contact.

20. A mobile communications device as described in claim 16, wherein:

the thumbnail image of the content is displayed in the user interface as following the gesture; and

when the thumbnail image is displayed proximally to the portion, an animation is displayed in the user interface to show acceptance of the thumbnail image by the portion.