User interface with visual progression

• US 8,489,992 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rohde, Ruben
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THANH T
• Application Number:
  US12/099,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,925 Days
• Field of Search: 715/727, 715/738, 715/729, 715/833, 715/786, 715/78, 715/728
• US Class Current: 715/728
• 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: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons

Abstract

In one embodiment, a graphics user interface is provided. The graphics user interface includes a plurality of graphical representations identifying separate audio data, respectively. Each of the plurality of graphical representations is configured in a list to be selected for playback of the respective audio data. A progression icon is displayed in each of the respective graphical representations. Each progression icon illustrates a temporal progression of the playback of the respective audio data.

Claims

1. A tangible computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed implement a graphics user interface on a display, the instructions comprising:

a plurality of graphical representations identifying separate voice messages, respectively, each of the plurality of graphical representations configured in a list to be selected for playback of the respective voice messages;

a first progression icon displayed in a first graphical representation of the plurality of graphical representations and configured to illustrate a temporal progression of the playback of the voice message of the first graphical representation; and

a second progression icon displayed in a second graphical representation of the plurality of graphical representations and configured to illustrate a temporal progression of the playback of the voice message of the second graphical representation;

wherein the first progression icon is displayed after an origin state of the playback of the voice message of the first graphical representation and during the playback of the voice message of the second graphical representation and displayed simultaneously on the display with the second progression icon.

2. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first progression icon extends over an entire height of the first graphical representation.

3. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein each of the graphical representations illustrates a time corresponding to the respective voice message.

4. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein each of the graphical representations illustrates a phone number corresponding to the respective voice message.

5. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of graphical representations are displayed on a screen of a user device.

6. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 5, wherein the user device comprises a telephone, a computer, or a personal digital assistant.

7. The graphics user interface of claim 1, further comprising:

a first subject field including a summary of the first voice message; and

a second subject field including a summary of the second voice message, wherein the first subject field and the second subject field are displayed simultaneously.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of data signals;

storing, in a memory, the plurality of data signals as audio voice message files;

generating a plurality of image objects, each image object identifying a respective audio voice message file; and

generating a progression icon to be displayed in each image object simultaneously, the progression icons extending over an entire height of the image objects, wherein movement of the progression icon during playback of the audio voice message file corresponds to temporal progression of the audio voice message file,

wherein the progression icon remains at a corresponding temporal location when playback of the audio voice message file is stopped and another audio voice message file is selected.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein movement of the progression icon comprises movement of a graphical bar across the image object.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a portion of the image object changes color or shade as the progression icon moves across the portion.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the image object illustrates a name and subject corresponding to the audio voice message file.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

displaying simultaneously a subject field including text generalized from the respective audio voice message file of each image object.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first progression icon and the second graphical representation are adjacent and share a border.

14. A method comprising:

displaying a first graphical icon;

displaying a second graphical icon simultaneously with the first graphical icon, wherein the first graphical icon represents a first voice message and the second graphical icon represents a second voice message;

receiving selection of the first graphical icon for playback of the first voice message;

receiving selection of the second graphical icon for playback of the second voice message;

displaying a first progression image object in the first graphical icon and a second progression image object in the second graphical icon, wherein the first progression image object and the second progression image object are displayed simultaneously at locations illustrating a temporal position of a current audio playback in both the first voice message and the second voice message after an initial state.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first graphical icon and the second graphical icon are displayed in a list format in a same window.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first progression image object of the selected first graphical icon moves during playback while the second progression image object of the second graphical icon remains at rest.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first graphical icon and the second graphical icon are displayed in a chronological order.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a command to stop playback of the first voice message, wherein the first progression image object rests at a position corresponding to a time at which the first voice message is stopped.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

displaying simultaneously a first subject field including a summary of the first voice message and a second subject field including a summary of the second voice message.